As
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 16, 2015
Registration
No. 333-207078
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Amendment
No. 4
to
FORM
S-1
REGISTRATION
STATEMENT
UNDER
THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
SPHERIX
INCORPORATED
(Exact
name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
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Delaware |
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52-0849320 |
(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
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(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
Number) |
6430
Rockledge Drive, Suite 503
Bethesda,
MD 20877
(703)
992-9260
(Address,
including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)
Anthony
Hayes
Chief
Executive Officer
Spherix
Incorporated
6430
Rockledge Drive, Suite 503
Bethesda,
MD 20877
Telephone
(703) 992-9260
(Name,
address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies
to:
Theodore
J. Ghorra, Esq.
Nixon
Peabody LLP
437
Madison Avenue
New
York, New York 10022
Telephone:
(212) 940-3000
Approximate
date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration
Statement.
If
any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under
the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☒
If
this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please
check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement
for the same offering. ☐
If
this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list
the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If
this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list
the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller
reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller
reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
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Large accelerated filer |
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☐ |
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Accelerated filer |
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☐ |
Non-accelerated filer |
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☐ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) |
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Smaller reporting company |
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☒ |
CALCULATION
OF REGISTRATION FEE
|
Title
of each class of securities
to be registered(1) | |
| Proposed
maximum aggregate offering price | | |
| Amount of registration fee(2) | |
Class
A Units consisting of: | |
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| | |
(i) Common Stock,
par value $0.0001(3) | |
| | | |
| | |
(ii)
Warrants to purchase Common Stock(4) | |
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| | |
Class
B Units consisting of: | |
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| | |
(i)
Series K Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 | |
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| | |
(ii)
Warrants to purchase Common Stock(4) | |
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| | |
Common
Stock issuable upon conversion of Series K Convertible Preferred Stock(3) | |
| | | |
| | |
Common
Stock issuable upon exercise of Warrants to purchase Common Stock(3) | |
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| | |
Total | |
$ | 10,000,000 | | |
$ | 1,162.00 | |
(1) |
There is being registered hereunder an indeterminate number
of shares of common stock, common stock warrants and preferred stock, with total offering proceeds not to exceed $10,000,000,
which may include the proceeds from sales of shares issued hereunder, as well as proceeds from any exercise of the warrants
that may be offered and sold pursuant to the prospectus to which this registration statement relates. |
(2) |
Calculated in accordance with Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. |
(3) |
Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act, the securities being registered hereunder include such indeterminable
number of additional shares of common stock as may be issued after the date hereof as a result of stock splits, stock dividends
or similar transactions. |
(4) |
No additional registration fee is payable pursuant to Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act |
The
Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until
the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become
effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become
effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The
information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration
statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell
these securities, and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not
permitted.
Subject
to completion, dated November 16, 2015
PROSPECTUS
Up
to $10,000,000 of
Class
A Units consisting of Common Stock and Warrants and
Class B Units consisting of Series K Convertible Preferred Stock and
Warrants
( shares
of Common Stock underlying the Series K Convertible Preferred Stock and Warrants)
We are offering up to $10,000,000 of Class A
Units (consisting of one share of our common stock, a Series A warrant to purchase
share of our common stock at an exercise price equal to the public offering price of the Class A Units, (“Series A
warrant”), and a Series B warrant to purchase of a share of
our common stock at an exercise price equal to of the public offering price
of the Class A Units, (“Series B warrant”)). The shares of common stock, Series A warrants and Series B warrants
part of a Class A Unit are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering.
We are also offering to those purchasers,
if any, whose purchase of Class A Units in this offering would otherwise result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates
and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% of our outstanding common stock immediately following the consummation
of this offering, the opportunity, in lieu of purchasing Class A Units, to purchase Class B Units. Each Class B Unit will
consist of one share of our Class K Convertible Preferred Stock, or the Series K Preferred, with a stated value of $0,0001 per
share and convertible into shares of our common stock at the public offering price of the Class A Units, together with the
equivalent number of Series A warrants and Series B warrants as would have been issued to such purchaser if they had purchased
Class A Units based on the public offering price. The Series K Preferred do not generally have any voting rights but are
convertible into shares of common stock. The shares of Series K Preferred, Series A warrants and Series B warrants part of a Class
B Unit are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering.
We are also offering the shares of common
stock that are issuable from time to time upon conversion of the Series K Preferred and upon exercise of the Series A warrants
and Series B warrants being offered by this prospectus.
Assuming we sell all $10,000,000 of Class A
Units (and no Class B Units) being offered in this offering and a public offering price of $ ,
the reported closing price of our common stock on October , 2015, we
would issue in this offering an aggregate of shares of our common stock,
Series A warrants to purchase shares of our common stock and Series B warrants
to purchase shares of our common stock.
Our common stock is listed on The NASDAQ
Capital Market under the symbol “SPEX”. The last reported sale price of our common stock on The NASDAQ Capital Market
on October 21, 2015 was $0.33 per share. There is no established public trading market for the warrants, and we do not expect
a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for a listing of the warrants on any national securities exchange.
Investing
in our common stock and warrants involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties in
the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 10 of this prospectus.
Neither
the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or
passed on the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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Per
share |
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Per Class A
Unit (one
share of
common
stock, a
Series A
warrant for
share
and a Series
B warrant
for of a
share) |
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Per Class B
Unit (one
share of
Series K
Preferred
and Series A
warrants
and Series B
warrants) |
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Total |
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Public offering price |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
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Placement agent’s fees(1) |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
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Proceeds to Spherix Incorporated, before expenses |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
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(1) |
We have agreed to reimburse the
placement agent for certain of its expenses. See “Plan of Distribution” on page 54 of this prospectus for a description
of the compensation payable to the placement agent. |
We have engaged H.C. Wainwright &
Co., LLC (“Wainwright” or the “Placement Agent”) to act as our exclusive placement agent in connection
with this offering. Wainwright is not purchasing or selling the securities offered by us, and is not required to sell any specific
number or dollar amount of securities, but will use its reasonable best efforts to arrange for the sale of the securities offered.
We estimate total expenses of this offering, excluding the placement agent fees, will be approximately $ .
Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to closing in this offering, the actual public offering amount,
placement agent fees, and proceeds to us, if any, are not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the total
maximum offering amounts set forth above. This offering will terminate on
, 2015, unless the offering is fully subscribed before that date or we decide to terminate the offering prior to that date. In
either event, the offering may be closed without further notice to you. We may utilize a non-interest bearing escrow account in
connection with the closing of this offering.
CONCURRENT OFFERINGS
On January 24, 2014, our Registration
Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-192737) was declared effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect
to the resale of 2,302,615 shares of our common stock, including 1,236,130 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of
outstanding shares of our Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock. Sales of common stock by the selling stockholders pursuant to
the Prospectus filed on January 28, 2014, the related Prospectus Supplement filed on February 19, 2014, and the Post-Effective
Amendment on Form S-3, filed on April 9, 2014 and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 11, 2014,
or the potential of such sales, could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
On February 3, 2014, we filed a Registration
Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-193729) and amended such registration statement on April 9, 2014 and May 1, 2014, with respect
to the resale of 7,777,829 shares of our common stock, consisting of (i) 635,949 shares of common stock, (ii) 156,250 shares of
common stock issuable upon conversion of Series F-1 Convertible Preferred Stock, of which no shares currently remain issued and
outstanding (iii) 4,390,430 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of outstanding shares of Series H Convertible Preferred
Stock, and (iv) 2,395,200 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series I Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock (“Series
I Preferred Stock”), of which 598,800 shares of the Series I Preferred Stock remain outstanding as 1,796,400 shares of Series
I Preferred Stock have been redeemed by the company since issuance. Upon being declared effective by the Securities and Exchange
Commission, the sale of such convertible preferred shares by the selling stockholders, or the potential of such sales, could have
an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
On May 16, 2014, our Registration Statement
on Form S-3 (File No. 333-195346) was declared effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to (a) the
resale of 1,778,409 shares of our common stock, including 592,794 shares of common stock underlying warrants, and (b) the primary
sale, in one or more offerings, of any combination of securities described in the prospectus included in the registration statement
having an aggregate initial offering price of up to $30,000,000. Sales of common stock by the selling stockholders pursuant to
the prospectus included in such registration statement or in a prospectus supplement, or the potential of such sales, could have
an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock. We sold 10,000,000 shares of Series J Convertible Preferred Stock (which
shares were later converted to shares of common stock) and issued an additional 125,000 shares of common stock pursuant to such
registration statement. The resale of such publicly tradable shares of our common stock, or the potential of such sales, could
have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
On November 18, 2014, our registration
statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-198498) was declared effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect
to (a) the primary sale, in one or more offerings, of any combination of securities described in the prospectus included in the
registration statement having an aggregate initial offering price of up to $30,000,000, which is inclusive of (b) the remaining
$9,775,000 from Registration Statement from Form S-3 (File No. 333-195346). On July 15, 2015, we sold 5,719,532 shares of
our common stock, par value $.0001 per share and warrants to purchase up to 7,035,024 shares of our Common Stock (issuable from
time to time upon exercise of these warrants) pursuant to such registration statement. The resale of such publicly tradable
shares of our common stock, or the potential of such sales, could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
Rodman
& Renshaw
a
unit of H.C. Wainwright & Co.
The
date of this prospectus is , 2015
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
We
have not authorized anyone to provide you with information other than that contained in this prospectus or in any free writing
prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no
assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give to you. We are offering to sell, and are seeking
offers to buy, shares of our common stock and warrants only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The information
contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus
or any sale of our common stock or warrants. Our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects may have
changed since that date.
No
action is being taken in any jurisdiction outside the United States to permit a public offering of our common stock or warrants
or possession or distribution of this prospectus in that jurisdiction. Persons who come into possession of this prospectus in
jurisdictions outside the United States are required to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions as to this offering
and the distribution of this prospectus applicable to that jurisdiction.
PROSPECTUS
SUMMARY
The
items in the following summary are described in more detail later in this prospectus. This summary provides an overview of selected
information and does not contain all of the information you should consider before buying our securities. Therefore, you should
read the entire prospectus, and any documents we incorporate by reference, carefully before deciding to invest in our securities.
Investors should carefully consider the information set forth under “Risk Factors” beginning on page 10 of this prospectus.
In this prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires, references to “the Company,” “we,” “us,”
“our,” or “Spherix” refer to Spherix Incorporated.
About
This Prospectus
You
should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We have not, and the Placement
Agent has not, authorized any person to provide you with different or inconsistent information. If anyone provides you with different
or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not, and the Placement Agent is not, making an offer to sell these
securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this
prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference is accurate only as of their respective dates. Spherix’s business,
financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since such dates.
We
further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any document that is filed as an exhibit to the
registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and in any document that is incorporated by reference herein were made
solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the
parties to such agreements, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations,
warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and covenants
should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.
Our
Business
Our
Business Model
We
are a patent commercialization company that realizes revenue from the monetization of intellectual property, or IP. Such
monetization includes, but is not limited to, acquiring IP from patent holders in order to maximize the value of the patent holdings
by conducting and managing a licensing campaign, or through the settlement and litigation of patents. We intend to generate
revenues and related cash flows from the granting of intellectual property rights for the use of patented technologies that we
own, or that we manage for others.
We
continually work to enhance our portfolio of intellectual property through acquisition and strategic partnerships. Our mission
is to partner with inventors, or other entities, who own undervalued intellectual property. We then work with the inventors
or other entities to commercialize the IP. Currently, we own over 330 patents and patent applications.
Our
Products and Services
We
acquire IP from patent holders in order to maximize the value of their patent holdings by conducting and managing a licensing
campaign. Some patent holders tend to have limited internal resources and/or expertise to effectively address the unauthorized
use of their patented technologies or they simply make the strategic business decision to outsource their intellectual property
licensing. They can include individual inventors, large corporations, universities, research laboratories and hospitals. Typically,
we, or an operating subsidiary, acquires a patent portfolio in exchange for a combination of an upfront cash payment, a percentage
of our operating subsidiary’s net recoveries from the licensing and enforcement of the portfolio, or a combination of the
two.
Competition
We
expect to encounter significant competition from others seeking to acquire interests in intellectual property assets and monetize
such assets. This includes an increase in the number of competitors seeking to acquire the same or similar patents and technologies
that we may seek to acquire. Most of our competitors have much longer operating histories, and significantly greater
financial and human resources, than we do. Entities such as Vringo, Inc. (NYSE MKT: VRNG), VirnetX Holding Corp (NYSE MKT: VHC),
Acacia Research Corporation (NASDAQ: ACTG), RPX Corporation (NASDAQ: RPXC), Marathon Patent Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MARA) and others
presently market themselves as being in the business of creating, acquiring, licensing or leveraging the value of intellectual
property assets. We expect others to enter the market as the true value of intellectual property is increasingly recognized and
validated. In addition, competitors may seek to acquire the same or similar patents and technologies that we may seek to acquire,
making it more difficult for us to realize the value of its assets.
We
also compete with venture capital firms, strategic corporate buyers and various industry leaders for technology acquisitions and
licensing opportunities. Many of these competitors may have more financial and human resources than we do. As
we become more successful, we may find more companies entering the market for similar technology opportunities, which may reduce
our market share in one or more technology industries that we currently rely upon to generate future revenue.
Other
companies may develop competing technologies that offer better or less expensive alternatives to our patented technologies that
we may acquire and/or out-license. Many potential competitors may have significantly greater resources than we do. Technological
advances or entirely different approaches developed by one or more of our competitors could render certain of the technologies
owned or controlled by our operating subsidiaries obsolete and/or uneconomical.
Intellectual
Property and Patent Rights
Our
intellectual property is primarily comprised of trade secrets, patented know-how, issued and pending patents, copyrights and technological
innovation.
Our
portfolio is currently comprised of over 330 patents and patent applications. Our patent portfolio includes both U.S.
and foreign patents and pending patent applications in the wireless communications and telecommunication sectors
including data, optical and voice technology, antenna technology, Wi-Fi, base station functionality, and cellular. We
also own patents related to artificial sweetener and prescription refill technology.
Most
of our patents are publicly accessible on the Internet website of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office at www.uspto.gov.
The
lives of our patent rights have a wide duration. Certain patents have already expired and the latest patents do not
expire until 2026.
Patent
Enforcement Litigation
We
may often be required to engage in litigation to enforce our patents and patent rights. We are, or may become a party to ongoing
patent enforcement related litigation, alleging infringement by third parties of certain of the patented technologies owned or
controlled by us. The material litigations in which we are currently engaged are described in summary fashion below.
Guidance
IP LLC v. T-Mobile Inc., Case No. 2:14-cv-01066-RSM, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
On
August 1, 2013, our wholly owned subsidiary Guidance initiated litigation against T-Mobile Inc. (“T-Mobile”) in
Guidance IP LLC v. T-Mobile Inc., Case No. 6:13-cv-01168-CEH-GJK, in the United States District Court for the Middle District
of Florida for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 5,719,584 (the “Asserted Patent”). The complaint alleges that T-Mobile
has manufactured, sold, offered for sale and/or imported technology that infringes the Asserted Patent. We sought relief in the
form of a finding of infringement of the Asserted Patent, an accounting of all damages sustained by us as a result of T-Mobile’s
infringement, actual damages, enhanced damages under 35 U.S.C. Section 284, attorney’s fees and costs. On April 24, 2014,
the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida transferred the case to the United States District Court for
the Western District of Washington (“the Court”). On July 14, 2014, the Court assigned the case a new case number,
2:14-cv-01066-RSM. On January 29, 2015, the Court issued an Order requiring the parties to serve Initial Disclosures by February
26, 2015 and submit a Joint Status Report and Discovery Plan to the Court by March 12, 2015, which were timely served and filed.
At present, the dispute between the parties has been resolved. On April 30, 2015, the parties filed a dismissal without prejudice
of all claims, defenses and counterclaims, with all attorneys’ fees, costs of court and expenses to be borne by each party
incurring the same.
Spherix
Incorporated v. VTech Telecommunications Ltd. et al., Case No. 3:13-cv-03494-M, in the United States District Court for the Northern
District of Texas
On
August 30, 2013, we initiated litigation against VTech Telecommunications Ltd. and VTech Communications, Inc. (collectively “VTech”)
in Spherix Incorporated v. VTech Telecommunications Ltd. et al., Case No. 3:13-cv-03494-M, in the United States District
Court for the Northern District of Texas (“the Court”) for infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 5,581,599; 5,752,195;
5,892,814; 6,614,899; and 6,965,614 (collectively, the “Asserted Patents”). The complaint alleges that VTech has manufactured,
sold, offered for sale and/or imported technology that infringes the Asserted Patents. We seek relief in the form of a finding
of infringement of the Asserted Patents, an accounting of all damages sustained by us as a result of VTech’s infringement,
actual damages, enhanced damages under 35 U.S.C. Section 284, attorney’s fees and costs. On November 11, 2013, VTech filed
its Answer with counterclaims requesting a declaration that the Asserted Patents are non-infringed and invalid. On December 5,
2013, we filed our Answer to the counterclaims, in which we denied that the Asserted Patents were non-infringed and invalid. On
May 22, 2014, the Court entered a Scheduling Order for the case setting trial to begin on January 11, 2016. On June 3, 2014, in
an effort to narrow the case, the parties filed a stipulation dismissing without prejudice all claims and counterclaims related
to U.S. Patent No. 5,752,195. On September 4, 2014, VTech Communications, Inc., together with Uniden America Corporation, filed
a request for inter partes review (“IPR”) of two of the Asserted Patents in the United States Patent and Trademark
Office. On March 3, 2015, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“Board”) entered decisions instituting, on limited grounds,
IPR proceedings regarding a portion of the claims for the two Spherix patents. The Board also suggested an accelerated IPR schedule
to culminate in an oral hearing on or about September 28, 2015. The Board held a conference call with the parties on March 17,
2015 to finalize the IPR schedule. On October 27, 2014, the Court held a Technology Tutorial Hearing for the educational benefit
of the Court. The Markman hearing was held on November 21 and 26, 2014. Both the Technology Tutorial and the Markman
hearing were held jointly with the Spherix Incorporated v. Uniden Corporation et al. case (see below). On March 19,
2015, the Court issued its Markman order, construing a total of 13 claim terms that had been disputed by the parties. On
April 2, 2015, we filed an Amended Complaint with Jury Demand and the parties filed a Settlement Conference Report informing the
Court that the parties have not yet resumed settlement negotiations. The Court has ordered the parties to hold a settlement conference
not later than December 28, 2015. On April 15, 2015, we filed a Motion to Compel Production of Technical Documents against Defendants.
On April 20, 2015, we filed an Opposed Motion for Leave to Serve Supplemental Infringement Contentions. Also on April 20, 2015,
Defendants filed their Amended Answer to our Amended Complaint with their counterclaims. On May 1, 2015, we filed our Answer to
the counterclaims. On May 5, 2015, the parties filed a Joint Stipulation and Motion to Modify the Scheduling Order. On May 6,
2015, the Court entered the Stipulation, in which the Court estimated the trial date to occur in July of 2016 and ordered the
parties to be ready for trial on or after June 22, 2016. Our patent owner’s response to the petition in the IPR was timely
filed on May 26, 2015. On September 28, 2015, the hearing in the IPR proceedings was held before the Board. On October 9, 2015,
the parties filed a Joint Motion to Stay the litigaton pending the issuance of the Board’s final written decisions in the
IPR proceedings. On October 13, 2015, the Court granted the stay and administratively closed the case until the Board issues its
final written decisions.
Spherix
Incorporated v. Uniden Corporation et al., Case No. 3:13-cv-03496-M, in the United States District Court for the Northern District
of Texas
On
August 30, 2013, we initiated litigation against Uniden Corporation and Uniden America Corporation (collectively “Uniden”)
in Spherix Incorporated v. Uniden Corporation et al., Case No. 3:13-cv-03496-M, in the United States District Court for
the Northern District of Texas (“the Court”) for infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 5,581,599; 5,752,195; 6,614,899;
and 6,965,614 (collectively, the “Asserted Patents”). The complaint alleges that Uniden has manufactured, sold, offered
for sale and/or imported technology that infringes the Asserted Patents. We seek relief in the form of a finding of infringement
of the Asserted Patents, an accounting of all damages sustained by us as a result of Uniden’s infringement, actual damages,
enhanced damages under 35 U.S.C. Section 284, attorney’s fees and costs. On April 15, 2014, Uniden filed its Answer with
counterclaims requesting a declaration that the patents at issue are non-infringed and invalid. On April 28, 2014, we filed our
Answer to the counterclaims, in which we denied that the patents at issue were non-infringed and invalid. On May 22, 2014, the
Court entered a scheduling order for the case setting trial to begin on February 10, 2016. On June 3, 2014, in an effort to narrow
the case, the parties filed a stipulation dismissing without prejudice all claims and counterclaims related to U.S. Patent No.
5,752,195. On September 4, 2014, Uniden America Corporation, together with VTech Communications, Inc., filed a request for
inter partes review (“IPR”) of two of the Asserted Patents in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. On
March 3, 2015, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“Board”) entered decisions instituting, on limited grounds, IPR
proceedings regarding a portion of the claims for the two Spherix patents. The Board also suggested an accelerated IPR schedule
to culminate in an oral hearing on September 28, 2015. The Board held a conference call with the parties on March 17, 2015 to
finalize the IPR schedule. On October 27, 2014, the Court held a Technology Tutorial Hearing for the educational benefit of the
Court. The Markman hearing was held on November 21 and 26, 2014, with both hearings occurring jointly with the Spherix
Incorporated v. VTech Telecommunications Ltd. et al. case (see above). On March 19, 2015, the Court issued its Markman
order, construing a total of 13 claim terms that had been disputed by the parties. On April 2, 2015, we filed an Amended Complaint
with Jury Demand and the parties filed a Settlement Conference Report informing the Court that the parties have not yet resumed
settlement negotiations. The Court has ordered the parties to hold a settlement conference not later than January 20, 2016. On
April 9, 2015, the parties filed a Joint Motion to Modify Patent Scheduling Order. On April 10, 2015, the Court granted the Motion.
On April 20, 2015, Defendants filed their Amended Answer to our Amended Complaint with their counterclaims. On May 1, 2015, we
filed our Answer to the counterclaims. Our patent owner’s response to the petition in the IPR was timely filed on May 26,
2015. On July 9, 2015, the Court issued a modified Scheduling Order setting the Final Pretrial Conference for February 2, 2016
and confirming the Trial Date beginning February 20, 2016. On September 9, 2015, the parties jointly filed a motion to stay the
case pending the decision in the two IPR proceedings. On September 10, 2015, the Court stayed the case and ordered the parties
to file a status report within 10 days of the Patent Office issuing its decision in the IPR proceedings. On October 13, 2015,
the Court ordered the case administratively closed until the Board issues its final written decisions.
Spherix
Incorporated v. Cisco Systems Inc., Case No. 1:14-cv-00393-SLR, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware
On
March 28, 2014, we initiated litigation against Cisco Systems Inc. (“Cisco”) in Spherix Incorporated v. Cisco Systems
Inc., Case No. 1:14-cv-00393- SLR, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware for infringement of U.S.
Patent Nos. RE40467; 6,697,325; 6,578,086; 6,222,848; 6,130,877; 5,970,125; 6,807,174; 7,397,763; 7,664,123; 7,385,998; and 8,607,323
(collectively, the “Asserted Patents”). The complaint alleges that Cisco has manufactured, sold, offered for sale
and/or imported technology that infringes the Asserted Patents. We seek relief in the form of a finding of infringement of the
Asserted Patents, an accounting of all damages sustained by us as a result of Cisco’s infringement, actual damages, enhanced
damages under 35 U.S.C. Section 284, attorney’s fees and costs. On July 8, 2014, we filed an amended complaint to reflect
that certain of the patents asserted were assigned to our wholly-owned subsidiary NNPT LLC (“NNPT”), based in Longview,
Texas. By the amended complaint, NNPT was added as a co-plaintiff with us. On August 5, 2014, Cisco filed a motion to dismiss
certain claims alleged in the amended complaint. On August 26, 2014, we and NNPT filed an opposition to Cisco’s motion to
dismiss. On September 5, 2014, Cisco filed its reply brief regarding its motion to dismiss. On March 9, 2015, Cisco moved to consolidate
certain claims relating to alleged obligations by us to license Cisco on two unrelated patents, which Cisco had made against us
on June 6, 2014 in the pending case Bockstar Technologies LLC v. Cisco Systems, Inc., Case No. 1:13-cv-02020- SLR-SRF (see
below). On March 23, 2015, we filed our opposition to Cisco’s motion to consolidate. On March 31, 2015, the Court granted
Cisco’s motion to dismiss allegations of “willful” infringement. Spherix’s allegations of patent infringement
for the eleven (11) patents continue. Spherix has the ability to re-allege “willful” infringement at a later time.
On April 3, 2015, Cisco Systems, Inc. petitioned the U.S. Patent Office for an inter partes review (“IPR”)
of Spherix patents 7,397,763 and 8,607,323. The remaining nine patents Spherix has asserted against Cisco were not part of the
petitions and the time for Cisco to petition the USPTO for an IPR on those remaining patents expired on April 6, 2015. On April
10, 2015, Cisco withdrew its March 9, 2015 motion to consolidate claims from the Bockstar case. On May 5, 2015, Cisco filed
its Answer to our amended complaint with counterclaims under the Sherman Act, breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith
and fair dealing implied in contract, promissory estoppel, and requesting a declaration that the patents at issue are non-infringed
and invalid. On June 10, 2015, the Court entered a Scheduling Order for the case. The Court set the Markman hearing to
occur in two phases, for two different sets of patents, to occur on June 24, 2016 and September 8, 2016. The Court set trial to
begin on January 16, 2018. On July 13, 2015, we filed our oppositions to Cisco’s IPR petitions. On July 20, 2015, we filed
a motion to dismiss or transfer certain of Cisco’s counterclaims. On September 22, 2015, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
issued orders instituting the two IPR proceedings, Nos. IPR2015-00999 and IPR2015-01001, as requested by Cisco.
Spherix
Incorporated v. Juniper Networks, Inc., Case No. 1:14-cv-00578-SLR, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware
On
May 2, 2014, we initiated litigation against Juniper Networks, Inc. (“Juniper”) in Spherix Incorporated v. Juniper
Networks, Inc., Case No. 1:14-cv- 00578-SLR, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware for infringement
of U.S. Patent Nos. RE40467; 6,578,086; 6,130,877; 7,385,998; 7,664,123; and 8,607,323 (collectively, the “Asserted Patents”).
The complaint alleges that Juniper has manufactured, sold, offered for sale and/or imported technology that infringes the Asserted
Patents. We seek relief in the form of a finding of infringement of the Asserted Patents, an accounting of all damages sustained
by us as a result of Juniper’s infringement, actual damages, enhanced damages under 35 U.S.C. Section 284, attorney’s
fees and costs. On July 8, 2014, we filed an amended complaint to reflect that certain of the patents asserted were assigned to
our wholly-owned subsidiary NNPT LLC, based in Longview, Texas. By the amended complaint, NNPT LLC was added as a co-plaintiff
with us. On August 8, 2014, Juniper filed a motion to dismiss certain claims alleged in the amended complaint. On August 29, 2014,
we filed our opposition to Juniper’s motion to dismiss. On September 15, 2014, Juniper filed its reply brief regarding its
motion to dismiss. On March 31, 2015, the Court granted Juniper’s motion to dismiss allegations of “willful”
infringement. Spherix’s allegations of patent infringement for the eleven (11) patents continue. Spherix has the ability
to reallege “willful” infringement at a later time. On April 14, 2015, Juniper filed its Answer to our amended complaint.
On May 6, 2015, the Court held an in-person Scheduling Conference in court and ordered the parties to submit the final proposed
Scheduling Order to the Court. On May 28, 2015, the Court entered a Scheduling Order for the case setting the Markman hearing
for June 24, 2016 and trial to begin on May 15, 2017.
NNPT,
LLC v. Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd. et al., Case No. 2:14-cv-00677-JRG-RSP, in the United States District Court for
the Eastern District of Texas
On
June 9, 2014, NNPT initiated litigation against Futurewei Technologies, Inc., Huawei Device (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd., Huawei Device
USA Inc., Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd., Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Huawei Technologies Cooperatif U.A., and Huawei
Technologies USA Inc. (collectively “Huawei”), in NNPT, LLC v. Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd. et al.,
Case No. 2:14-cv-00677-JRG-RSP, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (“the Court”),
for infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 6,578,086; 6,130,877; 6,697,325; 7,664,123; and 8,607,323 (collectively, the “Asserted
Patents”). On September 8, 2014, Huawei filed its answers to the complaint in which defendant Huawei Technologies USA asserted
counterclaims requesting a declaration that the patents at issue were non-infringed and invalid. On October 8, 2014, NNPT filed
its Answer to the counterclaims, in which it denied that the Asserted Patents were non-infringed and invalid. On January 20, 2015,
the Court held a Scheduling Conference and set the Markman hearing for July 17, 2015 and trial to begin on February 8,
2016. On January 28, 2015, the Court appointed as mediator for the parties, Hon. David Folsom, former Chief Judge of the United
States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. On February 24, 2015, the Court issued its Docket Control Order setting
the Markman hearing for July 17, 2015 and trial to begin on February 8, 2016. The Court also set an August 14, 2015 deadline
to complete mediation. On June 11, 2015, Huawei filed a request for inter partes review (“IPR”) of two of the
Asserted Patents in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. On July 7, 2015, the Court reset the Markman hearing
date for August 5, 2015. The Markman hearing was held on August 5, 2015 as scheduled. The parties held an initial mediation
on August 6, 2015. On August 17, 2015, the Court issued its Markman Order. On August 20, 2015, the mediator filed a report
with the Court reporting that the parties reached a settlement of the case on August 14, 2015. On August 31, 2015, the parties
filed a Joint Motion to Stay and Notice of Settlement. On September 9, 2015, the Court stayed the case and set a status conference
for October 2, 2015. On September 18, 2015, the parties filed in the Patent Trial and Appeals Board (“Board”) a joint
motion to terminate the two IPR petitions file by Huawei, Nos. IPR2015-01382 and IPR2015-01390. On September 24, 2015, the
Board issued orders terminating the two IPR proceedings. At the October 2, 2015 status conference, Huawei’s counsel failed
to appear. On October 2, 2015, the Court issued an order stating that “the parties shall appear for a hearing before the
Court October 16, 2015 at 8:30 a.m., unless an Order of Dismissal has been entered before then” and that “Defendants
shall pay Plaintiff’s reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees, incurred for travel to and attendance at the
October 2, 2015 hearing.” On October 13, 2015, the Company received Huawei’s fully executed copy of a confidential
settlement and license agreement, the terms of which are set forth in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, dated October
19, 2015, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
Spherix
Incorporated v. Verizon Services Corp. et al., Case No. 1:14-cv-00721-GBL-TCB, in the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of Virginia
On
June 11, 2014, we initiated litigation against Verizon Services Corp.; Verizon South Inc.; Verizon Virginia LLC; Verizon Communications
Inc.; Verizon Federal Inc.; Verizon Business Network Services Inc.; and MCI Communications Services, Inc. (collectively, “Verizon”)
in Spherix Incorporated v. Verizon Services Corp. et al., Case No. 1:14-cv-00721-GBL-TCB, in the United States District
Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (“the Court”) for infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 6,507,648; 6,882,800;
6,980,564; and 8,166,533. On July 2, 2014, we filed an Amended Complaint in the case in which we added allegations of infringement
of U.S. Patent No. 7,478,167. On August 15, 2014, Verizon filed a motion to dismiss, or in the alternative, a motion for a more
definite statement. On September 9, 2014, the Court issued a Scheduling Order adopting the parties’ Joint Proposed Discovery
Plan. According to the Scheduling Order, the Markman hearing is currently scheduled for March 16, 2015. On September 12,
2014, we filed our opposition to Verizon’s motion to dismiss, and on September 26, 2014, Verizon filed its reply brief.
On October 3, 2014, the Court held a hearing on the motion to dismiss and issued a Minute Entry stating that motion was denied.
The Court stated that an Order would follow. On October 17, 2014, Verizon filed an Answer to our Amended Complaint. The parties
agreed to narrow the case by dismissing without prejudice the claims under U.S. Patent Nos. 6,507,648 and 6,882,800, with each
party to bear its own costs and attorneys’ fees as to the dismissed claims. The parties filed a joint motion to that effect
on October 27, 2014, which was granted on October 30, 2014. The parties further agreed to narrow the case by dismissing without
prejudice the claims under U.S. Patent Nos. 8,166,533 and 7,478,167, and filed a joint motion to that effect on November 6, 2014.
On November 13, 2014, the Court granted the parties’ Joint Motion to Dismiss the ‘533 Patent and the ‘167 Patent
without prejudice, with each party to bear its own costs and attorneys’ fees as to the dismissed claims. On December 18,
2014, the Court set the case for a five day trial beginning on May 18, 2015. On January 9, 2015, we and Verizon each filed their
motions for summary adjudication and entry of proposed claim constructions. On January 12, 2015, the Court set the motions for
summary adjudication for hearing on March 16, 2015 along with the Markman hearing. On January 22, 2015, the parties filed
their oppositions to the motions for summary adjudication and entry of proposed claim constructions, and on February 5, 2015,
the parties filed their reply briefs. On March 16, 2015, the Court held the Markman hearing as scheduled. On March 25,
2015, the Court reset the May 18, 2015 jury trial date to August 10, 2015. On March 25, 2015, the Court clarified that the trial
will be held on August 10, 11, 12, 13 and 17 of 2015. On, June 11, 2015, Verizon filed a request for inter partes review
(“IPR”) of the Asserted Patent in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. On July 1, 2015, the Court granted
Verizon’s motion for summary judgment as to indefiniteness and non-infringement. On July 30, 2015, we filed a Notice of
Appeal of the Court’s judgment in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. On August 31, 2015, a settlement
agreement between Spherix and Verizon was entered into, resolving all outstanding litigation between the two companies. On September
4, 2015, we filed an unopposed motion to withdraw our Notice of Appeal. On September 8, 2015, the Court granted the motion to
withdraw the Notice of Appeal. On September 10, 2015, the parties filed a joint motion to terminated the IPR proceeding. On September
14, 2015, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board terminated Verizon’s petition.
Spherix
Incorporated v. Verizon Services Corp. et al., Case No. 1:15-cv-0576-GBL-IDD, in the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of Virginia
On
May 1, 2015, we initiated litigation against Verizon Services Corp.; Verizon South Inc.; Verizon Virginia LLC; Verizon Communications
Inc.; Verizon Federal Inc.; Verizon Business Network Services Inc.; MCI Communications Services, Inc.; Cellco Partnership d/b/a
Verizon Wireless; and Cisco Systems, Inc. (collectively, “Defendants”) in Spherix Incorporated v. Verizon Services
Corp. et al., Case No. 1:15-cv-0576-GBL-IDD, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia for
infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 5,959,990; 6,111,876; RE40,999; RE44,775; RE45,065; RE45,081; RE45,095; and RE45,121 (collectively,
the “Asserted Patents”). The complaint alleges that Defendants has used, manufactured, sold, offered for sale and/or
imported technology that infringes the Asserted Patents. We seek relief in the form of a finding of infringement of the Asserted
Patents, damages sufficient to compensate us for Defendants’ infringement, together with pre-and post-judgment interest
and costs, and our attorney’s fees. On June 30, 2014, we filed an Amended Complaint to add allegations of infringement of
U.S. Patent Nos. RE45,521 and RE45,598. On July 15, 2015, Cisco filed a motion to transfer the case to the District of Delaware.
On July 17, 2015, Verizon filed an Answer and Counterclaims to the Complaint. On July 17, 2015, the Court issued a Scheduling
Order setting the Final Pretrial Conference for November 19, 2015, with trial to be set within 4-8 weeks of the pretrial conference.
On July 31, 2015, we filed our Opposition to Cisco’s motion to transfer. On August 5, 2015, the Court held an Initial Pretrial
Conference in the case to discuss the discovery plan for the case. On August 6, 2015, we filed our answer to Verizon’s counterclaims.
On August 11, 2015, the Court issued its Scheduling Order regarding the discovery schedule, setting discovery to be concluded
by November 15, 2015. On August 31, 2015, a settlement agreement between Spherix and Verizon was entered into, resolving all outstanding
litigation between the two companies. Cisco was not a party to the agreement and the case continues against Cisco. On September
1, 2015, the Spherix and Verizon filed a joint motion to dismiss the Verizon entities from the case. On September 2, 2015, the
Court granted the motion to dismiss Verizon. On September 23, 2015, Cisco filed a Consent Motion to transfer the action to the
District of Delaware, and on September 25, 2015, the Court granted the motion. The case has been transferred to the District of
Delaware and assigned new case number 1:15-cv-00869-SLR.
