Exhibit 10.9
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Registration Rights Agreement (this "Agreement") is made and entered
into as of June 21, 2005, by and between SYNERGY BRANDS INC., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), and Laurus Master Fund, Ltd. (the "Purchaser").
This Agreement is made pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated
as of the date hereof, by and between the Purchaser and the Company (the
"Securities Purchase Agreement"), and pursuant to the Note and the Warrants
referred to therein.
The Company and the Purchaser hereby agree as follows:
1. Definitions. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein
that are defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement shall have the meanings
given such terms in the Securities Purchase Agreement. As used in this
Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
"Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
"Common Stock" means shares of the Company's common stock, par value $.001
per share.
"Effectiveness Date" means with respect to any Registration Statement
required to be filed hereunder, a date no later than sixty (60) days following
the applicable Filing Date.
"Effectiveness Period" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
any successor statute.
"Filing Date" means, with respect to (i) the initial Registration Statement
required to be filed hereunder, a date no later than thirty (30) days following
the date hereof and (ii) with respect to shares of Common Stock issuable to the
Holder as a result of adjustments to the Fixed Conversion Price made pursuant to
Section 3.4 of the Secured Convertible Term Note or adjustments to the Exercise
Price made pursuant to Section 4 of the Warrant or other adjustments to the
Fixed Conversion Price or Exercise Price, thirty (30) days after the occurrence
such event or the date of any such adjustment.
"Holder" or "Holders" means the Purchaser or any of its affiliates or
transferees to the extent any of them hold Registrable Securities.
"Indemnified Party" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c).
"Indemnifying Party" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c).
"Note" has the meaning set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement.
"Proceeding" means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding
(including, without limitation, an investigation or partial proceeding, such as
a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.
"Prospectus" means the prospectus included in the Registration Statement
(including, without limitation, a prospectus that includes any information
previously omitted from a prospectus filed as part of an effective registration
statement in reliance upon Rule 430A promulgated under the Securities Act), as
amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms
of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by the
Registration Statement, and all other amendments and supplements to the
Prospectus, including post-effective amendments, and all material incorporated
by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.
"Registrable Securities" means the shares of Common Stock issued upon the
conversion of the Note and issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
"Registration Statement" means each registration statement required to be
filed hereunder, including the Prospectus, amendments and supplements to such
registration statement or Prospectus, including pre- and post-effective
amendments, all exhibits thereto, and all material incorporated by reference or
deemed to be incorporated by reference in such registration statement.
"Rule 144" means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the
Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar
rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the
same effect as such Rule.
"Rule 415" means Rule 415 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the
Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar
rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the
same effect as such Rule.
"Rule 424" means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the
Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar
rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the
same effect as such Rule.
"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any
successor statute.
"Securities Purchase Agreement" means the agreement between the parties
hereto calling for the issuance by the Company of $500,000 convertible Note plus
Warrants.
"Trading Market" means any of the NASD OTC Bulletin Board, NASDAQ SmallCap
Market, the Nasdaq National Market, the American Stock Exchange or the New York
Stock Exchange.
"Warrants" means the Common Stock purchase warrants issued pursuant to the
Securities Purchase Agreement.
2. Registration.
(a) On or prior to the Filing Date the Company shall prepare and file with
the Commission a Registration Statement covering the Registrable Securities for
an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415. The
Registration Statement shall be on Form S-3 (except if the Company is not then
eligible to register for resale the Registrable Securities on Form S-3, in which
case such registration shall be on another appropriate form in accordance
herewith). The Company shall cause the Registration Statement to become
effective and remain effective as provided herein. The Company shall use its
reasonable commercial efforts to cause the Registration Statement to be declared
effective under the Securities Act as promptly as possible after the filing
thereof, but in any event no later than the Effectiveness Date. The Company
shall use its reasonable commercial efforts to keep the Registration Statement
continuously effective under the Securities Act until the date which is the
earlier date of when (i) all Registrable Securities have been sold or (ii) all
Registrable Securities may be sold immediately without registration under the
Securities Act and without volume restrictions pursuant to Rule 144(k), as
determined by the counsel to the Company pursuant to a written opinion letter to
such effect, addressed and acceptable to the Company's transfer agent and the
affected Holders, provided that the status of the Holder at the time of such
sale does not delay or prohibit sale under Rule 144(k) (the "Effectiveness
Period").
