Preliminary Offering Circular dated January 22, 2021
An Offering Statement pursuant to Regulation A relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Information contained in this Preliminary Offering Circular is subject to completion or amendment. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted before the Offering Statement filed with the Commission is qualified. This Preliminary Offering Circular shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor may there be any sales of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful before registration or qualification under the laws of any such state. We may elect to satisfy our obligation to deliver a Final Offering Circular by sending you a notice within two business days after the completion of our sale to you that contains the URL where the Final Offering Circular or the Offering Statement in which such Final Offering Circular was filed may be obtained.
Pacific Software, Inc.
$15,000,000
7,500,000 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
2,000,000 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK BY THE SELLING SHAREHOLDERS
$2.00 PER SHARE
This is the public offering of securities of Pacific Software, Inc., a Nevada corporation. We are offering up to 7,500,000 shares of our Common Stock, par value $0.001 (“Common Stock”), at an offering price of $2.00 per share (the “Offered Shares”) by the Company. We are also registering 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock for Harrysen Mittler (1,000,000 Shares), Peter Pizzino (1,000,000 Shares) (together, the “Selling Shareholders”) who will sell at the offering price of $2.00 per share. We will not receive any proceeds from sales by the Selling Shareholders. This Offering will terminate on twelve months from the day the Offering is qualified, subject to extension for up to thirty (30) days as defined below or the date on which the maximum offering amount is sold (such earlier date, the “Termination Date”). The minimum purchase requirement per investor is 20,000 Offered Shares ($10,000); however, we can waive the minimum purchase requirement on a case-by-case basis in our sole discretion.
These securities are speculative securities. Investment in the Company’s stock involves significant risk. You should purchase these securities only if you can afford a complete loss of your investment. See the “Risk Factors“ section on page 4 of this Offering Circular.
No Escrow
The proceeds of this offering will not be placed into an escrow account. We will offer our Common Stock on a “best efforts” basis. As there is no minimum offering, upon the approval of any subscription to this Offering Circular, the Company shall immediately deposit said proceeds into the bank account of the Company and may dispose of the proceeds in accordance with the Use of Proceeds.
Subscriptions are irrevocable and the purchase price is non-refundable as expressly stated in this Offering Circular. The Company, by determination of the Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, may issue the Securities under this Offering for cash, promissory notes, services, and/or other consideration without notice to subscribers. All proceeds received by the Company from subscribers for this Offering will be available for use by the Company upon acceptance of subscriptions for the Securities by the Company.
Sale of these shares will commence within two calendar days of the qualification date and it will be a continuous Offering pursuant to Rule 251(d)(3)(i)(F).
This Offering will be conducted on a “best-efforts” basis, which means our Officers will use their commercially reasonable best efforts in an attempt to offer and sell the Shares. Our Officers will not receive any commission or any other remuneration for these sales. In offering the securities on our behalf, the Officers will rely on the safe harbor from broker-dealer registration set out in Rule 3a4-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
This Offering Circular shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sales of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, prior to registration or qualification under the laws of any such state.
The Company is using the Offering Circular format in its disclosure in this Offering Circular.
Our Common Stock is traded in the OTCMarket Pink Open Market under the stock symbol “PFSF.”
Investing in our Common Stock involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors“ beginning on page 4 for a discussion of certain risks that you should consider in connection with an investment in our Common Stock.
Per Share | Total Maximum | |||||||
| Public Offering Price (1)(2) | $ | 2.00 | $ | 15,000,000.00 | ||||
| Underwriting Discounts and Commissions (3) | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||
| Proceeds to Company (4) | $ | 2.00 | $ | 15,000,000.00 | ||||
| (1) | We are offering shares on a continuous basis. See “Distribution“ – Continuous Offering. |
| (2) | This is a “best efforts” offering. The proceeds of this offering will not be placed into an escrow account. We will offer our Common Stock on a best-efforts basis primarily through an online platform. As there is no minimum offering, upon the approval of any subscription to this Offering Circular, the Company shall immediately deposit said proceeds into the bank account of the Company and may dispose of the proceeds in accordance with the Use of Proceeds. See “How to Subscribe.” |
| (3) | We are offering these securities without an underwriter. |
| (4) | Excludes estimated total offering expenses, including underwriting discount and commissions, which will be approximately $50,000 assuming the maximum offering amount is sold. |
| (5) | An additional $4,000,000 is also being offered by the Selling Shareholders described herein. |
Our Board of Directors used its business judgment in setting a value of $2.00 per share to the Company as consideration for the stock to be issued under the Offering. The sales price per share bears no relationship to our book value or any other measure of our current value or worth.
THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION DOES NOT PASS UPON THE MERITS OF OR GIVE ITS APPROVAL TO ANY SECURITIES OFFERED OR THE TERMS OF THE OFFERING, NOR DOES IT PASS UPON THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF ANY OFFERING CIRCULAR OR OTHER SOLICITATION MATERIALS. THESE SECURITIES ARE OFFERED PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION WITH THE COMMISSION; HOWEVER, THE COMMISSION HAS NOT MADE AN INDEPENDENT DETERMINATION THAT THE SECURITIES OFFERED ARE EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
We are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, our securities only in jurisdictions where such offers and sales are permitted. You should rely only on the information contained in this Offering Circular. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any information other than the information contained in this Offering Circular. The information contained in this Offering Circular is accurate only as of its date, regardless of the time of its delivery or of any sale or delivery of our securities. Neither the delivery of this Offering Circular nor any sale or delivery of our securities shall, under any circumstances, imply that there has been no change in our affairs since the date of this Offering Circular. This Offering Circular will be updated and made available for delivery to the extent required by the federal securities laws.
In this Offering Circular, unless the context indicates otherwise, references to “Pacific Software, Inc.”, “West Hartford World of Beer”, “PFSF”, “Cambridge Craft Restaurants”, “Attitude Beer Holding, Inc.”, “we”, the “Company”, “our” and “us” refer to the activities of and the assets and liabilities of the business and operations of Pacific Software, Inc.
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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some of the statements under “Summary”, “Risk Factors”, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, “Our Business” and elsewhere in this Offering Circular constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “plan”, “potential”, “should”, “will” and “would” or the negatives of these terms or other comparable terminology.
You should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements. The cautionary statements set forth in this Offering Circular, including in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere, identify important factors which you should consider in evaluating our forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things:
| ● | The speculative nature of the business; |
| ● | Our reliance on suppliers and customers; |
| ● | Our dependence upon external sources for the financing of our operations, particularly given that there are concerns about our ability to continue as a “going concern;” |
| ● | Our ability to effectively execute our business plan; |
| ● | Our ability to manage our expansion, growth and operating expenses; |
| ● | Our ability to finance our businesses; |
| ● | Our ability to promote our businesses; |
| ● | Our ability to compete and succeed in highly competitive and evolving businesses; |
| ● | Our ability to respond and adapt to changes in technology and customer behavior; and |
| ● | Our ability to protect our intellectual property and to develop, maintain and enhance strong brands. |
Although the forward-looking statements in this Offering Circular are based on our beliefs, assumptions and expectations, taking into account all information currently available to us and our perception and interpretation thereof, we cannot guarantee future transactions, results, performance, achievements or outcomes. No assurance can be made to any investor by anyone that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements will be attained, or that deviations from them will not be material and adverse. We urge you to read this Offering Circular in its entirety and not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation, other than as may be required by law, to re-issue this Offering Circular or otherwise make public statements revising and/or updating our forward-looking statements if events occur or circumstances change.
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This summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this Offering Circular. This summary is not complete and does not contain all the information that you should consider before deciding whether to invest in our Common Stock. You should carefully read the entire Offering Circular, including the risks associated with an investment in the company discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of this Offering Circular, before making an investment decision. Some of the statements in this Offering Circular are forward-looking statements. See the section entitled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Company Information
We were formed as Pacific Mining, Inc., a Nevada corporation, on October 12, 2005. On November 28, 2006, we changed our name to
Pacific Software, Inc. and were engaged in the business of developing and marketing a large file transfer software package named
LargeFilesASAP. In December 2009, our management changed and the new management discontinued our business of developing and marketing
LargeFilesASAP.
On September 28, 2020, the Company entered into an agreement with Pacific Acquisition Assets, Inc., to acquire WOB LLC which holds a 51% interest in two restaurants. We are an owner of a 51% interest in two World of Beer franchise taverns. One is located in West Hartford Connecticut, and the other is in Cambridge Massachusetts. These taverns sell a selection of over 500 craft and imported beers along with tavern food and other spirits and cocktails. Our Joint venture partner, New England World of Beer, LLC (“NEWOB) owns franchise rights for all of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Similar taverns are currently open in 20 states. NEWOB, operates and manages our locations. Through our agreement with NEWOB, we have the right, but are not obligated, to participate in the development of new franchises. As NEWOB has franchise rights with the World of Beer Franchising, Inc. in Tampa, Florida (“franchisor”), we expect to develop other franchise locations in these exclusive territories.
On September 28, 2020, the Company accepted the resignation of Harrysen Mittler and Peter Pizzino as Officers and Directors of the Company.
On September 28, 2020, the Company appointed Izak On as the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and a Director of the Company.
On September 28, 2020, the Company appointed Michael Finkelstein as the Secretary and as a Director of the Company.
Our fiscal year-end date is September 30.
Our Corporate Headquarters are located at 600 North Ave, #304, Wakefield, MA 01880. Our website is www.pacificsoftwareinc.com and our email address is info@pacificsoftwareinc.com.
We do not incorporate the information on or accessible through our websites into this Offering Circular, and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our websites a part of this Offering Circular.