Cisco
Systems, Inc. v. Spherix Incorporated, 1:15-cv-00559-SLR, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware
On
June 30, 2015, Cisco Systems, Inc. initiated litigation against us in United States District Court for the District of Delaware,
requesting a declaration of non-infringement U.S. Patent No. RE45,598, which issued on June 30, 2015, and, with respect to that
patent, alleging breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing implied in contract and promissory estoppel.
On August 28, 2015, we filed motions to dismiss the case in light of our previously filed case, case No. 1:15-cv-0576-GBL-IDD,
in the Eastern District of Virginia, which involves U.S. Patent No. RE45,598.
Counterclaims
In
the ordinary course of business, we, along with our wholly-owned subsidiaries, will initiate litigation against parties whom we
believe have infringed on our intellectual property rights and technologies. The initiation of such litigation exposes us to potential
counterclaims initiated by the defendants. Currently, as stated above, defendants in the cases Spherix Incorporated v. VTech
Telecommunications Ltd.; Spherix Incorporated v. Uniden Corporation; Spherix Incorporated v. Cisco Systems Inc., and NNPT,
LLC v. Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd. et al. have filed counterclaims against us. We have evaluated the counterclaims
and believe they are without merit and have not recorded a loss provision relating to such matters. We can provide no assurance
that the outcome of these claims will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results from operations.
Corporate
Information
We
were incorporated in Delaware in 1967. Our principal executive office is located at 6430 Rockledge Drive, Suite 503, Bethesda,
MD 20877. Our telephone number is (646) 532-2964 and our website address is www.spherix.com. The information on our website is
not a part of, and should not be construed as being incorporated by reference into, this prospectus.
THE
OFFERING
Class A Units offered by us |
We are offering up to $10,000,000 of Class A Units. Each Class A Unit will
consist of one share of our common stock, a Series A warrant to purchase
share of our common stock at an exercise price equal to the public offering price of the Class A Units, (“Series A
warrant”), and a Series B warrant to purchase
of a share of our common stock at an exercise price equal to of the public
offering price of the Class A Units, (“Series B warrant”). The Class A Units will not be certificated and the
share of common stock and warrants part of such unit are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering. |
|
|
|
This prospectus also relates to the offering of shares of our common stock issuable upon
the exercise of the Series A warrants and Series B warrants part of the Class A units. |
|
|
|
Assuming we sell all $10,000,000 of Class A Units (and no Class B Units) being offered
in this offering and a public offering price of $0. , the reported
closing price of our common stock on October , 2015, we would issue
in this offering an aggregate of shares of our common stock, Series
A warrants to purchase shares of our common stock and Series B
warrants to purchase shares of our common stock. |
|
|
Class B Units offered by us |
We are also offering to those purchasers, if any, whose purchase of Class A Units in this
offering would otherwise result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning
more than 4.99% of our outstanding common stock immediately following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity,
in lieu of purchasing Class A Units, to purchase Class B Units. Ownership of the Class B Units alone will not increase the
purchaser’s beneficial ownership percentage of common stock unless and until a portion or all of such Series K Preferred
has been converted. In addition, holders of Series K Preferred will be prohibited from converting Series K Preferred
into shares of our common stock if, as a result of such conversion, the holder, together with its affiliates and certain related
parties, would own more than 4.99% of the total number of shares of our outstanding common stock. However, any holder may
decrease or increase such ownership percentage to any other percentage (not in excess of 9.99%), provided that any increase
in such percentage shall not be effective until 61 days after such notice to us. Exceeding 4.99% ownership in shares
of our outstanding common stock will trigger certain SEC filing requirements by such holder, including the submission of a
Schedule 13G or Schedule 13D, as applicable, and Forms 3 and 4 on an annual and periodic basis, respectively, while such ownership
percentage remains above 4.99%. Each Class B Unit will consist of one share of our Class K Convertible Preferred Stock,
or the Series K Preferred, with a stated value of $0,0001 per share and convertible into shares of our common stock at the
public offering price of the Class A Units, together with the equivalent number of Series A warrants and Series B warrants
as would have been issued to such purchaser if they had purchased Class A Units based on the public offering price. The Series
K Preferred do not generally have any voting rights but are convertible into shares of common stock. The Class B Units will
not be certificated and the share of Series K Preferred and warrants part of such unit are immediately separable and will
be issued separately in this offering. |
|
|
|
This prospectus also relates to the offering of shares of our common stock issuable upon
conversion of the Series K Preferred Stock and upon exercise of the Series A warrants and Series B warrants part of the Class
B units. |
|
|
Series A and Series B Warrants |
Each Series A warrant included
in the Units will have an exercise price equal to the public offering price of the Class A Units, will be exercisable
upon issuance, and will expire months from the date of issuance.
Each Series B warrant included
in the Units will have an exercise price equal to %
of the public offering price of the Class A Units, will be exercisable upon issuance, and will expire five years from
the date of issuance. |
|
|
|
There is no established public trading market for the warrants, and we do not expect a
market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for a listing of the warrants on any national securities exchange. |
Common
stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering |
shares
( if the warrants are exercised
in full). (1)(2)
|
Use
of proceeds |
We currently intend to use the net
proceeds to meet our working capital needs and general corporate purposes. In addition, a portion of the proceeds may be used
to redeem our outstanding Series I Preferred Stock, which has an aggregate redemption value of $5 million and is mandatorily
redeemable as of December 31, 2015. Pending use of the net proceeds, we intend to invest the net proceeds in short-term, interest-bearing
securities. See “Use of Proceeds.” |
Risk
factors |
You should read the “Risk
Factors” beginning on page 10 of this prospectus for a discussion of factors to consider carefully before deciding to
invest in shares of our common stock. |
NASDAQ
Capital Market symbol |
“SPEX” |
The
number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 34,402,763 shares of common stock outstanding
as of September 30, 2015.
| (1) | The
number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after this offering excludes the
shares of common stock that may be issued under the warrants to be issued in this offering,
and also excludes the following: |
|
•
|
|
5,461,076 shares
of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of September 30, 2015, having a weighted average
exercise price of $4.72 per share; |
|
• |
|
7,804,828 shares
of common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2015, having a weighted average exercise
price of $1.74 per share; |
|
• |
|
5,044,821 shares
of common stock reserved for issuance upon conversion of our outstanding convertible preferred stock as of September 30, 2015
without regard to the beneficial ownership conversion limits applicable to such securities; and |
|
• |
|
an aggregate
of 1,473,104 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our equity plans as of September 30, 2015. |
(2) | Excludes the shares of common stock that may
be issued under the warrants to be issued in this offering. Assumes only Class A Units
are sold in this offering. To the extent we sell any Class B Units, the same aggregate
number of common stock equivalents resulting from this offering would be convertible
under the Series K Preferred issued as part of the Class B Units. |
Unless
otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus reflects or assumes the following:
|
• |
|
no exercise
of outstanding options to purchase common stock or warrants to purchase common stock after September 30, 2015; and |
|
• |
|
no conversion
or redemption of preferred stock after September 30, 2015. |
SUMMARY
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The
following tables summarize our financial data for the periods presented. The summary statement of operations data and
balance sheet data for each of the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 have been derived from our audited consolidated
financial statements. The audited financial statements as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the report thereon, were
included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, which is incorporated by reference into this
prospectus. The summary statement of operations data for the nine-months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 and summary
balance sheet data as of September 30, 2015 have been derived from our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements,
which were included in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2015, which is incorporated by
reference into this prospectus. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any
future periods.
You
should read this data together with the financial statements and related notes incorporated by reference into this prospectus,
as well as “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the other
financial information in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 and our Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2015, and each of the notes thereto, which are incorporated by reference into this
prospectus.
(In
thousands, except per share data)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nine
Months Ended September 30, |
|
|
Year
Ended December 31 |
|
|
|
| 2015
|
|
|
| 2014
|
|
|
| 2014
|
|
|
| 2013
|
|
|
|
| (Unaudited)
|
|
|
| (Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues |
|
$ | 2
|
|
|
$ | 9 | |
|
$ | 10
|
|
|
$ | 27
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating costs and expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of Revenues |
|
| — |
|
|
| —
| |
|
| —
|
|
|
| 3
|
|
Amortization
of patent portfolio | |
| 5,594 |
|
|
| 7,354 |
|
|
| 9,831
|
|
|
| 267
|
|
Compensation
and related expenses (including stock-based compensation) |
|
| 1,001 |
|
|
| 12,532
|
|
|
| 13,710
|
|
|
| 9,783
|
|
Research and
Development | |
| — |
|
|
| —
|
|
|
| —
|
|
|
| 10
|
|
Professional
fees | |
| 2,067 |
|
|
| 3,692
|
|
|
| 4,520
|
|
|
| 4,143
|
|
Impairment
of goodwill and intangible assets | |
| 37,212 |
|
|
| —
|
|
|
| —
|
|
|
| —
|
|
Rent |
|
| 66 |
|
|
| 208
|
|
|
| 864
|
|
|
| 134
|
|
Depreciation |
|
| — |
|
|
| —
|
|
|
| —
|
|
|
| 24
|
|
Other
selling, general and administrative |
|
| 440 |
|
|
| 979
|
|
|
| 1,696
|
|
|
| 1,010
|
|
Total
operating expenses |
|
| 46,380 |
|
|
| 24,765
|
|
|
| 30,621
|
|
|
| 15,374
|
|
Loss from operations
|
|
| (46,378 | )
|
|
| (24,756
| )
|
|
| (30,611
| )
|
|
| (15,347
| )
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other income (expenses) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other income
(expenses), net | |
| 32 |
|
|
| 34
|
|
|
| 31
|
|
|
| —
|
|
Fair
value adjustments for warrant liabilities |
|
| (774 | )
|
|
| 47
|
|
|
| 48
|
|
|
| (2,618
| )
|
Total
other (expenses) income |
|
| (742 | )
|
|
| 81
|
|
|
| 79
|
|
|
| (2,618
| )
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
loss |
|
$
| (47,120 | )
|
|
$
| (24,675
| )
|
|
$
| (30,532
| )
|
|
$
| (17,965
| )
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net loss per share, basic and diluted
|
|
$ | (1.56 | )
|
|
$ | (1.47
| )
|
|
$ | (1.55
| )
|
|
$ | (13.64
| )
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted |
|
| 30,141,115
|
|
|
| 16,735,940
|
|
|
| 19,736,842
|
|
|
| 1,317,472
|
|
| |
As of
September 30 | |
As of
December 31 |
| |
2015 | |
2014 | |
2014 | |
2013 |
| |
(Unaudited) | |
(Unaudited) | |
| |
|
Balance Sheet Data | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Cash and Cash Equivelants | |
$ | 157 | | |
$ | 5,550 | | |
$ | 805 | | |
$ | 3,125 | |
Working Captial (deficit) | |
| (1,640 | ) | |
| 5,433 | | |
| 3,182 | | |
| 1,773 | |
Total Assets | |
| 14,891 | | |
| 64,841 | | |
| 61,158 | | |
| 69,853 | |
Long-term lease liabilities | |
| 274 | | |
| — | | |
| 407 | | |
| — | |
Total Stockholder’s Equity | |
| 7,025 | | |
| 58,721 | | |
| 53,586 | | |
| 48,302 | |
RISK
FACTORS
Investing
in our common stock and warrants involves a high degree of risk. Before investing in our common stock and warrants, you should
consider carefully the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this prospectus. If any of the
risks set forth below occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects could be materially
and adversely affected. In these circumstances, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part
of your investment.
Risks
Associated with Our Business
Because
we have a limited operating history to evaluate our company, the likelihood of our success must be considered in light of the
problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays frequently encountered by an early-stage company.
Since
we have a limited operating history in our current business of patent licensing and monetization, it will make it difficult for
investors and securities analysts to evaluate our business and prospects. You must consider our prospects in light
of the risks, expenses and difficulties we face as an early stage company with a limited operating history. Investors
should evaluate an investment in our securities in light of the uncertainties encountered by early-stage companies in an intensely
competitive industry and in which the potential licenses and/or defendants from which the Company seeks to obtain recoveries are
largely well capitalized companies with resources (financial and otherwise) significantly greater than the Company’s. There
can be no assurance that our efforts will be successful or that we will be able to become profitable.
We
continue to incur operating losses and may not achieve profitability.
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2015, we incurred a loss from operations of $46.4 million, compared to $24.8 million for the
same period in 2014. Our net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 was $47.1 million and $24.7 million, respectively.
Our accumulated deficit was $130.9 million at September 30, 2015.
We
have incurred losses from operations in prior years, including 2014 and 2013. Our net loss for the years ended December
31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 was $30.5 million and $18.0 million, respectively. Our accumulated deficit was $83.8
million at December 31, 2014 and $53.3 million at December 31, 2013. We may not achieve profitable operations.
We
expect to need additional capital to fund our growing operations, and if we are unable to obtain sufficient capital we may be
forced to limit the scope of our operations.
We
expect that as our business continues to grow we will need additional working capital. If adequate additional debt
and/or equity financing is not available on reasonable terms or at all, we may not be able to continue to expand our business
or pay our outstanding obligations, and we will have to modify our business plans accordingly. These factors would
have a material and adverse effect on our future operating results and our financial condition.
If
we reach a point where we are unable to raise needed additional funds to continue as a going concern, we will be forced to cease
our activities and dissolve the Company. In such an event, we will need to satisfy various creditors and other claimants,
severance, lease termination and other dissolution-related obligations and we may not have sufficient funds to pay to our stockholders.
Our
independent registered public accounting firm has expressed substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern,
which may hinder our ability to obtain future financing.
In
their reports for each of our last two fiscal years, our independent registered public accountants stated that our consolidated
financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, were prepared assuming that we would continue
as a going concern. Our ability to continue as a going concern, which may hinder our ability to obtain future financing,
is an issue raised as a result of recurring losses from operations. We continue to experience net operating losses. Our
ability to continue as a going concern is subject to our ability to generate a profit and/or obtain necessary funding from outside
sources, including obtaining additional funding from the sale of our securities, increasing sales or obtaining loans from various
financial institutions where possible. Our continued net operating losses increase the difficulty in meeting such goals
and there can be no assurances that such methods will prove successful.
An
impairment charge could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We
were required to assess goodwill for impairment if events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not
reduce our enterprise fair value below its book value. In addition, we are required to test our finite-lived intangible
assets for impairment if events occur or circumstances change that would indicate the remaining net book value of the
finite-lived intangible assets might not be recoverable. These events or circumstances could include a significant change in
the business climate, including a significant sustained decline in an entity’s market value, legal factors, operating
performance indicators, competition, sale or disposition of a significant portion of our business, potential government
actions and other factors. As a result of certain events that occurred during the quarter ended June 30, 2015, we recorded a
$37.2 million charge to our intangible assets. If the fair value of our reporting units or finite intangible assets is less
than their book value in the future, we could be required to record additional impairment charges. A continued decline of the
market price of our common stock could result in additional impairment charges in the future. The amount of any impairment
could be significant and could have a material adverse effect on our reported financial results for the period in which the
charge is taken. There were no indicators of additional impairment during the third quarter of 2015.
The
focus of our business is to monetize intellectual property, including through licensing and enforcement. We may not
be able to successfully monetize the patents which we acquire and thus may fail to realize all of the anticipated benefits of
such acquisition .
We
acquired our patents and patent applications during 2013 in three transactions which significantly changed the focus of our business
and operations. We currently own several hundred patent assets and although we may seek to commercialize and develop
products, alone or with others, there is no assurance that we will be able to successfully commercialize or develop products and
such commercialization and development is not a core focus of our business. There is significant risk involved in connection
with our activities in which we acquire and seek to monetize the patent portfolios that we acquired from Rockstar and North South. Our
business is commonly referred to as a non-practicing entity model (or “NPE”) since we do not currently commercialize
or develop products under the recently acquired patents. As an entity, we have limited prior experience as an NPE. The
acquisition of the patents and an NPE business model could fail to produce anticipated benefits, or could have other adverse effects
that we do not currently foresee. Failure to successfully monetize our patent assets or to operate an NPE business
may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In
addition, the acquisition of patent portfolios is subject to a number of risks, including, but not limited to the following:
• |
There
is a significant time lag between acquiring a patent portfolio and recognizing revenue from those patent assets. During
that time lag, material costs are likely to be incurred that would have a negative effect on our results of operations, cash
flows and financial position; and |
|
|
• |
The integration
of a patent portfolio will be a time consuming and expensive process that may disrupt our operations. If our integration
efforts are not successful, our results of operations could be harmed. In addition, we may not achieve anticipated
synergies or other benefits from such acquisition. |
Therefore,
there is no assurance that the monetization of the patent portfolios we acquire will be successful, will occur timely or in a
timeframe that is capable of prediction or will generate enough revenue to recoup our investment.
We
presently rely exclusively on the patent assets we acquired from North South Holdings, Inc. (“North South”) and Rockstar
Consortium US LP (“Rockstar”). If we are unable to commercialize, license or otherwise monetize such assets
and generate revenue and profit through those assets or by other means, there is a significant risk that our business will fail.
If
our efforts to generate revenue from our patent portfolios acquired from Rockstar and North South fail, we will have incurred
significant losses. We may not seek and may be unable to acquire additional assets and therefore may be wholly reliant
on our present portfolios for revenue. If we are unable to generate revenue from our current assets and fail to acquire
any additional assets, our business will likely fail.
In
connection with our business, we may commence legal proceedings against certain companies whose size and resources could be substantially
greater than ours; we expect such litigation to be time-consuming, lengthy and costly which may adversely affect our financial
condition and our ability to survive or operate our business, even if the patents are valid and the cases we bring have merit.
To
license or otherwise monetize our patent assets, we may be required to commence legal proceedings against certain large and well
established and well capitalized companies. For instance, we are currently involved in litigation against Cisco Systems,
Uniden, VTech Telecommunications, Verizon Services, Huawei and Juniper Networks, each of whom is much larger and better capitalized
than we are. We may allege that such companies infringe on one or more of our patents. Our viability could
be highly dependent on the outcome of this litigation, and there is a risk that we may be unable to achieve the results we desire
from such litigation. The defendants in litigation brought by us are likely to be much larger than us and have substantially
more resources than we do, which would make success of our litigation efforts subject to factors other than the validity of our
patents or infringement claims asserted. The inability to successfully enforce our patents against larger more well-capitalized
companies could result in realization through settlement or election to not pursue certain infringers, or less value from our
patents, and could result in substantially lower than anticipated revenue realized from infringements and lower settlement values.
We
anticipate that legal proceedings against infringers of our patents may continue for several or more years and may require significant
expenditures for legal fees and other expenses. Disputes regarding the assertion of patents and other intellectual
property rights are highly complex and technical. In addition, courts and the laws are constantly changing in a manner
that could increase our fees and expenses for pursuing infringers, and also could result in our assumption of legal fees of defendants
if we are unsuccessful. Once initiated, we may be forced to litigate against others to enforce or defend our intellectual
property rights or to determine the validity and scope of other parties’ proprietary rights. The defendants or
other third parties involved in the lawsuits in which we are involved may allege defenses and/or file counterclaims in an effort
to avoid or limit liability and damages for patent infringement. Potential defendants could challenge our patents and
our actions by commencing lawsuits seeking declaratory judgments declaring our patents invalid, not infringed, or for improper
or unlawful activities. If such defenses or counterclaims are successful, they may preclude our ability to obtain damages
for infringement or derive licensing revenue from the patents. A negative outcome of any such litigation, or one or
more claims contained within any such litigation, could materially and adversely impact our business. For example,
on July 1, 2015, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Court issued a Markman Order interpreting
certain key claims in favor of the defendants in one of our actions against Verizon, resulting in the dismissal of our claims
against Verizon with respect to one of our patents. Additionally, we anticipate that our legal fees and other expenses will be
material and will negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations and may result in our inability to continue
our business.
Parties
who are alleged infringers of our patent rights may also challenge the validity of our patents in proceedings before the United
States Patent and Trademark Office. These potential proceedings include ex parte reexaminations, inter partes
review, or covered business method patent challenges. These proceedings could result in certain of our patent claims
being dismissed or certain of our patents being invalidated. We would expend signification legal fees to defend against
such actions.
We
have been the subject of litigation and, due to the nature of our business, may be the target of future legal proceedings that
could have an adverse effect on our business and our ability to monetize our patents.
In
the ordinary course of business, we, along with our wholly-owned subsidiaries, will initiate litigation against parties whom we
believe have infringed on our intellectual property rights and technologies. The initiation of such litigation exposes us to potential
counterclaims initiated by the defendants. Currently, defendants in the cases Spherix Incorporated v. VTech Telecommunications
Ltd.; Spherix Incorporated v. Uniden Corporation; Spherix Incorporated v. Cisco Systems Inc., and NNPT, LLC
v. Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd. et al. have filed counterclaims against us. We have evaluated the counterclaims
and believe they are without merit.
The
Company may become subject to similar actions in the future which will be costly and time consuming to defend, the outcome of
which are uncertain.
We
may seek to internally develop additional new inventions and intellectual property, which would take time and be costly. Moreover,
the failure to obtain or maintain intellectual property rights for such inventions would lead to the loss of our investments in
such activities.
Part
of our business may include the internal development of new inventions or intellectual property that we will seek to monetize. However,
this aspect of our business would likely require significant capital and would take time to achieve. Such activities
could also distract our management team from its present business initiatives, which could have a material and adverse effect
on our business. There is also the risk that our initiatives in this regard would not yield any viable new inventions
or technology, which would lead to a loss of our investments in time and resources in such activities.
In
addition, even if we are able to internally develop new inventions, in order for those inventions to be viable and to compete
effectively, we would need to develop and maintain, and we would heavily rely upon, a proprietary position with respect to such
inventions and intellectual property. However, there are significant risks associated with any such intellectual property
we may develop principally, including the following:
• |
patent applications
we may file may not result in issued patents or may take longer than we expect to result in issued patents; |
• |
we may be subject to
interference proceedings; |
• |
we may be subject to opposition
proceedings in the U.S. or foreign countries; |
• |
any patents that are issued to us
may not provide meaningful protection; |
• |
we may not be able to develop additional
proprietary technologies that are patentable; |
• |
other companies may challenge patents
issued to us; |
• |
other companies may have independently
developed and/or patented (or may in the future independently develop and patent) similar or alternative technologies, or
duplicate our technologies; |
• |
other companies may design around
technologies we have developed; and |
• |
enforcement of our patents could
be complex, uncertain and very expensive. |
We
cannot be certain that patents will be issued as a result of any future applications, or that any of our patents, once issued,
will provide us with adequate protection from competing products. For example, issued patents may be circumvented or
challenged, declared invalid or unenforceable, or narrowed in scope. In addition, since publication of discoveries
in scientific or patent literature often lags behind actual discoveries, we cannot be certain that we will be the first to make
our additional new inventions or to file patent applications covering those inventions. It is also possible that others
may have or may obtain issued patents that could prevent us from commercializing our products or require us to obtain licenses
requiring the payment of significant fees or royalties in order to enable us to conduct our business. As to those patents
that we may license or otherwise monetize, our rights will depend on maintaining our obligations to the licensor under the applicable
license agreement, and we may be unable to do so. Our failure to obtain or maintain intellectual property rights for
our inventions would lead to the loss our business.
Moreover,
patent application delays could cause delays in recognizing revenue from our internally generated patents and could cause us to
miss opportunities to license patents before other competing technologies are developed or introduced into the market.
Our
ability to raise additional capital may be adversely affected by certain of our agreements.
Our
ability to raise additional capital for use in our operating activities may be adversely impacted by the terms of our Series I
Preferred Stock. In the event we consummate certain fundamental transactions, we will be required to redeem such portion of our
outstanding shares of Series I Preferred Stock as shall equal (i) 50% of the net proceeds of the fundamental transaction after
deduction of the amount of net proceeds required to leave the Company with cash and cash equivalents on hand of $5.0 million and
up until the net proceeds leave the Company with cash and cash equivalents on hand of $7.5 million and (ii) 100% of the net proceeds
of the fundamental transaction thereafter. For these purposes, a fundamental transaction includes, among other things, the realization
by us of net proceeds from any financing, recovery, sale, license fee or other revenue received by the Company (including on account
of any intellectual property rights held by the Company and not just in respect of the patents) during any fiscal quarter in an
amount which would cause our cash or cash equivalents to exceed $5,000,000. Thus, a significant portion of any amount
we raise in a financing transaction, including the proceeds of the offering described in this prospectus, or generate from monetization
of our intellectual property may need to be used to redeem all or a portion of our Series I Preferred Stock rather than being
used to finance our operations.
Our
ability to raise additional capital for use in our operating activities also may be adversely impacted by the terms of a securities
purchase agreement, dated as of July 15, 2015 (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”), between us and the investors
who purchased securities in our July 2015 offering of our common stock and warrants for the purchase of our common stock. The
Securities Purchase Agreement provides that, until the warrants issued thereunder are no longer outstanding, we will not affect
or enter into a variable rate transaction, which includes issuances of securities whose prices or conversion prices may vary with
the trading prices of or quotations for the shares of our Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such securities,
as well as the entry into agreements where our stock would be issued at a future-determined price. These warrants may remain outstanding
as late as January 22, 2021, when the warrants expire in accordance with their terms. The Securities Purchase Agreement also provides
the investors an 18-month right of participation for an amount up to 100% of such subsequent financing of common stock (or common
stock equivalents or a combination thereof), including any financing that may be consummated pursuant to this prospectus during
such period, on the same terms and conditions of such transaction. Last, proceeds we received under the Securities Purchase Agreement
are not permitted to be used for satisfaction of the Company’s debt or for the redemption of our Series I Preferred Stock.
These restrictions may have an adverse impact on our ability to raise additional capital, or to use our cash to make certain payments
that we are contractually obligated to make.
New
legislation, regulations or court rulings related to enforcing patents could harm our new line of business and operating results,
or could cause us to change our business model.
If
Congress, the United States Patent and Trademark Office or courts implement new legislation, regulations or rulings that impact
the patent enforcement process or the rights of patent holders, these changes could negatively affect our business. For
example, limitations on the ability to bring patent enforcement claims, limitations on potential liability for patent infringement,
lower evidentiary standards for invalidating patents, increases in the cost to resolve patent disputes and other similar developments
could negatively affect our ability to assert our patent or other intellectual property rights.
On
September 16, 2011, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (the “Leahy-Smith Act”), was signed into law. The
Leahy-Smith Act includes a number of significant changes to United States patent law. These changes include provisions
that affect the way patent applications will be prosecuted and may also affect patent litigation. The U.S. Patent Office
has been developing regulations and procedures to govern administration of the Leahy-Smith Act, and many of the substantive changes
to patent law associated with the Leahy-Smith Act recently became effective. Accordingly, it is too early to tell what,
if any, impact the Leahy-Smith Act will have on the operation of our business. However, the Leahy-Smith Act and its
implementation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of patent applications and the enforcement
or defense of our issued patents, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
On
June 4, 2013, the Obama Administration issued executive orders and legislative recommendations. The legislative
measures recommended by the Obama Administration include requiring patentees and patent applicants to disclose the “Real
Party-in-Interest”, giving district courts more discretion to award attorney’s fees to the prevailing party, requiring
public filing of demand letters such that they are accessible to the public, and protecting consumers against liability for a
product being used off-the shelf and solely for its intended use.
The
executive orders require the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”) to make rules to require the
disclosure of the Real Party-in-Interest by requiring patent applicants and owners to regularly update ownership information when
they are involved in proceedings before the USPTO (e.g. specifying the “ultimate parent entity”) and requiring the
USPTO to train its examiners to better scrutinize functional claims to prevent allowing overly broad claims.
On
December 5, 2013, the United States House of Representatives passed a patent reform titled the “Innovation Act”
by a vote of 325-91. Representative Bob Goodlatte, with bipartisan support, introduced the Innovation Act on October 23,
2013. The Innovation Act, as passed by the House, has a number of major changes. Some of the changes include
a heightened pleading requirement for the filing of patent infringement claims. It requires a particularized statement
with detailed specificity regarding how each asserted claim term corresponds to the functionality of each accused instrumentality. The
Innovation Act, as passed by the House, also includes fee-shifting provisions which provide that, unless the non-prevailing party
of a patent infringement litigation positions were objectively reasonable, such non-prevailing party would have to pay the attorney’s
fees of the prevailing party.
The
Innovation Act also calls for discovery to be limited until after claim construction. The patent infringement plaintiff
must also disclose anyone with a financial interest in either the asserted patent or the patentee and must disclose the ultimate
parent entity. When a manufacturer and its customers are sued at the same time, the suit against the customer would
be stayed as long as the customer agrees to be bound by the results of the case.
Representative
Goodlatte reintroduced the Innovation Act as H.R. 9 on February 2, 2015. The bill has 22 co-sponsors, made
up of 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans. On February 5, 2015, the bill was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary
for further consideration, and on March 17, 2015, the bill was referred to the House Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property,
and the Internet.
On
March 3, 2015, S.632 known as the “Support Technology and Research for Our Nations Growth Patents Act of 2015” (“the
STRONG Act”) was introduced into the Senate by Senator Christopher Coons. The STRONG Act prescribes a number of changes
in current patent law, including how the USPTO and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) handle post-issuance patent proceedings.
One change proposed by the Act is that the PTAB construe patent claims under the same “ordinary and customary meaning”
standard in inter partes and post grant review proceedings as applied in district court litigation. The Act also provides additional
grounds for a patent owner to submit claim amendments during a post-issuance review. The Act directs the Supreme Court to eliminate
the model complaint for patent infringement. It also authorizes state attorneys general to act in preventing bad faith demand
letters from being sent to accused infringers. The Act would allow such behavior to be treated as an unfair or deceptive act or
practice in violation of the Federal Trade commission Act.
On
April 29, 2015, the Energy and Commerce Committee voted to advance a bill to the full U.S. House of Representatives known as the
“Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act” (“the TROL Act”) (H.R. 2045). This bill is aimed at halting misleading
demand letters sent by patent “trolls.” The bill would give the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general
the authority to impose civil penalties on companies that send misleading and bad faith letters to recipients demanding that they
license patents.
Also
on April 29, 2015, a group of bipartisan Senators introduced S. 1137, another new patent reform bill titled, the “Protecting
American Talent and Entrepreneurship” (the “PATENT Act”). The bill includes provisions requiring patent plaintiffs
to clearly identify each patent and claim allegedly infringed, the products or processes, accused of infringing, and how the infringement
occurs. The bill also provides that if end users of a product are sued for infringement, the manufacturer can step-in to litigate
and the suit against the users will be stayed. A fee-shifting provision is also included that provides winning parties a chance
to show that the losing party’s position and conduct were not “objectively reasonable.”
On
April 29, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court relaxed the standard for fee shifting in patent infringement cases. Section 285
of the Patent Act provides that attorneys’ fees may be awarded to a prevailing party in a patent infringement case in “exceptional
cases.”
In Octane
Fitness, LLC v. Icon Health & Fitness, Inc., the Supreme Court overturned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
decisions limiting the meaning of “exceptional cases.” The U.S. Supreme Court held that an exceptional
case “is simply one that stands out from others with respect to the substantive strength of a party’s litigation position”
or “the unreasonable manner in which the case was litigated.” The U.S. Supreme Court also rejected the
“clear and convincing evidence” standard for making this inquiry. The Court held that the standard should
be a “preponderance of the evidence.”
In Highmark
Inc. v. Allcare Health Mgmt. Sys., Inc., the U.S. Supreme Court held that a district court’s grant of attorneys’
fees is reviewable by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit only for “abuse of discretion” by the district
court instead of the de novo standard that gave no deference to the district court.
These
pair of decisions lowered the threshold for obtaining attorneys’ fees in patent infringement cases and increased the level
of deference given to a district court’s fee-shifting determination.
These
two cases will make it much easier for district courts to shift a prevailing party’s attorneys’ fees to a non-prevailing
party if the district court believes that the case was weak or conducted in an abusive manner. Defendants that get
sued for patent infringement by non-practicing entities may elect to fight rather than settle the case because these U.S. Supreme
Court decisions make it much easier for defendants to get attorneys’ fees.
On
June 19, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International in which the Court addressed
the question of whether patents related to software are patent eligible subject matter. The Supreme Court did not rule
that patents related to software were per se invalid or that software-related inventions were unpatentable. The
Supreme Court outlined a test that the courts and the USPTO must apply in determining whether software-related inventions qualify
as patent eligible subject matter. We must now wait and see how the federal district courts and the USPTO will apply
this ruling. The test outlined by the Supreme Court could potentially affect the value of some of the patents we hold.
On
January 20, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court decided another patent case, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. v. Sandoz, Inc. In Teva,
the Court overturned the long-standing practice that claim construction decision made by district courts were given de novo review
on appeal. Instead, the Supreme Court held that when claim construction is based on extrinsic evidence, a district
court’s findings of subsidiary facts are to be reviewed for clear error, while its ultimate claim construction is to be
reviewed de novo. This change in how claim construction decisions are reviewed on appeal may have an impact on
how parties handle patent litigation in the district courts. This could increase our litigation expenses. The
full impact of the Teva decision on patent litigation at the district court level is yet to be determined.
On
May 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Commil USA LLC v. Cisco Systems, Inc. In this case, the Supreme Court held
that a good faith belief that a patent is invalid does not provide an accused infringer with a defense against a charge of inducing
patent infringement. The Court stated that permitting such a defense would undermine the statutory presumption of validity enjoyed
by issued U.S. patents under 35 U.S.C. § 282. The long term affect of this ruling is yet to be seen as it is implemented
by the district courts. However, this ruling has eliminated a defense available to parties accused of inducing patent infringement.
This result could be beneficial to our patent enforcement efforts.
It
is impossible to determine the extent of the impact of any new laws, regulations or initiatives that may be proposed, or whether
any of the proposals will become enacted as laws in their current or modified forms. Compliance with any new or existing
laws or regulations could be difficult and expensive, affect the manner in which we conduct our business and negatively impact
our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
Our
acquisitions of patent assets may be time consuming, complex and costly, which could adversely affect our operating results.
Acquisitions
of patent or other intellectual property assets, which are critical to our business plan, are often time consuming, complex and
costly to consummate. We may elect to not pursue any additional patents while we focus our efforts on monetizing our
existing assets. We may utilize many different transaction structures in our acquisitions and the terms of such acquisition
agreements tend to be heavily negotiated. As a result, we expect to incur significant operating expenses and will likely
be required to raise capital during the negotiations even if the acquisition is ultimately not consummated, or if we determine
to acquire additional patents or other assets. Even if we are able to acquire particular patent assets, there is no
guarantee that we will generate sufficient revenue related to those patent assets to offset the acquisition costs, and we may
be required to pay significant amounts of deferred purchase price if we monetize those patents above certain thresholds. While
we will seek to conduct confirmatory due diligence on the patent assets we are considering for acquisition, we may acquire patent
assets from a seller who does not have complete analysis of infringements or claims, have valid or sole title or ownership to
those assets, or otherwise provides us with flawed ownership rights, including invalid or unenforceable assets. In
those cases, we may be required to spend significant resources to defend our interest in the patent assets and, if we are not
successful, our acquisition may be worthless, in which case we could lose part or all of our investment in the assets.
We
may also identify patent or other intellectual property assets that cost more than we are prepared to spend with our own capital
resources. We may incur significant costs to organize and negotiate a structured acquisition that does not ultimately
result in an acquisition of any patent assets or, if consummated, proves to be unprofitable for us. Acquisitions involving
issuance of our securities could be dilutive to existing stockholders and could be at prices lower than those prices reflected
in the trading markets. These higher costs could adversely affect our operating results and, if we incur losses, the
value of our securities will decline.
In
addition, we may acquire patents and technologies that are in the early stages of adoption. Demand for some of these
technologies will likely be untested and may be subject to fluctuation based upon the rate at which our licensees or others adopt
our patents and technologies in their products and services. As a result, there can be no assurance as to whether technologies
we acquire or develop will have value that can be realized through licensing or other activities.
If
we are unable to successfully monetize our patent assets, or if we cannot obtain sufficient capital to see our legal proceedings
to fruition, our business model may be subject to change.