(b) If: (i) the Registration Statement is not filed on or prior to the
Filing Date; (ii) the Registration Statement is not declared effective by the
Commission by the Effectiveness Date; (iii) after the Registration Statement is
filed with and declared effective by the Commission, the Registration Statement
ceases to be effective (by suspension or otherwise) as to all Registrable
Securities to which it is required to relate at any time prior to the expiration
of the Effectiveness Period (without being succeeded immediately by an
additional registration statement filed and declared effective) for a period of
time which shall exceed 30 days in the aggregate per year or more than 20
consecutive calendar days (defined as a period of 365 days commencing on the
date the Registration Statement is declared effective); or (iv) the Common Stock
is not listed or quoted, or is suspended from trading on any Trading Market for
a period of three (3) consecutive Trading Days (provided the Company shall not
have been able to cure such trading suspension within 30 days of the notice
thereof or list the Common Stock on another Trading Market); (any such failure
or breach being referred to as an "Event," and for purposes of clause (i) or
(ii) the date on which such Event occurs, or for purposes of clause (iii) the
date which such 30 day or 20 consecutive day period (as the case may be) is
exceeded, or for purposes of clause (iv) the date on which such three (3)
Trading Day period is exceeded, being referred to as "Event Date"), then until
the applicable Event is cured, the Company shall pay to each Holder an amount in
cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, equal to 1.0% for each thirty
(30) day period (prorated for partial periods) on a daily basis of the original
principal amount of the Note. While such Event continues, such liquidated
damages shall be paid not less often than each thirty (30) days. Any unpaid
liquidated damages as of the date when an Event has been cured by the Company
shall be paid within three (3) days following the date on which such Event has
been cured by the Company.
(c) Within five (5) business days of the Effectiveness Date, the Company
shall cause its counsel to issue an opinion in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit A, to the transfer agent stating that the shares are subject to an
effective registration statement and can be reissued free of restrictive legend
upon notice of a sale by Laurus and confirmation by Laurus that it has complied
with the prospectus delivery requirements, provided that the Company has not
advised the transfer agent orally or in writing that the opinion has been
withdrawn. Copies of the opinion required by this Section 2(c) shall be
delivered to Laurus within the time frame set forth above.
3. Registration Procedures. If and whenever the Company is required by the
provisions hereof to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities under
the Securities Act, the Company will, as expeditiously as possible:
(a) prepare and file with the Commission the Registration Statement with
respect to such Registrable Securities, promptly respond to any comments
received from the Commission, and use its best efforts to cause the Registration
Statement to become and remain effective for the Effectiveness Period with
respect thereto, and promptly provide to the Purchaser copies of all filings and
Commission letters of comment relating thereto;
(b) prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and supplements to
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection therewith as
may be necessary to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with
respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by the
Registration Statement and to keep such Registration Statement effective until
the expiration of the Effectiveness Period;
(c) furnish to the Purchaser such number of copies of the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus included therein (including each preliminary
Prospectus) as the Purchaser reasonably may request to facilitate the public
sale or disposition of the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration
Statement;
(d) use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the
Purchaser's Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under
the securities or "blue sky" laws of such jurisdictions within the United States
as the Purchaser may reasonably request, provided, however, that the Company
shall not for any such purpose be required to qualify generally to transact
business as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction where it is not so
qualified or to consent to general service of process in any such jurisdiction;
(e) list the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement
with any securities exchange on which the Common Stock of the Company is then
listed;
(f) immediately notify the Purchaser at any time when a Prospectus relating
thereto is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of the happening
of any event of which the Company has knowledge as a result of which the
Prospectus contained in such Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes
an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading in light of the circumstances then existing; and
(g) make available for inspection by the Purchaser and any attorney,
accountant or other agent retained by the Purchaser, all publicly available,
non-confidential financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and
properties of the Company, and cause the Company's officers, directors and
employees to supply all publicly available, non-confidential information
reasonably requested by the attorney, accountant or agent of the Purchaser.