Section 15(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Our shares are covered by section 15(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended that imposes additional sales practice requirements on broker/dealers who sell such securities to persons other than established customers and accredited investors (generally institutions with assets in excess of $10,000,000 or individuals with net worth in excess of $1,000,000 or annual income exceeding $200,000 or $300,000 jointly with their spouses). For transactions covered by the Rule, the broker/dealer must make a special suitability determination for the purchase and have received the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction prior to the sale. Consequently, the Rule may affect the ability of broker/dealers to sell our securities and also may affect your ability to sell your shares in the secondary market.
Section 15(g) also imposes additional sales practice requirements on broker/dealers who sell penny securities. These rules require a one-page summary of certain essential items. The items include the risk of investing in penny stocks in both public offerings and secondary marketing; terms important to understanding of the function of the penny stock market, such as bid and offer quotes, a dealers spread and broker/dealer compensation; the broker/dealer compensation, the broker/dealers’ duties to its customers, including the disclosures required by any other penny stock disclosure rules; the customers’ rights and remedies in cases of fraud in penny stock transactions; and, the FINRA’s toll free telephone number and the central number of the North American Securities Administrators Association, for information on the disciplinary history of broker/dealers and their associated persons.
Dividends
The Company has not declared or paid a cash dividend to stockholders since it was organized and does not intend to pay dividends in the foreseeable future. The board of directors presently intends to retain any earnings to finance our operations and does not expect to authorize cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any payment of cash dividends in the future will depend upon the Company’s earnings, capital requirements and other factors.
Trading Market
Our Common Stock trades in the OTCMarket Pink Open Market Sheets under the symbol PFSF.
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| Issuer: | Pacific Software, Inc. | |
| Securities offered by the Company: | A maximum of 7,500,000 shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 (“Common Stock”) at an offering price of $2.00 per share (the “Offered Shares”). (See “Distribution.”) | |
| Securities offered by the Selling Shareholders | Additionally, 2,000,000 of the Common Shares are being offered by the Selling Shareholders at the fixed price of $2.00 per share. | |
| Number of shares of Common Stock outstanding before the offering | 19,297,299 issued and outstanding as of , January 13, 2021 | |
| Number of shares of Common Stock to be outstanding after the offering | 26,797,299 shares, if the maximum amount of Offered Shares are sold | |
| Price per share: | $2.00 | |
| Maximum offering amount: | 7,500,000 shares at $2.00 per share, or $15,000,000 (See “Distribution.”) Additionally, 2,000,000 shares of our Common Stock may be sold by the Selling Shareholders at the fixed price of $2.00 per share. | |
| Trading Market: | Our Common Stock is trading on the OTC Markets Pink Open Market Sheets division under the symbol “PFSF.” | |
| Use of proceeds: | If we sell all of the shares being offered, our net proceeds (after our estimated offering expenses) will be $14,950,000.00. We will use these net proceeds for working capital and other general corporate purposes. | |
| Risk factors: |
Investing in our Common Stock involves a high degree of risk, including:
Immediate and substantial dilution.
Limited market for our stock.
See “Risk Factors.” |
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The following is only a brief summary of the risks involved in investing in our Company. Investment in our Securities involves risks. You should carefully consider the following risk factors in addition to other information contained in this Disclosure Document. The occurrence of any of the following risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment. Some statements in this Document, including statements in the following risk factors, constitute “Forward-Looking Statements.”
Our business and future operations may be adversely affected by epidemics and pandemics, such as the recent COVID-19 outbreak.
We may face risks related to health epidemics and pandemics or other outbreaks of communicable diseases, which could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect general commercial activity and the economies and financial markets of the country as a whole. For example, the recent outbreak of COVID-19, has been declared by the World Health Organization to be a “pandemic,” has spread across the globe, including the United States of America. A health epidemic or pandemic or other outbreak of communicable diseases, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, poses the risk that we, or potential business partners may be disrupted or prevented from conducting business activities for certain periods of time, the durations of which are uncertain, and may otherwise experience significant impairments of business activities, including due to, among other things, operational shutdowns or suspensions that may be requested or mandated by national or local governmental authorities or self-imposed by us, our customers or other business partners. While it is not possible at this time to estimate the impact that COVID-19 could have on our business, our customers, our potential customers, suppliers or other current or potential business partners, the continued spread of COVID-19, the measures taken by the local and federal government, actions taken to protect employees, and the impact of the pandemic on various business activities could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
The price of our common stock may continue to be volatile.
The trading price of our common stock has been and is likely to remain highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control or unrelated to our operating performance. In addition to the factors discussed in this “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere, these factors include: the operating performance of similar companies; the overall performance of the equity markets; the announcements by us or our competitors of acquisitions, business plans, or commercial relationships; threatened or actual litigation; changes in laws or regulations relating to our businesses; any major change in our board of directors or management; publication of research reports or news stories about us, our competitors, or our industry or positive or negative recommendations or withdrawal of research coverage by securities analysts; large volumes of sales of our shares of common stock by existing stockholders; and general political and economic conditions.
In addition, the stock market in general, and the market for developmental related companies in particular, has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies’ securities. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in very substantial costs; divert our management’s attention and resources; and harm our business, operating results, and financial condition.
There are doubts about our ability to continue as a going concern.
The Company is an early-stage enterprise and has commenced principal operations. The Company had $20,000 revenues and has incurred losses of $1,174,316 for the year ended September 30, 2020. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
There can be no assurance that sufficient funds required during the next year or thereafter will be generated from operations or that funds will be available from external sources, such as debt or equity financings or other potential sources. The lack of additional capital resulting from the inability to generate cash flow from operations, or to raise capital from external sources would force the Company to substantially curtail or cease operations and would, therefore, have a material adverse effect on its business. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that any such required funds, if available, will be available on attractive terms or that they will not have a significant dilutive effect on the Company’s existing stockholders.
The Company intends to overcome the circumstances that impact its ability to remain a going concern through a combination of the growth of revenues, with interim cash flow deficiencies being addressed through additional equity and debt financing. The Company anticipates raising additional funds through public or private financing, strategic relationships or other arrangements in the near future to support its business operations; however, the Company may not have commitments from third parties for a sufficient amount of additional capital. The Company cannot be certain that any such financing will be available on acceptable terms, or at all, and its failure to raise capital when needed could limit its ability to continue its operations. The Company’s ability to obtain additional funding will determine its ability to continue as a going concern. Failure to secure additional financing in a timely manner and on favorable terms would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial performance, results of operations and stock price and require it to curtail or cease operations, sell off its assets, seek protection from its creditors through bankruptcy proceedings, or otherwise. Furthermore, additional equity financing may be dilutive to the holders of the Company’s common stock, and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants, and strategic relationships, if necessary, to raise additional funds, and may require that the Company relinquish valuable rights. Please see Financial Statements – Note 3. Going Concern for further information.
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Risks Relating to Our Financial Condition
Our financials are not independently audited, which could result in errors and/or omissions in our financial statements if proper standards are not applied.
Although the Company is confident with its accounting, we are not required to have our financials audited by a certified Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”). As such, our accountants do not have a third party reviewing the accounting. Our accountants may also not be up to date with all publications and releases put out by the PCAOB regarding accounting standards and treatments. This could mean that our unaudited financials may not properly reflect up to date standards and treatments resulting misstated financials statements.
Our management has limited experience operating a public company and are subject to the risks commonly encountered by early-stage companies.
Management of Pacific Software, Inc. has experience in operating small companies. Many investors may treat us as an early-stage company. Because we have a limited operating history, our operating prospects should be considered in light of the risks and uncertainties frequently encountered by early-stage companies in rapidly evolving markets. These risks include:
-risks that we may not have sufficient capital to achieve our growth strategy;
-risks that we may not develop our products and service offerings in a manner that enables us to be profitable and meet our customers’ requirements;
-risks that our growth strategy may not be successful; and
-risks that fluctuations in our operating results will be significant relative to our revenues.
These risks are described in more detail below. Our future growth will depend substantially on our ability to address these and the other risks described in this section. If we do not successfully address these risks, our business could be significantly harmed.
Because our former directors and former officers currently and for the foreseeable future will continue to control a large quantity of Pacific Software, Inc.’ shares, it is not likely that you will be able to elect directors or have any say in the policies of Pacific Software, Inc.
Our shareholders are not entitled to cumulative voting rights. Consequently, the election of directors and all other matters requiring shareholder approval will be decided by majority vote. The former directors, former officers and affiliates of Pacific Software, Inc. (Harrysen Mittler and Peter Pizzino), beneficially own a majority of our outstanding common stock voting rights. Due to such significant ownership position held by our insiders, new investors may not be able to affect a change in our business or management, and therefore, shareholders would have no recourse as a result of decisions made by management.
In addition, sales of significant amounts of shares held by our former directors, former officers or affiliates, or the prospect of these sales, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Former management’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.
As a growing company, we have yet to achieve a profit and may not achieve a profit in the near future, if at all.
We have not yet produced a net profit and may not in the near future, if at all. While we expect our revenue to grow, we have not achieved profitability and cannot be certain that we will be able to sustain our current growth rate or realize sufficient revenue to achieve profitability. Further, many of our competitors have a significantly more restaurants and larger revenue stream but have yet to achieve profitability. Our ability to continue as a going concern may be dependent upon raising capital from financing transactions, increasing revenue throughout the year and keeping operating expenses below our revenue levels in order to achieve positive cash flows, none of which can be assured.
We will require additional capital to support business growth, and this capital might not be available on acceptable terms, if at all.
We intend to continue to make investments to support our business growth and may require additional funds to respond to business challenges, including the need to update our website, update our restaurants, and improve our operating infrastructure or acquire complementary businesses and technologies. Accordingly, we will need to engage in continued equity or debt financings to secure additional funds. If we raise additional funds through future issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders could suffer significant dilution, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of our common stock. Any debt financing, we secure in the future could involve restrictive covenants relating to our capital raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities. We may not be able to obtain additional financing on terms favorable to us, if at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us when we require it, our ability to continue to support our business growth and to respond to business challenges could be impaired, and our business may be harmed.