Our
current business model of monetizing patent assets primarily through litigation against companies infringing on our intellectual
property results in the potential for sporadic income. This makes us dependent on successful outcomes of our litigation claims,
as well as obtaining financing from third-party sources to fund these litigations. If we are unable to generate revenue and are
unable to raise additional capital on commercially reasonable terms, or if changes in law make our current business model infeasible,
then we may determine to change our business model in a manner that would be anticipated to generate revenue on a more regular
basis. If we determine to change our business model, it may be difficult to predict our future prospects. Furthermore, we may
incur significant expenses in any such shift in business model, or our management may have to devote significant resources into
developing, or may not be well suited for, any such new business model.
We
have ongoing financial obligations to certain stockholders under the terms of our acquisition of certain patents from Rockstar. Our
failure to comply with our obligations to these stockholders could have a material adverse effect on the value of our assets,
our financial performance and our ability to sustain operations.
In
connection with our agreement to acquire Rockstar patents entered on December 31, 2013, the Company and Rockstar entered
into a series of agreements which require us to redeem $20.0 million of stated value of Series I Preferred Stock in $5 million
increments on each of the 6, 12, 18 and 24 month anniversaries of the purchase. While as of August 14, 2015 we have
redeemed $15.0 million of these shares, we presently have inadequate cash to fund the remaining payment. In the event
that such payment is not timely made, the holders of our Series I Preferred Stock may employ certain remedies, including the imposition
of interest at a rate of 15% per annum from the closing date on unpaid and unconverted amounts due, and to reduce the redemption
obligations through sale or recovery of patents we purchased from Rockstar in that acquisition at a value equal to unconverted
amounts due which have been pledged as collateral for such obligations in the case of certain defaults as set forth in our agreements
with Rockstar. Rockstar has filed a UCC-1 covering our redemption obligations and has the right to foreclose on the
collateral. The redemption obligation is also required to be satisfied in the event that we engage in certain capital
raising transactions (among other instances, where such transactions result in net proceeds to us in excess of $7.5 million) and
from recoveries on other assets. The obligation to utilize capital from financings and from other sources or the loss
of patents to Rockstar upon a default could adversely impact our liquidity and financial position.
In
January 2015, Rockstar transferred its remaining outstanding Series I Preferred Stock, as well as its other stock in Spherix (including
our Series H Convertible Preferred Stock) to RPX Clearinghouse LLC (“RPX”), an affiliate of RPX Corporation. Since
RPX’s business model is to lower the risk of patent litigation against entities such as Spherix, RPX may take stances that
are adverse to Spherix and its other stockholders. In June 2015, the Company received a letter from RPX alleging that the Company’s
disclosure relating to the substantial doubt regarding its ability to continue as a going concern in its previously filed Form
10-Ks and 10-Qs constitutes a default under the Intellectual Property Security Agreement surrounding the Series I Preferred Stock
that was entered into with Rockstar in December 2013, which was transferred to RPX in January 2015 as part of the purchase of
Rockstar by RPX. No communications or actions alleging any breach have followed since the date of such initial communication from
RPX. We strongly believe that there is no merit in the allegation, and no legal basis for the claim.
In
addition, RPX will be entitled to receive a contingent recovery percentage of future profits from licensing, settlements and judgments
against defendants with respect to patents purchased by us from Rockstar. In particular, once we recover a certain
amount of proceeds pertaining to the patents acquired from Rockstar in June 2013, which amount will not exceed $8.0 million, net
of certain expenses, we will be required to make a payment of up to $13.0 million to Rockstar within six months of such recovery. Furthermore,
once we recover a certain level of proceeds pertaining to each portfolio of patents we acquired from Rockstar, we will be required
to make participation payments to RPX which, depending on how much we recover, could range from 30% of the amount we recover to
70% of the amount we recover in any given quarter, net of certain expenses. Our ability to fund these payments, as
well as other payments that may become due in respect of our acquisition of patents from Rockstar in December 2013, will depend
on the liquidity of our assets, recoveries, alternative demands for cash resources and access to capital at the time. Furthermore,
our obligation to fund these payments could materially adversely impact our liquidity and financial position.
In
certain acquisitions of patent assets, we may seek to defer payment or finance a portion of the acquisition price. This
approach may put us at a competitive disadvantage and could result in harm to our business.
We
have limited capital and may seek to negotiate acquisitions of patent or other intellectual property assets where we can defer
payments, finance a portion of the acquisition price or have an obligation to make contingent payments upon recovery of value
from those assets. These types of debt financing, deferred payment or contingent arrangements may not be as attractive
to sellers of patent assets as receiving the full purchase price for those assets in cash at the closing of the acquisition, and,
as a result, we might not compete effectively against other companies in the market for acquiring patent assets, many of whom
have greater cash resources than we have. We may also finance our activities by issuance of debt which could require
interest and amortization payments which we may not have the ability to repay, in which case we could be in default under the
terms of loan agreements. We may pledge our assets as collateral and if we are in default under our agreements, we
could lose our assets through foreclosure or similar processes or become insolvent or bankrupt in which case investors could lose
their entire investment.
Any
failure to maintain or protect our patent assets or other intellectual property rights could significantly impair our return on
investment from such assets and harm our brand, our business and our operating results.
Our
ability to operate our new line of business and compete in the intellectual property market largely depends on the superiority,
uniqueness and value of our acquired patent assets and other intellectual property. To protect our proprietary rights,
we will rely on a combination of patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws, confidentiality agreements with our employees
and third parties, and protective contractual provisions. No assurances can be given that any of the measures we undertake
to protect and maintain our assets will have any measure of success.
We
will be required to spend significant time and resources to maintain the effectiveness of our assets by paying maintenance fees
and making filings with the USPTO. We may acquire patent assets, including patent applications, which require us to
spend resources to prosecute the applications with the USPTO prior to issuance of patents. Further, there is a material
risk that patent related claims (such as, for example, infringement claims (and/or claims for indemnification resulting therefrom),
unenforceability claims, or invalidity claims) will be asserted or prosecuted against us, and such assertions or prosecutions
could materially and adversely affect our business. Regardless of whether any such claims are valid or can be successfully
asserted, defending such claims could cause us to incur significant costs and could divert resources away from our other activities.
Despite
our efforts to protect our intellectual property rights, any of the following or similar occurrences may reduce the value of our
intellectual property:
• |
our applications for
patents, trademarks and copyrights may not be granted and, if granted, may be challenged or invalidated; |
• |
issued trademarks, copyrights,
or patents may not provide us with any competitive advantages when compared to potentially infringing other properties; |
• |
our efforts to protect
our intellectual property rights may not be effective in preventing misappropriation of our technology; or |
• |
our efforts may not
prevent the development and design by others of products or technologies similar to or competitive with, or superior to those
we acquire and/or prosecute. |
Moreover,
we may not be able to effectively protect our intellectual property rights in certain foreign countries where we may do business
or enforce our patents against infringers in foreign countries. If we fail to maintain, defend or prosecute our patent
assets properly, the value of those assets would be reduced or eliminated, and our business would be harmed.
Weak
global economic conditions may cause infringing parties to delay entering into licensing agreements, which could prolong our litigation
and adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
Our
business plan depends significantly on worldwide economic conditions, and the United States and world economies have recently
experienced weak economic conditions. Uncertainty about global economic conditions poses a risk as businesses may postpone
spending in response to tighter credit, negative financial news and declines in income or asset values. This response
could have a material negative effect on the willingness of parties infringing on our assets to enter into licensing or other
revenue generating agreements voluntarily. Entering into such agreements is critical to our business plan, and our
failure to do so could cause material harm to our business.
If
we are not able to protect our intellectual property from unauthorized use, it could diminish the value of our products and services,
weaken our competitive position and reduce our revenue.
Our
success depends in large part on our intellectual property ownership. In addition, we believe that our trade secrets
and non-patented technology may be key to identifying and differentiating our products and services from those of our competitors. We
may be required to spend significant resources to monitor and police our intellectual property rights. If we fail to
successfully enforce our intellectual property rights, the value of our products and services could be diminished and our competitive
position may suffer.
We
rely on a combination of copyright, trademark and trade secret laws, confidentiality procedures and licensing arrangements to
establish and protect our proprietary rights. Third-parties could copy or otherwise obtain and use our property without
authorization or develop similar information and property independently, which may infringe upon our proprietary rights. We
may not be able to detect infringement and may lose competitive position in the market before we do so, including situations which
may damage our ability to succeed in licensing negotiations or legal proceedings such as patent infringement cases we may bring. In
addition, competitors may design around our technologies or develop competing technologies. Intellectual property protection
may also be unavailable or limited in some foreign countries.
If
we resort to legal proceedings to enforce our intellectual property rights, the proceedings could be burdensome and expensive. In
addition, our proprietary rights could be at risk if we are unsuccessful in, or cannot afford to pursue, those proceedings, or
that contingent fees could be a significant portion of our recovery. We will also rely on trade secrets and contract
law to protect some of our proprietary technology. We will enter into confidentiality and invention agreements with
inventors, employees and consultants and common interest agreements with parties associated with our litigation efforts. Nevertheless,
these agreements may not be honored and they may not effectively protect our right to our privileged, confidential or proprietary
information or our patented or un-patented trade secrets and know-how. Others may independently develop substantially
equivalent proprietary information and techniques or otherwise gain access to our trade secrets and know-how.
We
face evolving regulation of corporate governance and public disclosure that may result in additional expenses and continuing uncertainty.
Changing
laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Dodd–Frank Wall Street
Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regulations and NASDAQ Stock Market
LLC rules are creating uncertainty for public companies. We are presently evaluating and monitoring developments with
respect to new and proposed rules and cannot predict or estimate the amount of the additional costs we may incur or the timing
of these costs. These new or changed laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, and, as
a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This
could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure
and governance practices. We intend to invest the resources necessary to comply with evolving laws, regulations and
standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time
and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new or changed
laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies, regulatory authorities
may initiate legal proceedings against us, which could be costly and time-consuming, and our reputation and business may be harmed.
If
we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report
our financial results or prevent fraud and our business may be harmed and our stock price may be adversely impacted.
Effective
internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and to effectively prevent
fraud. Any inability to provide reliable financial reports or to prevent fraud could harm our business. The
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires management to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of our internal control over financial
reporting. In order to continue to comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we are required to continuously
evaluate and, where appropriate, enhance our policies, procedures and internal controls. If we fail to maintain the
adequacy of our internal controls over financial reporting, we could be subject to litigation or regulatory scrutiny and investors
could lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports. We cannot assure you that in the future
we will be able to fully comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act or that management will conclude that our internal
control over financial reporting is effective. If we fail to fully comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act, our business may be harmed and our stock price may decline.
Our assessment, testing and evaluation
of the design and operating effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting resulted in our conclusion that as
of December 31, 2014 our internal control over financial reporting was not effective, due to the Company’s lack of segregation
of duties, and difficulty in applying complex accounting principles, including fair value of derivatives, options and warrants
as well as stock based compensation accounting. We are currently in the processes of reassessing our disclosures controls.
We can provide no assurance as to conclusions of management with respect to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial
reporting in the future.
With respect to the year ended December
31, 2014, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness
of the design and operations of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based upon this evaluation, our management concluded
that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2014.
If
we make acquisitions, it could divert management’s attention, cause ownership dilution to our shareholders and be difficult
to integrate.
Following
our acquisition of North South in September 2013, we have grown rapidly and we expect to continue to evaluate and consider future
acquisitions. Acquisitions generally involve significant risks, including difficulties in the assimilation of the assets,
services and technologies we acquire or industry overlay on which the patent assets read, diversion of management’s attention
from other business concerns, overvaluation of the acquired assets, and the acceptance of the acquired assets and/or claims. Acquisitions
may not be successful, which can have a number of adverse effects upon us including adverse financial effects and may seriously
disrupt our management’s time. The integration of acquired assets may place a significant burden on management
and our internal resources. The diversion of management attention and any difficulties encountered in the integration
process could harm our business.
If
we fail to manage our existing assets and patent inventory and third party relationships (such as attorneys and experts) effectively,
our revenue and profits could decline and should we fail to acquire additional revenues from license fees, our growth could be
impeded.
Our
success depends in part on our ability to manage our existing portfolios of patent assets and manage our third party relationships
necessary to monetize our assets effectively. Our attorneys and experts are not bound by long-term contracts that ensure
us a consistent access to expertise necessary to enforce our patents, which is crucial to our ability to generate license revenues
and prosecute infringers. In addition, attorneys and experts can change the cost of the services they provide, such
as contingent fees that we are required to pay, and our arrangements often required an increasing percentage of recoveries to
be devoted to attorney’s fees depending on the length of time or stage of the case prior to settlement or recovery, reducing
the residual amount available to us following conclusion of a case. If an attorney, seller, inventor or expert decides
not to provide needed assistance in connection with a case, or provides assistance to prospective licensees or defendants, we
may not be able to timely replace this expertise with that from other sources or prevent such assistance to others from damaging
our claims and prospects for recovery or licensing thus resulting in potentially lost cases, opportunities, or revenues and potentially
diminishing the value of our patent assets. The ability to utilize attorneys, sellers’ personnel, inventors or
experts will depend on various factors, some of which are beyond our control.
We
may be unable to issue securities under our shelf registration statement, which may have an adverse effect on our liquidity.
We
have filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC. The registration statement, which has been declared
effective, was filed in reliance on Instruction I.B.6. of Form S-3, which imposes a limitation on the maximum amount of securities
that we may sell pursuant to the registration statement during any twelve-month period. At the time we sell securities
pursuant to the registration statement, the amount of securities to be sold plus the amount of any securities we have sold during
the prior twelve months in reliance on Instruction I.B.6. may not exceed one-third of the aggregate market value of our outstanding
common stock held by non-affiliates as of a day during the 60 days immediately preceding such sale as computed in accordance with
Instruction I.B.6. Based on this calculation and as a result of our sale of common stock and warrants that closed on July
21, 2015, we are currently ineligible to sell securities pursuant to our effective registration statement on Form S-3. Whether
we sell securities under the registration statement will depend on a number of factors, including availability of our existing
S-3 under the 1/3 limitation calculations set forth in Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3, the market conditions at that time, our
cash position at that time and the availability and terms of alternative sources of capital. Furthermore, Instruction I.B.6.
of Form S-3 requires that the issuer have at least one class of common equity securities listed and registered on a national securities
exchange. If we are not able to maintain compliance with applicable NASDAQ rules, we will no longer be able to rely upon that
Instruction. If we cannot sell securities under our shelf registration, we may be required to utilize more costly and time-consuming
means of accessing the capital markets, which could materially adversely affect our liquidity and cash position.
Risks
Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
Our
common stock may be delisted from The NASDAQ Capital Market if we fail to become compliant with continued listing standards by
March 21, 2016.
Our
common stock is currently traded on The NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “SPEX.” If we fail to meet
any of the continued listing standards of The NASDAQ Capital Market, our common stock could be delisted from The NASDAQ Capital
Market. These continued listing standards include specifically enumerated criteria, such as:
• |
a $1.00 minimum closing
bid price; |
• |
stockholders’
equity of $2.5 million; |
• |
500,000 shares of publicly-held
common stock with a market value of at least $1 million; |
• |
300 round-lot stockholders;
and |
• |
compliance with NASDAQ’s
corporate governance requirements, as well as additional or more stringent criteria that may be applied in the exercise of
NASDAQ’s discretionary authority. |
Over
the past several years, including at certain times prior to entering into our new line of business, we had several instances of
NASDAQ deficiencies.
On
April 20, 2012, the Company received a deficiency notice from NASDAQ regarding the bid price of our common stock. Following
a 1 for 20 reverse stock split, on October 8, 2012, NASDAQ provided confirmation to us that we regained compliance with Marketplace
Rule 5550(a)(2) since the closing bid price of its common stock had traded at $1.00 per share or greater for at least ten (10)
consecutive business days. This was the second time the Company employed a reverse stock split to avoid NASDAQ delisting.
On
September 25, 2012, the Company received written notification from NASDAQ advising that the minimum number of publicly held
shares of our common stock had fallen below the minimum 500,000 shares required for continued listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market
pursuant to NASDAQ Rule 5550(a)(4). As a result of our November 2012 private placement transaction, the Company was
advised by NASDAQ that it regained compliance with Rule 5550(a) (4).
On
December 31, 2012, our total stockholders’ equity was $854,000, and was below the $2.5 million listing standard required
by NASDAQ. In March 2013, we exchanged warrants issued in November 2012 for Series C Preferred Stock, effectively increasing
total stockholders’ equity to approximately $2.8 million.
On
March 24, 2015, we received a deficiency notice from NASDAQ that the bid price of our common stock no longer met NASDAQ’s
continued listing requirements. According to the notice, in order to regain compliance with the NASDAQ listing rules,
our common stock would need to have a closing bid price of at least $1.00 per share for at least 10 consecutive trading days no
later than September 21, 2015. On September 22, 2015, we received a letter from NASDAQ granting us an additional 180 days, or
until March 21, 2016, to regain compliance. It is unknown at this time if we will be able to regain compliance with the minimum
bid price requirement within the additional time allowed in order to continue our common stock listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
Continued listing during this period is also contingent on our continued compliance with all listing requirements other than for
the minimum bid price. While we hope to regain compliance in the ordinary course of business, we may consider a reverse stock
split, if necessary to continue our listing, and have committed to NASDAQ to do so if necessary. However, even if we do effect
such a reverse stock split, our stockholders may bring actions against us in connection with that reverse stock split that could
divert management resources, cause us to incur significant expenses or cause our common stock to be further diluted.
If
we fail to comply with NASDAQ’s continued listing standards, we may be delisted and our common stock will trade, if at all,
only on the over-the-counter market, such as the OTC Bulletin Board or OTCQX market, and then only if one or more registered broker-dealer
market makers comply with quotation requirements. In addition, delisting of our common stock could depress our stock
price, substantially limit liquidity of our common stock and materially adversely affect our ability to raise capital on terms
acceptable to us, or at all.
Finally,
delisting of our common stock would likely result in our common stock becoming a “penny stock” under the Securities
Exchange Act. The principal result or effect of being designated a “penny
stock” is that securities broker-dealers cannot recommend the shares but must trade it on an unsolicited basis. Penny stock
rules require a broker-dealer, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized
risk disclosure document prepared by the SEC, which specifies information about penny stocks and the nature and significance of
risks of the penny stock market. A broker-dealer must also provide the customer with bid and offer quotations for the penny stock,
the compensation of the broker-dealer and sales person in the transaction, and monthly account statements indicating the market
value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account. In addition, the penny stock rules require that, prior to a transaction
in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules; the broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny
stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction. These
disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for shares that become subject
to those penny stock rules.
Our
share price may be volatile and there may not be an active trading market for our common stock.
There
can be no assurance that the market price of our common stock will not decline below its present market price or that there will
be an active trading market for our common stock. The market prices of technology or technology related companies have
been and are likely to continue to be highly volatile. Fluctuations in our operating results and general market conditions
for technology or technology related stocks could have a significant impact on the volatility of our common stock price. We
have experienced significant volatility in the price of our common stock. From January 1, 2013 through September
30, 2015, the share price of our common stock (on a split-adjusted basis) has ranged from a high of $27.86 to a low of $0.20. The
reason for the volatility in our stock is not well understood and may continue. Factors that may have contributed to
such volatility include, but are not limited to:
• |
developments regarding
regulatory filings; |
• |
our funding requirements and the
terms of our financing arrangements; |
• |
technological innovations; |
• |
introduction of new technologies
by us or our competitors; |
• |
material changes in existing litigation; |
• |
changes in the enforceability or
other matters surrounding our patent portfolios; |
• |
government regulations and laws; |
• |
public sentiment relating to our
industry; |
• |
developments in patent or other
proprietary rights; |
• |
the number of shares issued and
outstanding; |
• |
the number of shares trading on
an average trading day; |
• |
performance of companies in the
non-performing entity space generally; |
• |
announcements regarding other participants
in the technology and technology related industries, including our competitors; |
• |
block sales of our shares by stockholders
to whom we have sold stock in private placements, or the cessation of transfer restrictions with respect to those shares;
and |
• |
market speculation regarding any
of the foregoing. |
We
could fail in future financing efforts or be delisted from The NASDAQ Capital Market if we fail to receive stockholder approval
when needed.
We
are required under the NASDAQ rules to obtain stockholder approval for any issuance of additional equity securities that would
comprise more than 20% of the total shares of our common stock outstanding before the issuance of such securities sold at a discount
to the greater of book or market value in an offering that is not deemed to be a “public offering” by NASDAQ. Funding
of our operations and acquisitions of assets may require issuance of additional equity securities that would comprise more than
20% of the total shares of our common stock outstanding, but we might not be successful in obtaining the required stockholder
approval for such an issuance. If we are unable to obtain financing due to stockholder approval difficulties, such failure may
have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue operations.
Our
shares of common stock are thinly traded and, as a result, stockholders may be unable to sell at or near ask prices, or at all,
if they need to sell shares to raise money or otherwise desire to liquidate their shares.
Our
common stock has been “thinly-traded” meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our common stock
at or near ask prices at any given time may be relatively small or non-existent. This situation is attributable to a number of
factors, including the fact that we are a small company that is relatively unknown to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional
investors and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume, and that even if we came to the attention
of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse and would be reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours or purchase or
recommend the purchase of our shares until such time as we become more seasoned and viable. In addition, we believe that due to
the limited number of shares of our common stock outstanding, an options market has not been established for our common stock,
limiting the ability of market participants to hedge or otherwise undertake trading strategies available for larger companies
with broader shareholder bases which prevents institutions and others from acquiring or trading in our securities. Consequently,
there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our shares is minimal or non-existent, as compared to a
seasoned issuer which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an
adverse effect on share price. We cannot give stockholders any assurance that a broader or more active public trading market for
our common shares will develop or be sustained, or that current trading levels will be sustained.
Because
of the Rights Agreement and “Anti-Takeover” provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, a third party
may be discouraged from making a takeover offer that could be beneficial to our stockholders.
Effective
as of January 24, 2013, we adopted a shareholder rights plan. The effect of this rights plan and of certain provisions of our
Certificate of Incorporation, By-Laws, and the anti-takeover provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, could delay or
prevent a third party from acquiring us or replacing members of our Board of Directors, or make more costly any attempt to acquire
control of the Company, even if the acquisition or the Board designees would be beneficial to our stockholders. These factors
could also reduce the price that certain investors might be willing to pay for shares of the common stock and result in the market
price being lower than it would be without these provisions.
In
addition, defendants in actions seeking to enforce our patents may seek to influence our Board of Directors and stockholders by
acquiring positions in the Company to force consideration of settlement or licensing proposals that may be less desirable than
other outcomes such as litigation with respect to our monetization or patent enforcement activities. The effect of such influences
on our Company or our corporate governance could reduce the value of our monetization activities and have an adverse effect on
the value of our assets. The effect of Anti-Takeover provisions could impact the ability of prospective defendants to obtain influence
in the Company or representation on the Board of Directors or acquire a significant ownership position and such result may have
an adverse effect on the Company and the value of its securities.
If
we cannot manage our growth effectively, we may not establish or maintain profitability.
Businesses
which grow rapidly often have difficulty managing their growth. If our business continues to grow as rapidly as it has since September
2013 and as we anticipate, we will need to expand our management by recruiting and employing experienced executives and key employees
capable of providing the necessary support.
We
cannot assure you that our management will be able to manage our growth effectively or successfully. Our failure to meet these
challenges could cause us to continue to lose money, which will reduce our stock price.
It
may be difficult to predict our financial performance because our quarterly operating results may fluctuate.
Our
revenues, operating results and valuations of certain assets and liabilities may vary significantly from quarter to quarter due
to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control. You should not rely on period-to-period comparisons of our results
of operations as an indication of our future performance. Our results of operations may fall below the expectations of market
analysts and our own forecasts. If this happens, the market price of our common stock may fall significantly. The factors that
may affect our quarterly operating results include the following:
|
• |
fluctuations in results
of our enforcement and licensing activities or outcome of cases; |
|
• |
fluctuations in duration
of judicial processes and time to completion of cases; |
|
• |
the timing and amount
of expenses incurred to negotiate with licensees and obtain settlements from infringers; |
|
• |
the impact of our anticipated
need for personnel and expected substantial increase in headcount; |
|
• |
fluctuations in the
receptiveness of courts and juries to significant damages awards in patent infringement cases and speed to trial in the jurisdictions
in which our cases may be brought and the accepted royalty rates attributable to damages analysis for patent cases generally,
including the royalty rates for industry standard patents which we may own or acquire; |
|
• |
worsening economic conditions
which cause revenues or profits attributable to infringer sales of products or services to decline; |
|
• |
changes in the regulatory
environment, including regulation of NPE activities or patenting practices, that may negatively impact our or infringers practices; |
|
• |
the timing and amount
of expenses associated with litigation, regulatory investigations or restructuring activities, including settlement costs
and regulatory penalties assessed related to government enforcement actions; |
|
• |
Any changes we make
in our Critical Accounting Estimates described in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations sections of our periodic reports; |
|
|
|
|
• |
the adoption of new accounting pronouncements,
or new interpretations of existing accounting pronouncements, that impact the manner in which we account for, measure or disclose
our results of operations, financial position or other financial measures; and |
|
• |
costs
related to acquisitions of technologies or businesses. |
If
we fail to retain our key personnel, we may not be able to achieve our anticipated level of growth and our business could suffer.
Our
future depends, in part, on our ability to attract and retain key personnel and the continued contributions of our executive officers,
each of whom may be difficult to replace. In particular, Anthony Hayes, our Chief Executive Officer, is important to the management
of our business and operations and the development of our strategic direction. The loss of the services of any such individual
and the process to replace any key personnel would involve significant time and expense and may significantly delay or prevent
the achievement of our business objectives.
Our
largest shareholders can exert significant control over our business and affairs and may have actual or potential interests that
may depart from those of our other shareholders.
Our
largest outside stockholders own a substantial percentage of our outstanding voting capital. The interests of such persons may
differ from the interests of other stockholders. There can be no assurance that our significant stockholders will, in future matters
submitted for stockholder approval, vote in favor of such matter, even if such matters are recommended for approval by management
or are in the best interest of stockholders, generally. As a result, in addition to their positions with us, such persons will
have the ability to vote their significant holdings in favor of proposals presented to our stockholders for approval, including
proposals to:
|
• |
elect or defeat the
election of our directors; |
|
• |
amend or prevent amendment
of our certificate of incorporation or bylaws; |
|
• |
effect or prevent a
merger, sale of assets or other corporate transaction; and |
|
• |
control the outcome
of any other matter submitted to the shareholders for vote. |
In
addition, such holder’s stock ownership may discourage a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting
to obtain control of us, which in turn could reduce our stock price or prevent our stockholders from realizing a premium over
our stock price. Our significant stockholders could also utilize their significant ownership interest to seek to influence management
and decisions of the Company.
Because
an increasing amount of our outstanding shares may become freely tradable, sales of these shares could cause the market price
of our common stock to drop significantly, even if our business is performing well.
As
of September 30, 2015, we had outstanding 34,402,763 shares of common stock, of which our directors and executive officers
own 34,368 shares which are subject to the limitations of Rule 144 under the Securities Act.
In
general, Rule 144 provides that any non-affiliate of ours, who has held restricted common stock for at least six-months, is entitled
to sell their restricted stock freely, provided that we are then current in our filings with the SEC.
An
affiliate of the Company may sell after six months with the following restrictions:
|
• |
we are current in our
filings, |
|
• |
certain manner of sale
provisions, |
|
• |
filing of Form 144,
and |
|
• |
volume limitations limiting
the sale of shares within any three-month period to a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of 1% of the total
number of outstanding shares or, the average weekly trading volume during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of
a notice of sale. |
Because
almost all of our outstanding shares are freely tradable (subject to certain restrictions imposed by lockup agreements executed
by the holders thereof) and the shares held by our affiliates may be freely sold (subject to the Rule 144 limitations), sales
of these shares could cause the market price of our common stock to drop significantly, even if our business is performing well.
Risks
Related to the Offering
Our
stock price is volatile and subject to numerous factors.
The
market price of our common stock has been, and we expect will continue to be, subject to significant volatility. The value of
our common stock may decline regardless of our operating performance or prospects. Factors affecting our market price include:
|
• |
our
perceived prospects and liquidity; |
|
• |
progress
or any lack of progress (or perceptions related to progress) in timely overcoming the remaining substantial technical and
commercial challenges related to our Conductus wire initiative; |
|
• |
variations
in our operating results and whether we have achieved key business targets; |
|
• |
changes
in, or our failure to meet, earnings estimates; |
|
• |
changes
in securities analysts’ buy/sell recommendations; |
|
• |
differences
between our reported results and those expected by investors and securities analysts; |
|
• |
announcements
of new contracts by us or our competitors; |
|
• |
market
reaction to any acquisitions, joint ventures or strategic investments announced by us or our competitors; and |
|
• |
general
economic, political or stock market conditions. |
Recent
events have caused stock prices for many companies, including ours, to fluctuate in ways unrelated or disproportionate to their
operating performance. The general economic, political and stock market conditions that may affect the market price of our common
stock are beyond our control. The market price of our common stock at any particular time may not remain the market price in the
future.
We
have a significant number of outstanding warrants and options, and future sales of the shares obtained upon exercise of these
options or warrants could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
As
of September 30, 2015, we had outstanding options exercisable for an aggregate of 5,461,076 shares of common stock at a weighted
average exercise price of $4.72 per share and warrants to purchase up to 7,804,828 shares of our common stock at a weighted average
exercise price of $1.74 per share. We have registered the issuance of all the shares issuable upon exercise of the options and
warrants, and they will be freely tradable by the exercising party upon issuance. The holders may sell these shares in the public
markets from time to time, without limitations on the timing, amount or method of sale. As our stock price rises, the holders
may exercise their warrants and options and sell a large number of shares. This could cause the market price of our common stock
to decline.
Our
corporate governance structure may prevent our acquisition by another company at a premium over the public trading price of our
shares.
It
is possible that the acquisition of a majority of our outstanding voting stock by another company could result in our stockholders
receiving a premium over the public trading price for our shares. Provisions of our restated certificate of incorporation and
bylaws and of Delaware corporate law could delay or make more difficult an acquisition of our company by merger, tender offer
or proxy contest, even if it would create an immediate benefit to our stockholders. For example, our restated certificate of incorporation
does not permit stockholders to act by written consent, and our bylaws generally require ninety days advance notice of any matters
to be brought before the stockholders at an annual or special meeting.
In
addition, our board of directors has the authority to issue up to 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock and to determine the terms,
rights and preferences of this preferred stock, including voting rights of those shares, without any further vote or action by
the stockholders. At September 30, 2015, 49,525,457 shares of preferred stock remained unissued. The rights of the holders of
common stock may be subordinate to, and adversely affected by, the rights of holders of preferred stock that may be issued in
the future. The issuance of preferred stock could also make it more difficult for a third party to acquire a majority of our outstanding
voting stock, even at a premium over our public trading price.
Further,
our certificate of incorporation also provides for a classified board of directors with directors divided into three classes serving
staggered terms. These provisions may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of us without action by our
stockholders and, therefore, could adversely affect the price of our stock or the possibility of sale of shares to an acquiring
person.
We
do not anticipate declaring any cash dividends on our common stock.
We
have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock and do not plan to pay any cash dividends in the near future. Our
current policy is to retain all funds and earnings for use in the operation and expansion of our business. In addition, no dividends
can be paid without the consent of the holders of the Series I Preferred Stock so long as the Series I Preferred Stock remains
outstanding. Absent a material transaction or change in this policy, investors must look solely to the potential for appreciation
in the market price of the shares of our common stock to obtain a return on their investment.
There
is no public market for the warrants to purchase shares of our common stock being offered by us in this offering.
There
is no established public trading market for the warrants being offered in this offering, and we do not expect a market to develop.
In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the warrants on any national securities exchange or other nationally recognized
trading system, including the NASDAQ Capital Market. Without an active market, the liquidity of the warrants will be limited.
You
will experience immediate dilution in the book value per share of common stock as a result of this offering.
Investors in this offering
will experience immediate dilution in their net tangible book value (deficit) per share to the extent of the difference
between the public offering price per share of common stock and the “adjusted” net tangible book value (deficit)
per share after giving effect to the offering. Our net tangible book value (deficit) as of September 30, 2015 was
approximately ($1.88) million, or ($0.05) per share of our common stock based on 34,402,763 shares outstanding. Assuming
that we issue $ of shares of common stock in this offering at an
assumed offering price of $0. per share, the closing price of our common
stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market on October , 2015, and
after deducting placement agent’s fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our net tangible book value as
of September 30, 2015, would have been approximately $ million,
or $ per share of our common stock. This calculation excludes
the proceeds, if any, from the exercise of the warrants issued in this offering. This amount represents an increase in
net tangible book value of $ per share to our existing
stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of
$ per share to investors in this offering. These amounts do not
take into account the potential material decrease in our net book value related to any warrant derivative liability we record
related to the warrants issued in this offering. See “— We may record a material warrant derivative liability,
which could impact our ability to remain listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market.” See the section titled
“Dilution” below.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
This prospectus contains, and may incorporate
by reference, forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include those that express plans, anticipation, intent,
contingency, goals, targets or future development and/or otherwise are not statements of historical fact. These forward-looking
statements are based on our current expectations and projections about future events and they are subject to risks and uncertainties
known and unknown that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such
statements.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking
statements by terminology, such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,”
“plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “should”, “could”
or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. Accordingly, these statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in them. Any forward-looking statements are qualified
in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed throughout this prospectus.
You should read this prospectus and
any accompanying prospectus supplement and the documents that we reference herein and therein and have filed as exhibits to the
registration statement, of which this prospectus is part, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results
may be materially different from what we expect. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus and any accompanying
prospectus supplement is accurate as of the date on the front cover of this prospectus or such prospectus supplement only. Because
the risk factors referred to above, as well as those described in the section entitled Risk Factors beginning on page 10 of this
prospectus and incorporated herein by reference, could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed
in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.
Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we undertake no obligation to update
any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which factors
will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination
of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We qualify all
of the information presented in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, and particularly our forward-looking
statements, by these cautionary statements.
We claim the protection of the safe
harbor contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that any forward-looking statements
presented in this prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein, or those that we may make orally or
in writing from time to time, are based upon management’s beliefs and assumptions and are made based on information available
to us as of the time made and the actual outcome will be affected by known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties and factors
that are beyond our control or ability to predict. Although we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, they are not guarantees
of future performance and some will inevitably prove to be incorrect. As a result, our actual future results can be expected to
differ from our expectations, and those differences may be material. Accordingly, investors should use caution in relying on past
forward-looking statements, which are based on known results and trends at the time they are made, to anticipate future results
or trends.
USE OF PROCEEDS
Except as otherwise provided in this prospectus,
we currently intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered by us in this prospectus for general corporate
purposes, which may include working capital, capital expenditures, research and development expenditures, regulatory affairs expenditures,
acquisitions of new intellectual properties, technologies and investments, monetization of our patents and the repayment, refinancing,
redemption or repurchase of certain existing or future indebtedness or capital stock. In addition, a portion of the proceeds may
be used to redeem our outstanding Series I Preferred Stock with an aggregate redemption value of $5 million that are mandatorily
redeemable as of December 31, 2015. The precise amount and timing of the application of these proceeds will depend on our
funding requirements and the availability and costs of other funds.
We will have significant discretion
in the use of any net proceeds. Investors will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of the proceeds
of any sale of our securities.
DIVIDEND POLICY
We have never declared or paid any
dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying any in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain all of
our future earnings, if any, to finance the operation and expansion of our business. Any future determination relating to our
dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on a number of factors, including future
earnings, capital requirements, financial conditions, future prospects, contractual restrictions and covenants and other factors
that our board of directors may deem relevant.
DILUTION
If you invest in our securities offered
in this offering, your ownership interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per
share of our common stock and the as-adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering.
Net tangible book value per share
is determined by dividing our total tangible assets less our total liabilities by the number of shares of common stock
outstanding. Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) as of September 30, 2015 was approximately ($1.88)
million, or ($0.05) per share.