4. Registration Expenses. All expenses relating to the Company's compliance
with Sections 2 and 3 hereof, including, without limitation, all registration
and filing fees, printing expenses, fees and disbursements of counsel and
independent public accountants for the Company, fees and expenses (including
reasonable counsel fees) incurred in connection with complying with state
securities or "blue sky" laws, fees of the NASD, transfer taxes, fees of
transfer agents and registrars, fees of, and disbursements incurred by, one
counsel for the Holders (to the extent such counsel is required due to Company's
failure to meet any of its obligations hereunder), are called "Registration
Expenses". All selling commissions applicable to the sale of Registrable
Securities, including any fees and disbursements of any special counsel to the
Holders beyond those included in Registration Expenses, are called "Selling
Expenses." The Company shall only be responsible for all Registration Expenses.
5. Indemnification.
(a) In the event of a registration of any Registrable Securities under the
Securities Act pursuant to this Agreement, the Company will indemnify and hold
harmless the Purchaser, and its officers, directors and each other person, if
any, who controls the Purchaser within the meaning of the Securities Act,
against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which
the Purchaser, or such persons may become subject under the Securities Act or
otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in
respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement
under which such Registrable Securities were registered under the Securities Act
pursuant to this Agreement, any preliminary Prospectus or final Prospectus
contained therein, or any amendment or supplement thereof, or arise out of or
are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, and will reimburse the Purchaser, and each such person for any
reasonable legal or other expenses incurred by them in connection with
investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action;
provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case if and
to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is
based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission so made in conformity with information furnished by or on
behalf of the Purchaser or any such person in writing specifically for use in
any such document.
(b) In the event of a registration of the Registrable Securities under the
Securities Act pursuant to this Agreement, the Purchaser will indemnify and hold
harmless the Company, and its officers, directors and each other person, if any,
who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, against all
losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which the Company
or such persons may become subject under the Securities Act or otherwise,
insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect
thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of any material fact which was furnished in writing by or on behalf of
the Purchaser to the Company expressly for use in (and such information is
contained in) the Registration Statement under which such Registrable Securities
were registered under the Securities Act pursuant to this Agreement, any
preliminary Prospectus or final Prospectus contained therein, or any amendment
or supplement thereof, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse the
Company and each such person for any reasonable legal or other expenses incurred
by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim,
damage, liability or action, provided, however, that the Purchaser will be
liable in any such case if and only to the extent that any such loss, claim,
damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission so made in conformity
with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of the
Purchaser specifically for use in any such document. Notwithstanding the
provisions of this paragraph, the Purchaser shall not be required to indemnify
any person or entity in excess of the amount of the aggregate net proceeds
received by the Purchaser in respect of Registrable Securities in connection
with any such registration under the Securities Act.
(c) Promptly after receipt by a party entitled to claim indemnification
hereunder (an "Indemnified Party") of notice of the commencement of any action,
such Indemnified Party shall, if a claim for indemnification in respect thereof
is to be made against a party hereto obligated to indemnify such Indemnified
Party (an "Indemnifying Party"), notify the Indemnifying Party in writing
thereof, but the omission so to notify the Indemnifying Party shall not relieve
it from any liability which it may have to such Indemnified Party other than
under this Section 5(c) and shall only relieve it from any liability which it
may have to such Indemnified Party under this Section 5(c) if and to the extent
the Indemnifying Party is prejudiced by such omission. In case any such action
shall be brought against any Indemnified Party and it shall notify the
Indemnifying Party of the commencement thereof, the Indemnifying Party shall be
entitled to participate in and, to the extent it shall wish, to assume and
undertake the defense thereof with counsel satisfactory to such Indemnified
Party, and, after notice from the Indemnifying Party to such Indemnified Party
of its election so to assume and undertake the defense thereof, the Indemnifying
Party shall not be liable to such Indemnified Party under this Section 5(c) for
any legal expenses subsequently incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection
with the defense thereof; if the Indemnified Party retains its own counsel, then
the Indemnified Party shall pay all fees, costs and expenses of such counsel,
provided, however, that, if the defendants in any such action include both the
indemnified party and the Indemnifying Party and the Indemnified Party shall
have reasonably concluded that there may be reasonable defenses available to it
which are different from or additional to those available to the Indemnifying
Party or if the interests of the Indemnified Party reasonably may be deemed to
conflict with the interests of the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnified Party
shall have the right to select one separate counsel and to assume such legal
defenses and otherwise to participate in the defense of such action, with the
reasonable expenses and fees of such separate counsel and other expenses related
to such participation to be reimbursed by the Indemnifying Party as incurred.