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We are highly dependent on the services of our key executives, the loss of whom could materially harm our business and our strategic direction. If we lose key management or significant personnel, cannot recruit qualified employees, directors, officers, or other personnel or experience increases in our compensation costs, our business may materially suffer.
We are highly dependent on our management team. If we lose key management or employees, our business may suffer. Furthermore, our future success will also depend in part on the continued service of our management personnel and our ability to identify, hire, and retain additional key personnel. We do not carry “key-man” life insurance on the lives of any of our executives, employees or advisors. We experience intense competition for qualified personnel and may be unable to attract and retain the personnel necessary for the development of our business. Because of this competition, our compensation costs may increase significantly.
We operate in a highly competitive environment, and if we are unable to compete with our competitors, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects could be materially adversely affected.
We operate in a highly competitive environment. Our competition includes all other companies that are in the restaurant and bar business. It is a highly competitive environment which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects.
We may not be able to compete successfully with other established companies offering the same or similar venues, products and, as a result, we may not achieve our projected revenue and customer targets.
If we are unable to compete successfully with other businesses in our existing markets, we may not achieve our projected revenue and/or customer targets. We compete with both start-up and established companies. Compared to our business, some of our competitors may have greater financial and other resources, have been in business longer, have greater name recognition and be better established in our markets.
Our lack of adequate D&O insurance may also make it difficult for us to retain and attract talented and skilled directors and officers.
In the future we may be subject to additional litigation, including potential class action and stockholder derivative actions. Risks associated with legal liability are difficult to assess and quantify, and their existence and magnitude can remain unknown for significant periods of time. To date, we have not obtained directors and officers liability (“D&O”) insurance. Without adequate D&O insurance, the amounts we would pay to indemnify our officers and directors should they be subject to legal action based on their service to the Company could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. Furthermore, our lack of adequate D&O insurance may make it difficult for us to retain and attract talented and skilled directors and officers, which could adversely affect our business.
We expect to incur substantial expenses to meet our reporting obligations as a public company. In addition, failure to maintain adequate financial and management processes and controls could lead to errors in our financial reporting and could harm our ability to manage our expenses.
We estimate that it will cost approximately $55,000 annually to maintain the proper management and financial controls for our filings required as a public company. In addition, if we do not maintain adequate financial and management personnel, processes and controls, we may not be able to accurately report our financial performance on a timely basis, which could cause a decline in our stock price and adversely affect our ability to raise capital.
Risks Relating to our Common Stock and Offering
The Common Stock is thinly traded, so you may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or at all if you need to sell your shares to raise money or otherwise desire to liquidate your shares.
The Common Stock has historically been sporadically traded on the OTC Markets Pink Sheets, meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our shares 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 which 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 became more seasoned and viable. As a consequence, 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 you 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.
The market price for the common stock is particularly volatile given our status as a relatively unknown company with a small and thinly traded public float, and limited operating history, which could lead to wide fluctuations in our share price. The price at which you purchase our shares may not be indicative of the price that will prevail in the trading market. You may be unable to sell your common shares at or above your purchase price, which may result in substantial losses to you.
The market for our shares of common stock is characterized by significant price volatility when compared to seasoned issuers, and we expect that our share price will continue to be more volatile than a seasoned issuer for the indefinite future. The volatility in our share price is attributable to a number of factors. First, as noted above, our shares are sporadically traded. Because of this lack of liquidity, the trading of relatively small quantities of shares may disproportionately influence the price of those shares in either direction. The price for our shares could, for example, decline precipitously in the event that a large number of our shares is sold on the market without commensurate demand, as compared to a seasoned issuer which could better absorb those sales without adverse impact on its share price. Secondly, we are a speculative investment due to, among other matters, our limited operating history and small revenue or lack of profit to date, and the uncertainty of future market acceptance for our potential products. As a consequence of this enhanced risk, more risk-averse investors may, under the fear of losing all or most of their investment in the event of negative news or lack of progress, be more inclined to sell their shares on the market more quickly and at greater discounts than would be the case with the securities of a seasoned issuer. The following factors may add to the volatility in the price of our shares: actual or anticipated variations in our quarterly or annual operating results; acceptance of our inventory of games; government regulations, announcements of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships or joint ventures; our capital commitments and additions or departures of our key personnel. Many of these factors are beyond our control and may decrease the market price of our shares regardless of our operating performance. We cannot make any predictions or projections as to what the prevailing market price for our shares will be at any time, including as to whether our shares will sustain their current market prices, or as to what effect the sale of shares or the availability of shares for sale at any time will have on the prevailing market price.
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Shareholders should be aware that, according to SEC Release No. 34-29093, the market for penny stocks has suffered in recent years from patterns of fraud and abuse. Such patterns include (1) control of the market for the security by one or a few broker-dealers that are often related to the promoter or issuer; (2) manipulation of prices through prearranged matching of purchases and sales and false and misleading press releases; (3) boiler room practices involving high-pressure sales tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales persons; (4) excessive and undisclosed bid-ask differential and markups by selling broker-dealers; and (5) the wholesale dumping of the same securities by promoters and broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to a desired level, along with the resulting inevitable collapse of those prices and with consequent investor losses. Our management is aware of the abuses that have occurred historically in the penny stock market. Although we do not expect to be in a position to dictate the behavior of the market or of broker-dealers who participate in the market, management will strive within the confines of practical limitations to prevent the described patterns from being established with respect to our securities. The possible occurrence of these patterns or practices could increase the volatility of our share price.
The market price of our common stock may be volatile and adversely affected by several factors.
The market price of our common stock could fluctuate significantly in response to various factors and events, including, but not limited to:
-our ability to integrate operations, employees, technology, products and services;
-our ability to execute our business plan;
-operating results below expectations;
-our issuance of additional securities, including debt or equity or a combination thereof;
-announcements of renovations or new products by us or our competitors;
-loss of any strategic relationship;
-industry developments, including, without limitation, changes in competition or practices;
-economic and other external factors;
-period-to-period fluctuations in our financial results; and
-whether an active trading market in our common stock develops and is maintained.
In addition, the securities markets have from time-to-time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These market fluctuations may also materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Issuers using the Alternative Reporting standard for filing financial reports with OTC Markets are often subject to large volatility unrelated to the fundamentals of the company.
We do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future; any return on investment may be limited to the value of our common stock.
We do not currently anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. The payment of dividends on our common stock will depend on earnings, financial condition and other business and economic factors affecting it at such time as the board of directors may consider relevant. Our current intention is to apply net earnings, if any, in the foreseeable future to increasing our capital base and development and marketing efforts. There can be no assurance that the Company will ever have sufficient earnings to declare and pay dividends to the holders of our common stock, and in any event, a decision to declare and pay dividends is at the sole discretion of our board of directors. If we do not pay dividends, our common stock may be less valuable because a return on your investment will only occur if its stock price appreciates.
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Our issuance of additional shares of Common Stock, or options or warrants to purchase those shares, would dilute your proportionate ownership and voting rights.
We are entitled under our articles of incorporation to issue up to 100,000,000 shares of common stock. We have issued and outstanding, as of January 13, 2021, 19,297,299 shares of common stock. In addition, we are entitled under our Articles of Incorporation to issue “blank check” preferred stock. Our board may generally issue shares of common stock, preferred stock, options, or warrants to purchase those shares, without further approval by our shareholders based upon such factors as our board of directors may deem relevant at that time. It is likely that we will be required to issue a large amount of additional securities to raise capital to further our development. It is also likely that we will issue a large amount of additional securities to directors, officers, employees and consultants as compensatory grants in connection with their services, both in the form of stand-alone grants or under our stock plans. We cannot give you any assurance that we will not issue additional shares of common stock, or options or warrants to purchase those shares, under circumstances we may deem appropriate at the time.
The elimination of monetary liability against our directors, officers and employees under our Articles of Incorporation and the existence of indemnification rights to our directors, officers and employees may result in substantial expenditures by our company and may discourage lawsuits against our directors, officers and employees.
Our Articles of Incorporation contains provisions that eliminate the liability of our directors for monetary damages to our company and shareholders. Our bylaws also require us to indemnify our officers and directors. We may also have contractual indemnification obligations under our agreements with our directors, officers and employees. The foregoing indemnification obligations could result in our company incurring substantial expenditures to cover the cost of settlement or damage awards against directors, officers and employees that we may be unable to recoup. These provisions and resulting costs may also discourage our company from bringing a lawsuit against directors, officers and employees for breaches of their fiduciary duties, and may similarly discourage the filing of derivative litigation by our shareholders against our directors, officers and employees even though such actions, if successful, might otherwise benefit our company and shareholders.
We may become involved in securities class action litigation that could divert management’s attention and harm our business.
The stock market in general, and the shares of early-stage companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. These fluctuations have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of the companies involved. If these fluctuations occur in the future, the market price of our shares could fall regardless of our operating performance. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a particular company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. If the market price or volume of our shares suffers extreme fluctuations, then we may become involved in this type of litigation, which would be expensive and divert management’s attention and resources from managing our business.
As a public company, we may also from time to time make forward-looking statements about future operating results and provide some financial guidance to the public markets. Our management has limited experience as a management team in a public company and as a result, projections may not be made timely or set at expected performance levels and could materially affect the price of our shares. Any failure to meet published forward-looking statements that adversely affect the stock price could result in losses to investors, stockholder lawsuits or other litigation, sanctions or restrictions issued by the SEC.
Our common stock is currently deemed a “penny stock,” which makes it more difficult for our investors to sell their shares.