Dilution per share to new investors
represents the difference between the amount per share paid by purchasers of shares of common stock and warrants in this offering
and the as-adjusted net tangible book value per share of common stock immediately after completion of this offering. After giving
effect to the sale of an assumed $10,000,000 of Units in this offering (which represents the sale of all the securities offered
hereby) by us at an assumed public offering price of $ per share, which
is the last reported sale price of our common stock on The NASDAQ Capital Market on October ,
2015, and after deducting the estimated placement agent fees and expenses and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as-adjusted
net tangible book value as of would have been $
million, or $ per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible
book value of $ per share to existing stockholders and an immediate dilution
of $ per share to investors participating in this offering, as illustrated
in the following table:
| |
| | | |
| | |
Assumed public offering price per share | |
| | | |
$ | | |
Historical net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2015 | |
$ | (0.05 | ) | |
| | |
Increase in as-adjusted net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors | |
| | | |
| | |
As-adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering | |
| | | |
| | |
Dilution per share to investors participating in this offering | |
| | | |
$ | | |
| |
| | | |
| | |
| |
| | | |
| | |
| |
| | | |
| | |
Each $ increase
(decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $ per share, which
is the last reported sale price of our common stock on The NASDAQ Capital Market on October ,
2015, would increase (decrease) the as adjusted net tangible book value by approximately $
million, or approximately $ per share, and increase (decrease) the
dilution per share to new investors by approximately $ per share,
assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after
deducting estimated placement agent fees and expenses and estimated offering expenses payable by us. An increase of 100,000 shares
in the number of shares offered by us would increase the as adjusted net tangible book value by approximately $
million, or $ per share, and the dilution per share to new investors
would be approximately $ per share, assuming that the assumed public
offering price remains the same and after deducting the estimated placement agent fees and expenses and estimated offering expenses
payable by us. Similarly, a decrease of 100,000 shares in the number of shares offered by us would decrease the as adjusted net
tangible book value by approximately $ million, or approximately
$ per share, and the dilution per share to new investors would be
approximately $ per share, assuming that the assumed public offering
price remains the same and after deducting the estimated placement agent fees and expenses and estimated offering expenses payable
by us. The as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only and will adjust based on the actual public offering price
and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
The foregoing calculations exclude
the Series K Preferred that may be offered under this prospectus and also exclude the common stock that may be issued under any
warrants to be issued in this offering, and also excludes the following:
|
• |
|
5,461,076 shares of common stock issuable
upon the exercise of stock options outstanding, having a weighted average exercise price of $4.72 per share; |
|
• |
|
7,804,828 shares of common stock issuable
upon the exercise of warrants outstanding, having a weighted average exercise price of $1.74 per share; |
|
• |
|
5,044,821 shares of common stock reserved
for issuance upon conversion of our outstanding convertible preferred stock without regard to the beneficial ownership conversion
limits applicable to such securities; and |
|
• |
|
an aggregate of 1,473,104 shares of
common stock reserved for future issuance under our equity plans. |
Unless otherwise indicated,
all information in this prospectus reflects or assumes the following:
|
• |
|
no exercise of outstanding options to
purchase common stock or warrants to purchase common stock after September 30, 2015; and |
|
• |
|
no conversion of preferred stock after
September 30, 2015. |
The information above assumes only
Class A Units are sold in this offering. To the extent we sell any Class B Units, the same aggregate number of common stock equivalents
resulting from this offering would be convertible under the Series K Preferred issued as part of the Class B Units.
Furthermore, we may choose to raise
additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities due to market conditions or strategic considerations
even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. New investors will experience further dilution
if any of our outstanding options or warrants are exercised, new options are issued and exercised under our equity incentive plans
or we issue additional shares of common stock, other equity securities or convertible debt securities in the future.
MANAGEMENT
Directors and Executive Officers of Spherix Incorporated
Our current Board of Directors and their respective ages
and positions as of September 30, 2015:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
|
Age |
|
|
Director
Since |
Robert J. Vander Zanden, Director and Chairman
of the Board |
|
|
70 |
|
|
2004 |
Anthony Hayes, Chief Executive Officer and
Director |
|
|
47 |
|
|
2013 |
Douglas T. Brown, Director |
|
|
62 |
|
|
2004 |
Jeffrey Ballabon,
Director |
|
|
53 |
|
|
2014 |
Tim S. Ledwick, Director |
|
|
58 |
|
|
2015 |
Howard E. Goldberg, Director |
|
|
69 |
|
|
2015 |
Dr. Robert J. Vander Zanden
Dr. Robert J. Vander Zanden, a
Board member since 2004, having served as a Vice President of R&D with Kraft Foods International, brings a long and distinguished
career in applied technology, product commercialization, and business knowledge of the food science industry to us. Additionally,
Mr. Vander Zanden has specific experience in developing organizations designed to deliver against corporate objectives. Dr. Vander
Zanden holds a Ph.D. in Food Science and an M.S. in Inorganic Chemistry from Kansas State University, and a B.S. in Chemistry
from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville, where he was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 2002. In his 30-year career,
he has been with ITT Continental Baking Company as a Product Development Scientist; with Ralston Purina’s Protein Technology
Division as Manager Dietary Foods R&D; with Keebler as Group Director, Product and Process Development (with responsibility
for all corporate R&D and quality); with Group Gamesa, a Frito-Lay Company, as Vice President, Technology; and with Nabisco
as Vice President of R&D for their International Division. With the acquisition of Nabisco by Kraft Foods, he became the Vice
President of R&D for Kraft’s Latin American Division. Dr. Vander Zanden retired from Kraft Foods in 2004. He currently
holds the title of Adjunct Professor and Lecturer in the Department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences at Clemson University,
where he also is a member of their Industry Advisory Board. His focus on achieving product and process innovation through training,
team building and creating positive working environments has resulted in his being recognized with many awards for product and
packaging innovation. Dr. Vander Zanden is not now, nor has he been for the past five years, a director of a public, for-profit
company other than us. Mr. Vander Zanden executive experience provides him with valuable business expertise which the Board
believes qualifies him to serve as a director of the Company.
Anthony Hayes
Mr. Anthony Hayes, a director and Chief
Executive Officer since 2013, has served as the Chief Executive Officer of North South since March 2013 and, since June 2013,
as a consultant to our Company. Mr. Hayes was the fund manager of JaNSOME IP Management LLC and JaNSOME Patent Fund LP from
August 2012 to August 2013, both of which he co-founded. Mr. Hayes was the founder and Managing Member of Atwater Partners
of Texas LLC from March 2010 to August 2012 and a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP from May 1999 to March
2010. Mr. Hayes received his Juris Doctorate from Tulane University School of Law and his B.A. in Economics from Mary Washington
College. The Board believes Mr. Hayes is qualified to serve as a director of the Company based on his expansive knowledge
of, and experience in, the patent monetization sector, as well as because of his intimate knowledge of the Company through his
service as Chief Executive Officer.
Douglas T. Brown
Mr. Douglas T. Brown, a Board Member
since 2004, brings to the Board a broad understanding of financial statements, financial markets, and other business aspects.
He is currently Senior Vice President and Manager of the Corporate Banking Government Contracting Group for PNC Bank N.A., Washington,
DC. Mr. Brown has been with PNC and its predecessor bank, Riggs Bank, since 2001 and previously worked for Bank of America,
N.A. and its predecessor banks for 16 years as a Loan Officer, as well as a manager of Loan Officers in the Mid-Atlantic region. Subsequent
to 1990, the majority of Mr. Brown’s customers are companies that provided services to the Federal Government and State
governments. Mr. Brown holds a B.A. degree in Political Science from American University and a graduate degree from The Stonier
Graduate School of Banking at the University of Delaware. He is not now, nor has he been for the past five years, a director of
a public, for-profit company other than us. Mr. Brown’s executive corporate finance experience provides him with valuable
expertise which the Board believes qualifies him to serve as a director of our Company.
Jeffrey Ballabon
Mr. Jeffrey Ballabon,
Spherix Board Member since 2014, is a founding partner of B2 Strategic, an international consulting firm. Prior to his work at
B2, Mr. Ballabon was CEO of Innovative Communications Technologies, Inc. where he managed litigation and licensing efforts that
ultimately led to the company’s spin-off as a public company. He is well known in New York and Washington circles as a media
expert, political innovator and business visionary with a practical focus on successful, results-oriented outcomes. He has headed
communications, government relations and public policy departments of major media corporations including CBS News, Primedia and
Court TV. He has provided policy and government affairs representation to investment funds, non-profits and political candidates.
Mr. Ballabon twice has been a Presidential Appointee and served as Legislative Counsel to US Senator John Danforth (R-MO) and
as Republican Counsel to the Consumer Subcommittee of the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Currently, he serves on the Executive Committee of the Federalist Society’s Intellectual Property Practice Group and is
a member of the Board of Directors of American Innovators for Patent Reform.
Tim S. Ledwick
Mr. Time S. Ledwick
is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Management Health Solutions, a private equity-backed company that provides software
solutions and services to hospitals focused on reducing costs through superior inventory management practices. In addition, since
2012 he has served on the board and Chair of the Audit Committee of Telkonet, Inc. (TKOI) a smart energy management technology
company. From 2007 to 2011, Mr. Ledwick provided CFO consulting services to a $150 million services firm and, in addition, from
2007-2008 also acted as special advisor to The Dellacorte Group, a middle market financial advisory firm focused on transactions
between $100 million and $1 billion. From 2002 through 2006, Tim was a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Vice President-CFO
of Dictaphone Corporation playing a lead role in developing a business plan which revitalized the company, resulting in the successful
sale of the firm and delivering a seven times return to shareholders. From 2001-2002, Ledwick was brought on as CFO to lead the
restructuring efforts of Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products, a Belgium-based NASDAQ listed speech technology company, whose
market cap had at one point reached a high of $9 billion. From 1999 through 2001, he was CFO of Cross Media Marketing Corp, an
$80 million public company headquartered in New York City, playing a lead role in the firm`s acquisition activity, tax analysis
and capital raising. Mr. Ledwick is a member of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants and received his BBA in
Accounting from The George Washington University and his MS in Finance from Fairfield University.
Howard E. Goldberg
Mr. Howard
E. Goldberg has vast operational experience spanning a professional services and management career of forty-eight years. During
the most recent twenty-three years of that career Mr. Goldberg has been actively involved in the wireless telecom industry, including
thirteen years in building a strong position in monetization of IP and participation to global standards at InterDigital, Inc.,
serving as President, CEO and Director from 1999 to 2005. Earlier experience included diversified activities such as lead with
Sensormatic Electronics turnaround team and serving as staff lead for International Corporate Finance Team at the Securities and
Exchange Commission, Washington D.C. Mr. Goldberg has practiced as a CPA with one of the Big Eight public accounting firms and
has practiced securities and corporate law with a large regional law firm prior to the most recent twenty three years spent in
senior management positions and in a consulting services role. He is also a member of the Project Faculty at The Wharton School
of the University of Pennsylvania, teaching in the MBA program.
Non-Director
Executive Officers
The following table sets forth information
regarding our non-director executive officers as of September 30, 2015:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
|
Age |
|
|
Position |
Frank Reiner |
|
|
52 |
|
|
Interim Chief Financial Officer |
Frank Reiner
Mr. Frank
Reiner is a seasoned and experienced patent licensing and monetization professional. Prior to joining Spherix in 2014 Frank
was located in Silicon Valley and employed as the Vice President of Global Licensing for the Kudelski Group where his primary
role was licensing a digital video patent portfolio. Prior to that Mr. Reiner was the
Vice President of Patent Licensing and Acquisition for Flextronics International Ltd. where he managed patent assertions made
against Flextronics designed products and was responsible for building a defensive patent portfolio via internal innovation, invention
and through patent acquisitions. Previously, Mr. Reiner was a Partner at Intellectual Value Creation Services, LLC whose
charter was to work as a patent monetization team for the IP Investment Group at Coller Capital supporting patent acquisitions,
sales and licensing both from a technical and business perspective. Mr. Reiner started his patent and licensing career at
InterDigital Communications, LLC as the Senior Director of Licensing where he was responsible for InterDigital’s patent
licensing program in the cellular and wireless space. He participated in numerous patent license negotiations and patent infringement
litigations, and he supported, patent prosecution and the management of existing patent license agreements. Mr. Reiner started
his career as a software engineer in the defense industry where he developed high-end aircraft and tank simulators for the U.S.
military. He achieved multiple positions of higher responsibility at General Electric, Martin Marietta and Lockheed Martin.
He received a BS in Computer Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an MBA from Villanova University.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The following describes the compensation
earned in fiscal 2014 and 2013 by each of the executive officers identified below in the Summary Compensation Table, who are referred
to collectively as our “named executive officers.” Our named executive officers with respect to the fiscal year that
ended on December 31, 2014 are Anthony Hayes, Chief Executive Officer, and Frank Reiner, Interim Chief Financial Officer.
The principal terms of our employment agreements with Mr. Hayes and Mr. Reiner are described below in the “Executive Compensation
— Employment Agreements” section of this prospectus.
Our revised Annual Report on Form 10-K/A
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, which includes the Part III information of Form 10-K, is incorporated herein
by reference. The data therein is supplemented, in relevant part, by the tables set forth below.
Summary Compensation Table **
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Name and
Principal
Position |
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Year |
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Salary
($) |
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Bonus
($) |
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Stock Award
($) |
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Option Award
($) |
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Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation
($)(1) |
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Change in
Pension
Value and
Non-
Qualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings ($) |
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|
|
All Other
Compensation
($) |
|
|
|
Total ($) |
|
Anthony Hayes,
Chief Executive Officer (2) |
|
|
2014 |
|
|
|
350,000 |
|
|
|
250,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
805,651 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
6,400 |
|
|
|
1,412,051 |
|
|
|
2013 |
|
|
|
92,885 |
|
|
|
200,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
4,885,558 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
5,178,443 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frank Reiner, Interim Chief Financial Officer (3) |
|
|
2014 |
|
|
|
182,917 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
46,700 |
|
|
|
384,838 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
614,454 |
|
|
|
2013 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Harvey Kesner, Interim CEO and Director (4) |
|
|
2014 |
|
|
|
14,250 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
2,244,944 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
14,250 |
|
|
|
2,273,444 |
|
|
|
2013 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
8,531,674 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
423,300 |
|
|
|
8,954,974 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert Lodder, Former President (5) |
|
|
2014 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
2013 |
|
|
|
126,424 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
233,398 |
|
|
|
359,822 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Richard Cohen, Chief Financial Officer (6) |
|
|
2014 |
|
|
|
240,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
240,000 |
|
|
|
2013 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert Clayton CFO, Treasurer
and Corporate Secretary (7) |
|
|
2014 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
2013 |
|
|
|
135,255 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
212,180 |
|
|
|
347,435 |
|
(2) |
In 2013, Mr. Hayes received a $100,000 signing bonus, a $100,000
annual bonus and 750,000 stock options valued on the date of grant in accordance with ASC Topic 718. On January
28, 2014, the Compensation Committee adopted a resolution intended to grant Mr. Hayes 300,000 stock options with a term of
five years and an exercise price of $5.83 that would be subject to certain vesting conditions upon agreement of the Compensation
Committee and Mr. Hayes. The parties failed to reach agreement prior to the date of this Annual Report on From 10-K and accordingly
the stock options subject to specific performance targets were determined not to be issued, but may be issued at a future
date at the discretion of the Compensation Committee. In accordance with the ASC Topic 718 the failure to finalize performance
targets result in the stock options not being considered to have been granted and therefore not outstanding. On
April 3, 2014, Mr. Hayes received 500,000 stock options with a term of five years and valued on the date of grant, with 50%
vesting immediately and the remaining 50% vesting upon our Company’s receipt of gross proceeds of at least $30 million
by April 3, 2015 from an offering of its securities. On June 30, 2014, Mr. Hayes received a bonus in the aggregate amount
of $250,000. On July 3, 2014, Mr. Hayes received 100,000 stock options with a term of five years and an exercise
price of $1.79, vesting immediately. Mr. Hayes also received $6,400 in cash for his service as a director of our
Company during 2014. All stock options to Mr. Hayes were granted in accordance with ASC Topic 718. |
(3) |
Includes 150,000 stock options valued on the date of grant
in accordance with ASC Topic 718. |
|
|
(4) |
Mr. Kesner served as our interim Chief Executive Officer
from February 27, 2013 to September 10, 2013. Mr. Kesner was paid $14,250 as compensation for his Board of Director
duties during 2014. During 2013, Mr. Kesner was paid $150,000 as compensation for his CEO duties and $28,300 as
compensation for his Board of Director duties. Other Compensation includes $250,000 consulting fee paid to Paradox
Capital Partners in 2013, a firm of which Mr. Kesner is manager and member, for services rendered in the merger of North South. Mr.
Kesner’s compensation does not include legal fees paid to a law firm with which Mr. Kesner is associated, in the amount
of $449,935 and $730,938 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. On January 28, 2014, Mr. Kesner received
675,000 stock options with a term of five years and an exercise price of $5.83, vesting in two equal annual installments with
50% vesting immediately on the date of issuance and the remaining 50% on the one-year anniversary of the date of issuance.
On April 3, 2014, Mr. Kesner received 200,000 stock options with a term of five years, valued on the date of grant and vesting
immediately. Mr. Kesner resigned his positions as Director on May 28, 2014. Pursuant to his resignation, the Board approved
the accelerated vesting of 837,500 previously granted stock options to vest on the date of Mr. Kesner’s resignation.
All stock options to Mr. Kesner were granted in accordance with ASC Topic 718. |
(5) |
Mr. Lodder resigned as our President in February 2013. We
paid Mr. Lodder severance of $233,398 as required by the terms of his prior employment agreement. |
(6) |
Mr. Cohen was appointed our Chief Financial Officer on January
6, 2014. In consideration for Mr. Cohen’s services, we agreed to pay Chord Advisors LLC (“Chord”),
of which Mr. Cohen is chairman, a monthly fee of $20,000 ($5,000 of which was payable in shares of our Common Stock). In
April 2014, we modified this agreement to pay Chord a monthly fee of $20,000 in cash, and no fees were paid to Chord in the
form of our Common Stock. |
(7) |
Mr. Clayton resigned as Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer
and Corporate Secretary in March 2013. We paid Mr. Clayton a severance of $212,180 as required by the terms of
his prior employment agreement. |
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
The following table shows information
regarding outstanding equity awards at December 31, 2014 for our named executive officers. Our Form 10-K/A, which includes
the Part III information of Form 10-K, is incorporated herein by reference. The data therein is supplemented, in relevant part,
by the tables set forth below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Option Awards |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Securities
Underlying Unexercised
Options |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number
of Shares
or Units
of Stock that
Have Not Vested
(#) |
|
|
Market
Value of
Shares or
Units of
Stock that
Have Not
Vested ($) |
|
Name |
|
Exercisable |
|
|
Unexercisable |
|
|
Option
Exercise
Price
($) |
|
|
Option
Expiration
Date |
|
|
|
Anthony Hayes |
|
|
687,500 |
|
|
|
62,500 |
|
|
|
7.08 |
|
|
|
4/1/2023 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
250,000 |
|
|
|
250,000 |
|
|
|
2.86 |
|
|
|
4/3/2019 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
100,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
1.79 |
|
|
|
7/15/2019 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frank Reiner |
|
|
50,000 |
|
|
|
50,000 |
|
|
|
4.67 |
|
|
|
3/15/2024 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
50,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
1.94 |
|
|
|
6/19/2024 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,500 |
|
|
|
4.67 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Employment and Change of Control Agreements
Anthony Hayes
Pursuant to Mr. Hayes’ Employment
Agreement with the Company, dated as of September 10, 2013, Mr. Hayes shall serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company
for a period of two years, subject to renewal. In consideration for his employment, the Company paid Mr. Hayes a signing bonus
of $100,000, and is currently paying him a base salary of $350,000 per annum. In addition, Mr. Hayes is entitled to receive an
annual bonus in an amount equal to up to 100% of his base salary if the Company meets or exceeds certain criteria adopted by the
Company’s compensation committee. In the event Mr. Hayes’ employment is terminated, other than for “Cause”
(as defined in his Employment Agreement) or by Mr. Hayes without “Good Reason” (as defined in his Employment Agreement),
Mr. Hayes will be entitled to receive severance benefits equal to twelve months of his base salary, continued coverage under
the Company’s benefit plans for a period of twelve months and payment of his pro-rated earned annual bonus.
Frank Reiner
Pursuant to Mr. Reiner’s Employment
Agreement with the Company, dated as of March 14, 2014 (the “Agreement”), the term of Mr. Reiner’s employment
is one year and automatically extends for additional one-year terms unless no less than 60 days’ prior written notice of
non-renewal is given by Mr. Reiner or the Company. Mr. Reiner’s base salary under the Agreement was $235,000 per year, but
in connection with being named Interim Chief Financial Officer, the Board authorized an amendment to the Agreement to increase
Mr. Reiner’s base salary to $271,000. Mr. Reiner is also entitled to receive an annual bonus if the Compensation Committee
of the Board determines that performance targets have been met. The amount of the annual bonus is determined based on the Company’s
gross proceeds from certain monetizations of the Company’s intellectual property. Mr. Reiner is also eligible to participate
in all employee benefits plans from time to time in effect for the Company’s other senior executive officers.
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS
AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Since January 1, 2014, there has not
been, nor is there currently proposed, any transaction or series of related transactions to which we were or will be a party in
which the amount involved exceeded or will exceed $120,000 and in which the other parties included or will include any of our
directors, executive officers, holders of 5% or more of our voting securities, or any member of the immediate family of any of
the foregoing persons, other than compensation arrangements with directors and executive officers, which are described in the
“Management,” and “Executive Compensation” sections of our Form 10-K/A and the transactions described
below.
On September 10, 2013, the Company
entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Anthony Hayes pursuant to which Mr. Hayes serves as the Chief Executive Officer
of the Company for a period of two years, subject to renewal. In consideration for his employment, the Company agreed
to pay Mr. Hayes a signing bonus of $100,000 and a base salary of $350,000 per annum. Mr. Hayes will be entitled to
receive an annual bonus in an amount equal to up to 100% of his base salary if the Company meets or exceeds certain criteria adopted
by the Company’s compensation committee. In the event Mr. Hayes’ employment is terminated, other than
for “Cause,” or by Mr. Hayes without “Good Reason,” as both terms are defined in Mr. Hayes’ employment
agreement, Mr. Hayes will be entitled to receive severance benefits equal to twelve months of his base salary, continued coverage
under the Company’s benefit plans for a period of twelve months and payment of his pro-rated earned annual bonus.
As it relates to Mr. Hayes 2013 annual
bonus, the Company paid Mr. Hayes $100,000 during the year ended December 31, 2013. In April of 2014, compensation Committee of
the Board of Directors approved to pay Mr. Hayes the remaining amount of his 2013 bonus due of $250,000. The bonus was paid as
of June 30, 2014.
As it relates to Mr. Hayes 2014 annual
bonus, during the year ended December 31, 2014, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors approved a bonus payout of
$175,000 for services provided in 2014. The Company has included such bonus in accrued expenses on the consolidated
balance sheet as of December 31, 2014.
In February 2015, the members of the
Compensation Committee revised the annual bonus structure to be paid to Mr. Hayes and established an incentive target bonus per
the Employment Agreement. The amount of such target bonus shall be (i) $350,000 in cash, which shall be payable in a single lump-sum
payment promptly following the consummation of a qualifying strategic transaction, and (ii) a discretionary bonus to be determined
by the Compensation Committee, in its sole discretion, prior to the earlier of a proxy solicitation in 2015 in relation to a qualifying
strategic transaction or the consummation thereof.
On January 6, 2014, the Company’s
board of directors appointed Richard Cohen as its Chief Financial Officer, and Michael Pollack resigned as the interim Chief Financial
Officer of the Company, effective January 3, 2014. Mr. Cohen served as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer pursuant to
an agreement with Chord Advisors LLC (“Chord”), of which Mr. Cohen is Chairman. In consideration for Mr. Cohen’s
services, the Company agreed to pay Chord a monthly fee of $20,000, $5,000 of which was initially payable in shares of the Company’s
common stock. In April 2014, the Company modified this agreement to pay Chord a monthly fee of $20,000 in cash. The previous $15,000
payable in shares was forgiven by Chord.
On June 30, 2015, the Board of Directors
accepted the resignation of Richard Cohen as Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective immediately. In connection therewith,
the Company amended and restated its consulting agreement with Chord, such that it will continue to provide the Company with certain
financial accounting and advisory services, with the monthly fee to Chord reduced from $20,000 to $10,000 per month since its
affiliate will no longer serve as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer.
In connection with the resignation
of Mr. Cohen, on June 30, 2015, the Board appointed Frank Reiner, the Interim Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective
immediately. Pursuant to Mr. Reiner’s Employment Agreement with the Company, dated as of March 14, 2014, as amended, the
term of Mr. Reiner’s employment is one year and automatically extends for additional one-year terms unless no less than
60 days’ prior written notice of non-renewal is given by Mr. Reiner or the Company. Mr. Reiner’s base salary under
the agreement was $235,000 per year, but in connection with being named Interim Chief Financial Officer, the Board authorized
an amendment to the agreement to increase Mr. Reiner’s base salary to $271,000. Mr. Reiner is also entitled to receive an
annual bonus if the Compensation Committee of the Board determines that performance targets have been met. The amount of the annual
bonus is determined based on the Company’s gross proceeds from certain monetization of the Company’s intellectual
property. Mr. Reiner is also eligible to participate in all employee benefits plans from time to time in effect for the Company’s
other senior executive officers.
On August 10, 2015, the Company entered
into a consulting agreement with Mr. Goldberg (d/b/a Forward Vision Associates, of which Mr. Goldberg is the sole proprietor and
owner), on an independent contractor basis, pursuant to which Mr. Goldberg will, among other services, provide advisory services
to the Company in areas including licensing, litigation and business strategies. The Company will pay Mr. Goldberg an agreed upon
quarterly retainer amount of $20,400 (calculated on an hourly basis) and, if applicable, upon exhaustion of each quarterly retainer,
at an hourly rate to be paid in equity (for the first 50 hours above the quarterly retainer), and subsequently (if applicable)
at an hourly rate thereafter in cash. The Company will reimburse Mr. Goldberg for actual out-of-pocket expenses. Mr. Goldberg’s
consulting agreement has an initial term of one year, unless Mr. Goldberg has completed the desired services by an earlier date
or unless the agreement is earlier terminated pursuant to its terms. The agreement may be extended by written agreement of both
the Company and Mr. Goldberg. The agreement was approved by all of the independent directors of the Company. Mr. Goldberg is also
a director of the Company.
Indemnification Agreements
We have entered into indemnification
agreements with all of our executive officers and directors. These agreements provide that, subject to limited exceptions and
among other things, we will indemnify each of our executive officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by law and
advance expenses to each indemnitee in connection with any proceeding in which a right to indemnification is available.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP
OF BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth information
relating to the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of September 30, 2015 by:
|
• |
|
each person, or group of affiliated
persons, known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock; |
|
• |
|
each of our named executive officers;
and |
|
• |
|
all directors and executive officers
as a group. |
Our Form 10-K/A, which includes the
Part III information of Form 10-K, is incorporated herein by reference. The data therein is supplemented, in relevant part, by
the tables set forth below.
The number of shares beneficially owned
by each entity, person, director, executive officer or selling stockholder is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC
and the information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other purpose. Under such rules, beneficial
ownership includes any shares over which the individual or entity has sole or shared voting power or investment power as well
as any shares that the individual or entity has the right to acquire within 60 days of April 1, 2015 through the exercise
of any stock option, warrants or other rights. Except as otherwise indicated, and subject to applicable community property laws,
the persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock held by that person
or entity.
The percentage of shares beneficially
owned is computed on the basis of 34,402,763 shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2015. Shares of our common
stock that a person or entity has the right to acquire within 60 days of September 30, 2015 are deemed outstanding for purposes
of computing the percentage ownership of the person or entity holding such rights, but are not deemed outstanding for purposes
of computing the percentage ownership of any other person or entity, except with respect to the percentage ownership of all directors
and executive officers as a group. Unless otherwise indicated below, the address for each beneficial owner listed is c/o Spherix
Incorporated, at 6430 Rockledge Drive, Suite 503, Bethesda, MD 20877.
| |
| | |
| |
| |
Shares Beneficially Owned
Prior to the Offering | |
Name
and Address of Beneficial Owner | |
Number(1) | | |
Percent of Class(2) | |
Directors, Officers and Named Executive
Officers: | |
| | | |
| | |
Robert J. Vander Zanden(3) | |
| 426,258 | | |
| 1.22 | % |
Anthony Hayes(4) | |
| 1,123,081 | | |
| 3.16 | % |
Douglas T. Brown(5) | |
| 426,260 | | |
| 1.22 | % |
Jeffrey Ballabon(6) | |
| 150,000 | | |
| 0.43 | % |
Tim S. Ledwick(7) | |
| 75,000 | | |
| 0.22 | % |
Howard E. Goldberg(8) | |
| 75,000 | | |
| 0.22 | % |
Frank Reiner(9) | |
| 161,000 | | |
| 0.47 | % |
All current directors and executive officers as a group (seven persons) | |
| 2,399,099 | | |
| 6.52 | % |
| |
| | | |
| | |
(1) |
Represents shares of common stock and shares of restricted stock held as of September 30,
2015 plus shares of common stock that may be acquired upon exercise of options, warrants and other rights exercisable within
60 days of September 30, 2015. |
(2) |
Based on 34,402,763 shares of our Common Stock outstanding as of September 30, 2015 and takes
into account the beneficial ownership limitations governing the Series C Preferred Stock, Series D Preferred Stock, Series
D-1 Preferred Stock, Series F Preferred Stock, Series H Preferred Stock and Series I Preferred Stock. Beneficial ownership
limitations on our Series H Preferred Stock and Series I Preferred Stock prevents the conversion or voting of the stock if
the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant to such conversion or to be voted would exceed, when aggregated
with all other shares of Common Stock or other voting stock owned by the same holder at the time, the number of shares of
Common Stock which would result in such holder beneficially owning more than 4.99% of all of the Common Stock outstanding
at such time. |
(3) |
Includes 143 shares of Common Stock and 426,115 options for purchase of Common Stock exercisable
within 60 days of September 30, 2015. |
(4) |
Includes 23,081 shares of Common Stock and 1,100,000 options for purchase of Common Stock exercisable
within 60 days of September 30, 2015. |
(5) |
Includes 144 shares of Common Stock and 426,116 options for purchase of Common Stock exercisable
within 60 days of September 30, 2015. |
(6) |
Consists of 150,000 options for purchase of Common Stock exercisable within 60 days of September
30, 2015. |
(7) |
Consists of 75,000 options for purchase of Common Stock exercisable within 60 days of September
30, 2015. |
(8) |
Consists of 75,000 options for purchase of Common Stock exercisable within 60 days of September
30, 2015. |
(9) |
Includes 11,000 shares of Common Stock and 150,000 options for purchase of Common Stock exercisable
within 60 days of September 30, 2015. |
DESCRIPTION
OF CAPITAL STOCK
General
The following description of common
stock and preferred stock, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the common stock and preferred stock and is not complete.
For the complete terms of our common stock and preferred stock, please refer to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation,
which may be further amended from time to time, any certificates of designation for our preferred stock, and our amended and restated
bylaws, as amended from time to time. The Delaware General Corporation Law (“DCGL”) may also affect the terms of these
securities.
On April 24, 2014, we filed an Amended
and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, which was previously approved
by our stockholders at our annual meeting held on February 6, 2014.
The Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation, among other things, increased our authorized number of shares of common stock and preferred stock to 200,000,000
shares from 50,000,000 shares and to 50,000,000 shares from 5,000,000 shares, respectively. The Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation also requires us to indemnify our directors, officer and agents and advance expenses to such persons to the fullest
extent permitted by Delaware law.
Additionally, on April 23, 2014, we
filed a Certificate of Elimination with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware eliminating our Series B Convertible Preferred
Stock, Series E Convertible Preferred Stock and Series F Convertible Preferred Stock and returning them to authorized but undesignated
shares of our preferred stock. None of the foregoing series of preferred stock were outstanding. On November 26, 2013, we issued
an aggregate of 304,250 shares of Series F-1 Convertible Preferred Stock in exchange for 304,250 shares of Series F Preferred
Stock, which shares were convertible into 304,250 shares of common stock. All shares of Series F-1 Convertible Preferred Stock
have been converted into common stock, and no shares of Series F-1 Convertible Preferred Stock remain outstanding. On June 2,
2014, we issued 10,000,000 shares of Series J Convertible Preferred Stock, which shares were convertible into a total of 10,000,000
shares of common stock. All shares of Series J Convertible Preferred Stock have been converted into common stock, and no shares
of Series J Convertible Preferred Stock remain outstanding.
Our authorized capital stock consists
of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value, and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.0001 par value. The authorized
and unissued shares of common stock and the authorized and undesignated shares of preferred stock are available for issuance without
further action by our stockholders, unless such action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange or automated
quotation system on which our securities may be listed or traded. If the approval of our stockholders is not so required, our
board of directors may determine not to seek stockholder approval.
Common Stock
Subject to the rights of the preferred
stock, holders of common stock are entitled to receive such dividends as are declared by our board of directors out of funds legally
available for the payment of dividends. We presently intend to retain any earnings to fund the development of our business. Accordingly,
we do not anticipate paying any dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. Any future determination as to declaration
and payment of dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors.
In the event of the liquidation, dissolution,
or winding up of the Company, each outstanding share of our common stock will be entitled to share equally in any of our assets
remaining after payment of or provision for our debts and other liabilities.
Holders of common stock are entitled
to one vote per share on matters to be voted upon by stockholders. There is no cumulative voting for the election of directors,
which means that the holders of shares entitled to exercise more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting rights in the election
of directors are able to elect all of the directors.
Holders of common stock have no preemptive
rights to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of common stock or other obligations convertible into shares of common
stock which we may issue after the date of this prospectus.
All of the outstanding shares of common
stock are fully paid and non-assessable. Holders of our common stock are not liable for further calls or assessments.
The rights, preferences and privileges
of the holders of common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series
of preferred stock that we may designate in the future.
Our common stock is currently traded
on The NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “SPEX.” If we fail to meet any of the continued listing standards
of The NASDAQ Capital Market, our common stock could be delisted from The NASDAQ Capital Market. These continued listing
standards include specifically enumerated criteria, such as:
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a $1.00 minimum closing
bid price; |
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stockholders’ equity of $2.5 million; |
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500,000 shares of publicly-held common stock
with a market value of at least $1 million; |
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300 round-lot stockholders; and |
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compliance with NASDAQ’s corporate governance
requirements, as well as additional or more stringent criteria that may be applied in the exercise of NASDAQ’s discretionary
authority. |
On March 24, 2015, we received a deficiency
notice from NASDAQ that the bid price of our common stock no longer met NASDAQ’s continued listing requirements. According
to the notice, in order to regain compliance with the NASDAQ listing rules, our common stock would need to have a closing bid
price of at least $1.00 per share for at least 10 consecutive trading days no later than September 21, 2015. On September 22,
2015, we received a letter from NASDAQ granting us an additional 180 days, or until March 21, 2016, to regain compliance. It is
unknown at this time if we will be able to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement within the additional time
allowed in order to continue our common stock listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Continued listing during this period is also
contingent on our continued compliance with all listing requirements other than for the minimum bid price. While we hope to regain
compliance in the ordinary course of business, we may consider a reverse stock split, if necessary to continue our listing, and
have committed to NASDAQ to do so if necessary. However, even if we do effect such a reverse stock split, our stockholders may
bring actions against us in connection with that reverse stock split that could divert management resources, cause us to incur
significant expenses or cause our common stock to be further diluted.
If we fail to comply with NASDAQ’s
continued listing standards, we may be delisted and our common stock will trade, if at all, only on the over-the-counter market,
such as the OTC Bulletin Board or OTCQX market, and then only if one or more registered broker-dealer market makers comply with
quotation requirements. In addition, delisting of our common stock could depress our stock price, substantially limit
liquidity of our common stock and materially adversely affect our ability to raise capital on terms acceptable to us, or at all.
Finally, delisting of our common stock
would likely result in our common stock becoming a “penny stock” under the Securities Exchange Act. The
principal result or effect of being designated a “penny stock” is that securities broker-dealers cannot recommend
the shares but must trade it on an unsolicited basis. Penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, prior to a transaction in a penny
stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document prepared by the SEC, which specifies
information about penny stocks and the nature and significance of risks of the penny stock market. A broker-dealer must also provide
the customer with bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, the compensation of the broker-dealer and sales person in the
transaction, and monthly account statements indicating the market value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account.
In addition, the penny stock rules require that, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules;
the broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and
receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing
the trading activity in the secondary market for shares that become subject to those penny stock rules.
Preferred Stock
Our Amended and Restated Certificate
of Incorporation authorizes 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Our board of directors is authorized, without further stockholder
action, to establish various series of such preferred stock from time to time and to determine the rights, preferences and privileges
of any unissued series including, among other matters, any dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights, voting rights,
terms of redemption, liquidation preferences, sinking fund terms, the number of shares constituting any such series, and the description
thereof and to issue any such shares. Although there is no current intent to do so, our board of directors may, without stockholder
approval, issue shares of an additional class or series of preferred stock with voting and conversion rights which could adversely
affect the voting power of the holders of the common stock.