(d) In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in the event of
joint liability under the Securities Act in any case in which either (i) the
Purchaser, or any officer, director or controlling person of the Purchaser,
makes a claim for indemnification pursuant to this Section 5 but it is
judicially determined (by the entry of a final judgment or decree by a court of
competent jurisdiction and the expiration of time to appeal or the denial of the
last right of appeal) that such indemnification may not be enforced in such case
notwithstanding the fact that this Section 5 provides for indemnification in
such case, or (ii) contribution under the Securities Act may be required on the
part of the Purchaser or such officer, director or controlling person of the
Purchaser in circumstances for which indemnification is provided under this
Section 5; then, and in each such case, the Company and the Purchaser will
contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which they
may be subject (after contribution from others) in such proportion so that the
Purchaser is responsible only for the portion represented by the percentage that
the public offering price of its securities offered by the Registration
Statement bears to the public offering price of all securities offered by such
Registration Statement, provided, however, that, in any such case, (A) the
Purchaser will not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the public
offering price of all such securities offered by it pursuant to such
Registration Statement; and (B) no person or entity guilty of fraudulent
misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 10(f) of the Act) will be
entitled to contribution from any person or entity who was not guilty of such
fraudulent misrepresentation.
6. Representations and Warranties.
(a) The Common Stock of the Company is registered pursuant to Section 12(b)
or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and, except with respect to certain matters which
the Company has disclosed to the Purchaser on Schedule 4.21 to the Securities
Purchase Agreement, the Company has timely filed all proxy statements, reports,
schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it
under the Exchange Act. The Company has filed (i) its Annual Report on Form 10-K
for its fiscal years ended December 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003 and (ii) its
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for its fiscal quarters ended March 31, 2005
(collectively, the "SEC Reports"). Each SEC Report was, at the time of its
filing, in substantial compliance with the requirements of its respective form
and none of the SEC Reports, nor the financial statements (and the notes
thereto) included in the SEC Reports, as of their respective filing dates,
contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein,
in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The
financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply as to
form in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the
published rules and regulations of the Commission or other applicable rules and
regulations with respect thereto. Such financial statements have been prepared
in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") applied on
a consistent basis during the periods involved (except (i) as may be otherwise
indicated in such financial statements or the notes thereto or (ii) in the case
of unaudited interim statements, to the extent they may not include footnotes or
may be condensed) and fairly present in all material respects the financial
condition, the results of operations and the cash flows of the Company and its
subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, as of, and for, the periods presented in
each such SEC Report.
(b) The Common Stock is listed for trading on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market
and satisfies all requirements for the continuation of such listing. The Company
has not received any notice that its Common Stock will be delisted from the
Nasdaq SmallCap Market or that the Common Stock does not meet all requirements
for the continuation of such listing (except, in such case, for prior notices
which have been fully remedied).
(c) Neither the Company, nor any of its affiliates, nor any person acting
at the Company's or any of its affiliates' behalf, has directly or indirectly
made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any
security under circumstances that would cause the offering of the Securities
pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement to be integrated with prior
offerings by the Company for purposes of the Securities Act which would prevent
the Company from selling the Common Stock pursuant to Rule 506 under the
Securities Act, or any applicable exchange-related stockholder approval
provisions, nor will the Company or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries take
any action or steps that would cause the offering of the Securities to be
integrated with other offerings.
(d) The Warrants, the Note and the shares of Common Stock which the
Purchaser may acquire pursuant to the Warrants and the Note are all restricted
securities under the Securities Act as of the date of this Agreement. The
Company will not issue any stop transfer order or other order impeding the sale
and delivery of any of the Registrable Securities at such time as such
Registrable Securities are registered for public sale or an exemption from
registration is available, except as required by federal or state securities
laws.
(e) The Company understands the nature of the Registrable Securities
issuable upon the conversion of the Note and the exercise of the Warrant and
recognizes that the issuance of such Registrable Securities may have a potential
dilutive effect. The Company specifically acknowledges that its obligation to
issue the Registrable Securities is binding upon the Company and enforceable
regardless of the dilution such issuance may have on the ownership interests of
other shareholders of the Company.
(f) Except for agreements made in the ordinary course of business, there is
no agreement that has not been filed with the Commission as an exhibit to a
registration statement or to a form required to be filed by the Company under
the Exchange Act, the breach of which has had, or could reasonably be expected
to have, a Material Adverse Effect on the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or
would prohibit or otherwise interfere with the ability of the Company to enter
into and perform any of its obligations under this Agreement in any material
respect.