The SEC has adopted Rule 15g-9 which establishes the definition of a “penny stock,” for the purposes relevant to us, as any equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. For any transaction involving a penny stock, unless exempt, the rules require that a broker or dealer approve a person’s account for transactions in penny stocks, and the broker or dealer receive from the investor a written agreement to the transaction, setting forth the identity and quantity of the penny stock to be purchased.
In order to approve a person’s account for transactions in penny stocks, the broker or dealer must obtain financial information and investment experience objectives of the person and make a reasonable determination that the transactions in penny stocks are suitable for that person and the person has sufficient knowledge and experience in financial matters to be capable of evaluating the risks of transactions in penny stocks.
The broker or dealer must also deliver, prior to any transaction in a penny stock, a disclosure schedule prescribed by the SEC relating to the penny stock market, which, in highlight form sets forth the basis on which the broker or dealer made the suitability determination, and that the broker or dealer received a signed, written agreement from the investor prior to the transaction.
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Generally, brokers may be less willing to execute transactions in securities subject to the “penny stock” rules. This may make it more difficult for investors to dispose of our common stock if and when such shares are eligible for sale and may cause a decline in the market value of its stock.
Disclosure also has to be made about the risks of investing in penny stocks in both public offerings and in secondary trading, and about the commissions payable to both the broker-dealer and the registered representative, current quotations for the securities, and the rights and remedies available to an investor in cases of fraud in penny stock transactions. Finally, monthly statements have to be sent disclosing recent price information for the penny stock held in the account and information on the limited market in penny stock.
As an issuer of a “penny stock,” the protection provided by the federal securities laws relating to forward-looking statements does not apply to us.
Although federal securities laws provide a safe harbor for forward-looking statements made by a public company that files reports under the federal securities laws, this safe harbor is not available to issuers of penny stocks. As a result, we will not have the benefit of this safe harbor protection in the event of any legal action based upon a claim that the material provided by us contained a material misstatement of fact or was misleading in any material respect because of our failure to include any statements necessary to make the statements not misleading. Such an action could hurt our financial condition.
As an issuer not required to make reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, holders of restricted shares may not be able to sell shares into the open market as Rule 144 exemptions may not apply.
Under Rule 144 of the Securities Act of 1933, holders of restricted shares may avail themselves of certain exemptions from registration if the holder and the issuer meet certain requirements. As a company that is not required to file reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act, referred to as a non-reporting company, we may not, in the future, meet the requirements for an issuer under 144 that would allow a holder to qualify for Rule 144 exemptions. In such an event, holders of restricted stock would have to utilize another exemption from registration or rely on a registration statement to be filed by the Company registering the restricted stock. Although the Company is potentially planning to file either a form 10 or S-1 with the Commission upon the conclusion of the Regulation A offering, there can be no guarantee that the Company will be able to fulfill one of these registration statements, which could have an adverse effect on our shareholders.
We are classified as a “smaller reporting company” and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are currently a “smaller reporting company.” Specifically, similar to “emerging growth companies,” “smaller reporting companies” are able to provide simplified executive compensation disclosures in their filings; are exempt from the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring that independent registered public accounting firms provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting; and have certain other decreased disclosure obligations in their SEC filings. Decreased disclosures in our SEC filings due to our status as an “emerging growth company” or “smaller reporting company” may make it harder for investors to analyze our results of operations and financial prospects.
Risks Relating to Our Company and Industry
The following risks relate to our businesses and the effects upon us assuming we obtain financing in a sufficient amount.
There are general risks associated with the restaurant industry.
Restaurants are a very cyclical business. Specific factors that impact our economic recessions can negatively influence discretionary consumer spending in restaurants and bars and result in lower customer counts as consumers become more price conscientious, tending to conserve their cash amid unemployment and other economic uncertainty. The effects of higher gasoline prices can also negatively affect discretionary consumer spending in restaurants and bars. Increasing costs for energy can affect profit margins in many other ways. Petroleum based material is often used to package certain products for distribution. In addition, suppliers may add fuel surcharges to their invoices. The cost to transport products from the distributors to restaurant operations will rise with each increase in fuel prices. Higher costs for electricity and natural gas result in higher costs to a) heat and cool restaurant facilities, b) refrigerate and cook food and c) manufacture and store food at the Company’s locations.
Inflationary pressure, particularly on food costs, labor costs (especially associated with potential increases in the minimum wage) and health care benefits, can negatively affect the operation of the business. Shortages of qualified labor are sometimes experienced in certain local economies. In addition, the loss of any key executives could pose a significant adverse effect on the Company.
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A regional or global health pandemic, such as Covid-19, could severely affect our business.
A health pandemic, such as Covid-19, is a disease outbreak that spreads rapidly and widely by infection and affects many individuals in an area or population at the same time. If a regional or global health pandemic were to occur, depending upon its duration and severity, our business could be severely affected. We have positioned our brand as a place where people can gather together.
Customers might avoid public gathering places in the event of a health pandemic, and local, regional or national governments might limit or ban public gatherings to halt or delay the spread of disease. A regional or global health pandemic might also adversely impact our business by disrupting or delaying production and delivery of materials and products in its supply chain and by causing staffing shortages in our restaurants. The impact of a health pandemic might be disproportionately greater than on other companies that depend less on the gathering of people together for the sale or use of their products and services.
If consumer confidence in our business deteriorates, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our business is built on consumers’ confidence in our brand. As a consumer business, the strength of our brand and reputation are of paramount importance to us. A number of factors could adversely affect consumer confidence in our brand, many of which are beyond our control and could have an adverse impact on our results of operations. These factors include:
| ● | any regulatory action or investigation against us; |
| ● | any negative publicity about a restaurant in the World Of Beer franchise; and |
| ● | any negative publicity about our restaurants. |
In addition, we are largely dependent on the other World of Beer franchisees to maintain the reputation of our brand. Despite the measures that we put in place to ensure their compliance with our performance standards, our lack of control over their operations may result in the low quality of service being attributed to our brand, negatively affecting our overall reputation. Any event that hurts our brand and reputation among consumers as a reliable services provider could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we are unable to identify and obtain suitable new franchise sites and successfully open new franchises, our revenue growth rate and profits may be reduced.
We require that all proposed franchise sites meet our site selection criteria. We may make errors in selecting these criteria or applying these criteria to a particular site, or there may be an insignificant number of new sites meeting these criteria that would enable us to achieve our planned expansion in future periods. We face significant competition from other restaurant companies and retailers for sites that meet our criteria, and the supply of sites may be limited in some markets. Further, we may be precluded from acquiring an otherwise suitable site due to an exclusivity restriction held by another tenant. As a result of these factors, our costs to obtain and lease sites may increase, or we may not be able to obtain certain sites due to unacceptable costs. Our inability to obtain suitable sites at reasonable costs may reduce our growth.
To successfully expand our business, we must open new World of Beer restaurants on schedule and in a profitable manner. In the past, World of Beer franchisees have experienced delays in restaurant openings, and we may experience similar delays in the future. Delays in opening new sites could hurt our ability to meet our growth objectives, which may affect our results of operations and thus our stock price. We cannot guarantee that we or any future franchisees will be able to achieve our expansion goals. Further, any sites that we open may not achieve operating results similar or better than our existing restaurant. If we are unable to generate positive cash flow from a new site, we may be required to recognize an impairment loss with respect to the assets for that restaurant. Our ability to expand successfully will depend on a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include:
| ● | Negotiating acceptable lease or purchase terms for new sites; |
| ● | Cost effective and timely planning, design and build-out of sites; |
| ● | Creating Guest awareness of our restaurants and taverns in new markets; |
| ● | Competition in new and existing markets; |
| ● | General economic conditions. |
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Our restaurants and taverns may not achieve market acceptance in the new regions we enter.
Our expansion plans depend on opening restaurants and taverns in markets starting with North East where we have little or no operating experience. We may not be successful in operating our locations in new markets on a profitable basis. The success of these new locations will be affected by the different competitive conditions, consumer tastes and discretionary spending patterns of the new markets as well as our ability to generate market awareness of our brands. Sales at our locations opening in new markets may take longer to reach profitable levels, if at all.
New restaurants added to our existing markets may take sales from existing restaurants.
We intend to open new restaurants and taverns in our existing market, which may reduce sales performance and guest visits for our existing location. In addition, new locations added in existing markets may not achieve sales and operating performance at the same level as established restaurants in the market.
A security failure in our information technology systems could expose us to potential liability and loss of revenues.
We accept credit and debit card payments at our restaurants. A number of retailers have recently experienced actual or potential security breaches in which credit and debit card information may have been stolen, including a number of highly publicized incidents with well-known retailers. The intentional, inadvertent or negligent release or disclosure of data by our company or our service providers could result in theft, loss, fraudulent or unlawful use of customer data which could harm our reputation and result in remedial and other costs, fines or lawsuits.
Shortages or interruptions in the availability and delivery of food and other supplies may increase costs or reduce revenues.
Possible shortages or interruptions in the supply of food items and other supplies to our location(s) caused by inclement weather, terrorist attacks, natural disasters such as floods, drought and hurricanes, pandemics, the inability of our vendors to obtain credit in a tightened credit market, food safety warnings or advisories or the prospect of such pronouncements, or other conditions beyond our control could adversely affect the availability, quality and cost of items we buy and the operations of our restaurants. Our inability to effectively manage supply chain risk could increase our costs and limit the availability of products critical to our restaurant operations.
Our business is difficult to evaluate because we are currently focused on a new line of business and have very limited operating history and information.