One of the effects of the preferred
stock may be to enable the board of directors to render more difficult or to discourage an attempt to obtain control of the Company
by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise, and thereby to protect the continuity of the management.
We will fix the rights, preferences,
privileges and restrictions of the preferred stock of each series in the certificate of designation relating to that series. We
will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from
a current report on Form 8-K that we file with the SEC, the certificate of designation that describes the terms of the series
of preferred stock we are offering. This description will include the terms of such preferred stock, including but not limited
to, any or all of the following, as required:
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the title and stated value; |
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• |
the number of shares we are offering; |
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• |
the liquidation preference per share; |
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the purchase price; |
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• |
the dividend rate, period and payment date and method of
calculation for dividends; |
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• |
whether dividends will be cumulative or non-cumulative and,
if cumulative, the date from which dividends will accumulate; |
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• |
any contractual limitations on our ability to declare, set
aside or pay any dividends; |
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• |
the procedures for any auction and remarketing, if any; |
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• |
the provisions for a sinking fund, if any; |
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• |
the provisions for redemption or repurchase, if applicable,
and any restrictions on our ability to exercise those redemption and repurchase rights; |
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• |
any listing of the preferred stock on any securities exchange
or market; |
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• |
whether the preferred stock will be convertible into our
common stock, and, if applicable, the conversion price, or how it will be calculated, and the conversion period; |
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• |
whether the preferred stock will be exchangeable into debt
securities, and, if applicable, the exchange price, or how it will be calculated, and the exchange period; |
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• |
voting rights, if any, of the preferred stock; |
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• |
preemptive rights, if any; |
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• |
restrictions on transfer, sale or other assignment, if any; |
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• |
whether interests in the preferred stock will be represented
by depositary shares; |
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• |
a discussion of any material or special United States federal
income tax considerations applicable to the preferred stock; |
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• |
the relative ranking and preferences of the preferred stock
as to dividend rights and rights if we liquidate, dissolve or wind up our affairs; |
|
• |
any limitations on issuance of any class or series of preferred
stock ranking senior to or on a parity with the series of preferred stock as to dividend rights and rights if we liquidate,
dissolve or wind up our affairs; and |
|
• |
any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations
of, or restrictions on, the preferred stock. |
If we issue shares of preferred stock
under this prospectus, after receipt of payment therefor, the shares will be fully paid and non-assessable.
The DGCL provides that the holders
of preferred stock will have the right to vote separately as a class on any proposal involving certain fundamental changes in
the rights of holders of that series of preferred stock. This right is in addition to any voting rights provided for in the applicable
certificate of designation.
Our board of directors may authorize
the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights
of the holders of our common stock. Preferred stock could be issued quickly with terms designed to delay or prevent a change in
control of our Company or make removal of management more difficult. Additionally, the issuance of preferred stock could have
the effect of decreasing the market price of our common stock.
Series A Preferred Stock
Our board of directors has designated
500,000 shares of our preferred stock as Series A Participating Preferred Stock (“Series A Preferred Stock”).
On January 1, 2013, we adopted a stockholder
rights plan in which rights to purchase shares of Series A Preferred Stock were distributed as a dividend at the rate of one right
for each share of common stock. The rights are designed to guard against partial tender offers and other abusive and coercive
tactics that might be used in an attempt to gain control of Spherix or to deprive our stockholders of their interest in the long-term
value of Spherix. These rights seek to achieve these goals by forcing a potential acquirer to negotiate with our board of directors
(or go to court to try to force the Board of Directors to redeem the rights), because only the Board of Directors can redeem the
rights and allow the potential acquirer to acquire our shares without suffering very significant dilution. However, these rights
also could deter or prevent transactions that stockholders deem to be in their interests, and could reduce the price that investors
or an acquirer might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock.
Each right entitles the registered
holder to purchase one one-hundredth of a share (a “Unit”) of our Series A Preferred Stock. Each Unit of Series A
Preferred Stock will be entitled to an aggregate dividend of 100 times the dividend declared per share of common stock. In the
event of liquidation, the holders of the Units of Series A Preferred Stock will be entitled to an aggregate payment of 100 times
the payment made per share of common stock. Each Unit of Series A Preferred Stock will have 100 votes, voting together with the
common stock. Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which shares of common stock are exchanged,
each Unit of Series A Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive 100 times the amount received per share of common stock. These
rights are protected by customary anti-dilution provisions.
The rights will be exercisable only
if a person or group acquires ten percent (10%) or more of our common stock (subject to certain exceptions stated in the plan)
or announces a tender offer the consummation of which would result in ownership by a person or group of ten percent (10%) or more
of our common stock. Our board of directors may redeem the rights at a price of $0.001 per right. The rights will expire at the
close of business on December 31, 2017 unless the expiration date is extended or unless the rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged
by the Company.
Series C Convertible Preferred Stock
On March 6, 2013, the Company and certain
investors that participated in the November 2012 private placement transaction entered into separate Warrant Exchange Agreements
pursuant to which those investors exchanged common stock purchase warrants acquired in the private placement transaction for shares
of our Series C Convertible Preferred Stock. Each share of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock is convertible into one (1) share
of common stock at the option of the holder. The Series C Convertible Preferred Stock was established on March 5, 2013 by the
filing in the State of Delaware of a Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series C Convertible
Preferred Stock.
The exchanged Warrants were issued
in November 2012 for an aggregate of 483,657 shares of common stock. The warrants were exercisable through November 7, 2017 at
an exercise price of $6.53 per share.
Pursuant to the Warrant Exchange Agreements,
the investors received in exchange for their warrants an aggregate of 229,337 shares of the Series C Convertible Preferred Stock,
each of which is convertible into one (1) share of common stock. This is the same number of shares of common stock that would
have been issued upon a “cashless exercise” of the exchanged warrants, as permitted by the terms of the warrants,
based on the one-day volume weighted average price of our common stock on February 28, 2013 of $12.6439 as reported by Bloomberg.
We have agreed to register the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the Series C Convertible Preferred Stock on
the same basis as the shares of common stock issued in the November 2012 private placement transaction.
As of September 30, 2015, one share
of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock was issued and outstanding.
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock
On April 2, 2013, we entered into the
Merger Agreement with Nuta Technology Corp., North South Holdings, Inc. and the shareholders of North South Holdings, Inc., as
amended on August 30, 2013. On September 10, 2013, we consummated the Merger. At the closing of the Merger, an aggregate of 491
issued and outstanding shares of North South’s common stock were converted into the right to receive an aggregate of 1,203,153
shares of common stock and 500 shares of North South’s Series A Preferred Stock and 107 shares of North South’s Series
B Preferred Stock issued and outstanding were converted into the right to receive an aggregate of 1,379,685 shares of our newly
designated Series D Convertible Preferred Stock.
Each share of Series D Preferred Stock
has a stated value of $0.0001 per share and is convertible into ten (10) shares of common stock. Upon the liquidation, dissolution
or winding up of our business, each holder of Series D Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, for each share of Series
D Preferred Stock held, a preferential amount in cash equal to the greater of (i) the Stated Value or (ii) the amount the holder
would receive as a holder of the Company’s common stock on an “as converted” basis. Each holder of Series D
Preferred Stock shall be entitled to vote on all matters submitted to our stockholders and shall be entitled to such number of
votes equal to the number of shares of common stock such shares of Series D Preferred are convertible into at such time, taking
into account the beneficial ownership limitations set forth in the governing Certificate of Designation and the Conversion Limit
limitations described below. At no time may shares of Series D Preferred Stock be converted if such conversion would cause the
holder to hold in excess of 4.99% of our issued and outstanding common stock, subject to an increase in such limitation up to
9.99% of the issued and outstanding common stock on 61 days’ written notice to us. The conversion ratio of the Series D
Preferred Stock is subject to adjustment in the event of stock dividends, splits and fundamental transactions.
Additionally, subject to the beneficial
ownership limitations described above, holders of Series D Preferred Stock may not convert such shares in excess of the “Conversion
Limit”. The “Conversion Limit” is defined as that number of shares of common stock as shall equal 15% (the “Volume
Percentage”) of the greater of (i) the trading volume of our common stock on such conversion date or (ii) the average trading
volume of our common stock for ten trading days immediately prior to such conversion date. If our common stock trades at a price
of at least $12.00 per share on the conversion date, then the Volume Percentage for purposes of the foregoing calculation shall
equal 20%. Notwithstanding the foregoing, holders of the Series D Preferred Stock may convert such shares without regard to the
aforementioned conversion limit if our common stock trades at a minimum price of $15.00 per share on the conversion date.
As of September 30, 2015, 4,725
shares of Series D Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding.
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock
Our Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock (“Series D-1 Preferred Stock”) was established on November 22, 2013. Each share of Series D-1 Preferred Stock
has a stated value of $0.0001 per share and is convertible into ten (10) shares of common stock. Upon the liquidation, dissolution
or winding up of our business, each holder of Series D-1 Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, for each share of Series
D-1 Preferred Stock held, a preferential amount in cash equal to the greater of (i) the stated value or (ii) the amount the holder
would receive as a holder of the Company’s common stock on an “as converted” basis. Each holder of Series D-1
Preferred Stock shall be entitled to vote on all matters submitted to our stockholders and shall be entitled to such number of
votes equal to the number of shares of common stock such shares of Series D-1 Preferred are convertible into at such time, taking
into account the beneficial ownership limitations set forth in the governing Certificate of Designation. At no time may shares
of Series D-1 Preferred Stock be converted if such conversion would cause the holder to hold in excess of 9.99% of our issued
and outstanding common stock. The conversion ratio of the Series D Preferred Stock is subject to adjustment in the event of stock
dividends, splits and fundamental transactions. The Company commenced an exchange with holders of Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock pursuant to which the holders of our outstanding shares of Series D Preferred Stock acquired in the Merger could exchange
such shares for shares of our Series D-1 Preferred Stock on a one-for-one basis.
As of September 30, 2015, 834
shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding.
Series H Preferred Stock
On December 31, 2013, we designated
459,043 shares of preferred stock as Series H Preferred Stock. On December 31, 2013, we issued approximately $38.3 million of
Series H Preferred Stock (or 459,043 shares) to Rockstar. Each share of Series H Preferred Stock is convertible into ten (10)
shares of common stock and has a stated value of $83.50. The conversion ratio is subject to adjustment in the event of stock splits,
stock dividends, combination of shares and similar recapitalization transactions. We are prohibited from effecting the conversion
of the Series H Preferred Stock to the extent that, as a result of such conversion, the holder beneficially owns more than 4.99%
(which may be increased to 9.99% and subsequently to 19.99%, each upon 61 days’ written notice), in the aggregate, of our
issued and outstanding shares of common stock calculated immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of common stock
upon the conversion of the Series H Preferred Stock. Holders of the Series H Preferred Stock shall be entitled to vote on all
matters submitted to our stockholders and shall be entitled to the number of votes equal to the number of shares of common stock
into which the shares of Series H Preferred Stock are convertible, subject to applicable beneficial ownership limitations. The
Series H Preferred Stock provides a liquidation preference of $83.50 per share.
The shares of Series H Preferred Stock
are not immediately convertible and do not possess any voting rights until such time as we have obtained stockholder approval
of the issuance, pursuant to NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635. On April 16, 2014, we obtained the required shareholder approval pursuant
to NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635 and, as a result, all outstanding shares of Series H Preferred Stock are convertible and possess voting
rights in accordance with its terms.
As of September 30, 2015, 439,043 shares
of Series H Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding.
Series I Preferred Stock
On December 31, 2013, we designated
119,760 shares of preferred stock as Series I Preferred Stock. On December 31, 2013, we issued approximately $20 million (or 119,760
shares) of Series I Preferred Stock to Rockstar. Each share of Series I Preferred Stock is convertible into 20 shares of our common
stock and has a stated value of $167. The conversion ratio is subject to adjustment in the event of stock splits, stock dividends,
combination of shares and similar recapitalization transactions. The holder is prohibited from converting the Series I Preferred
Stock to the extent that, as a result of such conversion, the holder beneficially owns more than 4.99% (which may be increased
to 9.99% and subsequently to 19.99%, each upon 61 days’ written notice), in the aggregate, of our issued and outstanding
shares of common stock calculated immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of common stock upon the conversion
of the Series I Preferred Stock. Holders of the Series I Preferred Stock shall be entitled to vote on all matters submitted to
our stockholders and shall be entitled to the number of votes equal to the number of shares of common stock into which the shares
of Series I Preferred Stock are convertible, subject to applicable beneficial ownership limitations. The Series I Preferred stock
provides for a liquidation preference of $167 per share.
The Series I Preferred Stock has a
mandatory redemption date of December 31, 2015 as to 100% of the Series I Preferred Stock then outstanding and partial mandatory
redemptions prior thereto, requiring a minimum of 25% of the total number of shares of Series I Preferred Stock issued to be redeemed
(less the amount of any conversions occurring prior thereto) on or prior to each of June 30, 2014, December 31, 2014, June 30,
2015 and December 31, 2015 (each, a “Partial Redemption Date” and each payment, a “Redemption Payment”).
On each Partial Redemption Date, we are required to pay Rockstar a Redemption Payment equal to the lesser of (i) such number of
shares of Series I Preferred Stock as have a stated value of $5,000,000; or (ii) such number of shares of Series I Preferred Stock
as shall, together with all voluntary and mandatory redemptions and conversions to common stock occurring prior to the applicable
Partial Redemption Date, have a stated value of $5,000,000; or (iii) the remaining shares of Series I Preferred Stock issued and
outstanding if such shares have a stated value of less than $5,000,000, in an amount of cash equal to its stated value plus all
accrued but unpaid dividends, distributions and interest thereon, unless Rockstar, in its sole discretion, elects to waive such
Redemption Payment or convert such shares (or a portion thereof) into common stock. No interest or dividends are payable on the
Series I Preferred Stock unless we fail to make the first $5,000,000 Partial Redemption Payment due June 30, 2014, then interest
shall accrue on the outstanding stated value of all outstanding shares of Series I Preferred Stock at a rate of fifteen (15%)
per annum from January 1, 2014. Our obligations to pay the Redemption Payments and any interest payments in connection therewith
are secured pursuant to the terms of a Security Agreement under which the Rockstar Patents serve as collateral security. No action
can be taken under the Security Agreement unless we have failed to make a second redemption payment of $5,000,000 due December
31, 2014. The Security Agreement contains additional usual and customary “Events of Default” (as such term is defined
in the Intellectual Property Security Agreement) under which Rockstar can take action, including a sale to a third party or reduction
of secured amounts via transfer of the Rockstar Patents to Rockstar.
Additionally, in the event we consummate
a Fundamental Transaction (as defined in the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series I Convertible
Preferred Stock), we are required to redeem such portion of the outstanding shares of Series I Preferred Stock as shall equal
(i) 50% of the net proceeds of the Fundamental Transaction after deduction of the amount of net proceeds required to leave us
with cash and cash equivalents on hand of $5,000,000 and up until the net proceeds leave us with cash and cash equivalents on
hand of $7,500,000 and (ii) 100% of the net proceeds of the Fundamental Transaction thereafter.
The shares of Series I Preferred Stock
are not immediately convertible and do not possess any voting rights until such time as we have obtained stockholder approval
of the issuance, pursuant to NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635. On April 16, 2014, we obtained the required shareholder approval pursuant
to NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635 and, as a result, all outstanding shares of Series I Convertible Preferred Stock are convertible and
possess voting rights in accordance with its terms.
In June 2014, we redeemed 84,219 shares
of Series I Preferred Stock. In accordance with this redemption, we paid Rockstar $14.1 million. This payment fully satisfied
the Redemption Payments due on June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2014 and satisfied approximately $4.1 million of the $5.0 million
Redemption Payment due on June 30, 2015. On June 30, 2015, we paid Rockstar (thru RPX) the balance of $935,297.09, which constituted
the full balance of the $5.0 million payment due June 30, 2015.
As of September 30, 2015, 29,940 shares
of Series I Preferred Stock remain issued and outstanding.
Series K Preferred Stock
The following summary of certain terms
and provisions of our Series K Convertible Preferred Stock, or Series K Preferred, offered in this offering is subject to, and
qualified in its entirety by reference to, the terms and provisions set forth in our certificate of designation of preferences,
rights and limitations of Series K Preferred.
Our board of directors has designated of
the 50,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock as Series K Preferred Stock.
Rank. The Series K Convertible
Preferred Stock will rank on parity to our common stock.
Conversion. Each share
of the Series K Preferred is convertible into shares of our common stock (subject to adjustment as provided in the related certificate
of designation of preferences, rights and limitations) at any time at the option of the holder at a conversion price equal to
the stated value of the Series K Preferred. Holders of Series K Preferred will be prohibited from converting Series K Preferred
into shares of our common stock if, as a result of such conversion, the holder, together with its affiliates, would own more than
4.99% of the total number of shares of our common stock then issued and outstanding. Ownership of the Class B Units alone will
not increase the purchaser’s beneficial ownership percentage of common stock unless and until a portion or all of such Series
K Preferred has been converted. In addition, holders of Series K Preferred will be prohibited from converting Series K Preferred
into shares of our common stock if, as a result of such conversion, the holder, together with its affiliates and certain related
parties, would own more than 4.99% of the total number of shares of our outstanding common stock. However, any holder may increase
or decrease such percentage to any other percentage not in excess of 9.99%, provided that any increase in such percentage shall
not be effective until 61 days after such notice to us. Exceeding 4.99% ownership in shares of our outstanding common stock will
trigger certain SEC filing requirements by such holder, including the submission of a Schedule 13G or Schedule 13D, as applicable,
and Forms 3 and 4 on an annual and periodic basis, respectively, while such ownership percentage remains above 4.99%.
Liquidation Preference. In
the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, holders of Series K Preferred will receive the same amount that
a holder of common stock would receive if the Series K Preferred were fully converted into shares of our common stock at the conversion
price (disregarding for such purposes any conversion limitations) which amounts shall be paid pari passu with all holders of common
stock.
Voting Rights. Shares
of Series K Preferred will generally have no voting rights, except as required by law and except that the affirmative vote of
the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series K Preferred is required to, (a) alter or change adversely
the powers, preferences or rights given to the Series K Preferred, (b) amend our certificate of incorporation or other
charter documents in any manner that adversely affects any rights of the holders, or (c) increase the number of authorized
shares of Series K Preferred.
Dividends. Shares of
Series K Preferred will not be entitled to receive any dividends, unless and until specifically declared by our board of directors.
The holders of the Series K Preferred will participate, on an as-if-converted-to-common stock basis, in any dividends to the holders
of common stock.
Exchange Listing. We
do not plan on making an application to list the Series K Preferred on the NASDAQ Capital Market, any other national securities
exchange or other nationally recognized trading system. Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol
“SPEX”
Restrictive Covenant.
We are restricted from selling additional equity securities for the day period
following the closing, subject to certain exceptions.
Warrants
As of September
30, 2015, we had outstanding warrants to purchase 7,804,828 shares of common stock at a weighted-average exercise price of $1.74
per share, which expire on October 13, 2015, January 24, 2016, October 27, 2016, August 7, 2017, March 24, 2019 and March
26, 2019, respectively.
Exchange Listing
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market
under the trading symbol “SPEX.”
Transfer Agent and Registrar
Equity Stock Transfer is the transfer agent and registrar
for our common stock.
Limitations on Directors’ Liability
Our certificate of incorporation and
bylaws contain provisions indemnifying our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law.
In addition, as permitted by Delaware
law, our certificate of incorporation provides that no director will be liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages
for breach of the director’s fiduciary duty as a director. The effect of this provision is to restrict our rights and the
rights of our stockholders in derivative suits to recover monetary damages against a director for breach of the director’s
fiduciary duty as a director, except that a director will be personally liable for:
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any breach of his or her duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders; |
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acts or omissions not in good faith which involve intentional
misconduct or a knowing violation of law; |
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the payment of dividends or the redemption or purchase of
stock in violation of Delaware law; or |
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any transaction from which the director derived an improper
personal benefit. |
This provision does not affect a director’s
liability under the federal securities laws.
To the extent that our directors, officers
and controlling persons are indemnified under the provisions contained in our certificate of incorporation or Delaware law against
liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, we have been advised that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification
is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is therefore unenforceable.
Provisions of our Certificate of
Incorporation and Bylaws, our Shareholder Rights Plan, and Delaware Law that May Have an Anti-Takeover Effect
Certain provisions set forth in our
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws, our Shareholder Rights Plan, and Delaware law
could have the effect of discouraging potential acquisition proposals or making a tender offer or delaying or preventing a change
in control, including changes a stockholder might consider favorable. Such provisions may also prevent or frustrate attempts by
our stockholders to replace or remove our management.
Certificate of Incorporation and
Bylaws
In particular, our Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws, among other things:
|
• |
authorize our board of directors to issue, without further
action by the stockholders, up to 50,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock; |
|
• |
provide that stockholders must provide advance notice to
nominate persons for election to our board of directors or submit proposals for consideration at stockholder meetings; |
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• |
specify that special meetings of our stockholders can be
called only by our board of directors or by any officer instructed by the board of directors to a call a special meeting; |
|
• |
provide that vacancies on the board of directors may be filled
by a majority of directors in office, although less than a quorum, or by the sole remaining director; and |
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• |
provide the board of directors with the ability to alter
the bylaws without stockholder approval. |
Shareholder Rights Plan
On January 1, 2013, we adopted a stockholder
rights plan in which rights to purchase shares of Series A Preferred Stock were distributed as a dividend at the rate of one right
for each share of common stock. The rights are designed to guard against partial tender offers and other abusive and coercive
tactics that might be used in an attempt to gain control of Spherix or to deprive our stockholders of their interest in the long-term
value of Spherix. These rights seek to achieve these goals by forcing a potential acquirer to negotiate with our board of directors
(or go to court to try to force the Board of Directors to redeem the rights), because only the Board of Directors can redeem the
rights and allow the potential acquirer to acquire our shares without suffering very significant dilution. However, these rights
also could deter or prevent transactions that stockholders deem to be in their interests, and could reduce the price that investors
or an acquirer might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock.
Each right entitles the registered
holder to purchase one one-hundredth of a share (a “Unit”) of our Series A Preferred Stock. Each Unit of Series A
Preferred Stock will be entitled to an aggregate dividend of 100 times the dividend declared per share of common stock. In the
event of liquidation, the holders of the Units of Series A Preferred Stock will be entitled to an aggregate payment of 100 times
the payment made per share of common stock. Each Unit of Series A Preferred Stock will have 100 votes, voting together with the
common stock. Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which shares of common stock are exchanged,
each Unit of Series A Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive 100 times the amount received per share of common stock. These
rights are protected by customary anti-dilution provisions.
The rights will be exercisable only
if a person or group acquires ten percent (10%) or more of our common stock (subject to certain exceptions stated in the plan)
or announces a tender offer the consummation of which would result in ownership by a person or group of ten percent (10%) or more
of our common stock. Our board of directors may redeem the rights at a price of $0.001 per right. The rights will expire at the
close of business on December 31, 2017 unless the expiration date is extended or unless the rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged
by the Company.
Delaware Takeover Statute
Section 203 of the DGCL prohibits a
Delaware corporation that is a public company from engaging in any “business combination” (as defined below) with
any “interested stockholder” (defined generally as an entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding
voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person affiliated with such entity or person) for a period of three years following
the date that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:
|
• |
before such date, the board of directors of the corporation approved either
the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder; |
|
• |
upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the
stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation
outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the number of shares outstanding
those shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers and by employee stock plans in which employee participants
do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or
exchange offer; or |
|
• |
on or subsequent to such date, the business combination is
approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent,
by the affirmative vote of at least 66-2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder. |
Section 203 of the DCGL defines “business
combination” to include:
|
• |
any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and
the interested stockholder; |
|
• |
any sale, transfer, pledge or other disposition of 10% or
more of the assets of the corporation involving the interested stockholder; |
|
• |
subject to certain exceptions, any transaction that results
in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder; |
|
• |
any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect
of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested
stockholder; or |
|
• |
the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit
of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation. |
Disclosure of SEC Position on Indemnification
for Securities Act Liabilities
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities
arising under the Securities Act may be permitted for directors, officers and persons controlling us, we understand that it is
the SEC’s opinion that such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and may therefore
be unenforceable.
DESCRIPTION
OF SECURITIES WE ARE OFFERING
We are offering up to $10,000,000 of
Class A Units and Class B Units. Class A Units consist of one share of our common stock, a Series A warrant to purchase
share of our common stock at an exercise price equal to the public offering price of the Class A Units, (“Series A
warrant”), and a Series B warrant to purchase of a share
of our common stock at an exercise price equal to of the public offering
price of the Class A Units, (“Series B warrant”). Class B Units consist of one share of our Class K Convertible
Preferred Stock, or the Series K Preferred, with a stated value of $0,0001 per share and convertible into shares of our common
stock at the public offering price of the Class A Units, together with the equivalent number of Series A warrants and Series
B warrants as would have been issued to such purchaser if they had purchased Class A Units based on the public offering price.
The shares of common stock, Series A warrant and Series B warrant part of a Class A Unit and the Series B Preferred, Series
A warrants and Series B warrants part of a Class B Unit are each immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering.
Common Stock and Series K Preferred
The material terms of our common stock,
our Series K Preferred and our other capital stock are described in the section of this prospectus titled “Description of
Capital Stock” beginning on page 43 of this prospectus.
Warrants to Purchase Common Stock
The material terms of the Series
A warrants and Series B warrants to be issued are summarized below. This summary does not purport to be complete in all respects.
This description is subject to and qualified entirely by the terms of the form of warrant filed as an exhibit to the registration
statement of which this prospectus is a part.
The Series A warrants to be issued
with each Unit will have an exercise price of $ per share
(equal to the public offering price of the Class A Units) and will be exercisable from their date of issuance and at any time
up to the date that is six months after their original date of issuance. The Series B warrants to be issued with each Unit will
have an exercise price of $ per share (equal to of
the public offering price of the Class A Units) and will be exercisable from their date of issuance and at any time up to the
date that is five years after their original date of issuance.
Both the Series A warrants and the
Series B warrants may not be exercised by the holder to the extent that the holder, together with its affiliates, would beneficially
own, after such exercise more than 9.99% of the shares of common stock then outstanding.
The warrants are exercisable for cash
or, solely in the absence of an effective registration statement or prospectus, by cashless exercise.
The exercise price of the warrants
is subject to adjustment in the case of stock dividends or other distributions on shares of common stock or any other equity or
equity equivalent securities payable in shares of common stock, stock splits, stock combinations, reclassifications or similar
events affecting our common stock, and also, subject to limitations, upon any distribution of assets, including cash, stock or
other property to our stockholders.
In addition, in the event we consummate
a merger or consolidation with or into another person or other reorganization event in which our common shares are converted or
exchanged for securities, cash or other property, or we sell, lease, license, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of
all or substantially all of our assets or we or another person acquire 50% or more of our outstanding common shares, then following
such event, the holders of the warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the warrants the same kind and amount of
securities, cash or property which the holders would have received had they exercised the warrants immediately prior to such fundamental
transaction. Any successor to us or surviving entity shall assume the obligations under the warrants.
Prior to the exercise of any warrants
to purchase common stock, holders of the warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the common stock purchasable upon
exercise, including voting rights, however, the holders of the warrants will have certain rights to participate in distributions
or dividends paid on our common stock to the extent set forth in the warrants.
In addition, the warrants provide that
if, at any time while such warrants are outstanding, we (1) consolidate or merge with or into another corporation, (2) sell
all or substantially all of our assets or (3) are subject to or complete a tender or exchange offer pursuant to which holders
of our common stock are permitted to tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted
by the holders of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock, (4) effect any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization
of our common stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which our common stock is converted into or exchanged for other
securities, cash or property, or (5) engage in one or more transactions with another party that results in that party acquiring
more than 50% of our outstanding shares of common stock (each, a “Fundamental Transaction”), then the holder of such
warrants shall have the right thereafter to receive, upon exercise of the warrant, the same amount and kind of securities, cash
or property as it would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction if it had been, immediately
prior to such Fundamental Transaction, the holder of the number of warrant shares then issuable upon exercise of the warrant,
and any additional consideration payable to holders of our common stock as part of the Fundamental Transaction. Any successor
to us or surviving entity shall assume the obligations under the warrant.
The provisions of the Series A warrants
and Series B warrants may be amended as a single class if we obtain the written consent of holders representing not less than
a majority of shares of our common stock then exercisable under the Series A warrants and Series B warrants collectively (in which
case such amendments shall be binding on all holders of the warrants). However, the number of shares of our common stock exercisable,
the exercise price or the exercise period may not be amended without the written consent of the holder of each such warrant.
We do not plan on applying to list
the Series K Preferred or any of the warrants on the NASDAQ Capital Market, any other national securities exchange or any other
nationally recognized trading system.
PLAN
OF DISTRIBUTION
We are offering up to $10,000,000 of
Class A Units (consisting of one share of our common stock, a Series A warrant to purchase
share of our common stock at an exercise price equal to the public offering price of the Class A Units, (“Series A
warrant”), and a Series B warrant to purchase of a share
of our common stock at an exercise price equal to of the public offering
price of the Class A Units, (“Series B warrant”)). The shares of common stock, Series A warrants and Series B
warrants part of a Class A Unit are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering. However, there
is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to closing and we may sell significantly fewer shares of common stock and
warrants in the offering.
In determining the offering price of
the units and the exercise price of the warrants, we will consider a number of factors including, but not limited to, the current
market price of our common stock, trading prices of our common stock over time, the illiquidity and volatility of our common stock,
our current financial condition and the prospects for our future cash flows and earnings, and market and economic conditions at
the time of the offering. Once the offering price is determined, the offering price for the units and the exercise price of the
warrants will remain fixed for the duration of the offering.
Wainwright has
agreed to act as our exclusive placement agent in connection with the offering pursuant to the terms and conditions of an engagement
agreement. The Placement Agent is not purchasing or selling any securities offered by this prospectus, and is not required to
arrange for the purchaser or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities, but will use its reasonable best efforts
to arrange for the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus. We will enter into securities purchase agreements directly
with certain institutional investors which will purchase securities in this offering. We will not enter into securities purchase
agreements with all other investors and such investors shall rely solely on this prospectus in connection with the purchase of
securities in this offering. The Placement Agent may retain one or more sub-agents or selected dealers in connection with the
offering.
We
have agreed to pay to the Placement Agent a placement agent fee equal to eight percent (8%) of the aggregate gross proceeds
to us from the sale of the securities in the offering (excluding any proceeds from the exercise of the warrants issued in the
offering, for which no compensation shall be paid). In addition, we have agreed to (i) reimburse the Placement Agent with a non-accountable
expense allowance of up to $50,000.00, subject to compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(D)(i) and (ii) pay the Placement
Agent a management fee equal to 1% of the aggregate gross proceeds of this offering. We estimate total expenses of this offering,
excluding the placement agent fees, will be approximately $ . The
following table shows the per share and total fees we will pay to the Placement Agent assuming the sale of all of the shares offered
pursuant to this prospectus.
| |
|
Per Class A Unit | |
$ |
Per Class B Unit | |
$ |
Total | |
$ |
Because there is no minimum offering
amount required as a condition to closing, the actual total proceeds received by us and total offering commissions and warrants
issuable to the Placement Agent, if any, are not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the maximum amount
set forth above.
In
addition, subject to the consummation of an offering, within the six-month period following the effectiveness date
of commencement of sales of this offering, we have granted a right of first refusal to the Placement Agent pursuant to which
it has the right to act as the lead underwriter or lead placement agent, if the Company or its subsidiaries decides to
raise funds by means of a public offering or a private placement of equity or equity derivative securities using an
underwriter or placement agent. Also, in the event the Placement Agent’s engagement has been terminated and no offering
has been consummated, the Placement Agent shall be entitled to a tail fee for a period of six months with respect to a
private placement or public offering, but solely with respect to investors who were directly introduced by the Placement
Agent to the Company.
The
engagement agreement provides that we will indemnify the Placement Agent against specified liabilities, including liabilities
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Placement Agent is deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11)
of the Securities Act, and any commissions received by it and any profit realized on the resale of the securities sold by it while
acting as principal might be deemed to be underwriting discounts or commissions under the Securities Act. As an underwriter, the
Placement Agent would be required to comply with the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange
Act”), including without limitation, Rule 10b-5 and Regulation M under the Exchange Act. These rules and regulations
may limit the timing of purchases and sales of shares of common stock and warrants by the Placement Agent acting as principal.
Under these rules and regulations, the Placement Agent:
|
• |
|
may not engage in any
stabilization activity in connection with our securities; and |
|
• |
|
may not bid for or purchase
any of our securities or attempt to induce any person to purchase any of our securities, other than as permitted under the
Exchange Act, until it has completed its participation in the distribution. |
Company Lock-up Agreement
We have agreed in the securities purchase
agreement to a lock-up period of days immediately following the date
of this prospectus for the issuance and sale of securities, although we will be permitted to issue stock options to directors,
officers, employees and consultants under our existing plans, and for strategic transactions and certain other exempt issuances
under the Securities Purchase Agreement. The placement agent may, in its sole discretion and without notice, waive the terms of
this Company lock-up agreement.
LEGAL
MATTERS
Nixon Peabody LLP, New York, New York
will pass upon the validity of the shares of the securities offered hereby. Certain legal matters in connection with this offering
will be passed upon for Wainwright by Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP.
EXPERTS
The
consolidated financial statements of Spherix Incorporated and Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 and for the years
then ended incorporated by reference in this Prospectus have been so incorporated in reliance on the report, which includes an
explanatory paragraph as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, of Marcum, LLP, an independent registered
public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We
are required to file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read
and copy any document filed by us at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please
call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room. Our filings with the SEC are also available
to the public at the SEC’s Internet web site at http://www.sec.gov.
We
have filed a registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, covering the securities offered hereby. As allowed by
SEC rules, this prospectus does not include all of the information contained in the registration statement and the included exhibits,
financial statements and schedules. You are referred to the registration statement, the included exhibits, financial statements
and schedules for further information. This prospectus is qualified in its entirety by such other information.
We
are subject to the information and periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and, in accordance therewith, file periodic
reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Such periodic reports, proxy statements and other information are
available for inspection and copying at the public reference room and website of the SEC referred to above. We maintain a website
at www.spherix.com. The reference to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information
contained on our website, and you should not consider the contents of our website in making an investment decision with respect
to our common stock.
INCORPORATION
OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
This
prospectus omits some information contained in the registration statement in accordance with SEC rules and regulations. You
should review the information and exhibits included in the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part for further
information about us and the securities we are offering. Statements in this prospectus concerning any document we filed as an
exhibit to the registration statement or that we otherwise filed with the SEC are not intended to be comprehensive and are qualified
by reference to these filings. You should review the complete document to evaluate these statements.
The
SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important
information to you by referring you to other documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of
this prospectus. Information contained in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we have filed
with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus.
We
incorporate by reference the following documents listed below (excluding any document or portion thereof to the extent such disclosure
is furnished and not filed):
|
• |
Our Amended Annual Report on Form 10-K/A
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, filed with the SEC on April 30, 2015; |
|
|
|
|
• |
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2014, filed with the SEC on March 30, 2015; |
|
|
|
|
• |
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2013, filed with the SEC on March 31, 2014; |
|
|
|
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• |
Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q
for the fiscal quarters ended September 30, 2015, June 30, 2015 and March 31, 2015, filed with the SEC on November
5, 2015, August 14, 2015 and May 8, 2015, respectively; |
|
|
|
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• |
Our Current Reports
on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 3, 2015, March 4, 2015, March 20, 2015, March 27, 2015, July 2, 2015, July 2, 2015,
July 13, 2015, July 15, 2015, July 17, 2015, August 19, 2015 and October 19, 2015, respectively. |
We will provide to each person, including any beneficial
owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, a copy of any or all of the reports or documents incorporated by reference, free of
cost to the requester, upon written or oral request to us at the following address or phone number:
Spherix Incorporated
6430 Rockledge Drive #503
Bethesda, Maryland 20817
Attention: Anthony Hayes, Chief Executive
Officer
Telephone: (646) 532-2964
Copies of the above reports may also be accessed from our
web site at http://www.spherix.com.