(g) The Company will at all times have authorized and reserved a sufficient
number of shares of Common Stock for the full conversion of the Note and
exercise of the Warrants.
7. Miscellaneous.
(a) Remedies. In the event of a breach by the Company or by a Holder, of
any of their respective obligations under this Agreement, each Holder or the
Company, as the case may be, in addition to being entitled to exercise all
rights granted by law and under this Agreement, including recovery of damages,
will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Agreement.
(b) No Piggyback on Registrations. Except as and to the extent specified in
Schedule 7(b) hereto, neither the Company nor any of its security holders (other
than the Holders in such capacity pursuant hereto) may include securities of the
Company in any Registration Statement other than the Registrable Securities, and
the Company shall not after the date hereof enter into any agreement providing
any such right for inclusion of shares in the Registration Statement to any of
its security holders. Except as and to the extent specified in Schedule 7(b)
hereto, the Company has not previously entered into any agreement granting any
registration rights with respect to any of its securities to any Person that
have not been fully satisfied.
(c) Compliance. Each Holder covenants and agrees that it will comply with
the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act as applicable to it
in connection with sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration
Statement.
(d) Discontinued Disposition. Each Holder agrees by its acquisition of such
Registrable Securities that, upon receipt of a notice from the Company of the
occurrence of a Discontinuation Event (as defined below), such Holder will
forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities under the
applicable Registration Statement until such Holder's receipt of the copies of
the supplemented Prospectus and/or amended Registration Statement or until it is
advised in writing (the "Advice") by the Company that the use of the applicable
Prospectus may be resumed, and, in either case, has received copies of any
additional or supplemental filings that are incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference in such Prospectus or Registration Statement. The
Company may provide appropriate stop orders to enforce the provisions of this
paragraph. For purposes of this Section 7(d), a "Discontinuation Event" shall
mean (i) when the Commission notifies the Company whether there will be a
"review" of such Registration Statement and whenever the Commission comments in
writing on such Registration Statement (the Company shall provide true and
complete copies thereof and all written responses thereto to each of the
Holders); (ii) any request by the Commission or any other Federal or state
governmental authority for amendments or supplements to such Registration
Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; (iii) the issuance by the
Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of such Registration
Statement covering any or all of the Registrable Securities or the initiation of
any Proceedings for that purpose; (iv) the receipt by the Company of any
notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption
from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any
jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any Proceeding for such
purpose; and/or (v) the occurrence of any event or passage of time that makes
the financial statements included in such Registration Statement ineligible for
inclusion therein or any statement made in such Registration Statement or
Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by
reference untrue in any material respect or that requires any revisions to such
Registration Statement, Prospectus or other documents so that, in the case of
such Registration Statement or Prospectus, as the case may be, it will not
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein,
in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(e) Piggy-Back Registrations. If at any time during the Effectiveness
Period there is not an effective Registration Statement covering all of the
Registrable Securities and the Company shall determine to prepare and file with
the Commission a registration statement relating to an offering for its own
account or the account of others under the Securities Act of any of its equity
securities, other than on Form S-4 or Form S-8 (each as promulgated under the
Securities Act) or their then equivalents relating to equity securities to be
issued solely in connection with any acquisition of any entity or business or
equity securities issuable in connection with stock option or other employee
benefit plans, then the Company shall send to each Holder written notice of such
determination and, if within fifteen days after receipt of such notice, any such
Holder shall so request in writing, the Company shall include in such
registration statement all or any part of such Registrable Securities such
holder requests to be registered to the extent the Company may do so without
violating registration rights of others which exist as of the date of this
Agreement, subject to customary underwriter cutbacks applicable to all holders
of registration rights and subject to obtaining any required the consent of any
selling stockholder(s) to such inclusion under such registration statement.
(f) Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement, including the
provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and
waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given,
unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Company and the Holders of
the then outstanding Registrable Securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a
waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter
that relates exclusively to the rights of certain Holders and that does not
directly or indirectly affect the rights of other Holders may be given by
Holders of at least a majority of the Registrable Securities to which such
waiver or consent relates; provided, however, that the provisions of this
sentence may not be amended, modified, or supplemented except in accordance with
the provisions of the immediately preceding sentence.