Our company was incorporated on October 12, 2005, and were in a different line of business, which makes an evaluation of us extremely difficult. In addition, we have recently shifted our focus from the technology and internet sales portals to restaurant and tavern sales. There is a risk that we will be unable to successfully operate this new line of business or be able to successfully integrate it with our current management and structure. Our estimates of capital and personnel required for our new line of business are based on the experience of management and businesses that are familiar to them. We are subject to the risks such as our ability to implement our business plan, market acceptance of our proposed business and services, under-capitalization, cash shortages, limitations with respect to personnel, financing and other resources, competition from better funded and experienced companies, and uncertainty of our ability to generate revenues. There is no assurance that our activities will be successful or will result in any revenues or profit, and the likelihood of our success must be considered in light of the stage of our development. In addition, no assurance can be given that we will be able to consummate our business strategy and plans, as described herein, or that financial, technological, market, or other limitations may force us to modify, alter, significantly delay, or significantly impede the implementation of such plans. We have insufficient results for investors to use to identify historical trends or even to make quarter to quarter comparisons of our operating results. You should consider our prospects in light of the risk, expenses and difficulties we will encounter as an early-stage company. Our revenue and income potential is unproven, and our business model is continually evolving. We are subject to the risks inherent to the operation of a new business enterprise and cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully address these risks.
We may not be profitable.
We expect to incur operating losses for the foreseeable future. For the year ending September 30, 2020, we had a net operating loss of $1,174,316 as compared to a net operating loss of $21,111,811 for the year ending September 30, 2019. To date, we have not generated significant revenue from our past technology business. Our ability to become profitable depends on our ability to have successful operations and generate and sustain revenues, while maintaining reasonable expense levels, all of which are uncertain in light of our limited operating history in our current line of business and our beginning of our new food and beverage line of business.
We face substantial competition in our target markets
The restaurant industry is highly competitive, and many of our competitors are substantially larger and possess greater financial resources than we do. Our restaurant(s) have numerous competitors, including national chains, regional and local chains, as well as independent operators. In addition, competition continues to increase from non-traditional competitors such as supermarkets that not only offer home meal replacement but also have in-store dining space trends that continue to grow in popularity.
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The principal methods of competition in the restaurant industry are brand name recognition and advertising; menu selection and prices; food quality and customer perceptions of value, speed and quality of service; cleanliness and fresh, attractive facilities in convenient locations. In addition to competition for customers, sharp competition exists for qualified restaurant managers, hourly restaurant workers and quality sites on which to build new locations.
The restaurant and bar industry is very competitive, and we face competition from large national chains as well as individually owned restaurants. Large chains such as Buffalo Wild Wings have a similar open style that appeals to our sports fan and family demographic. There are additional restaurants that feature custom beers. Many of these competitors have substantially more resources than we do, which allows them to have economies of scale allowing them price points which compare favorably to ours. They also have the ability to market their restaurants given their sheer size which we do not possess. All of these factors may make it difficult for us to succeed.
Unfavorable publicity could harm our business.
Multi-unit restaurant businesses such as ours can be adversely affected by publicity resulting from complaints or litigation or general publicity regarding poor food quality, food-borne illness, personal injury, food tampering, adverse health effects of consumption of various food products or high-calorie foods (including obesity), or other concerns. Negative publicity from traditional media or on-line social network postings may also result from actual or alleged incidents or events taking place in our restaurants. Regardless of whether the allegations or complaints are valid, unfavorable publicity relating to a number of our restaurants, or only to a single restaurant, could adversely affect public perception of the entire brand. Adverse publicity and its effect on overall consumer perceptions of food safety, or our failure to respond effectively to adverse publicity, could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Changes in employment laws or regulation could harm our performance.
Various federal and state labor laws govern our relationship with our employees and affect operating costs. These laws include minimum wage requirements, overtime pay, healthcare reform and the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, unemployment tax rates, workers’ compensation rates, citizenship requirements, union membership and sales taxes. A number of factors could adversely affect our operating results, including additional government-imposed increases in minimum wages, overtime pay, paid leaves of absence and mandated health benefits, mandated training for employees, increased tax reporting and tax payment requirements for employees who receive tips, a reduction in the number of states that allow tips to be credited toward minimum wage requirements, changing regulations from the National Labor Relations Board and increased employee litigation including claims relating to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in public accommodations and employment. Although our restaurants are designed to be accessible to the disabled, we could be required to make modifications to our restaurants to provide service to or make reasonable accommodations for disabled persons.
Failure of our internal controls over financial reporting could harm our business and financial results.
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is a process to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting is not intended to provide absolute assurance that we would prevent or detect a misstatement of our financial statements or fraud. Any failure to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting could limit our ability to report our financial results accurately and timely or to detect and prevent fraud. A significant financial reporting failure or material weakness in internal control over financial reporting could cause a loss of investor confidence and decline in the market price of our stock.
Economic conditions could have a material adverse impact on our landlords or other tenants in retail centers in which we or our franchisees are located, which in turn could negatively affect our financial results.
Our landlords may be unable to obtain financing or remain in good standing under their existing financing arrangements, resulting in failures to pay required construction contributions or satisfy other lease covenants to us. In addition other tenants at retail centers in which we or our franchisees are located or have executed leases may fail to open or may cease operations. If our landlords fail to satisfy required co-tenancies, such failures may result in us or our franchisees terminating leases or delaying openings in these locations. Also, decreases in total tenant occupancy in retail centers in which we are located may affect guest traffic at our restaurants. All of these factors could have a material adverse impact on our operations.
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We may experience higher-than-anticipated costs associated with the opening of new locations or with the closing, relocating and remodeling of existing restaurants, which may adversely affect our results of operations.
Our revenues and expenses can be impacted significantly by the location, number and timing of the opening of new restaurants and the closing, relocating, and remodeling of existing restaurants. We incur substantial pre-opening expenses each time we open a new restaurant and incur other expenses when we close, relocate or remodel existing restaurants. These expenses are generally higher when we open restaurants in new markets, but the costs of opening, closing, relocating or remodeling any of our restaurants may be higher than anticipated. An increase in such expenses could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
Our success depends substantially on the value of our brands and our reputation for offering guests an unparalleled Guest experience.
We believe we have built a strong reputation for the quality and breadth of our menu items as part of the total experience that guests enjoy in our restaurants. We believe we must protect and grow the value of our brands to continue to be successful in the future. Any incident that erodes consumer trust in or affinity for our brands could significantly reduce their value. If consumers perceive or experience a reduction in food quality, service, or ambiance, or in any way believe we failed to deliver a consistently positive experience, our brand value could suffer.
Our inability to raise menu prices successfully and sufficiently could result in a decline in profitability.
We utilize menu price increases to help offset cost increases, including increased cost for commodities, minimum wages, employee benefits, insurance arrangements, construction, utilities and other key operating costs. If our selection and amount of menu price increases are not accepted by consumers and reduce guest traffic, or are insufficient to counter increased costs, our financial results could be harmed.
Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate due to the timing of special events and other factors, including the recognition of impairment losses.
Our quarterly operating results depend, in part, on special events, such as the Super Bowl® and other sporting events viewed by our guests in our World of Beer franchised locations such as the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and NCAA. Interruptions in the viewing of these professional and collegiate sporting league events due to strikes, pandemics, lockouts or labor disputes may impact our results. Additionally, our results are subject to fluctuations based on the dates of sporting events and their availability for viewing through broadcast, satellite and cable networks. Historically, sales in most of our restaurants have been higher during fall and winter months based on the relative popularity and extent of national, regional and local sporting and other events. Further, our quarterly operating results may fluctuate significantly because of other factors, including:
| ● | Fluctuations in food costs, particularly chicken wings; |
| ● | The timing of new restaurant openings which may impact margins due to the related preopening costs and initially higher restaurant level operating expense ratios; |
| ● | Potential distraction or unusual expenses associated with our expansion into other geographical territories; |
| ● | Our ability to operate effectively in new markets in which we have limited operating experience; |
| ● | Labor availability and costs for hourly and management personnel; |
| ● | Changes in competitive factors; |
| ● | Disruption in supplies; |
| ● | General economic conditions, consumer confidence and fluctuations in discretionary spending; |
| ● | Claims experience for self-insurance programs; |
| ● | Increases or decreases in labor or other variable expenses; |
| ● | The impact of inclement weather, natural disasters and other calamities; | |
| ● | The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and related government enforced closures and regulations; |
| ● | Fluctuations in interest rates; |
| ● | The timing and amount of asset impairment loss and restaurant closing charges; and |
| ● | Tax expenses and other non-operating costs. |
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As a result of the factors discussed above, our quarterly and annual operating results may fluctuate significantly. Accordingly, results for any one quarter are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for any other quarter or for any year. These fluctuations may cause future operating results to fall below the expectations of securities analysts and shareholders. In that event, the price of our common stock would likely decrease.
We may not be able to attract and retain qualified team members and key executives to operate and manage our business.
Our success and the success of our individual restaurant(s) and business depends on our ability to attract, motivate, develop and retain a sufficient number of qualified key executives and restaurant employees, including restaurant managers and hourly team members. The inability to recruit, develop and retain these individuals may delay the planned openings of new restaurant and tavern locations or result in high employee turnover in existing locations, thus increasing the cost to efficiently operate our restaurants. This could inhibit our expansion plans and business performance and, to the extent that a labor shortage may force us to pay higher wages, harm our profitability. The loss of any of our key executive officers could jeopardize our ability to meet our financial targets.
The sale of alcoholic beverages at our locations subjects us to additional regulations and potential liability.
Because our locations sell alcoholic beverages, we are required to comply with the alcohol licensing requirements of the federal government, states and municipalities where our restaurants are located. Alcoholic beverage control regulations require applications to state authorities and, in certain locations, county and municipal authorities for a license and permit to sell alcoholic beverages on the premises and to provide service for extended hours and on Sundays. Typically, the licenses are renewed annually and may be revoked or suspended for cause at any time. Alcoholic beverage control regulations relate to numerous aspects of the daily operations of the restaurants and bars, including minimum age of guests and employees, hours of operation, advertising, wholesale purchasing, inventory control and handling, storage and dispensing of alcoholic beverages. If we fail to comply with federal, state or local regulations, our licenses may be revoked, and we may be forced to terminate the sale of alcoholic beverages at one or more of our locations. Further, growing movements to change laws relating to alcohol may result in a decline in alcohol consumption at our facilities or increase the number of dram shop claims made against us, either of which may negatively impact operations or result in the loss of liquor licenses.