Spherix
Incorporated
Up
to $10,000,000 of
Class
A Units consisting of Common Stock and Warrants and
Class
B Units consisting of Series K Convertible Preferred Stock and Warrants
( shares
of Common Stock underlying the Series K Convertible Preferred Stock and Warrants)
PROSPECTUS
Rodman
& Renshaw
a
unit of H.C. Wainwright & Co.
,
2015
PART
II
Information
Not Required in Prospectus
ITEM 13.
OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION
The
following table sets forth the fees and expenses, other than placement agent fees and expenses, payable in connection with the
registration of the common stock hereunder. All amounts are estimates except the SEC registration fee and the FINRA filing fee.
|
|
|
|
|
Item
|
|
Amount
to be paid |
|
SEC
registration fee |
|
$ |
1,162 |
|
FINRA
filing fee |
|
|
2,000 |
|
Printing
and engraving expenses |
|
|
25,000 |
|
Legal
fees and expenses |
|
|
125,000 |
|
Accounting
fees and expenses |
|
|
35,000 |
|
Transfer
Agent fees and expenses |
|
|
1,500 |
|
Miscellaneous
expenses |
|
|
3,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$ |
192,000 |
|
* |
To be provided in amendment. |
ITEM 14.
INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
Section
145 of the DCGL provides, in general, that a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware, as we are, may
indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action,
suit or proceeding (other than a derivative action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that such person
is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as
a director, officer, employee or agent of another enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines
and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding
if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests
of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s
conduct was unlawful. In the case of a derivative action, a Delaware corporation may indemnify any such person against expenses
(including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement
of such action or suit if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed
to the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification will be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter
as to which such person will have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of
Chancery of the State of Delaware or any other court in which such action was brought determines such person is fairly and reasonably
entitled to indemnity for such expenses.
Our
certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that we will indemnify our directors, officers, employees and agents to the extent
and in the manner permitted by the provisions of the DCGL, as amended from time to time, subject to any permissible expansion
or limitation of such indemnification, as may be set forth in any stockholders’ or directors’ resolution or by contract.
Any repeal or modification of these provisions approved by our stockholders will be prospective only and will not adversely affect
any limitation on the liability of any of our directors or officers existing as of the time of such repeal or modification.
We
have entered into indemnification agreements with all of our executive officers and directors. These agreements provide, subject
to limited exceptions and among other things, for the indemnification to the fullest extent permitted or required by Delaware
law, provided however, that no director or officer shall be entitled to indemnification in connection with (i) any “claim”
(as such term is defined in the agreement) initiated by him or her against the Company or the Company’s directors or officers
unless the Company joins or consent to the initiation of such claim, or (ii) the purchase and sale of securities by him or her
in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Our indemnification agreements also provide
for the advancement of expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by the indemnitee in connection with any action, suit,
or proceeding (subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein). The indemnification agreements contain certain exclusions,
including proceedings initiated by the indemnitee unless the Company has joined in or consented to the initiation of such claim.
We
are also permitted to apply for insurance on behalf of any director, officer, employee or other agent for liability arising out
of his actions, whether or not the DCGL would permit indemnification.
ITEM 15.
RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES
In
the three years preceding the filing of this registration statement, we have issued the following securities that were not registered
in the Securities Act.
On
June 15, 2015, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with a third party for three months of investor relations services.
The Company agreed to pay the consultant a monthly fee of $5,000 for three months commencing on June 15, 2015, and granted 45,000
shares of restricted stock valued at $27,000 in the aggregate. The restricted stock awards vest monthly for each of the three
months following the grant date.
On
June 10, 2015, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with a third party for three months of investor relations services.
The Company has agreed to pay the consultant a monthly fee of $10,000, payable in shares of Common Stock for each month of the
term. The Company issued 15,625 and 25,641 shares of Common Stock to this service provider on June 10, 2015 and July 10, 2015,
respectively.
Each
of the above issuances was made in reliance on exemptions under Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
and the Company received no proceeds from these issuances.
On
December 31, 2013, we issued (i) 199,990 shares of common stock, (ii) 459,043 shares of Series H Preferred Stock, each of which
is convertible into ten shares of common stock and (iii) 119,760 shares of Series I Preferred Stock, each of which is convertible
into twenty shares of common stock to Rockstar Consortium US LP (“Rockstar”) in consideration for the purchase
of approximately 101 patents and patent applications and related rights.
These
securities were sold and issued to “accredited investors,” as such term is defined in the Securities Act and were
offered and sold in reliance on the exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) and Regulation D (Rule 506) under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and corresponding provisions of state securities laws.
In
December 2013, we entered into separate Amendment and Exchange Agreements with the holders of our outstanding shares of Series
D Preferred Stock pursuant to which such holders agreed to return their shares of Series D Preferred Stock to us for cancellation
in consideration for which we issued such holder an equal number of shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock. Each share
of Series D-1 Preferred Stock is entitled to one vote per share (subject to beneficial ownership limitations described below)
and shall vote together with holders of our common stock. Each share of Series D-1 Preferred Stock is convertible into one share
of our common stock and has a stated value of $0.0001. The conversion ratio is subject to adjustment in the event of
stock splits, stock dividends, combination of shares and similar recapitalization transactions. We
are prohibited from effecting the conversion of the Series D-1 Preferred Stock to the extent that, as a result of such conversion,
the holder beneficially owns more than 9.99%, in the aggregate, of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock calculated
immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of common stock upon the conversion of the Series D-1 Preferred Stock.
The
securities referenced above were sold and issued to “accredited investors,” as such term is defined in the Securities
Act and were offered and sold in reliance on the exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) and Regulation D (Rule
506) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and corresponding provisions of state securities laws.
On
November 26, 2013, we entered into separate Amendment and Exchange Agreements with the holders of our outstanding shares of Series
F Preferred Stock pursuant to which such holders agreed to return their shares of Series F Preferred Stock to us for cancellation
in consideration for which we issued such holder an equal number of shares of Series F-1 Preferred Stock. Each share
of Series F-1 Preferred Stock is entitled to 91% of one vote per share (subject to beneficial ownership limitations described
below) and shall vote together with holders of our common stock. Each share of Series F-1 Preferred Stock is convertible into
one share of our common stock and has a stated value of $0.0001. The conversion ratio is subject to adjustment in the
event of stock splits, stock dividends, combination of shares and similar recapitalization transactions. We
are prohibited from effecting the conversion of the Series F-1 Preferred Stock to the extent that, as a result of such conversion,
the holder beneficially owns more than 9.99%, in the aggregate, of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock calculated
immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of common stock upon the conversion of the Series F-1 Preferred Stock.
The
securities referenced above were sold and issued to “accredited investors,” as such term is defined in the Securities
Act and were offered and sold in reliance on the exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) and Regulation D (Rule
506) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and corresponding provisions of state securities laws.
On
November 6, 2013, we sold an aggregate of 304,250 shares of Series F Preferred Stock and 48,438 shares of common stock to five
accredited investors for gross proceeds of $2,235,000. The purchase price per share of common stock was $6.40 for $1,310,000
of such investment and $6.25 for $925,000 of such investment. No broker was utilized in connection with the sale.
Each share of Series F Preferred Stock is entitled to one vote per share (subject to beneficial ownership limitation) and shall
vote together with holders of our common stock. We are prohibited from effecting the conversion of the Series F Preferred
Stock to the extent that, as a result of such conversion, the holder will beneficially own more than 9.99% in the aggregate of
the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock calculated immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of
common stock upon the conversion of the Series F Preferred Stock.
The
securities referenced above were sold and issued to “accredited investors,” as such term is defined in the Securities
Act and were offered and sold in reliance on the exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) and Regulation D (Rule
506) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and corresponding provisions of state securities laws.
On
July 24, 2013, we closed on the acquisition of a group of patents in the mobile communication sector from Rockstar. In
consideration for the patents, we paid certain consideration to Rockstar, including 176,991 shares of the Company’s common
stock. The Shares are subject to a lock-up agreement, subject to certain leak-out provisions, which shall expire on
the earlier of (i) six months from the issuance of the shares and (ii) the date that our common stock achieves a trading volume
of at least 50,000 shares per day and a closing price of at least $13 per share for a period of five consecutive days.
The
issuance of these securities was deemed to be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
by virtue of Section 4(2) thereof, as a transaction by an issuer not involving a public offering.
On
June 25, 2013, we sold an aggregate of 100,000 shares of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock to an accredited investor for a
per share price of $5.00 with gross proceeds to the Company of $500,000. Each share of Series
E Convertible Preferred Stock is convertible, at the option of the holder at any time, into one (1) share of our common stock
and has a stated value of $0.0001. Such conversion ratio is subject to adjustment in the case of stock splits, stock
dividends, combination of shares and similar recapitalization transactions. We
are prohibited from effecting the conversion of the Series E Convertible Preferred Stock to the extent that, as a result of such
conversion, the holder will beneficially own more than 4.99% (or, if such limitation is waived by the holder upon no less than
61 days prior notice, 9.99%) in the aggregate of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock calculated immediately
after giving effect to the issuance of shares of common stock upon the conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock.
The
securities referenced above were sold and issued to “accredited investors,” as such term is defined in the Securities
Act and were offered and sold in reliance on the exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(2) and Regulation D (Rule 506)
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and corresponding provisions of state securities laws.
On
March 6, 2013, we entered into separate Warrant Exchange Agreements with certain investors that participated in the November 2012
private placement transaction pursuant to which such investors exchanged common stock purchase warrants acquired in the private
placement transaction for shares of our Series C Convertible Preferred Stock. Each share of Series C Convertible Preferred
Stock is convertible into one share of common stock at the option of the holder. Each share of Series C Preferred Stock
has a stated value of $0.0001 per share and upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the business of the Company, each
holder of Series C Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, for each share held, a preferential amount in cash equal to the
Stated Value. The holder of Series C Preferred Stock may not convert such shares to the extent such conversion would
cause the holder to hold in excess of 4.99% of our issued and outstanding common stock, subject to an increase in such limitation
to 9.99% upon the written notice by the holder to the Company.
Warrants
were issued in November 2012 for an aggregate of 483,657 shares of common stock. The Warrants were exercisable through
November 7, 2017 at an exercise price of $6.53 per share.
Pursuant
to the Warrant Exchange Agreements, the investors received in exchange for their warrants an aggregate of 229,337 shares of the
Series C Convertible Preferred Stock, convertible into one (1) share of common stock. This is the same number of shares
of common stock that would have been issued upon a “cashless exercise” of the exchanged warrants, as permitted
by the terms of the warrants, based on the one-day volume weighted average price of the Company’s common stock on February
28, 2013 of $12.6439 as reported by Bloomberg.
The
issuance of these securities was deemed to be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
by virtue of Section 4(2) thereof, as a transaction by an issuer not involving a public offering.
ITEM 16.
EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
See
the Exhibit Index set forth on page II-7 to this Registration Statement, which is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 17.
UNDERTAKINGS
Insofar
as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Act, may be permitted to directors,
officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been
advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is therefore unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other
than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection
with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by
controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against
public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The
Registrant hereby undertakes:
(a)
To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i)
To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
(ii)
To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent
post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set
forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if
the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high
end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering
price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and
(iii)
To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement
or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
(b)
That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall
be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at
that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;
(c)
To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold
at the termination of the offering;
(d)
That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus
filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant
pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of this registration
statement as of the time it was declared effective; and
(e)
That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains
a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering
of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(f)
To deliver or cause to be delivered with the prospectus, to each person to whom
the prospectus is sent or given, the latest annual report to security holders that is incorporated by reference in the prospectus
and furnished pursuant to and meeting the requirements of Rule 14a-3 or Rule 14c-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934;
and, where interim financial information required to be presented by Article 3 of Regulation S-X are not set forth in the prospectus,
to deliver, or cause to be delivered to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or given, the latest quarterly report
that is specifically incorporated by reference in the prospectus to provide such interim financial information.
Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Amendment No. 4 to the Registration Statement on
Form S-1 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in New York, New York, on November 16,
2015.
|
Spherix
Incorporated
(Registrant)
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By: |
/s/ Anthony
Hayes |
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Date: November 16, 2015 |
Anthony
Hayes
Director
and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)
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By: |
/s/ Frank Reiner
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|
Date: November 16, 2015 |
Frank
Reiner
Interim
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
|
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment No. 4 to the Registration Statement has been signed by the following
persons in the capacities and on the dates stated.
/s/ Anthony
Hayes |
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|
|
Anthony
Hayes
|
Chief
Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer) |
November
16, 2015 |
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/s/
Frank Reiner |
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Frank
Reiner |
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Interim Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
November 16, 2015 |
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*
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Robert
J. Vander Zanden
|
Chairman
of the Board |
November 16, 2015 |
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*
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Jeffrey
Ballabon
|
Director
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November 16, 2015 |
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*
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Douglas
T. Brown
|
Director
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November 16, 2015 |
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*
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Tim
S. Ledwick
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Director
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November
16, 2015 |
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*
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Howard
E. Goldberg
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Director
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November
16, 2015 |
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* By: |
/s/ Anthony
Hayes |
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Anthony Hayes, Attorney-in-Fact
November 16, 2015 |
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EXHIBIT
INDEX
Exhibit No. |
|
Description |
3.1 |
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Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Spherix Incorporated (incorporated by reference to Form 8-K filed
April 25, 2014) |
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3.2 |
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Amended and Restated Bylaws of Spherix Incorporated (incorporated by reference to Form 8-K filed October 15, 2013) |
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4.1 |
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Specimen Certificate for common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Spherix Incorporated (incorporated by reference
to Form S-3/A filed April 17, 2014) |
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|
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4.2 |
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Rights Agreement dated as of January 24, 2013, between Spherix Incorporated and Equity Stock Transfer, LLC (incorporated
by reference to Form 8-K filed January 30, 2013) |
|
|
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4.3 |
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Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock (incorporated
by reference to Form 8-K filed on March 7, 2013) |
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|
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4.4 |
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Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock (incorporated
by reference to Form 8-K filed on April 4, 2013) |
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4.5 |
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Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock (incorporated
by reference to Form 8-K filed on November 29, 2013) |
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|
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4.6 |
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Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series F-1 Convertible Preferred Stock (incorporated
by reference to Form 8-K filed on November 26, 2013) |
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4.7 |
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Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series H Convertible Preferred Stock
(incorporated by reference to Form 8-K filed on January 2, 2014) |
|
|
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4.8 |
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Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series I Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock
(incorporated by reference to Form 8-K filed on January 2, 2014) |
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4.9 |
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Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series J Convertible Preferred Stock (incorporated
by reference to Form 8-K/A filed on June 2, 2014) |
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4.10 |
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Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series K Convertible Preferred Stock* |
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4.11 |
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Form of Warrant (incorporated by reference to Form 8-K filed on March 26, 2014) |
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4.12 |
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Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant (incorporated by reference to Form 8-K filed on July 17, 2015) |
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4.13 |
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Form of Warrant* |
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5.1 |
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Opinion of Nixon Peabody LLP regarding the validity of the common stock and warrants being registered* |
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10.1 |
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1997 Stock Option Plan (incorporated by reference from the Company’s
Proxy Statements for its May 1998, May 2001, May 2005, November 2011 and August 2012 annual meetings, as filed with the Commission) |
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10.2 |
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2012 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference from the
Company’s Information Statement on Form DEF 14c filed November 26, 2012) |
|
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10.3 |
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Lease Agreement dated October 4, 2007, between Elizabethean
Court Associates III Limited Partnership and the Company (incorporated by reference to Form 10-Q filed November 19, 2007) |
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10.4 |
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Amendment to Office Building Lease, between Elizabethean Court
Associates III Limited Partnership and the Company (incorporated by reference to Form 8-K filed March 23, 2012) |
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10.5 |
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Agreement and Plan of Merger dated April 2, 2013 (incorporated
by reference to the Form 8-K filed on April 4, 2013) |
|
|
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10.6 |
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Spherix Incorporated 2013 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated
by reference to the Form 8-K filed on April 4, 2013) |
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|
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10.7 |
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Spherix Incorporated 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated
by reference from the Company’s Proxy Statement on Form DEF 14A filed December 20, 2013) |
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10.8 |
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Amendment to Spherix Incorporated 2014 Equity Incentive Plan
(incorporated by reference from the Company’s Proxy Statement on Form DEF 14A filed March 28, 2014) |
|
|
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10.9 |
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First Amendment to Agreement and Plan of Merger dated August
30, 2013 (incorporated by reference to the Form 8-K filed on September 4, 2013) |
|
|
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10.10 |
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Form of Indemnification Agreement (incorporated by reference
to the Form 8-K filed on September 10, 2013) |
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|
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10.11 |
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Employment Agreement between Spherix Incorporated and Anthony
Hayes (incorporated by reference to the Form 8-K filed on September 13, 2013) |
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10.12 |
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Indemnification Agreement between Spherix Incorporated and Alexander
Poltorak (incorporated by reference to the Form 8-K filed on October 29, 2013) |
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|
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10.13 |
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Indemnification Agreement between Spherix Incorporated and Richard
Cohen (incorporated by reference to the Form 8-K filed on January 9, 2014) |
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10.14 |
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Indemnification Agreement between Spherix Incorporated and Jeffrey
Ballabon (incorporated by reference to the Form 8-K filed on June 13, 2014) |
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|
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10.15 |
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Patent Purchase Agreement between Spherix Incorporated and Rockstar
Consortium US LP, including Amendment No. 1 thereto (incorporated by reference to the Form 8-K/A filed on November 19, 2013) |
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10.16 |
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Form of Series F Exchange Agreement (incorporated by reference
to the Form 8-K filed on November 26, 2013) |
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10.17 |
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Form of Series D Exchange Agreement
(incorporated by reference to the Form 8-K filed on December 30, 2013)
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|
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10.18 |
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Form of Voting and Support Agreement
(incorporated by reference to the Form 8-K filed on January 2, 2014)
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10.19 |
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Confidential Patent Purchase Agreement
dated December 31, 2013 between Spherix Incorporated and Rockstar Consortium US LP (incorporated by reference to the Form
S-1/A filed January 21, 2014)
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10.20 |
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Consulting Agreement, effective as
of August 10, 2015, between Spherix Incorporated and Howard E Goldberg, d/b/a Forward Vision Associates (incorporated by reference
to Form 8-K filed on August 19, 2015) |
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|
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10.21 |
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Form of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated July 15, 2015,
by and between Spherix Incorporated and each of the Purchasers (as defined therein) (incorporated by reference to Form 8-K
filed on July 17, 2015) |
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|
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10.22 |
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Form of Securities Purchase Agreement*
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21.1 |
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List of Subsidiaries (incorporated
by reference to Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, filed on March 30, 2015)
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23.1 |
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Consent of Marcum LLP, Independent
Auditors*
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23.2 |
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Consent of Nixon Peabody LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)* |
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24.1 |
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Power of Attorney (included on signature page of prior filing)*** |
*
Filed herewith.
**
To be filed with amendment.
***
Previously filed.
Exhibit
4.10
Spherix
incorporated
FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION OF
PREFERENCES,
RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS
OF
SERIES K
CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
PURSUANT
TO SECTION 151 OF THE
delaware
GENERAL CORPORATION LAW
The undersigned, Anthony
Hayes, does hereby certify that:
1. He is the Chief
Executive Officer Spherix Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the "Corporation").
2. The Corporation
is authorized to issue 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock.
3. The following resolutions
were duly adopted by the board of directors of the Corporation (the "Board of Directors") as required by Section
151(g) of the Delaware General Corporation Law:
WHEREAS, the certificate
of incorporation of the Corporation, as amended and restated, provides for a class of its authorized stock known as preferred stock,
consisting of 50,000,000 shares, $0.0001 par value per share, issuable from time to time in one or more series;
WHEREAS, the Board
of Directors is authorized to fix the dividend rights, dividend rate, voting rights, conversion rights, rights and terms of redemption
and liquidation preferences of any wholly unissued series of preferred stock and the number of shares constituting any series and
the designation thereof, of any of them; and
WHEREAS, it is the
desire of the Board of Directors, pursuant to its authority as aforesaid, to fix the rights, preferences, restrictions, terms and
other matters relating to a series of the preferred stock, which shall consist of, except as otherwise set forth in the Purchase
Agreement (as defined herein), up to ___________ shares of the preferred stock which the Corporation has the authority to issue,
as follows:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE
IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Directors does hereby provide for the issuance of a series of preferred stock for cash or exchange
of other securities, rights or property and does hereby fix and determine the rights, preferences, restrictions and other matters
relating to such series of preferred stock as follows:
TERMS OF PREFERRED STOCK
Section 1. Designation,
Amount and Par Value. The series of preferred stock shall be designated as its Series K Convertible Preferred Stock (the "Preferred
Stock") and the number of shares so designated shall consist of up to _________ shares (which shall not be subject to
increase without the written consent of all of the holders of the Preferred Stock (each, a "Holder" and collectively,
the "Holders")). Each share of Preferred Stock shall have a par value of $0.0001 per share and a stated value
equal to $1,000 (the "Stated Value").
Section 2. Definitions.
For the purposes hereof, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
"Affiliate"
means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common
control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
"Alternate
Consideration" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(e).
"Beneficial
Ownership Limitation" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(d).
"Business
Day" means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any
day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
"Buy-In"
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c)(iv).
"Closing"
means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section 2.1 of the Purchase Agreement.
"Closing
Date" means the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable
parties thereto and all conditions precedent to (i) each Holder’s obligations to pay the Subscription Amount and (ii) the
Corporation’s obligations to deliver the Securities have been satisfied or waived.
"Commission"
means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
"Common
Stock" means the Corporation’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and stock of any other class of securities
into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
"Common
Stock Equivalents" means any securities of the Corporation or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof
to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, rights, options, warrants or other
instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to
receive, Common Stock.
"Conversion
Amount" means the sum of the Stated Value at issue.
"Conversion
Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).
"Conversion
Price" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(b).
"Conversion
Shares" means, collectively, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the shares of Preferred Stock in accordance
with the terms hereof.
"Escrow
Agent" means Signature Bank, a New York State chartered bank and having an office at 261 Madison Avenue, New York, New
York 10016.
"Escrow
Agreement" means the escrow agreement entered into on or prior to the date of the Purchase Agreement, by and among the
Corporation, the Placement Agent and the Escrow Agent pursuant to which the Holder shall deposit Subscription Amounts with the
Escrow Agent to be applied to the transactions contemplated hereunder.
"Exchange
Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
"Fundamental
Transaction" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(e).
"GAAP"
means United States generally accepted accounting principles.
"Holder"
shall have the meaning given such term in Section 1.
"Liquidation"
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.
"New
York Courts" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(d).
"Notice
of Conversion" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).
"Original
Issue Date" means the date of the first issuance of any shares of the Preferred Stock regardless of the number of transfers
of any particular shares of Preferred Stock and regardless of the number of certificates which may be issued to evidence such Preferred
Stock.
"Person"
means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability
company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
"Preferred
Stock" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1.
"Purchase
Agreement" means the Securities Purchase Agreement dated as of November __, 2015 among the Corporation and the other parties
thereto including the original Holders, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.
"Securities"
means the Shares, the Warrants and, if any, the Preferred Stock, issued and sold by the Corporation on the Closing Date.
"Securities
Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
"Series
A Warrants" means, collectively, the Series A Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Holder at the Closing in
accordance with Section 2.2(a) of the Purchase Agreement, which Warrants shall be exercisable immediately and have a term of exercise
equal to six (6) months, in the form of Exhibit B-1 attached to the Purchase Agreement.
"Series
B Warrants" means, collectively, the Series B Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Holder at the Closing in
accordance with Section 2.2(a) of the Purchase Agreement, which Warrants shall be exercisable immediately and have a term of exercise
equal to five (5) years, in the form of Exhibit B-2 attached to the Purchase Agreement
"Shares"
means the shares of Common Stock issued or issuable to each purchaser party to the Purchase Agreement on the Closing Date.
"Share
Delivery Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c).
"Stated
Value" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1.
"Subscription
Amount" shall mean, as to each Holder, the aggregate amount to be paid for the Preferred Stock purchased pursuant to the
Purchase Agreement as specified below such Holder’s name on the signature page of the Purchase Agreement and next to the
heading "Subscription Amount" in United States dollars and in immediately available funds.
"Subsidiary"
means any subsidiary of the Corporation as set forth on Schedule 3.1(a) of the Purchase Agreement and shall, where applicable,
also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Corporation formed or acquired after the date of the Purchase Agreement.
"Successor
Entity" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(e).
"Trading
Day" means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for business.
"Trading
Market" means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the
date in question: the NYSE MKT, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York
Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
"Transaction
Documents" means this Certificate of Designation, the Purchase Agreement, the Warrants, the Escrow Agreement, all exhibits
and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated
pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
"Transfer
Agent” means Equity Stock Transfer, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 110 Greene Street,
New York, NY 10012 and a facsimile number of 347-584-3644, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
"Underlying
Shares" means the shares of Common Stock issued and issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock and upon exercise
of the Warrants.
"Warrants"
means, collectively, the Series A Warrants and the Series B Warrants.
"Warrant
Shares" means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
Section
3. Dividends. Except for stock dividends or distributions
for which adjustments are to be made pursuant to Section 7, Holders shall be entitled to receive, and the Corporation shall pay,
dividends on shares of Preferred Stock equal (on an as-if-converted-to-Common-Stock basis) to and in the same form as dividends
actually paid on shares of the Common Stock when, as and if such dividends are paid on shares of the Common Stock. No other dividends
shall be paid on shares of Preferred Stock.
Section 4. Voting
Rights. Except as otherwise provided herein or as otherwise required by law, the Preferred Stock shall have no voting rights.
However, as long as any shares of Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, without the affirmative vote of the
Holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Preferred Stock, (a) alter or change adversely the powers, preferences
or rights given to the Preferred Stock or alter or amend this Certificate of Designation, (b) amend its certificate of incorporation
or other charter documents in any manner that adversely affects any rights of the Holders, or (c) increase the number of authorized
shares of Series K Preferred Stock.
Section 5. Liquidation.
Subject to the liquidation rights, terms and preferences of the currently outstanding shares of Series H Preferred Stock of the
Corporation, upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary (a "Liquidation"),
the Holders shall be entitled to receive out of the assets, whether capital or surplus, of the Corporation the same amount that
a holder of Common Stock would receive if the Preferred Stock were fully converted (disregarding for such purposes any conversion
limitations hereunder) to Common Stock which amounts shall be paid pari passu with all holders of Common Stock. The
Corporation shall mail written notice of any such Liquidation, not less than 45 days prior to the payment date stated therein,
to each Holder.
Section 6. Conversion.
(a) Conversions
at Option of Holder. Each share of Preferred Stock shall be convertible, at any time and from time to time from and after the
Original Issue Date at the option of the Holder thereof, into that number of shares of Common Stock (subject to the limitations
set forth in Section 6(d)) determined by dividing the Stated Value of such share of Preferred Stock by the Conversion Price. Holders
shall effect conversions by providing the Corporation with the written form of conversion notice, which Notice of Conversion must
include the Holder’s complete and accurate DWAC and prime broker delivery information, attached hereto as Annex A
(a "Notice of Conversion"). Each Notice of Conversion shall specify the number of shares of Preferred Stock to
be converted, the number of shares of Preferred Stock owned prior to the conversion at issue, the number of shares of Preferred
Stock owned subsequent to the conversion at issue and the date on which such conversion is to be effected, which date may not be
prior to the date the applicable Holder delivers by facsimile such Notice of Conversion to the Corporation (such date, the "Conversion
Date"). If no Conversion Date is specified in a Notice of Conversion, the Conversion Date shall be the date that such
Notice of Conversion to the Corporation is deemed delivered hereunder. No ink-original Notice of Conversion shall be required,
nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Conversion form be required.
The calculations and entries set forth in the Notice of Conversion shall control in the absence of manifest or mathematical
error. To effect conversions of shares of Preferred Stock, a Holder shall not be required to surrender the certificate(s) representing
the shares of Preferred Stock to the Corporation unless all of the shares of Preferred Stock represented thereby are so converted,
in which case such Holder shall deliver the certificate representing such shares of Preferred Stock promptly following the Conversion
Date at issue. Shares of Preferred Stock converted into Common Stock or redeemed in accordance with the terms hereof shall be canceled
and shall not be reissued.
(b) Conversion
Price. The conversion price for the Preferred Stock shall equal $_____,
subject to adjustment herein (the "Conversion Price").
(c) Mechanics
of Conversion.
i. Delivery
of Conversion Shares Upon Conversion. Not later than three (3) Trading Days after each Conversion Date (the "Share
Delivery Date"), the Corporation shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the converting Holder (A) the number of Conversion
Shares being acquired upon the conversion of the Preferred Stock, which Conversion Shares shall be free of restrictive legends
and trading restrictions and (B) a bank check in the amount of accrued and unpaid dividends, if any, in accordance with Section
3. The Corporation shall deliver the Conversion Shares electronically through the Depository Trust Company or another established
clearing corporation performing similar functions.
ii. Failure
to Deliver Conversion Shares. If, in the case of any Notice of Conversion, such Conversion Shares are not delivered to or as
directed by the applicable Holder by the Share Delivery Date, the Holder shall be entitled to elect by written notice to the Corporation
at any time on or before its receipt of such Conversion Shares, to rescind such Conversion, in which event the Corporation shall
promptly return to the Holder any original Preferred Stock certificate delivered to the Corporation and the Holder shall promptly
return to the Corporation the Conversion Shares issued to such Holder pursuant to the rescinded Conversion Notice. Failure by a
Holder to deliver to the Corporation a complete and accurate Notice of Conversion shall result in the adjustment of the Share Delivery
Date by adding one additional Trading Day for the benefit of the Corporation to comply with this Section 6(c) for each day that
such Holder fails to provide all of the information necessary for the Corporation to cause the Conversion Shares to be delivered
to such Holder.
iii. Obligation
Absolute; Partial Liquidated Damages. The Corporation’s obligation to issue and deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion
of Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms hereof are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by
a Holder to enforce the same, any waiver or consent with respect to any provision hereof, the recovery of any judgment against
any Person or any action to enforce the same, or any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, limitation or termination, or any breach
or alleged breach by such Holder or any other Person of any obligation to the Corporation or any violation or alleged violation
of law by such Holder or any other person, and irrespective of any other circumstance which might otherwise limit such obligation
of the Corporation to such Holder in connection with the issuance of such Conversion Shares; provided, however, that
such delivery shall not operate as a waiver by the Corporation of any such action that the Corporation may have against such Holder.
If the Corporation fails to deliver to a Holder such Conversion Shares pursuant to Section 6(c)(i) on the second Trading Day after
the Share Delivery Date (subject to Section 6(c)(ii)) applicable to such conversion, the Corporation shall pay to such Holder,
in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $5,000 of Stated Value of Preferred Stock being converted, $50 per
Trading Day (increasing to $100 per Trading Day on the third Trading Day and increasing to $200 per Trading Day on the sixth Trading
Day after such damages begin to accrue) for each Trading Day after such second Trading Day after the Share Delivery Date (subject
to Section 6(c)(ii)) until such Conversion Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such conversion. Nothing herein shall limit
a Holder's right to pursue actual damages for the Corporation's failure to deliver Conversion Shares within the period specified
herein and such Holder shall have the right to pursue all remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without
limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief. The exercise of any such rights shall not prohibit a Holder
from seeking to enforce damages pursuant to any other Section hereof or under applicable law.
iv. Compensation
for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Conversion Shares Upon Conversion. In addition to any other rights available to the
Holder, if the Corporation fails for any reason to deliver to a Holder the applicable Conversion Shares by the Share Delivery Date
pursuant to Sections 6(c)(i) and 6(c)(ii), and if after such Share Delivery Date such Holder is required by its brokerage firm
to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise), or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common
Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by such Holder of the Conversion Shares which such Holder was entitled to receive upon
the conversion relating to such Share Delivery Date (a "Buy-In"), then the Corporation shall (A) pay in cash to
such Holder (in addition to any other remedies available to or elected by such Holder) the amount, if any, by which (x) such Holder’s
total purchase price (including any brokerage commissions) for the Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the product of (1) the
aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that such Holder was entitled to receive from the conversion at issue multiplied by
(2) the actual sale price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed (including any brokerage
commissions) and (B) at the option of such Holder, either reissue (if surrendered) the shares of Preferred Stock equal to the number
of shares of Preferred Stock submitted for conversion (in which case, such conversion shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to
such Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if the Corporation had timely complied with its delivery
requirements under Sections 6(c)(i) and 6(c)(ii). For example, if a Holder purchases shares of Common Stock having a total purchase
price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted conversion of shares of Preferred Stock with respect to which the
actual sale price of the Conversion Shares (including any brokerage commissions) giving rise to such purchase obligation was a
total of $10,000 under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence, the Corporation shall be required to pay such Holder $1,000.
The Holder shall provide the Corporation written notice indicating the amounts payable to such Holder in respect of the Buy-In
and, upon request of the Corporation, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to
pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance
and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Corporation’s failure to timely deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion
of the shares of Preferred Stock as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
v. Reservation
of Shares Issuable Upon Conversion. The Corporation covenants that it will at all times reserve and keep available out of its
authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock for the sole purpose of issuance upon conversion of the Preferred Stock as herein
provided, free from preemptive rights or any other actual contingent purchase rights of Persons other than the Holder (and the
other holders of the Preferred Stock), not less than such aggregate number of shares of the Common Stock as shall (subject to the
terms and conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement) be issuable (taking into account the adjustments and restrictions of
Section 7) upon the conversion of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock. The Corporation covenants that all shares of
Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
vi. Fractional
Shares. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the conversion of the Preferred Stock.
As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such conversion, the Corporation shall
at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied
by the Conversion Price or round up to the next whole share.
vii. Transfer
Taxes and Expenses. The issuance of Conversion Shares on conversion of this Preferred Stock shall be made without charge to
any Holder for any documentary stamp or similar taxes that may be payable in respect of the issue or delivery of such Conversion
Shares, provided that the Corporation shall not be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved
in the issuance and delivery of any such Conversion Shares upon conversion in a name other than that of the Holders of such shares
of Preferred Stock and the Corporation shall not be required to issue or deliver such Conversion Shares unless or until the Person
or Persons requesting the issuance thereof shall have paid to the Corporation the amount of such tax or shall have established
to the satisfaction of the Corporation that such tax has been paid. The Corporation shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required
for same-day processing of any Notice of Conversion and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing
corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Conversion Shares.
(d) Beneficial
Ownership Limitation. The Corporation shall not effect any conversion of the Preferred Stock, and a Holder shall not
have the right to convert any portion of the Preferred Stock, to the extent that, after giving effect to the conversion set forth
on the applicable Notice of Conversion, such Holder (together with such Holder’s Affiliates, and any Persons acting as a
group together with such Holder or any of such Holder’s Affiliates) would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership
Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially
owned by such Holder and its Affiliates shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Preferred
Stock with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which are
issuable upon (i) conversion of the remaining, unconverted Stated Value of Preferred Stock beneficially owned by such Holder or
any of its Affiliates and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the
Corporation subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein (including, without
limitation, the Preferred Stock or the Warrants) beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Affiliates. Except as set
forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 6(d), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with
Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that
the Corporation is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act
and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation
contained in this Section 6(d) applies, the determination of whether the Preferred Stock is convertible (in relation to other securities
owned by such Holder together with any Affiliates) and of how many shares of Preferred Stock are convertible shall be in the sole
discretion of such Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Conversion shall be deemed to be such Holder’s determination
of whether the shares of Preferred Stock may be converted (in relation to other securities owned by such Holder together with any
Affiliates) and how many shares of the Preferred Stock are convertible, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation.
To ensure compliance with this restriction, each Holder will be deemed to represent to the Corporation each time it delivers a
Notice of Conversion that such Notice of Conversion has not violated the restrictions set forth in this paragraph and the Corporation
shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In
addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of
the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
For purposes of this Section 6(d), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number
of outstanding shares of Common Stock as stated in the most recent of the following: (i) the Corporation’s most recent periodic
or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (ii) a more recent public announcement by the Corporation or (iii)
a more recent written notice by the Corporation or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding.
Upon the written request (which may be via email) of a Holder, the Corporation shall within two Trading Days confirm orally and
in writing to such Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares
of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Corporation, including
the Preferred Stock, by such Holder or its Affiliates since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock
was reported. The "Beneficial Ownership Limitation" shall be 4.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock
outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of Preferred Stock
held by the applicable Holder. A Holder, upon notice to the Corporation, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation
provisions of this Section 6(d) applicable to its Preferred Stock provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event
exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares
of Common Stock upon conversion of this Preferred Stock held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 6(d) shall continue
to apply. Any such increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such
notice is delivered to the Corporation and shall only apply to such Holder and no other Holder. The provisions of this paragraph
shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 6(d) to correct
this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation
contained herein or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation.