(g) Notices. Any notice or request hereunder may be given to the Company or
the Purchaser at the respective addresses set forth below or as may hereafter be
specified in a notice designated as a change of address under this Section 7(g).
Any notice or request hereunder shall be given by registered or certified mail,
return receipt requested, hand delivery, overnight mail, Federal Express or
other national overnight next day carrier (collectively, "Courier") or telecopy
(confirmed by mail). Notices and requests shall be, in the case of those by hand
delivery, deemed to have been given when delivered to any party to whom it is
addressed, in the case of those by mail or overnight mail, deemed to have been
given three (3) business days after the date when deposited in the mail or with
the overnight mail carrier, in the case of a Courier, the next business day
following timely delivery of the package with the Courier, and, in the case of a
telecopy, when confirmed. The address for such notices and communications shall
be as follows:
If to the Company: SYNERGY BRANDS INC.
1175 Walt Whitman Road
Melville, NY 11747
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
Facsimile: 801-340-6434
with a copy to: Randall J. Perry, Esq.
44 Union Avenue
Rutherford, NJ 07070
Facsimile: (201) 929-7348
If to a Purchaser: To the address set forth under such Purchaser name on
the signature pages hereto.
If to any other Person who is then the
registered Holder: To the address of such Holder as it appears in the
stock transfer books of the Company
or such other address as may be designated in writing hereafter in
accordance with this Section 7(g) by such Person.
(h) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of
and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of each of the parties
and shall inure to the benefit of each Holder. The Company may not assign its
rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each
Holder. Each Holder may assign their respective rights hereunder in the manner
and to the Persons as permitted under the Note and the Securities Purchase
Agreement with the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not
be unreasonably withheld.
(i) Execution and Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any
number of counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an
original and, all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
Agreement. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile
transmission, such signature shall create a valid binding obligation of the
party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) the same with
the same force and effect as if such facsimile signature were the original
thereof.
(j) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity,
enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be governed by and
construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New
York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party
agrees that all Proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and
defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be commenced
exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York,
Borough of Manhattan. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably submits to the
exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of
New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or
in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed
herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any
Proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of
any such court, that such Proceeding is improper. Each party hereto hereby
irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being
served in any such Proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or
certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party
at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that
such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice
thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right
to serve process in any manner permitted by law. Each party hereto hereby
irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and
all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to
this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. If either party shall
commence a Proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Securities Purchase
Agreement, this Agreement or any Related Agreement, then the prevailing party in
such Proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable
attorneys fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation,
preparation and prosecution of such Proceeding.
(k) Cumulative Remedies. The remedies provided herein are cumulative and
not exclusive of any remedies provided by law.
(l) Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this
Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal,
void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and
restrictions set forth herein (including the meaning thereof) shall remain in
full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated,
and the parties hereto shall use their reasonable efforts to find and employ an
alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that
contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby
stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have
executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without
including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or
unenforceable.
(m) Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of
reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date
first written above.
SYNERGY BRANDS INC. Laurus Master Fund, Ltd.
By: By:
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Name: Name:
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Title: Title:
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Address for Notices:
c/o Laurus Capital Management, LLC
825 Third Avenue - 14th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attention: David Grin
Facsimile: 212-541-4434
EXHIBIT A
[Month __, 2004]
American Stock Transfer
& Trust Company
40 Wall Street
New York, NY 10005
Re: Synergy Brands Inc.. Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
As counsel to Synergy Brands Inc. , a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
we have been requested to render our opinion to you in connection with the
resale by the individuals or entitles listed on Schedule A attached hereto (the
"Selling Stockholders"), of an aggregate of [amount]shares (the "Shares") of the
Company's Common Stock.
A Registration Statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Act"), with respect to the resale of the Shares was declared
effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on [date]. Enclosed is the
Prospectus dated [date]. We understand that the Shares are to be offered and
sold in the manner described in the Prospectus.
Based upon the foregoing, upon request by the Selling Stockholders at any
time while the registration statement remains effective, it is our opinion that
the Shares have been registered for resale under the Act and new certificates
evidencing the Shares upon their transfer or re-registration by the Selling
Stockholders may be issued without restrictive legend. We will advise you if the
registration statement is not available or effective at any point in the future.
Very truly yours,
[Company counsel]
Schedule A
Selling Stockholder R/N/O Shares
Being Offered