In certain states we are subject to “dram shop” statutes, which generally allow a person injured by an intoxicated person the right to recover damages from an establishment that wrongfully served alcoholic beverages to the intoxicated person. Some dram shop litigation against restaurant companies has resulted in significant judgments, including punitive damages.
Changes in consumer preferences or discretionary consumer spending could harm our performance.
The success of our World of Beer franchises depends, in part, upon the continued popularity of the overall World of Beer system locations throughout the United States as well as our unique food and beverage items and appeal of sports bars and casual dining restaurants. We also depend on trends toward consumers eating away from home. Shifts in these consumer preferences could negatively affect our future profitability. Such shifts could be based on health concerns related to the cholesterol, carbohydrate, fat, calorie or salt content of certain food items, including items featured on our menu. Negative publicity over the health aspects of such food items may adversely affect consumer demand for our menu items and could result in a decrease in guest traffic to our restaurants, which could materially harm our business. In addition, we will be required to disclose calorie counts for all food items on our menus, due to federal regulations, and this may have an effect on consumers’ eating habits. Other federal regulations could follow this pattern. In addition, our success depends to a significant extent on numerous factors affecting discretionary consumer spending, including economic conditions, disposable consumer income and consumer confidence. A decline in consumer spending or in economic conditions could reduce guest traffic or impose practical limits on pricing, either of which could harm our business, financial condition, operating results or cash flow.
We may be subject to increased labor and insurance costs.
Our restaurant operations are subject to federal and state laws governing such matters as minimum wages, working conditions, overtime, and tip credits. As federal and state minimum wage rates increase, we may need to increase not only the wages of our minimum wage employees, but also the wages paid to employees at wage rates that are above minimum wage. Labor shortages, increased employee turnover, and health care mandates could also increase our labor costs. This, in turn, could lead us to increase prices which could impact our sales. Conversely, if competitive pressures or other factors prevent us from offsetting increased labor costs by increases in prices, our profitability may decline. In addition, the current premiums that we pay for our insurance (including workers’ compensation, general liability, property, health, and directors’ and officers’ liability) may increase at any time, thereby further increasing our costs. The dollar amount of claims that we actually experience under our workers’ compensation and general liability insurance, for which we carry high per-claim deductibles, may also increase at any time, thereby further increasing our costs. Also, the decreased availability of property and liability insurance has the potential to negatively impact the cost of premiums and the magnitude of uninsured losses.
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Our current insurance may not provide adequate levels of coverage against claims.
We currently maintain insurance customary for businesses of our size and type. However, there are types of losses we may incur that cannot be insured against or that we believe are not economically reasonable to insure, such as losses due to natural disasters. Such damages could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
We are dependent on information technology and any material failure of that technology could impair our ability to efficiently operate our business.
We rely on information systems across our operations, including, for example, point-of-sale processing in our locations, management of our supply chain, collection of cash and credit and debit card payments, payment of obligations and various other processes and procedures. Our ability to efficiently manage our business depends significantly on the reliability and capacity of these systems. The failure of these systems to operate effectively, problems with maintenance, upgrading or transitioning to replacement systems, or a breach in security of these systems could cause delays in customer service, reduce efficiency in our operations, require significant investment to remediate the issue or cause negative publicity that could damage our brand. Significant capital investments might be required to remediate any problems.
If we are unable to maintain our rights to use key technologies of third parties, our business may be harmed.
We rely on certain technology licensed from third parties and may be required to license additional technology in the future for use in managing our internet sites and providing related services to users and customers. These third-party technology licenses may not continue to be available to us on acceptable commercial terms or at all. The inability to enter into and maintain any of these technology licenses could significantly harm our business, financial condition and operating results.
Our future growth may require us to raise additional capital in the future, but that capital may not be available when it is needed or may be available only at an excessive cost.
In order to build out our business plan and to be ultimately successful, we will need ample capital to purchase/rent new properties, build new locations, hire personnel and market our locations. We may not generate sufficient cash from our existing operations in order to do so. Therefore, we may at some point choose to raise additional capital to support our continued growth. Our ability to raise additional capital will depend, in part, on conditions in the capital markets at that time which are outside of our control. Accordingly, we may be unable to raise additional capital, if and when needed, on terms acceptable to us, or at all. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, its ability to further expand operations through internal growth and acquisitions could be materially impacted. In the event of a material decrease in our stock price, future issuances of equity securities could result in dilution of existing shareholder interests.
If we are unable to obtain additional funding, our business operations will be harmed. Even if we do obtain additional financing, our then existing shareholders may suffer substantial dilution.
It is possible that additional capital will be required to effectively support the operations and to otherwise implement our overall business strategy. The inability to raise the required capital will restrict our ability to grow and may reduce our ability to continue to conduct business operations. Our ability to obtain capital will also depend on market conditions, the national economy and other factors beyond our control. If we are unable to obtain necessary financing, we will likely be required to curtail our business plans, which could cause the company to become dormant. Any additional equity financing may involve substantial dilution to our then existing shareholders.
Statements Regarding Forward-looking Statements
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This Disclosure Statement contains various “forward-looking statements.” You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “estimates” or “anticipates” or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. These statements may be impacted by a number of risks and uncertainties.
The forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and expectations of our future performance taking into account all information currently available to us. These beliefs, assumptions and expectations are subject to risks and uncertainties and can change as a result of many possible events or factors, not all of which are known to us. If a change occurs, our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations may vary materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements. You should carefully consider these risks before you make an investment decision with respect to our Securities. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could impact our future results, performance or transactions, see the section entitled “Risk Factors.”
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We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the common stock by the Selling Shareholders. If we sell all of the shares being offered, our net proceeds (after our estimated offering expenses of $50,000) will be $14,950,000. We will use these net proceeds for the following:
| Shares Offered (% Sold) | 7,500,000 Shares Sold (100%) | 5,625,000 Shares Sold (75%) | 3,750,000 Shares Sold (50%) | 1,875,000 Shares Sold (25%) | ||||||||||||
| Gross Offering Proceeds | $ | 15,000,000 | $ | 11,250,000 | $ | 7,500,000 | $ | 3,750,000 | ||||||||
| Approximate Offering Expenses (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| Misc. Expenses | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 | ||||||||||||
| Legal and Accounting | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | ||||||||||||
| Total Offering Expenses | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | ||||||||||||
| Total Net Offering Proceeds | 14,950,000 | 11,200,000 | 7,450,000 | 3,700,000 | ||||||||||||
| Principal Uses of Net Proceeds (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| Employee/Officers & Directors / Independent Contractor Compensation | 400,000 | 300,000 | 200,000 | 100,000 | ||||||||||||
| Restaurant Sector Acquisitions (3) | 12,000,000 | 9,000,000 | 6,000,000 | 3,000,000 | ||||||||||||
| Transfer Agent and Fees | 20,000 | 15,000 | 10,000 | 5,000 | ||||||||||||
| General and Administrative Expenses | 150,000 | 117,500 | 75,000 | 50,000 | ||||||||||||
| Corporate Debt Reduction | 2,000,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,000,000 | 500,000 | ||||||||||||
| Total Principal Uses of Net Proceeds | 14,570,000 | 10,932,500 | 7,285,000 | 3,655,000 | ||||||||||||
| Amount Unallocated | 380,000 | 267,500 | 165,000 | 45,000 | ||||||||||||
| (1) | Offering expenses have been rounded to $50,000. |
| (2) | Any line-item amounts not expended completely shall be held in reserve as working capital and subject to reallocation to other line-item expenditures as required for ongoing operations. |
| (3) | The Company currently does not have any planned acquisitions or negotiations to acquire any assets. The Company plans on researching and acquiring businesses in the restaurant sector that have a similar business concept as our current restaurant operations. |
The precise amounts that we will devote to each of the foregoing items, and the timing of expenditures, will vary depending on numerous factors.
As indicated in the table above, if we sell only 75%, 50%, or 25% of the shares offered for sale in this offering, we would expect to use the resulting net proceeds for the same purposes as we would use the net proceeds from a sale of 100% of the shares, and in approximately the same proportions, until such time as such use of proceeds would leave us without working capital reserve. At that point we would expect to modify our use of proceeds by limiting our expansion.
The expected use of net proceeds from this offering represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions, which could change in the future as our plans and business conditions evolve and change. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures, specifically with respect to working capital, may vary significantly depending on numerous factors. The precise amounts that we will devote to each of the foregoing items, and the timing of expenditures, will vary depending on numerous factors. As a result, our management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of the net proceeds from this offering.
In the event we do not sell all of the shares being offered, we may seek additional financing from other sources in order to support the intended use of proceeds indicated above. If we secure additional equity funding, investors in this offering would be diluted. In all events, there can be no assurance that additional financing would be available to us when wanted or needed and, if available, on terms acceptable to us.
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Selling Shareholders
2,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock were issued to the Selling Shareholders for their past services to the Company, since 2018, in lieu of compensation and will be sold at the fixed price of $2.00 per share.
The Selling Shareholders are individuals.
All expenses incurred with respect to the registration of the common stock will be borne by the Company, but we will not be obligated to pay any underwriting fees, discounts, commission or other expenses incurred by Selling Shareholders in connection with the sale of such shares.
The Selling Shareholders are affiliates of the Company.