The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of Preferred Stock.
Section 7. Certain
Adjustments.
(a) Stock
Dividends and Stock Splits. If the Corporation, at any time while this Preferred Stock is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend
or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions payable in shares of Common Stock on shares of Common Stock or any other Common
Stock Equivalents (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Corporation upon conversion
of, or payment of a dividend on, this Preferred Stock), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number
of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of a reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number
of shares, or (iv) issues, in the event of a reclassification of shares of the Common Stock, any shares of capital stock of the
Corporation, then the Conversion Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of
Common Stock (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation) outstanding immediately before such event, and of which the denominator
shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section
7(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend
or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.
(b) [Reserved].
(c) Subsequent
Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 7(a) above, if at any time the Corporation grants, issues
or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record
holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the "Purchase Rights"), then the Holder of will be entitled to
acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired
if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete conversion of such Holder’s Preferred
Stock (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation)
immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such
record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or
sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase
Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate
in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right
to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until the earlier of (a) such time,
if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation and (b) solely with
respect to rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property, the expiration of the applicable rights offering for
such Purchase Rights (in which case such Purchase Rights shall be cancelled and terminated)).
(d) Pro
Rata Distributions. During such time as this Preferred Stock is outstanding, if the Corporation shall declare or make any dividend
or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of
capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by
way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a
"Distribution"), at any time after the issuance of this Preferred Stock, then, in each such case, the Holder shall
be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder
had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete conversion of this Preferred Stock (without regard to any
limitations on conversion hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date
of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares
of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, to the extent
that the Holder's right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation,
then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any
shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance
for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial
Ownership Limitation).
(e) Fundamental
Transaction. If, at any time while this Preferred Stock is outstanding, (i) the Corporation, directly or indirectly, in one
or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into another Person, (ii) the Corporation,
directly or indirectly, effects any sale of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions,
(iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Corporation or another Person) is
completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities,
cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock, (iv) the Corporation, directly
or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common
Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other
securities, cash or property, (v) the Corporation, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock
or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off
or scheme of arrangement) with another Person whereby such other Person acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or
affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each
a "Fundamental Transaction"), then, upon any subsequent conversion of this Preferred Stock, the Holder shall have
the right to receive, for each Conversion Share that would have been issuable upon such conversion immediately prior to the occurrence
of such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 6(d) on the conversion of this Preferred Stock), the
number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Corporation, if it is the surviving corporation,
and any additional consideration (the "Alternate Consideration") receivable by holders of Common Stock as a result
of such Fundamental Transaction for each share of Common Stock for which this Preferred Stock is convertible immediately prior
to such Fundamental Transaction (provided, however, that to the extent that a Holder’s or any of its Affiliate’s, singly
or in the aggregate, right to receive such shares would result in exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder
shall not be entitled to receive such shares to such extent (or to beneficially own any shares of common stock of the Corporation
or its equivalent); however, such shares or securities shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of such Holder until such time,
if ever, as its right thereto would not result in such Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, at which time the
Holder shall be delivered such shares or securities up to, but not exceeding, such Beneficial Ownership Limitation). For purposes
of any such conversion, the determination of the Conversion Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration
based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction,
and the Corporation shall apportion the Conversion Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the
relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to
the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as
to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any conversion of this Preferred Stock following such Fundamental Transaction.
To the extent necessary to effectuate the foregoing provisions, any successor to the Corporation or surviving entity in such Fundamental
Transaction shall file a new Certificate of Designation with the same terms and conditions and issue to the Holders new preferred
stock consistent with the foregoing provisions and evidencing the Holders’ right to convert such preferred stock into Alternate
Consideration. The Corporation shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Corporation is not the
survivor (the "Successor Entity") to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Corporation under this Certificate
of Designation and the other Transaction Documents (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) in accordance with the provisions of
this Section 7(e) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the
Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the holder of this Preferred
Stock, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Preferred Stock a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument
substantially similar in form and substance to this Preferred Stock which is convertible for a corresponding number of shares of
capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable
upon conversion of this Preferred Stock (without regard to any limitations on the conversion of this Preferred Stock) prior to
such Fundamental Transaction, and with a conversion price which applies the conversion price hereunder to such shares of capital
stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the
value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such conversion price being for the purpose of
protecting the economic value of this Preferred Stock immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and
which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction,
the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction,
the provisions of this Certificate of Designation and the other Transaction Documents referring to the "Corporation"
shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Corporation and shall assume all of
the obligations of the Corporation under this Certificate of Designation and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect
as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Corporation herein.
(f) Calculations.
All calculations under this Section 7 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be.
For purposes of this Section 7, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall
be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation) issued and outstanding.
(g) Notice
to the Holders.
i. Adjustment
to Conversion Price. Whenever the Conversion Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 7, the Corporation
shall promptly deliver to each Holder a notice setting forth the Conversion Price after such adjustment and setting forth a brief
statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
ii. Notice
to Allow Conversion by Holder. If (A) the Corporation shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form)
on the Common Stock, (B) the Corporation shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock,
(C) the Corporation shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock of rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase
any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) where and if required by applicable law, the approval of the stockholders
of the Corporation shall be sought in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to
which the Corporation is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation, or any compulsory
share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property or (E) the Corporation shall authorize
the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation, then, in each case where
approval of the stockholders is required by applicable law, the Corporation shall cause to be filed at each office or agency maintained
for the purpose of conversion of this Preferred Stock, and shall cause to be delivered to each Holder at its last address as it
shall appear upon the stock books of the Corporation at least twenty (20) calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective
date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution,
redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record
to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such
reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date
as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common
Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share
exchange, provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the
validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes,
or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Corporation or any of the Subsidiaries, the Corporation shall file
such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K in the time required by applicable law, rule and regulation
or within the time required under such other Commission form. The Holder shall remain entitled to convert the Conversion Amount
of this Preferred Stock (or any part hereof) during the 20-day period commencing on the date of such notice through the effective
date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
Section 8. Miscellaneous.
(a) Notices.
Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Holders hereunder including, without limitation,
any Notice of Conversion, shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight
courier service, addressed to the Corporation, at the address set forth above Attention: Chief Financial Officer, e-mail address
freiner@spherix.com or such other email address, or address as the Corporation may specify for such purposes by notice to
the Holders delivered in accordance with this Section 8. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided
by the Corporation hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight
courier service addressed to each Holder at the facsimile number or address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Corporation,
or if no such facsimile number or address appears on the books of the Corporation, at the principal place of business of such Holder,
as set forth in the Purchase Agreement. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective
on the earliest of (i) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number
set forth in this Section 8 prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any date, (ii) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission,
if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number set forth in this Section 8 on a day that is
not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (iii) the second Trading Day following the date
of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such
notice is required to be given.
(b) Absolute
Obligation. Except as expressly provided herein, no provision of this Certificate of Designation shall alter or impair the
obligation of the Corporation, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay liquidated damages and accrued dividends, as applicable,
on the shares of Preferred Stock at the time, place, and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
(c) Lost
or Mutilated Preferred Stock Certificate. If a Holder’s Preferred Stock certificate shall be mutilated, lost, stolen
or destroyed, the Corporation shall execute and deliver, in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of a mutilated
certificate, or in lieu of or in substitution for a lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, a new certificate for the shares of
Preferred Stock so mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, but only upon receipt of evidence of such loss, theft or destruction of
such certificate, and of the ownership hereof reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation.
(d) Governing
Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Certificate of Designation
shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to
the principles of conflict of laws thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretation, enforcement
and defense of the transactions contemplated by any of the Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its
respective Affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents) shall be commenced in the state and federal courts
sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan (the "New York Courts"). Each party hereto hereby irrevocably
submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New York Courts for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith
or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction
Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not
personally subject to the jurisdiction of such New York Courts, or such New York Courts are improper or inconvenient venue for
such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such
suit, action or 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 Certificate of Designation 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 other manner permitted by applicable 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 Certificate of Designation or the transactions contemplated hereby. If any party shall commence an action or proceeding
to enforce any provisions of this Certificate of Designation, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed
by the other party for its attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred in the investigation, preparation and prosecution
of such action or proceeding.
(e) Waiver.
Any waiver by the Corporation or a Holder of a breach of any provision of this Certificate of Designation shall not operate as
or be construed to be a waiver of any other breach of such provision or of any breach of any other provision of this Certificate
of Designation or a waiver by any other Holders. The failure of the Corporation or a Holder to insist upon strict adherence to
any term of this Certificate of Designation on one or more occasions shall not be considered a waiver or deprive that party (or
any other Holder) of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any other term of this Certificate of
Designation on any other occasion. Any waiver by the Corporation or a Holder must be in writing.
(f) Severability.
If any provision of this Certificate of Designation is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the balance of this Certificate of Designation
shall remain in effect, and if any provision is inapplicable to any Person or circumstance, it shall nevertheless remain applicable
to all other Persons and circumstances. If it shall be found that any interest or other amount deemed interest due hereunder violates
the applicable law governing usury, the applicable rate of interest due hereunder shall automatically be lowered to equal the maximum
rate of interest permitted under applicable law.
(g) Next
Business Day. Whenever any payment or other obligation hereunder shall be due on a day other than a Business Day, such payment
shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day.
(h) Headings.
The headings contained herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Certificate of Designation and shall not
be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
(i) Status
of Converted or Redeemed Preferred Stock. Shares of Preferred Stock may only be issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
If any shares of Preferred Stock shall be converted, redeemed or reacquired by the Corporation, such shares shall resume the status
of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock and shall no longer be designated as Series K Convertible Preferred Stock.
Signature page to Certificate of Designation
IN WITNESS WHEREOF,
the undersigned have executed this Certificate this ___ day of October, 2015.
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Chief Executive Officer |
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Secretary |
ANNEX A
NOTICE OF CONVERSION
(To
be Executed by the Registered Holder in order to Convert Shares of Preferred Stock)
The undersigned hereby elects to convert
the number of shares of Series K Convertible Preferred Stock indicated below into shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per
share (the "Common Stock"), of Spherix Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the "Corporation"),
according to the conditions hereof, as of the date written below. If shares of Common Stock are to be issued in the name of a Person
other than the undersigned, the undersigned will pay all transfer taxes payable with respect thereto and is delivering herewith
such certificates and opinions as may be required by the Corporation in accordance with the Purchase Agreement. No fee will be
charged to the Holders for any conversion, except for any such transfer taxes.
Conversion calculations:
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Date to Effect Conversion: _____________________________________________ |
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Number of shares of Preferred Stock owned prior to Conversion: _______________ |
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Number of shares of Preferred Stock to be Converted: ________________________ |
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Stated Value of shares of Preferred Stock to be Converted: ____________________ |
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Number of shares of Common Stock to be Issued: ___________________________ |
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Applicable Conversion Price:____________________________________________ |
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Number of shares of Preferred Stock subsequent to Conversion: ________________ |
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Address for Delivery: ______________________ |
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or |
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DWAC Instructions: |
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Broker no: _________ |
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Account no: ___________ |
Exhibit 4.13
Form
of warrant
spherix incOrporated
Warrant Shares: _______ |
Initial Exercise Date: ___________, 2015 |
THIS SERIES [A][B]
COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, _____________
or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the
conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after _______, 2015 (the “Initial Exercise Date”) and on
or prior to the close of business on __________________, 202[_]1 (the “Termination Date”) but not
thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Spherix Incorporated, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”),
up to ______ shares (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”) of Common Stock. The purchase
price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).
Section 1. Definitions.
Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in that certain Securities Purchase
Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), dated _______________, 2015, among the Company and the purchasers signatory
thereto.
Section 2. Exercise.
(a) Exercise
of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial
Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company (or such other office or agency of the Company
as it may designate by notice in writing to the registered Holder at the address of the Holder appearing on the books of the Company)
of a duly executed facsimile copy (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise Form annexed hereto. Within three (3) Trading
Days following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the shares specified
in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless
exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of
Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise
form be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this
Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised
in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days
of the date the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases
of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number
of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and
the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company
shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise Form within one (1) Business Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder
and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following
the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any
given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
1 6 months from Initial Exercise
Date for Series A; 5 years from Initial Exercise Date for Series B.
(b) Exercise
Price. The exercise price per share of the Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $_______2, subject to
adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).
(c) Cashless
Exercise. If, and only if, at the time of exercise hereof there is no effective registration statement registering, or the
prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder, then this Warrant may be exercised,
in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive
a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:
(A) = the
VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date on which Holder elects to exercise this Warrant by means of a “cashless
exercise,” as set forth in the applicable Notice of Exercise;
(B) = the
Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and
(X)
= the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant
if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise.
If
Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9)
of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised. The
Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).
“VWAP”
means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then
listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest
preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based
on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if the OTC Bulletin or OTCQB
is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on
the OTC Bulletin Board or OTCQB as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on the OCT Bulletin
Board or OTCQB and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by Pink OTC Markets,
Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share
of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined
by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding
and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
2 $____ for
Series A; $______ for Series B
(d) Mechanics
of Exercise.
i. Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder or (B) this Warrant is being exercised via cashless exercise, and otherwise by physical delivery of a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is three (3) Trading Days after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). The Warrant Shares shall be deemed to have been issued, and Holder or any other person so designated to be named therein shall be deemed to have become a holder of record of such shares for all purposes, as of the date the Warrant has been exercised, with payment to the Company of the Exercise Price (or by cashless exercise, if permitted) and all taxes required to be paid by the Holder, if any, pursuant to Section 2(d)(vi) prior to the issuance of such shares, having been paid. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date (provided that the Company has received the payment, unless by cashless exercise, with respect to such Exercise Notice on or before such date), the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth Trading Day after such liquidated damages begin to accrue) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise.
ii. Delivery
of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder
and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant
evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall
in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.
iii. Rescission
Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section
2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.
iv. Compensation
for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder,
if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to an exercise on or before
the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction
or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a
sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”),
then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price
(including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying
(1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue
times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the
Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored
(in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would
have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder
purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares
of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately
preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice
indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount
of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law
or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s
failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
v. No
Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise
of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the
Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction
multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share.
vi. Charges,
Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or
other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the
Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the
Holder; provided, however, that in the event Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the
Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by
the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer
tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise.
vii. Closing
of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of
this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.
(e) Holder’s
Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to
exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance
after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and
any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates), would beneficially own
in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number
of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates shall include the number of shares of Common Stock
issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of
shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially
owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any
other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on
conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates.
Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in
accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged
by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of
the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent
that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation
to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall
be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination
of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates) and
of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company
shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group
status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a
Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic
or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a
more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding.
Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within two Trading Days confirm orally and in writing to the Holder
the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall
be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder
or its Affiliates since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial
Ownership Limitation” shall be [9.99/4.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after
giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the
Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial
Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving
effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section
2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st
day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner
otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which
may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements
necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to
a successor holder of this Warrant.
Section 3. Certain
Adjustments.
(a) Stock
Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise
makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable
in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon
exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including
by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification
of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied
by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding
immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately
after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that
the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become
effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution
and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.
(b) [Reserved].
(c) Subsequent
Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues
or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record
holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to
acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired
if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard
to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the
date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date
as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights
(provided, however, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the
Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right
to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and
such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would
not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
(d) Pro
Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or
other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital
or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of
a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a "Distribution"),
at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution
to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock
acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation,
the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such
record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation
in such Distribution (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder's right to participate in any such Distribution
would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate
in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution
to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time,
if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation). To the extent that
this Warrant has not been partially or completely exercised at the time of such Distribution, such portion of the Distribution
shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until the Holder has exercised this Warrant.
(e) Fundamental
Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more
related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company, directly
or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially
all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange
offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell,
tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of
the outstanding Common Stock, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification,
reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is
effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in
one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without
limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby
such other Person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (not including any shares of Common
Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making
or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each a “Fundamental Transaction”),
then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would
have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the
Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of shares of Common Stock
of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration
(the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable by holders of Common Stock as a result of such Fundamental Transaction
for each share of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without
regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination
of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate
Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion
the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components
of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received
in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon
any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental
Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the
obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the provisions of this Section
3(e) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without
unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange
for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance
to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent
entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any
limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the
exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock
pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock
and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation
of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence
of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the
date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company”
shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the
obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity
had been named as the Company herein.
(f) Calculations.
All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be.
For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall
be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.
(g) Notice
to Holder.
i. Adjustment
to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall
promptly mail to the Holder a notice or file with the Commission a Current Report on Form 8-K setting forth the Exercise Price
after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the
facts requiring such adjustment.
ii. Notice
to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the
Common Stock, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the
Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares
of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection
with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer
of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted
into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation
or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be mailed a notice to the Holder at
its last address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company or file with the Commission a Current Report on Form
8-K, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, stating (x) the date on
which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is
not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions,
redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale,
transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the
Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable
upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to provide such
notice or any defect therein shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To
the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company
or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report
on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice
to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
Section 4. Transfer
of Warrant.
(a) Transferability.
This Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in
part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment
of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient
to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company
shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination
or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion
of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary,
if the Holder has confirmed in writing that it has physically destroyed the original Warrant, the Holder shall not be required
to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder
shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date the Holder delivers an assignment form to
the Company assigning this Warrant full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder
for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.
(b) New
Warrants. This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of
the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed
by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such
division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants
to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the initial
issuance date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant
thereto.
(c) Warrant
Register. The Company shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant
Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company may deem and treat the registered
Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder,
and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.
Section 5. Miscellaneous.
(a) No
Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights
as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in
Section 3.
(b) Loss,
Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably
satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant
Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case
of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate,
if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation,
in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.
(c) Saturdays,
Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required
or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then, such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding
Business Day.
(d) Authorized
Shares.
The Company
covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a
sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this
Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are
charged with the duty of executing stock certificates to execute and issue the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the
purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant
Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading
Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise
of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and
payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free
from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer
occurring contemporaneously with such issue).
Except and
to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending
its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue
or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms
of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such
actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount
payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary
or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise
of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any
public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under
this Warrant.
Before taking
any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the
Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary
from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.
(e) Jurisdiction.
All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be determined in accordance
with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement.
(f) Nonwaiver
and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate
as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision
of this Warrant or the Purchase Agreement, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant,
which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to
cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings,
incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies
hereunder.
(g) Notices.
Any notice, request or other document required or permitted to be given or delivered to the Holder by the Company shall be delivered
in accordance with the notice procedures of the Purchase Agreement to such address provided by a Holder to the Company including
if such Holder is not a party to the Purchase Agreement.
(h) Limitation
of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase
Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder
for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company
or by creditors of the Company.
(i) Remedies.
The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled
to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation
for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert
the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.
(j) Successors
and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure
to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns
of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and
shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.
(k) Amendment.
The provisions of this Warrant and all of the other Warrants issued under the Purchase Agreement on the same original issuance
date as this Warrant in the forms of the Series A Warrants and Series B Warrants may be amended, waived, supplemented or modified
and the Company may take any action herein prohibited, or omit to perform any act herein required to be performed by it, only
if the Company has obtained the written consent of the Persons holding Warrants representing not less than a majority in interest
of the Common Stock obtainable upon exercise of all such Warrants then outstanding treating the Series A Warrants and Series B
Warrants as a single class; provided, that the number of Warrants Shares subject to this Warrant, the Exercise Price, the Initial
Exercise Date and the Termination Date may not be amended, and the right to exercise this Warrant may not be altered or waived
without the written consent of the Holder. Any such amendment shall apply to all Warrants and be binding upon all registered holders
of such Warrants whether or not they have been consented (except only for those amendments that, pursuant the preceding sentence,
require the written consent of the Holder).
(l) Severability.
Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable
law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective
to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions
of this Warrant.
(m) Headings.
The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of
this Warrant.
********************
(Signature Page Follows)
IN WITNESS WHEREOF,
the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.
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spherix incorporated |
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NOTICE OF EXERCISE
To: spherix
incorporated
(1) The
undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only
if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes,
if any.
(2) Payment
shall take the form of (check applicable box):
¨ in lawful
money of the United States; or
¨ if permitted
the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c),
to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure
set forth in subsection 2(c).
(3) Please
issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:
The Warrant Shares shall be delivered
to the following DWAC Account Number:
[SIGNATURE
OF HOLDER]
Name of Investing Entity: ________________________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing
Entity: __________________________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory: ____________________________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory: _____________________________________________________________
Date: ________________________________________________________________________________
ASSIGNMENT FORM
(To assign the foregoing warrant, execute
this form and supply required information.
Do not use this form to exercise the warrant.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED,
[____] all of or [_______] shares of the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
_______________________________________________
whose address is
_______________________________________________________________.
_______________________________________________________________
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Exhibit 5.1
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Nixon Peabody LLP
437 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022 |
November __, 2015
Spherix Incorporated
6430 Rockledge Drive, Suite 503
Bethesda, MD 20817
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-1
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Spherix Incorporated,
a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing of a Registration Statement
on Form S-1 (File No. 333-207078) originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”)
by the Company on September 22, 2015 (as amended, the “Registration Statement”) under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Registration Statement relates to the proposed issuance and sale
by the Company (the “Offering”) of up to $10,000,000 of: (i) Class A Units consisting of one share
of its common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock” and such initial shares of Common Stock as
issued, the “Initial Shares”), a Series A warrant to purchase Common Stock in accordance with its terms (the
“Series A Warrants”), and a Series B warrant to purchase Common Stock in accordance with its terms (the “Series
B Warrants” and, together with the Series A Warrants, the “Warrants”) and (ii) Class B Units
consisting of Series K Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Series K Preferred Stock”),
Series A Warrants and Series B Warrant based on the number of shares of Common Stock into which Series K Preferred Stock is convertible.
The Initial Shares, the Series K Preferred Stock and the Warrants are collectively referred to as the “Securities.”
The Class A Units and the Class B Units are sometimes collectively referred to herein as the “Units.” This opinion
is being furnished pursuant to the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.
In connection with the foregoing, we have examined
the certificate of incorporation of the Company, as amended and as in effect on and as of the date hereof, the Certificate of Designation
of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series K Preferred Stock (the “Certificate of Designation”), the
amended and restated bylaws of the Company, the Securities Purchase Agreement and Warrants pursuant to which the Securities are
to be sold (such Securities Purchase Agreement and Warrants are collectively referred to as the “Agreements”),
corporate proceedings, including the resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company, with respect to the Offering and such
other documents, instruments and records as we have deemed necessary to enable us to render the opinions contained herein. We have
also reviewed the Registration Statement as filed with the Commission.
In our examination of such legal documents,
we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all signatories who are natural persons, the authenticity
of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies,
the authenticity of the originals of such documents and the due execution and delivery of all documents. Insofar as this opinion
relates to factual matters, we have assumed with your permission and without independent investigation that the statements of the
Company contained in the Registration Statement are true and correct as to all factual matters stated therein. In addition, as
to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have, when relevant facts were not independently established, relied upon certificates
of, and information received from, the Company and/or representatives of the Company. We have made no independent investigation
of the facts stated in such certificates or as to any information received from the Company and/or representatives of the Company
and do not opine as to the accuracy of such factual matters. We also have relied as to certain matters on information obtained
from public officials, officers of the Company, and other sources believed by us to be reliable. We also have assumed that the
Registration Statement will remain effective pursuant to the Securities Act at the time of issuance of each of the Securities,
and the Company will have received the required consideration for the issuance of such Securities at or prior to the issuance thereof.
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Nixon Peabody LLP
437 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022 |
We are opining herein solely with respect to
the federal laws of the United States, the state laws of the State of New York and the Delaware General Corporation Law. To the
extent that the laws of any other jurisdiction govern any of the matters as to which we are opining herein, we have assumed with
your permission and without any independent investigation that such laws are identical to the state laws of the State of New York,
and we are expressing no opinion herein as to whether such assumptions are reasonable or correct.
Our opinions below are qualified to the extent
that they may be subject to or affected by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, usury, fraudulent
conveyance or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally, and (ii) by general equitable principles and public policy
considerations, whether such principles and considerations are considered in a proceeding at law or at equity. Furthermore, we
express no opinion as to the availability of any equitable or specific remedy, or as to the successful assertion of any equitable
defense, upon any breach of any agreements or obligations referred to therein, or any other matters, inasmuch as the availability
of such remedies or defenses may be subject to the discretion of a court. We express no opinion as to the enforceability of any
indemnification provision, or as to the enforceability of any provision that may be deemed to constitute liquidated damages.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing and
the other assumptions, limitations and exceptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that:
1. The Initial Shares have been authorized by
all necessary corporate action of the Company and, when issued and sold in accordance with the terms set forth in the Agreements
against payment therefor, and as contemplated in the Registration Statement, will be validly authorized, validly issued, fully
paid and nonassessable.
2. The Series K Preferred Stock has been authorized
by all necessary corporate action of the Company and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as contemplated in the
Registration Statement, will be validly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
3. The Warrants, when issued and sold in accordance
with the terms set forth in the Agreements, and as contemplated in the Registration Statement against payment therefor, will have
been duly executed and delivered by the Company and will constitute the valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.
4. The shares of Common Stock issuable upon
the conversion of the Series K Preferred Stock (the “Conversion Shares”) have been duly authorized for issuance
and, when issued in accordance with the provisions of Series K Preferred Stock and the Certificate of Designation, will be
validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
5. The shares of Common Stock issuable upon
exercise of the Warrants (the “Warrant Shares”) have been duly authorized for issuance and, when issued and
delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the provisions of the Warrants, including the payment of the exercise price
therefor, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
6. The
Units have been authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and, when issued and sold in accordance with the terms
set forth in the Agreements against payment therefor, and as contemplated in the Registration Statement, will be validly authorized
and issued.
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Nixon Peabody LLP
437 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022 |
Please note that we are opining only as to the
matters expressly set forth herein, and no opinion should be inferred as to any other matters. This opinion is based upon currently
existing statutes, rules, regulations and judicial decisions, and we disclaim any obligation to advise you of any change in any
of these sources of law or subsequent legal or factual developments which might affect any matters or opinions set forth herein.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion
with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement pursuant to Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities
Act and to the use of this firm’s name therein and in the related Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement under the caption
“Legal Matters.” In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent
is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission or that we are “experts”
within the meaning of Section 11 of the Securities Act.
Very truly yours,
/S/ Nixon Peabody LLP
Nixon Peabody LLP
Exhibit
10.22
Form
of SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This Securities Purchase
Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of October __, 2015, between Spherix Incorporated, a Delaware corporation
(the “Company”), and each purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto (each, including its successors
and permitted assigns, a “Purchaser” and collectively the “Purchasers”).
WHEREAS, subject to
the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the Company desires to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and
each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, desires to purchase from the Company, securities of the Company as more fully described
in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, IN
CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration the receipt and
adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions.
In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement: (a) capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined herein have
the meanings given to such terms in the Certificate of Designation (as defined herein), and (b) the following terms have the meanings
set forth in this Section 1.1:
“Action”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(j).
“Affiliate”
means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common
control with a Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act.
“Board
of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business
Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or
any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action
to close.
“Certificate
of Designation” means the Certificate of Designation to be filed prior to the Closing by the Company with the Secretary
of State of Delaware, in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto
“Closing”
means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.
“Closing
Date” means the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable
parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Subscription Amount and (ii)
the Company’s obligations to deliver the Securities, in each case, have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later
than the third Trading Day following the date hereof.
“Commission”
means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common
Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share, and any other class of securities into which
such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
“Common
Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to
acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument
that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive,
Common Stock.
“Company
Counsel” means Nixon Peabody LLP, with offices located at 437 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10022.
“Conversion
Price” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Certificate of Designation.
“Conversion
Shares” means, collectively, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the shares of Preferred Stock in
accordance with the terms hereof.
“Disclosure
Schedules” means the Disclosure Schedules of the Company delivered concurrently herewith, if any.
“EGS”
means Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, with offices located at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105-0302.
“Escrow
Agent” means Signature Bank, a New York State chartered bank, with offices at 261 Madison Avenue, New York, New York
10016.
“Escrow
Agreement” means the escrow agreement which may be entered into prior to the Closing, by and among the Company, the
Escrow Agent and the Placement Agent pursuant to which the Purchasers shall deposit Subscription Amounts with the Escrow Agent
to be applied to the transactions contemplated hereunder.
“Exchange
Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Exempt
Issuance” means the issuance of (a) shares of Common Stock or options to employees, officers or directors of the Company
pursuant to any stock or option plan duly adopted for such purpose, by a majority of the non-employee members of the Board of
Directors or a majority of the members of a committee of non-employee directors established for such purpose for services rendered
to the Company, (b) securities upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of any Securities issued hereunder and/or other
securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding on the date of this
Agreement, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such
securities or to decrease the exercise price, exchange price or conversion price of such securities (other than in connection
with stock splits or combinations) or to extend the term of such securities, (c) securities pursuant to acquisitions or strategic
transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, but shall not include a transaction in which
the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing
in securities, (d) securities to service providers, consultants or IR firms currently under contract or which may be hired by
the Company as compensation for services rendered or to be rendered, provided, however, that no more than an aggregate
of 500,000 shares of Common Stock (as adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination, reclassification or similar
transaction after the date hereof) are issued or issuable to service providers, consultants and IR firms hereunder as an Exempt
Issuance, and (e) Common Stock upon a reverse stock split of the Common Stock.
“FCPA”
means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
“GAAP”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Intellectual
Property Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(p).
“Liens”
means a lien, charge, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction (other
than restrictions on transfer under securities laws).
“Material
Adverse Effect” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.1(b).
“Material
Permits” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(n).
“Per
Share Purchase Price” for the Shares equals $____, subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits,
stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.
“Person”
means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability
company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
“Placement
Agent” means Rodman & Renshaw, a unit of H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC.
“Preferred
Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series K Convertible Preferred Stock issued hereunder having the rights,
preferences and privileges set forth in the Certificate of Designation, in the form of Exhibit A hereto.
“Preliminary
Prospectus” means the preliminary prospectus dated October __ 2015, filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 of
the Securities Act.
“Proceeding”
means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial
proceeding, such as a deposition), that has been commenced or to the Company’s knowledge threatened.
“Prospectus”
means the final prospectus filed for the Registration Statement.
“Purchaser
Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.7.
“Registration
Statement” means the effective registration statement with Commission file No. 333-207078 which registers the sale of
the Shares, the Preferred Stock, the Warrants and the Underlying Shares to the Purchasers.
“Regulation
FD” means Regulation FD promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act, as such Regulation may be amended
or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the
same purpose and effect as such Regulation.
“Required
Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).
“Required
Minimum” means, as of any date, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock then issued or then potentially
issuable assuming no further adjustments in the future pursuant to the Transaction Documents, including any Underlying Shares
issuable upon exercise in full of all Warrants or conversion in full of all shares of Preferred Stock, ignoring any conversion
or exercise limits set forth therein, and that any previously unconverted shares of Preferred Stock are held until the third anniversary
of the Closing Date.
“Rule
144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted
from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose
and effect as such Rule.
“Rule
424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted
from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose
and effect as such Rule.
“SEC
Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Securities”
means the Shares, the Preferred Stock, the Warrants and the Underlying Shares.
“Securities
Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Series
A Warrants” means, collectively, the Series A Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing
in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof and the other Series A Warrants contemplated under Section 2.1 to be issued concurrently
at the Closing, which Series A Warrants shall be exercisable beginning immediately and have a term of exercise equal to six (6)
months, in the form of Exhibit B-1 attached hereto.
“Series
B Warrants” means, collectively, the Series B Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing
in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof and the other Series B Warrants contemplated under Section 2.1 to be issued concurrently
at the Closing, which Series B Warrants shall be exercisable beginning immediately and have a term of exercise equal to five (5)
years, in the form of Exhibit B-2 attached hereto.
“Shares”
means the shares of Common Stock issued or issuable to certain Purchasers on the Closing Date pursuant to this Agreement.
“Short
Sales” means all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act (but shall
not be deemed to include the location and/or reservation of borrowable shares of Common Stock).
“Stated
Value” means $1,000 per share of Preferred Stock.
“Subscription
Amount” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for the Shares or Preferred Stock, as applicable
to such Purchaser, and the Warrants purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of
this Agreement and next to the heading “Subscription Amount,” in United States dollars and in immediately available
funds.
“Subsidiary”
means any significant subsidiary of the Company as defined under Regulation S-X of the Securities Act, and shall, where applicable,
also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof but before the Closing
Date.
“Trading
Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.
“Trading
Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on
the date in question: the NYSE MKT, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the
New York Stock Exchange or the OTCQB or OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transaction
Documents” means this Agreement, the Certificate of Designation, the Warrants and, if applicable, the Escrow Agreement.
“Transfer
Agent” means Equity Stock Transfer, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 110 Greene
Street, New York, NY 10012 and a facsimile number of (347) 584-3644, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
“Underlying
Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issued and issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock and/or upon exercise
of the Warrants.
“Warrants”
means, collectively, the Series A Warrants and the Series B Warrants.
“Warrant
Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
ARTICLE II.
PURCHASE AND SALE
2.1 Closing.
On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, substantially concurrent with the execution
and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto, the Company agrees to sell, and the Purchasers, severally and not jointly,
agree to purchase, up to an aggregate of $__________________ of Shares and Warrants as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a);
provided, however, that, to the extent a Purchaser determines, in its sole discretion, that such Purchaser (together with such
Purchaser’s Affiliates, and any Person acting as a group together with such purchaser or any of such Holder’s Affiliates)
would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, in lieu of purchasing Shares, such Purchaser may elect
the Preferred Stock at the Stated Value in lieu of Shares. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% of
the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of the Securities on the
Closing Date. Each Purchaser shall deliver, via wire transfer or a certified check, immediately available funds equal to its Subscription
Amount pursuant to Section 2.2(b)(ii), and the Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its respective Shares or shares of Preferred
Stock (as applicable to such Purchaser) and Warrants, as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a), and the Company and each Purchaser
shall deliver the other items set forth in Section 2.2 deliverable at the Closing. Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions
set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, the Closing shall occur at the offices of EGS or such other location as the parties shall mutually
agree. The Company covenants that, if the Purchaser delivers a Notice of Conversion (as defined in the Certificate of Designation)
no later than 12 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the Trading Day prior to the Closing Date to convert any shares of Preferred Stock
between the date hereof and the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver Conversion Shares to the Purchaser on the Closing Date
in connection with such Notice of Conversion. Each Purchaser acknowledges that concurrently with the Closing and pursuant to the
Prospectus, the Company may sell additional shares of Common Stock to purchasers not party to this Purchase Agreement and will
issue to each such purchaser’s broker-dealer of such additional shares of Common Stock and Warrants in the same form and
amount per share of Common Stock or Conversion Share as issued to a Purchaser hereunder. Unless otherwise directed by the Placement
Agent, settlement of the Shares shall occur via “Delivery Versus Payment” (“DVP”) (i.e.,
on the Closing Date the Placement Agent shall confirm to the Company the dollar amounts held in escrow and their DVP accounts
(either directly or through ICBC custodian services) and upon such confirmation, the Company shall issue the Shares registered
in the Purchasers’ names and addresses and released by the Transfer Agent directly to the account(s) at the Placement Agent
identified by each Purchaser; upon receipt of such Shares, the Placement Agent shall promptly electronically deliver such Shares
to the applicable Purchaser, and payment therefor shall promptly be made by the Placement Agent (or its clearing firm) by wire
transfer to the Company on the Closing Date).