The following table sets forth the name of the Selling Shareholders, the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by the Selling Shareholders as of the date hereof and the number of shares of common stock being offered by the Selling Shareholders. The offer and sale of the shares are being registered herein. The Selling Shareholders are under no obligation to sell all or any portion of such shares. All information with respect to share ownership has been furnished by the Selling Shareholders, respectively. The “Amount Beneficially Owned After the Offering” column assumes the sale of all shares offered herein.
| Shares of | Number of | |||||||||||||||
| Common | Maximum | Shares of | ||||||||||||||
| Stock Beneficially | Number of Shares of | Common Stock | Percent | |||||||||||||
| Owned | Common | Beneficially | Ownership | |||||||||||||
| prior to | Stock to be | Owned after | after | |||||||||||||
| Name | Offering (1) | Offered | Offering | Offering | ||||||||||||
| Harrysen Mittler | 15,395,000 | 1,000,000 | 14,395,000 | 45 | % | |||||||||||
| Peter Pizzino | 7,668,500 | 1,000,000 | 6,668,500 | 23 | % | |||||||||||
| (1) | Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, securities that are currently convertible or exercisable into shares of our common stock, or convertible or exercisable into shares of our common stock within 60 days of the date hereof are deemed outstanding. Such shares, however, are not deemed outstanding for the purposes of computing the percentage ownership of any other person. |
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If you purchase shares in this offering, your ownership interest in our Common Stock will be diluted immediately, to the extent of the difference between the price to the public charged for each share in this offering and the net tangible book value per share of our Common Stock after this offering.
Our historical net tangible book value as of September 30, 2020 was $(3,388,643) or $0.1756 per then-outstanding share of our Common Stock. Historical net tangible book value per share equals the amount of our total tangible assets less total liabilities, divided by the total number of shares of our Common Stock outstanding, all as of the date specified.
The following table illustrates the per share dilution to new investors discussed above, assuming the sale of, respectively, 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% of the shares offered for sale in this offering (after deducting estimated offering expenses of $50,000):
| Percentage of shares offered that are sold | 100% | 75% | 50% | 25% | ||||||||||||
| Price to the public charged for each share in this offering | $ | 2.00 | $ | 2.00 | $ | 2.00 | $ | 2.00 | ||||||||
| Historical net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2020 (1) | 0.1756 | 0.1756 | 0.1756 | 0.1756 | ||||||||||||
| Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors in this offering (2) | (.6070 | ) | (.4890 | ) | (.3518 | ) | (.1903 | ) | ||||||||
| Net tangible book value per share, after this offering | .4314 | .3134 | .1762 | .0147 | ||||||||||||
| Dilution per share to new investors | 1.5686 | 1.6866 | 1.8238 | 1.9853 | ||||||||||||
| (1) | Based on net tangible book value as of September 30, 2020 of $(3,388,643) and 19,297,299 outstanding shares of Common stock as of September 30, 2020. |
| (2) | After deducting estimated offering expenses of $50,000. |
Selling Shareholders
A portion of this offering circular relates to the resale of up to 2,000,000 shares of our common stock by the Selling Shareholders.
The Selling Shareholders, and any of their pledgees, designees, assignees and other successors-in-interest may, from time to time sell any or all of their shares of common stock on any stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the shares are traded or in private transactions. These sales may be at fixed or negotiated prices. The Selling Shareholders may use any one or more of the following methods when selling shares:
| ● | ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits the purchaser; | |
| ● | block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal; |
| ● | facilitate the transaction; | |
| ● | purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account; |
| ● | an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange; | |
| ● | privately negotiated transactions; |
| ● | broker-dealers may agree with the Selling Shareholders to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share; | |
| ● | through the writing of options on the shares |
| ● | a combination of any such methods of sale; and | |
| ● | any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law. |
The Selling Shareholders, as applicable, shall have the sole and absolute discretion not to accept any purchase offer or make any sale of shares if it deems the purchase price to be unsatisfactory at any particular time.
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The Selling Shareholders may also sell the shares directly to market makers acting as principals and/or broker-dealers acting as agents for themselves or their customers. Such broker-dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the Selling Shareholders and/or the purchasers of shares for whom such broker-dealers may act as agents or to whom they sell as principal or both, which compensation as to a particular broker-dealer might be in excess of customary commissions. Market makers and block purchasers purchasing the shares will do so for their own account and at their own risk. It is possible that the Selling Shareholders will attempt to sell shares of common stock in block transactions to market makers or other purchasers at a price per share which may be below the then existing market price. We cannot assure that all or any of the shares offered in this offering circular will be sold by the Selling Shareholders. The Selling Shareholders, and any broker-dealers or agents, upon completing the sale of any of the shares offered in this offering circular, may be deemed to be “underwriters” as that term is defined under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of such acts. In such event, any commissions received by such broker-dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of the shares purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act.
The Selling Shareholders, alternatively, may sell all or any part of the shares offered in this offering circular through an underwriter. The Selling Shareholders have not entered into any agreement with a prospective underwriter and there is no assurance that any such agreement will be entered into.
The Selling Shareholders may pledge its shares to its brokers under the margin provisions of customer agreements. If any of the Selling Shareholders default on a margin loan, the broker may, from time to time, offer and sell the pledged shares. The Selling Shareholders, and any other persons participating in the sale or distribution of the shares will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations under such act, including, without limitation, Regulation M. These provisions may restrict certain activities of and limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the shares by any of the Selling Shareholders, or any other such person. Under Regulation M, persons engaged in a distribution of securities are prohibited from simultaneously engaging in market making and certain other activities with respect to such securities for a specified period of time prior to the commencement of such distributions, subject to specified exceptions or exemptions. All of these limitations may affect the marketability of the shares.
The Selling Shareholders will be offering such shares for their own account. We do not know for certain how or when the Selling Shareholders will choose to sell their shares of common stock. However, they can sell such shares at any time or through any manner set forth in this plan of distribution.
To permit the Selling Shareholders to resell the shares of common stock issued to it, we agreed to file an offering circular, and all necessary amendments and supplements with the SEC for the purpose of qualifying the shares. We will bear all costs relating to the registration of the common stock offered by this offering circular, other than the costs of our independent legal review. We will keep the offering circular qualified until the earlier of (i) the date after which all of the shares of common stock held by the Selling Shareholders that are covered by the offering circular have been sold by the Selling Shareholders pursuant to such offering circular and (ii) the first day of the month next following the 12-month anniversary of the date the offering circular, to which this offering circular is made a part, is declared qualified by the SEC.
Pricing of the Offering
The Selling Shareholders may sell their shares pursuant to the Company’s Regulation A offering at the fixed price of $2.00. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares by the Selling Shareholders.
Prior to the Offering, there has been a limited public market for the Offered Shares. The public offering price was determined by the Company. The principal factors considered in determining the public offering price include:
-the information set forth in this Offering Circular and otherwise available;
-our history and prospects and the history of and prospects for the industry in which we compete;
-our past and present financial performance;
-our prospects for future earnings and the present state of our development;
-the general condition of the securities markets at the time of this Offering;
-the recent market prices of, and demand for, publicly traded common stock of generally comparable companies; and
-other factors deemed relevant by us.
Offering Period and Expiration Date
This Offering will start on or after the Qualification Date and will terminate at the Company’s discretion or, on the Termination Date.
Procedures for Subscribing
When you decide to subscribe for Offered Shares in this Offering, you should:
Contact us via phone or email.
| 1. | Electronically receive, review, execute and deliver to us a subscription agreement; and | |
| 2. | Deliver funds directly by check, wire or electronic funds transfer via ACH to the specified account maintained by us. |
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Any potential investor will have ample time to review the subscription agreement, along with their counsel, prior to making any final investment decision. We shall only deliver such subscription agreement upon request after a potential investor has had ample opportunity to review this Offering Circular.
Right to Reject Subscriptions. After we receive your complete, executed subscription agreement and the funds required under the subscription agreement have been transferred to the escrow account, we have the right to review and accept or reject your subscription in whole or in part, for any reason or for no reason. We will return all monies from rejected subscriptions immediately to you, without interest or deduction.
Acceptance of Subscriptions. Upon our acceptance of a subscription agreement, we will countersign the subscription agreement and issue the shares subscribed at closing. Once you submit the subscription agreement and it is accepted, you may not revoke or change your subscription or request your subscription funds. All accepted subscription agreements are irrevocable.
No Escrow
The proceeds of this offering will not be placed into an escrow account. We will offer our Common Stock on a best-efforts basis. As there is no minimum offering, upon the approval of any subscription to this Offering Circular, the Company shall immediately deposit said proceeds into the bank account of the Company and may dispose of the proceeds in accordance with the Use of Proceeds at Management’s discretion.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
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You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of our operations together with our consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Offering Circular. This discussion contains forward-looking statements reflecting our current expectations, whose actual outcomes involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from those stated in or implied by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in the sections entitled “Risk Factors”, “Cautionary Statement regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and elsewhere in this Offering Circular. Please see the notes to our Financial Statements for information about our Critical Accounting Policies and Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Plan of Operation for the Next Twelve Months
The Company believes that the proceeds of this Offering will satisfy its cash requirements for the next twelve months. To complete the Company’s business plan, it may have to raise additional funds in the next twelve months. In order to satisfy our cash requirements for the next twelve months the Company estimates that it will need approximately $55,000. Contemporaneously we will work to locate sites for franchised restaurants as well as potentially acquiring existing restaurants and possibly rebranding and remodeling them to fit within our business model.