2.2 Deliveries.
(a) On
or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the following:
(i) this
Agreement duly executed by the Company;
(ii) a
legal opinion of Company Counsel, substantially in the form of Exhibit C attached hereto addressed to the Placement Agent;
(iii) subject
to the last sentence of Section 2.1, as to a Purchaser purchasing Shares hereunder, a copy of the irrevocable instructions to
the Transfer Agent instructing the Transfer Agent to deliver on an expedited basis via The Depository Trust Company Deposit or
Withdrawal at Custodian system (DWAC) Shares equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount divided by the Per Share Purchase
Price, registered in the name of such Purchaser;
(iv) for
each Purchaser, as applicable, who has elected to purchase the Preferred Stock, a certificate evidencing a number of shares of
Preferred Stock equal to, in aggregate, such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount divided by the Stated Value, registered in
the name of such Purchaser and evidence of the filing and acceptance of the Certificate of Designation from the Secretary of State
of Delaware;
(v) a
Series A Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to ____%
of such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount divided by the Per Share Purchase Price, with an exercise price equal to $____,
subject to adjustment therein (such Series A Warrant certificate may be delivered within three Trading Days of the Closing Date);
(vi) a
Series B Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to ___% of
such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount divided by the Per Share Purchaser Price, with an exercise price equal to $____,
subject to adjustment therein (such Series B Warrant certificate may be delivered within three Trading Days of the Closing Date);
and
(vii) the
Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus (which may be delivered in accordance with Rule 172 promulgated under the Securities
Act).
(b) On
or prior to the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company or the Escrow Agent, as applicable,
the following:
(i) this
Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser; and
(ii) such
Purchaser’s Subscription Amount by wire transfer to the account specified in the Escrow Agreement or as otherwise directed
by the Placement Agent for delivery to the account of the Company.
2.3 Closing
Conditions.
(a) The
obligations of the Company hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the
accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse
Effect, in all respects) on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein (unless
as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date);
(ii) all
obligations, covenants and agreements of each Purchaser required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been
performed; and
(iii) the
delivery by each Purchaser of the items set forth in Section 2.2(b) of this Agreement.
(b) The
respective obligations of each Purchaser hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being
met:
(i) the
accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse
Effect, in all respects) when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein
(unless as of a specific date therein);
(ii) all
obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been
performed;
(iii) the
delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement;
(iv) there
shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company since the date hereof; and
(v) from
the date hereof to the Closing Date, trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended by the Commission or the Company’s
principal Trading Market, and, at any time prior to the Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by Bloomberg
L.P. shall not have been suspended or limited, or minimum prices shall not have been established on securities whose trades are
reported by such service, or on any Trading Market, nor shall a banking moratorium have been declared either by the United States
or New York State authorities nor shall there have occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national
or international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any material adverse change in, any financial market which, in
each case, in the reasonable judgment of such Purchaser, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to purchase the Securities at the
Closing.
ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations
and Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, which SEC Reports shall be deemed a part hereof and
shall qualify any representation or otherwise made herein to the extent of the disclosure contained in an SEC Report, the Company
hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Purchaser:
(a) Subsidiaries.
All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company are set forth in the Company’s most recent Form 10-K. The Company
owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens,
and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable
and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. If the Company has no subsidiaries, all other
references to the Subsidiaries or any of them in the Transaction Documents shall be disregarded.
(b) Organization
and Qualification. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly
existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with the requisite power
and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company
nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation,
bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business
and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted
or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as
the case may be, would not have or reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity
or enforceability of any Transaction Document, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business or
condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) a material adverse effect on
the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document
(any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse Effect”) and no Proceeding has been instituted in any such
jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.
(c) Authorization;
Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder
and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the
consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the
part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors or the Company’s stockholders
in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. This Agreement and each other Transaction
Document to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in
accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against
the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii)
as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii)
insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(d) No
Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to
which it is a party, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby
and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate
or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default
(or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon
any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration
or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing
a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which
any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict
with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court
or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations),
or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii)
and (iii), such as would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Filings,
Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice
to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other
Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i)
the filings required pursuant to Section 4.4 of this Agreement, (ii) the filing with the Commission of the Prospectus and any
amendment to the Registration Statement permitted by Rule 462(b) promulgated under the Securities Act, (iii) application(s) to
each applicable Trading Market for the listing of the Shares and Warrant Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required
thereby, (iv) such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws and (v) in all other cases, where
failure to obtain such consent, waiver, authorization or order, or to give such notice or make such filing or registration would
not have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).
(f) Issuance
of the Securities; Registration. The Securities are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable
Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the
Company. The Underlying Shares, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Transaction Documents, will be validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has reserved from its duly
authorized capital stock the maximum number of shares of Common Stock for issuance of the Underlying Shares at least equal to
the Required Minimum on the date hereof. The Company has prepared and filed the Registration Statement in conformity with the
requirements of the Securities Act, which became effective on October__, 2015 (the
“Effective Date”), including the Prospectus, and such amendments and supplements thereto as may have been required
to the date of this Agreement. The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act and no stop order preventing or
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or preventing the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or
the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge
of the Company, are threatened by the Commission. The Company, if required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, proposes
to file the Prospectus, with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b). At the time the Registration Statement and any amendments
thereto became effective, at the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement and any amendments
thereto conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and 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 not misleading; and the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements
thereto, at time the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as applicable, or any amendment or supplement thereto was issued
and at the Closing Date, conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did
not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(g) Capitalization.
Except as set forth in Disclosure Schedule 3.1(g), the capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the SEC Reports.
As of the date thereof, there are 34,459,430 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding. Except as set forth in Disclosure
Schedule 3.1(g), the Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange
Act, other than pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options under the Company’s stock option plans, the issuance
of shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase plans and pursuant to the conversion
and/or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange
Act. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in
the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Except as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities and
except as set forth in Disclosure Schedule 3.1(g), there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe
to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable
or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any shares of Common Stock or the capital stock
of any Subsidiary, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may
become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or capital stock of any Subsidiary. The issuance
and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company or any Subsidiary to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities
to any Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise,
conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. There are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company
or any Subsidiary that contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or
arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or such Subsidiary.
The Company does not have any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan
or agreement. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares
was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. No further approval
or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities.
There are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital
stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.
(h) SEC
Reports; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required
to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof,
for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such
material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, together with
the Registration Statement, Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC
Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports
prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects
with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained
any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order
to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company has
not been an issuer subject to Rule 144(i) under the Securities Act in the past 12 months and has filed on a date that is more
than 12 months prior to the date hereof then-current "Form 10 information" (as defined in Rule 144(i)(3)) with the Commission
reflecting its status as an entity that was no longer an issuer described in Rule 144(i)(1)(i). The financial statements of the
Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and
regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared
in all material respects in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis
during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or
the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present
in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof
and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal,
immaterial, year-end audit adjustments.
(i) Material
Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included
within the SEC Reports, except as specifically disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report filed prior to the date hereof, (i) there
has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued
expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected
in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company
has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other
property to its stockholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its capital stock
and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company
stock option plans. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information.
Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement or as set forth on Disclosure Schedule 3.1(i),
no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or
exist with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, properties, operations, assets or financial
condition that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the time this representation
is made or deemed made that has not been publicly disclosed at least 1 Trading Day prior to the date that this representation
is made.
(j) Litigation.
Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, there is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation pending
or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties
before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local
or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) which has not been previously disclosed in the SEC Reports which (i)
adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Securities
or (ii) would, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither
the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor, the Company’s knowledge any director or officer thereof, is or has been since September
2013 the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim
of breach of fiduciary duty. To the knowledge of the Company, there has not been and there is not pending or contemplated, any
investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The Commission
has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or
any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.
(k) Labor
Relations. No labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of
the Company, which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’
employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries
believe that their relationships with their employees are good. To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company
or any Subsidiary, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality,
disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive
covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters that would reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, the Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all U.S.
federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of
employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably
be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(l) Compliance.
Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been
waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has
the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture,
loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is
bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), except as set forth on Disclosure Schedule 3.1(l), (ii) is in
violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) to the knowledge
of the Company is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including
without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health
and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case as would not reasonably be expected
to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(m) Environmental
Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with all
federal, state, local and foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including ambient
air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases
or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, or toxic or hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous
Materials”) into the environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment,
storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials, as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands, or demand
letters, injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits, plans or regulations, issued, entered,
promulgated or approved thereunder (“Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received all permits licenses or other
approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws tic induct their respective businesses; and (iii) are in compliance
with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval where in each clause (i), (ii) and (iii), the failure to
so comply could be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(n) Regulatory
Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal,
state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports,
except where the failure to possess such permits would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material
Permits”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation
or modification of any Material Permit.
(o) Title
to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them
and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries,
in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not
materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries, (ii) Liens
for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made therefor in accordance with GAAP
and, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties, and (iii) Liens pursuant to its Certificate of Designations
of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series I Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock. Any real property and facilities held
under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the
Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance.
(p) Intellectual
Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark
applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights
and similar rights necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports
and which the failure to so have would have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”).
Except as set forth on Disclosure Schedule 3.1(p), none of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice
(written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected
to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement, except where such action would not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date
of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge
that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person, except as would not have or reasonably
be expected to not have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are
enforceable. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality
and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) Insurance.
The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks
and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including,
but not limited to, directors and officers insurance. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it
will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from
similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in cost.
(r) Transactions
With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, none of the officers or directors of the Company or
any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary is presently a party
to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including
any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or
personal property to or from, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments
to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director,
or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, stockholder, member or partner, in each case
in excess of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses
incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option
plan of the Company.
(s) Sarbanes-Oxley;
Internal Accounting Controls. The Company and the Subsidiaries are in material compliance with any and all applicable requirements
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all rules and regulations applicable to
smaller reporting companies promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof and as of the Closing
Date. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance
that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions
are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability,
(iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the
recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken
with respect to any differences. The Company and the Subsidiaries have established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and the Subsidiaries and designed such disclosure controls and
procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange
Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms.
The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company
and the Subsidiaries as of the end of the period covered by the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such
date, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange
Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their
evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the internal control over financial
reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) of the Company and its Subsidiaries that have materially affected, or
is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
(t) Certain
Fees. Except as set forth in the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions
are or will be payable by the Company or any Subsidiary to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent,
investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. To the Company’s
knowledge, the Purchasers have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other
Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the
Transaction Documents.
(u) Investment
Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Shares and Preferred
Stock, will not be or be an Affiliate of, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended.
(v) Registration
Rights. No Person has any right to cause the Company or any Subsidiary to effect the registration under the Securities Act
of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(w) Listing
and Maintenance Requirements. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the
Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration
of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating
terminating such registration. The Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading
Market on which the Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the
listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market, except as set forth in the SEC Reports and as set forth on Disclosure
Schedule 3.1(w) or such as has been cured. The Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future
continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements. The Common Stock is currently eligible for electronic
transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment
of the fees to the Depository Trust Company (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic
transfer.
(x) Application
of Takeover Protections. Assuming the truthfulness of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers herein, the Company
and the Board of Directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition,
business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision
under the Company’s certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its state of incorporation
that is or could become applicable to the Purchasers as a result of the Purchasers and the Company fulfilling their obligations
or exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents, including without limitation as a result of the Company’s issuance
of the Securities and the Purchasers’ ownership of the Securities, but excluding the effect of any Subsequent Financing
(y) Disclosure.
Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company
confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel
with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information which is not otherwise
disclosed in the Prospectus Supplement. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation
in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the
Purchasers regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries, their respective businesses and the transactions contemplated hereby, including
the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, is true and correct and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading. The press releases disseminated by the Company during the twelve months preceding the date of
this Agreement taken as a whole do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were
made and when made, not misleading. The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any representations
or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.
(z) No
Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2,
neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their 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 this offering
of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable shareholder approval provisions
of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(aa) Solvency.
Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the
Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets exceeds
the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including
known contingent liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute unreasonably small capital to
carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the particular
capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, consolidated and projected capital requirements and capital availability
thereof, and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate
all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in
respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability
to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt).
Except as set forth on Disclosure Schedule 3.1(aa), the Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead
it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction
within one year from the Closing Date. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any indebtedness for
money borrowed.
(bb) Tax
Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries each (i) has made or filed all United States federal, state and local
income and all foreign income and franchise tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is
subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined
to be due on such returns, reports and declarations and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the
payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There
are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of
the Company or of any Subsidiary know of no basis for any such claim.
(cc) Foreign
Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, any agent
or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful
contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any
unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns
from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company or any Subsidiary (or made by any person
acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any
provision of FCPA.
(dd) Accountants.
The Company’s accounting firm is Marcum, LLP. To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such accounting firm (i) is a
registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial
statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015.
(ee) Acknowledgment
Regarding Purchasers’ Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting
solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated
thereby. The Company further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in
any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and any advice given
by any Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions
contemplated thereby is merely incidental to the Purchasers’ purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents
to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents has been
based solely on the independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company and its representatives.
(ff) Acknowledgement
Regarding Purchaser’s Trading Activity. Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere
herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(f) and 4.14 hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the
Company that: (i) none of the Purchasers has been asked by the Company to agree, nor has any Purchaser agreed, to desist from
purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities
issued by the Company or to hold the Securities for any specified term; (ii)
past or future open market or other transactions by any Purchaser, specifically including, without limitation, Short Sales or
“derivative” transactions, before or after the closing of this or future private placement transactions, may negatively
impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities; (iii) any Purchaser, and counter-parties in “derivative”
transactions to which any such Purchaser is a party, directly or indirectly, presently may have a “short” position
in the Common Stock, and (iv) each Purchaser shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s
length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction. The Company further understands and acknowledges (subject
to Sections 3.2(f) and 4.14) that (y) one or more Purchasers may engage in hedging activities at various times during the period
that the Securities are outstanding and (z) such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing stockholders'
equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges
that, subject to compliance with Section 3.2(f) and 4.14, such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of
any of the Transaction Documents.
(gg) Regulation
M Compliance. Within the past 30 days, the Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has, (i)
taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of
any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid
any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation
for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation
paid to the Company’s placement agent in connection with the placement of the Securities.
(hh) Office
of Foreign Assets Control. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Company's knowledge, any director, officer,
agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office
of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”).
(ii) U.S.
Real Property Holding Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real property holding corporation within the
meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon Purchaser’s
request.
(jj) Bank
Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company
Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
(the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates owns or controls, directly
or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent or
more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank
or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.
(kk) Money
Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with
applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970,
as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money
Laundering Laws”), and no Action or Proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any
arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of
the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened.
3.2 Representations
and Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser, for itself and for no other Purchaser, hereby represents and warrants to
the Company as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date (other than representations and warranties that speak as of another
specified date which speak as of such date):
(a) Organization;
Authority. Such Purchaser is either an individual or an entity duly incorporated or formed, validly existing and in good standing
under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation with full right, corporate, partnership limited liability
company or similar power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents
and otherwise to carry out his, her or its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of the Transaction
Documents and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents have been duly authorized
by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar corporate or shareholder action, as applicable,
on the part of such Purchaser. Each Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by such Purchaser, and
when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation
of such Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as limited by general equitable principles
and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement
of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive
relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable
law. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents to which such Purchaser is a party and the consummation by it of
the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary action on the part of
such Purchaser.
(b) Understandings
or Arrangements. Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities as principal for his, her or its own account and has no direct
or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Securities
(this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell the Securities pursuant to the Registration
Statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws). Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities
hereunder in the ordinary course of its business.
(c) Purchaser
Status. At the time such Purchaser was offered the Securities, it was, and as of the date hereof it is, and on each date on
which it exercises any Warrants or converts any shares of Preferred Stock, it will be either: (i) an “accredited investor”
as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7) or (a)(8) under the Securities Act or (ii) a “qualified institutional
buyer” as defined in Rule 144A(a) under the Securities Act.
(d) Experience
of Such Purchaser. Such Purchaser, either alone or together with his, her or its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication
and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment
in the Securities, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment. Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk
of an investment in the Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.
(e) Access
to Information. Such Purchaser acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review the Transaction Documents (including
all exhibits and schedules thereto) and the SEC Reports and has been afforded, subject to Regulation FD, (i) the opportunity to
ask such questions as it has deemed necessary of, and to receive answers from, representatives of the Company concerning the terms
and conditions of the offering of the Securities and the merits and risks of investing in the Securities; (ii) access to information
about the Company and its financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, management and prospects sufficient
to enable it to evaluate its investment; and (iii) the opportunity to obtain such additional information that the Company possesses
or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense that is necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to
the investment. Such Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that neither the Placement Agent nor any Affiliate of the Placement
Agent has provided such Purchaser with any information or advice with respect to the Securities nor is such information or advice
necessary or desired. Neither the Placement Agent nor any Affiliate has made or makes any representation as to the Company
or the quality of the Securities and the Placement Agent and any Affiliate may have acquired non-public information with respect
to the Company which such Purchaser agrees need not be provided to it. In connection with the issuance of the Securities
to such Purchaser, neither the Placement Agent nor any of its Affiliates has acted as a financial advisor or fiduciary to such
Purchaser.
(f) Certain
Transactions and Confidentiality. Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not,
nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Purchaser, directly or indirectly executed any
purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that
such Purchaser first received a term sheet (written or oral) from the Company or any other Person representing the Company setting
forth the material pricing terms of the transactions contemplated hereunder and ending immediately prior to the execution hereof.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio
managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the
investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the representation
set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment
decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement. Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement or to such
Purchaser’s representatives, including, without limitation, its officers, directors, partners, legal and other advisors,
employees, agents and Affiliates, such Purchaser has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection
with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for avoidance of
doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to the identification
of the availability of, or securing of, available shares to borrow in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the
future.
(g) Assuming
the truthfulness of the representations and warranties of the Company hereunder, the sale of the Securities to such Purchaser
under this Agreement will not result in such Purchaser beneficially owning greater than 9.99% of the Common Stock.
The Company
acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in this Section 3.2 shall not modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s
right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any representations and warranties
contained in any other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this
Agreement or the consummation of the transaction contemplated hereby.
ARTICLE IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Underlying
Shares. The shares of Common Stock underlying the Preferred Stock shall be issued free of restrictive legends. If all or any
portion of a Warrant is exercised at a time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the issuance or resale
of the Warrant Shares or if the Warrant is exercised via cashless exercise, the Warrant Shares issued pursuant to any such exercise
shall be issued free of all legends. If at any time following the date hereof the Registration Statement (or any subsequent registration
statement registering the sale or resale of the Warrant Shares) is not effective or is not otherwise available for the sale or
resale of the Warrant Shares, the Company shall immediately notify the holders of the Warrants in writing that such registration
statement is not then effective and thereafter shall promptly notify such holders when the registration statement is effective
again and available for the sale or resale of the Warrant Shares (it being understood and agreed that the foregoing shall not
limit the ability of the Company to issue, or any Purchaser to sell, any of the Warrant Shares in compliance with applicable federal
and state securities laws). The Company shall use best efforts to keep a registration statement (including the Registration Statement)
registering the issuance or resale of the Warrant Shares effective during the term of the Warrants.
4.2 Furnishing
of Information. Until the earliest of the time that (i) no Purchaser owns Securities or (ii) the Warrants have expired, the
Company covenants to timely file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports
required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the Exchange Act even if the Company is not then subject
to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.
4.3 Integration.
The Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined
in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for purposes of the rules
and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would require shareholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction
unless shareholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction.
4.4 Securities
Laws Disclosure; Publicity. The Company shall (a) by 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the Trading Day immediately following
the date hereof, issue a press release disclosing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and (b) file a Current
Report on Form 8-K, including the Transaction Documents as exhibits thereto, with the Commission within the time required by the
Exchange Act. From and after the issuance of such press release, the Company represents to the Purchasers that it shall have publicly
disclosed all material, non-public information delivered to any of the Purchasers by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or
any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction
Documents. In addition, effective upon the issuance of such press release, the Company acknowledges and agrees that any and all
confidentiality or similar obligations under any agreement, whether written or oral, between the Company, any of its Subsidiaries
or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates on the one hand, and any of the Purchasers or
any of their Affiliates on the other hand, shall terminate. The Company and each Purchaser shall consult with each other in issuing
any other press releases with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any Purchaser shall
issue any such press release nor otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect
to any press release of any Purchaser, or without the prior consent of each Purchaser, with respect to any press release of the
Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld or delayed, except if such disclosure is required by law, in which case
the disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party with prior notice of such public statement or communication. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser in any
filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except
(a) as required by federal securities law in connection with the filing of final Transaction Documents with the Commission and
(b) to the extent such disclosure is required by law or Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the
Purchasers with prior notice of such disclosure permitted under this clause (b).
4.5 Shareholder
Rights Plan. Assuming the truthfulness of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein, no claim
will be made or enforced by the Company or, with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Purchaser is an “Acquiring
Person” under any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights
agreement) or similar anti-takeover plan or arrangement in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Purchaser could
be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan or arrangement, solely by virtue of receiving Securities under the Transaction
Documents at the Closing, it being understood and acknowledged by the Purchaser that he/she/it shall at no time be or become a
beneficial holder as defined under Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act, of more than 9.99% of the Company’s common stock, and
nothing set forth herein shall invalidate the rights of the Company from enforcing its Shareholder Rights Plan.
4.6 Non-Public
Information. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction
Documents, which shall be disclosed pursuant to Section 4.4, the Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other Person
acting on its behalf will provide any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information that constitutes, or the Company
reasonably believes constitutes, material non-public information, unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have consented in
writing to the receipt of such information and agreed with the Company to keep such information confidential. The Company understands
and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
To the extent that the Company delivers any material, non-public information to a Purchaser without such Purchaser’s prior
written consent, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that such Purchaser shall not have any duty of confidentiality to the
Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates, or a duty to
the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates not to trade
on the basis of, such material, non-public information, provided that the Purchaser shall remain subject to applicable law. To
the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information
regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a
Current Report on Form 8-K. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant
in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
4.7 Use
of Proceeds. The Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares, the Preferred Stock and the Warrants hereunder
consistent with the Use of Proceeds section in the Prospectus, subject to the reasonable discretion of the management or the board
of directors of the Company as set forth therein.
4.8 Indemnification
of Purchasers. Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.8, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors,
officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of
a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who controls such Purchaser
(within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, shareholders,
agents, members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles
notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a “Purchaser Party”) harmless
from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments,
amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation that any such Purchaser
Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (a) any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or
agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or (b) any action instituted against the
Purchaser Parties in any capacity, or any of them or their respective Affiliates, by any stockholder of the Company who is not
an Affiliate of such Purchaser Party, with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents or any
transaction financed or to be financed in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, with the proceeds of the issuance of the Securities
(unless such action is based solely upon a breach of such Purchaser Party’s representations, warranties or covenants under
the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser Party may have with any such stockholder, or based
upon any violations by such Purchaser Party of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser Party which constitutes
fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or malfeasance). If any action shall be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect
of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing,
and the Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing reasonably acceptable to the
Purchaser Party. Any Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the
defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent
that (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (ii) the Company has failed after
a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and to employ counsel or (iii) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion
of counsel to such Purchaser Party, a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position
of such Purchaser Party, in which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one
such separate counsel. The Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (y) for any settlement by a
Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed;
or (z) to the extent, but only to the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is attributable to any Purchaser Party’s
breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by such Purchaser Party in this Agreement or in
the other Transaction Documents. The indemnification required by this Section 4.8 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount
thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or are incurred. The indemnity agreements
contained herein shall be in addition to any cause of action or similar right of any Purchaser Party against the Company or others
and any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to law.
4.9 Reservation
of Common Stock. As of the date hereof, the Company has reserved and the Company shall continue to reserve and keep available
at all times, free of preemptive rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of enabling the Company
to issue Shares pursuant to this Agreement and Warrant Shares pursuant to any exercise of the Warrants.
4.10 Listing
of Common Stock. The Company hereby agrees to use best efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the Common Stock on
the Trading Market on which it is currently listed, and concurrently with the Closing, the Company shall apply to list or quote
all of the Shares and Warrant Shares (and shares of Common Stock underlying any Preferred Stock issued hereunder) on such Trading
Market and promptly secure the listing of all of the Shares and Warrant Shares (and shares of Common Stock underlying any Preferred
Stock issued hereunder) on such Trading Market on or prior to the Closing Date. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies
to have the Common Stock traded on any other Trading Market, it will then include in such application all of the Shares and Warrant
Shares, and will take such other action as is necessary to cause all of the Shares and Warrant Shares to be listed or quoted on
such other Trading Market as promptly as possible. The Company will then take all action reasonably necessary to continue the
listing and trading of its Common Stock on a Trading Market and will comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting,
filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market. The Company agrees to maintain the eligibility of
the Common Stock for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation, including,
without limitation, by timely payment of fees to the Depository Trust Company or such other established clearing corporation in
connection with such electronic transfer.
4.11 Reservation
and Listing of Securities.
(a) The
Company shall maintain a reserve from its duly authorized shares of Common Stock for issuance pursuant to the Transaction Documents
in such amount as may then be required to fulfill its obligations in full under the Transaction Documents.
(b) If,
on any date, the number of authorized but unissued (and otherwise unreserved) shares of Common Stock is less than the Required
Minimum on such date, then the Board of Directors shall use commercially reasonable efforts to amend the Company’s certificate
of incorporation to increase the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock to at least the Required Minimum at
such time, as soon as possible and in any event not later than the 75th day after such date.
(c) The
Company shall, if applicable: (i) in the time and manner required by the principal Trading Market, prepare and file with such
Trading Market an additional shares listing application covering a number of shares of Common Stock at least equal to the Required
Minimum on the date of such application, (ii) take all steps necessary to cause such shares of Common Stock to be approved for
listing or quotation on such Trading Market as soon as possible thereafter, (iii) provide to the Purchasers evidence of such listing
or quotation and (iv) maintain the listing or quotation of such Common Stock on any date at least equal to the Required Minimum
on such date on such Trading Market or another Trading Market. The Company agrees to maintain the eligibility of the Common Stock
for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation, including, without limitation,
by timely payment of fees to the Depository Trust Company or such other established clearing corporation in connection with such
electronic transfer.
4.12 Subsequent
Equity Sales.
(a) From
the date hereof until 60 days after the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall issue, enter into any agreement
to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents.
(b) Notwithstanding
the foregoing, this Section 4.12(a) shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance.
4.13 Equal
Treatment of Purchasers. No consideration (including any modification of any Transaction Document) shall be offered or paid
to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement unless the same consideration
is also offered to all of the parties to this Agreement. For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right
granted to each Purchaser by the Company and negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended for the Company to treat
the Purchasers as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect
to the purchase, disposition or voting of Securities or otherwise.
4.14 Certain
Transactions and Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that neither
it nor any Affiliate acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any purchases or sales, including
Short Sales of any of the Company’s securities during the period commencing with the execution of this Agreement and ending
at 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof. Each Purchaser, severally and
not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that until 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) on the Trading Day immediately following
the date hereof, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction and the information
included in the Disclosure Schedules. Notwithstanding the foregoing and notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement
to the contrary, the Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that (i) no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty or covenant
hereby that it will not engage in effecting transactions in any securities of the Company after 9:30 a.m. (New York City time)
on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof, (ii) no Purchaser shall be restricted or prohibited from effecting any
transactions in any securities of the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws from and after 9:30 a.m. (New York
City time) on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof and (iii) no Purchaser shall have any duty of confidentiality
or duty not to trade in the securities of the Company to the Company or its Subsidiaries after 9:30 a.m. (New York City time)
on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that
is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets
and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other
portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the covenant set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets
managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.
4.15 Capital
Changes. Until the one year anniversary of the Closing Date, the Company shall not undertake a reverse or forward stock split
or reclassification of the Common Stock without the prior written consent of the Purchasers holding a majority in interest of
the Shares; provided, that no such consent shall be required in connection with a reverse stock split required to maintain the
listing of the Common Stock on the principal Trading Market.
4.16 Conversion
and Exercise Procedures. Each of the form of Notice of Exercise included in the Warrants and the form of Notice of Conversion
included in the Certificate of Designation set forth the totality of the procedures required of the Purchasers in order to exercise
the Warrants or convert the Preferred Stock, respectively. Without limiting the preceding sentences, no ink-original Notice of
Exercise or Notice of Conversion shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization)
of any Notice of Exercise or Notice of Conversion form be required in order to exercise the Warrants or convert the Preferred
Stock. No additional legal opinion, other information or instructions shall be required of the Purchasers to exercise their Warrants
or convert their Preferred Stock. The Company shall honor exercises of the Warrants and conversions of the Preferred Stock and
shall deliver Underlying Shares in accordance with the terms, conditions and time periods set forth in the Transaction Documents.
ARTICLE V.
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Termination.
This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to such Purchaser’s obligations hereunder only and without any effect
whatsoever on the obligations between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice to the other parties, if the Closing
has not been consummated on or before __________, 2015; provided, however, that no such termination will affect
the right of any party to sue for any breach by any other party (or parties).
5.2 Fees
and Expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and
expenses of their advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such party incident
to the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent
fees (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company),
stamp taxes and other similar taxes and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Securities to the Purchasers.
5.3 Entire
Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto and the Preliminary Prospectus and
the Prospectus, contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede
all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been
merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.
5.4 Notices.
Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and
shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of: (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered
via facsimile or email attachment at the facsimile number or email address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto
at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such
notice or communication is delivered via facsimile or email attachment at the facsimile number or email address as set forth on
the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading
Day, (c) the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight
courier service or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices
and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant
to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries,
the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K
5.5 Amendments;
Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed,
in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Purchasers who hold at least 51% in interest of the Shares and shares of Preferred
Stock, determined as a single class on an as-converted basis, then outstanding and held by the Purchasers or their permitted assigns
or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is sought; provided, that
if any amendment, modification or waiver disproportionately and adversely impacts a Purchaser (or group of Purchasers), the consent
of such disproportionately impacted Purchaser (or group of Purchasers) shall also be required. No waiver of any default with respect
to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver
of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission
of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right. Any proposed amendment or waiver
that disproportionately, materially and adversely affects the rights and obligations of any Purchaser relative to the comparable
rights and obligations of the other Purchasers shall require the prior written consent of such adversely affected Purchaser, Any
amendment effected in accordance with accordance with this Section 5.5 shall be binding upon each Purchaser and holder of Securities
and the Company.
5.6 Headings.
The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect
any of the provisions hereof.
5.7 Successors
and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted
assigns. The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of
each Purchaser (other than by merger). Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to
whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Securities, provided that such transferee agrees in writing to be bound, with respect
to the transferred Securities, by the provisions of the Transaction Documents that apply to the “Purchasers,” and
provided further that the rights of the Purchasers under Sections 4.11 and 4.12(b) shall not be assigned without the Company’s
prior written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed).
5.8 No
Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Placement Agent shall be the third party beneficiary of the representations and warranties
of the Company in Section 3.1 and the representations and warranties of the Purchasers in Section 3.2. This Agreement is intended
for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor
may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.8 and this Section 5.8.
5.9 Governing
Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents 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 legal Proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement
and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a
party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be
commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party 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 (including
with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert
in any Action or Proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such Action
or Proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such Proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service
of process and consents to process being served in any such Action or 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 other manner permitted by law. If any party shall commence
an Action or Proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then, in addition to the obligations of the Company
under Section 4.8, the prevailing party in such Action or Proceeding shall be reimbursed by the non-prevailing party for its reasonable
attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such Action
or Proceeding.
5.10 Survival.
The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery of the Securities.
5.11 Execution.
This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same
agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to each other party, it being
understood that the parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission
or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of
the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf”
signature page were an original thereof.
5.12 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 shall remain
in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially
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.
5.13 Rescission
and Withdrawal Right. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of)
any of the other Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction
Document and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Purchaser
may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand
or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights; provided, however, that in the case of a rescission
of a conversion of the Preferred Stock or exercise of a Warrant, the applicable Purchaser shall be required to return any shares
of Common Stock subject to any such rescinded conversion or exercise notice concurrently with the return to such Purchaser of
the aggregate exercise price paid to the Company for such shares and the restoration of such Purchaser’s right to acquire
such shares pursuant to such Purchaser’s Warrant (including, issuance of a replacement warrant certificate evidencing such
restored right).
5.14 Replacement
of Securities. If any certificate or instrument evidencing any Securities is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company
shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation thereof (in the case of mutilation),
or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory
to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction. The applicant for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances
shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs (including customary indemnity) associated with the issuance of such replacement
Securities.
5.15 Remedies.
In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of
the Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents. The parties agree that
monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in the
Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any action for specific performance of any such obligation
the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
5.16 Independent
Nature of Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several
and not joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance
or non-performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser under any Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any
other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the
Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Purchasers
are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction
Documents. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce his, her or its rights including, without limitation,
the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents, and (unless deemed an indispensible party
under applicable law) it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding
for such purpose. Each Purchaser has been represented by his, her or its own separate legal counsel in their review and negotiation
of the Transaction Documents. For reasons of administrative convenience only, each Purchaser and his, her or its respective counsel
have chosen to communicate with the Company through EGS. EGS does not represent any of the Purchasers and only represents Rodman
& Renshaw, a unit of H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC. The Company has elected to provide all Purchasers with the same terms
and Transaction Documents for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any of the
Purchasers. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement and in each other Transaction
Document is between the Company and a Purchaser, solely, and not between the Company and the Purchasers collectively and not between
and among the Purchasers.
5.17 Saturdays,
Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of
any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken
or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
5.18 Construction.
The parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel have reviewed and had an opportunity to revise the Transaction
Documents and, therefore, the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting
party shall not be employed in the interpretation of the Transaction Documents or any amendments thereto. In addition, each and
every reference to share prices and shares of Common Stock in any Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse
and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after
the date of this Agreement.
5.19 Liquidated
Damages. The Company’s obligations to pay any partial liquidated damages or other amounts owing under the Transaction
Documents is a continuing obligation of the Company and shall not terminate until all unpaid partial liquidated damages and other
amounts have been paid notwithstanding the fact that the instrument or security pursuant to which such partial liquidated damages
or other amounts are due and payable shall have been canceled.
5.20 WAIVER
OF JURY TRIAL. IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY UNDER THIS
AGREEMENT, THE PARTIES EACH KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY,
UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVES FOREVER TRIAL BY JURY.
(Signature Pages Follow)
IN WITNESS WHEREOF,
the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories
as of the date first indicated above.
spherix incorporated |
Address for Notice: |
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By: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
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With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice): |
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Nixon Peabody LLP |
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437 Madison Avenue |
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New York, NY 10022 |
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Attention: Theodore Ghorra, Esq, |
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Fax: (855) 856-7298 |
Solely with respect to delivery of the Shares and the Subscription Amounts
via DVP: |
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RODMAN
& Renshaw, a unit of H. C. Wainwright & Co., LLC |
Address for Notice: |
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By: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
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[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]
[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO SPEX SECURITIES
PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF,
the undersigned have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories
as of the date first indicated above.
Name of Purchaser: ________________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of
Purchaser: _________________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory: _______________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory: ________________________________________________
Email Address of Authorized Signatory:_________________________________________
Facsimile Number of Authorized Signatory: __________________________________________
Address for Notice to Purchaser:
Address for Delivery of Securities to Purchaser (if not same
as address for notice):
Subscription Amount: $_________________
Shares of Common Stock: _________________
Shares of Preferred Stock: _________________
Warrant Shares: ______________
EIN Number: ____________________
¨
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, by checking this box the above-signed agrees that
the obligations of the above-signed to purchase the securities set forth in this Agreement to be purchased from the Company by
the above-signed shall be unconditional and all conditions to Closing in favor of the above-signed shall be disregarded. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, in the event the Company accepts the above-signed’s subscription for the Company’s securities and any
conditions to Closing contemplated by this Agreement that required delivery by the Company or the above-signed of any agreement,
instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) are not satisfied as of the Closing, such deliverable shall
be an unconditional obligation of the Company or the above-signed (as applicable) to deliver such agreement, instrument, certificate
or the like or purchase price (as applicable) to such other party on the Closing Date.
[SIGNATURE
PAGES CONTINUE]
EXHIBIT 23.1
Independent
Registered Public Accounting Firm’s Consent
We consent to the incorporation by
reference in this Registration Statement of Spherix Incorporated (the “Company”) on Amendment No. 4 to the Form
S-1 (File No. 333-207078) of our report, which includes an explanatory paragraph as to the Company’s ability to
continue as a going concern, dated March 30, 2015 with respect to our audits of the consolidated financial statements of
Spherix Incorporated and Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 and for the years then ended, appearing in the Annual
Report on Form 10-K of Spherix Incorporated for the year ended December 31, 2014. We also consent to the reference to our
firm under the heading “Experts” in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement.
/s/ Marcum LLP
Marcum LLP
New York, NY
November 16, 2015
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