The Company expects to increase the number of employees at the corporate level.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates include assumptions about collection of accounts and notes receivable, the valuation and recognition of stock-based compensation expense, the valuation and recognition of derivative liability, valuation allowance for deferred tax assets and useful life of fixed assets.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Results for the Year Ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019.
| Working Capital | September 30, $ | September 30, $ | ||||||
| Cash | 80,550 | 108,849 | ||||||
| Current Assets | 293,136 | 414,465 | ||||||
| Current Liabilities | 5,600,082 | 58,170 | ||||||
| Working Capital (Deficit) | (5,306,946 | ) | 356,295 | |||||
| Cash Flows | For the year ended September 30, $ | September 30, $ | ||||||
| Cash Flows from (used in) Operating Activities | (142,449 | ) | (1,195,382 | ) | ||||
| Cash Flows from (used in) Investing Activities | 80,550 | 0 | ||||||
| Cash Flows from (used in) Financing Activities | 33,600 | 370,000 | ||||||
| Net Increase (decrease) in Cash During Period | (28,299 | ) | (825,382 | ) | ||||
Operating Revenues
The Company’s revenues were $20,000 for the year ended September 30, 2020 compared to $0 for the year ended September 30, 2019.
Cost of Revenues / Sales
The Company’s cost of revenues was $48,600 for the year ended September 30, 2020 compared to $0 for the year ended September 30, 2019.
Gross Profit
For the year ended September 30, 2020, the Company’s gross profit was $(28,600) compared to $0 for the year ended September 30, 2019.
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General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses consisted primarily of consulting fees, professional fees, employees, officer and director stock compensation, advisory board fees and accounting expenses. For the year ended September 30, 2020 compared to the year ended September 30, 2019, general and administrative expenses increased to $33,600 from $0, respectively. The increase for the year ended September 30, 2020 represents an increase of $33,600. The $33,600 increase is primarily attributable to an increase in operations in the restaurant business.
Other Income (Expense)
Other income (expense) consisted of interest expense of $2,170, derivative expense of $11,573,861 and amortization of debt discount $70,340 for the year ended September 30, 2020. For the year ended September 30, 2019 other income (expense) consisted of interest expense of $0.
Net Loss
Our net loss for the year ended September 30, 2020 was $1,174,316 compared with a net loss of $21,111,811 for the year ended September 30, 2019. The net loss is influenced by the matters discussed in the other sections of the MD&A.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The ability of the Company to continue as a going concern is dependent on the Company’s ability to raise additional capital and implement its business plan. Since its inception, the Company has been funded by related and third parties through capital investment and borrowing of funds.
At September 30, 2020, the Company had total current assets of $293,136 compared to $414,465 at September 30, 2019. Current assets consist primarily of accounts receivable, cash and prepaid expenses. The decrease in current assets of $121,329 was primarily attributed to a decrease in prepaid expenses to $150,755.
At September 30, 2020, the Company had total current liabilities of $5,600,082 compared to $58,170 at September 30, 2019. Current liabilities consisted primarily of accounts payable, derivative liability, paycheck protection program, accrued interest and notes payable. The increase in our current liabilities was attributed to the increase in amounts owed to related party and accounts payable, derivative liabilities and accrued liabilities.
We had a negative working capital in the amount of $5,306,946 as of September 30, 2020 and a positive working capital in the amount of $356,295 as of September 30, 2019.
Cashflow from Operating Activities
During the year ended September 30, 2020, there was cash used in operating activities in the amount of $142,449 compared to cash used in operating activities in the amount of $1,195,382 for the year ended September 30, 2019. The decrease in the amounts of cash used in operating activities was due to various reasons as shown in the financial statements below.
Cashflow from Investing Activities
There was $80,550 cash used in investing activities for the year ended September 30, 2020 and $0 cashed used in investing activities for the year ended 2019.
Cashflow from Financing Activities
During the year ended September 30, 2020, cash provided by financing activity was $33,600 compared to $370,000 provided during the year ended September 30, 2019. This decrease was primarily due to a reduction in the sale of common stock to $0 in the year ended 2020 from $370,000 in the year ended 2019.
Going Concern
We have not attained profitable operations and are dependent upon obtaining financing to pursue any extensive business activities. For these reasons, we have included in our unaudited financial statements that there is substantial doubt that we will be able to continue as a going concern without further financing.
The Company has not yet established an ongoing source of revenues sufficient to cover its operating costs for the next fiscal year and allow it to continue as a going concern. The ability of the Company to continue as a going concern is dependent on the Company obtaining adequate capital to fund operating losses until it becomes profitable. As of September 30, 2020, the Company has a net loss of $1,174,316, and if the Company is unable to obtain adequate capital, it could be forced to cease operations.
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Future Financings.
We will continue to rely on equity sales of the Company’s common shares in order to continue to fund business operations. Issuances of additional shares will result in dilution to existing shareholders. There is no assurance that the Company will achieve any additional sales of the equity securities or arrange for debt or other financing to fund our business plan.
Since inception, we have financed our cash flow requirements through issuance of common stock and loans to third parties. As we expand our activities, we may, and most likely will, continue to experience net negative cash flows from operations, pending receipt of revenues. Additionally, we anticipate obtaining additional financing to fund operations through common stock offerings, to the extent available, or to obtain additional financing to the extent necessary to augment our working capital. In the future we will need to generate sufficient revenues from sales in order to eliminate or reduce the need to sell additional stock or obtain additional loans. There can be no assurance we will be successful in raising the necessary funds to execute our business plan.
We anticipate that we will incur operating losses in the next twelve months. Our lack of operating history makes predictions of future operating results difficult to ascertain. Our prospects must be considered in light of the risks, expenses and difficulties frequently encountered by companies in their early stage of development, particularly companies in new and rapidly evolving markets. Such risks for us include, but are not limited to, an evolving and unpredictable business model and the management of growth.
To address these risks, we must, among other things, obtain a customer base, implement and successfully execute our business and marketing strategy, continually develop and upgrade our business model and websites, respond to competitive developments, and attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in addressing such risks, and the failure to do so can have a material adverse effect on our business prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
Critical Accounting Policies.
Our financial statements and accompanying notes have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods.
Use of Estimates - The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Recognition of Revenues - In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). ASU 2014-09 establishes a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from outside contracts with customers and supersedes most of the existing revenue recognition guidance and notes that lease contracts with customers are a scope exception. ASU 2014-09 requires an entity to recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services and also requires certain additional disclosures. On August 12, 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14 to defer the effective date of ASU 2014-09. Public business entities may elect to adopt the amendments as of the original effective date however, adoption is required for annual reporting periods beginning after December 16, 2017.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have no significant off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that are material to stockholders.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
The Company has implemented all new accounting pronouncements that are in effect. These pronouncements did not have any material impact on the financial statements unless otherwise disclosed, and the Company does not believe that there are any other new accounting pronouncements that have been issued that might have a material impact on its financial position or results of operations.
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Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
In the ordinary course of our business, we are not exposed to market risk of the sort that may arise from changes in interest rates or foreign currency exchange rates, or that may otherwise arise from transactions in derivatives.
Contingencies
Certain conditions may exist as of the date the financial statements are issued, which may result in a loss to the Company, but which will only be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. The Company’s management, in consultation with its legal counsel as appropriate, assesses such contingent liabilities, and such assessment inherently involves an exercise of judgment. In assessing loss contingencies related to legal proceedings that are pending against the Company or unasserted claims that may result in such proceedings, the Company, in consultation with legal counsel, evaluates the perceived merits of any legal proceedings or unasserted claims, as well as the perceived merits of the amount of relief sought or expected to be sought therein. If the assessment of a contingency indicates it is probable that a material loss has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be estimated, then the estimated liability would be accrued in the Company’s financial statements. If the assessment indicates a potentially material loss contingency is not probable, but is reasonably possible, or is probable, but cannot be estimated, then the nature of the contingent liability, together with an estimate of the range of possible loss, if determinable and material, would be disclosed. Loss contingencies considered remote are generally not disclosed unless they involve guarantees, in which case the guarantees would be disclosed.
Management regularly evaluates the accounting policies and estimates that are used to prepare the financial statements. In general, management’s estimates are based on historical experience, on information from third party professionals, and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the facts and circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates made by management.
Relaxed Ongoing Reporting Requirements
Upon the completion of this Offering, we may elect to become a public reporting company under the Exchange Act. If we elect to do so, we will be required to publicly report on an ongoing basis with the SEC as per the Exchange Act as amended.
If we elect not to become a public reporting company under the Exchange Act, we will be required to publicly report on an ongoing basis under the reporting rules set forth in Regulation A for Tier 1 issuers. The ongoing reporting requirements under Regulation A are more relaxed than for “emerging growth companies” under the Exchange Act. The differences include, but are not limited to, being required to file only an exit report, rather than annual and quarterly reports.
In either case, we will be subject to ongoing public reporting requirements that are less rigorous than Exchange Act rules for companies that are not “emerging growth companies”, and our stockholders could receive less information than they might expect to receive from more mature public companies.
Pacific Software, Inc.
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Corporate History
We were formed as Pacific Mining, Inc., a Nevada corporation, on October 12, 2005. On November 28, 2006, we changed our name to
Pacific Software, Inc. and were engaged in the business of developing and marketing a large file transfer software package named
LargeFilesASAP. In December 2009, our management changed and the new management discontinued our business of developing and marketing
LargeFilesASAP.
Certificate of Designation
On August 7, 2020, with the approval of the majority of our shareholders and our board of directors the Company designated 22,000 shares of preferred stock as Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series B Preferred”). The Series B Preferred stock is convertible at the lower of (i) the 25% lowest closing bid price for the 20 trading days prior to the conversion or (ii) the fixed price, which is set at $1.00 both of which are subject to adjustment as provided in the Series B Preferred certificate of designation. The stated value of the shares is $100 per share. The Series B Preferred shares have no voting rights and there is a limit on beneficial ownership of 9.99%.
On September 28, 2020, the Company entered into an agreement to acquire WOB LLC which holds a 51% interest in two restaurants. We are an owner of a 51% interest in two World of Beer franchise taverns. One is located in West Hartford Connecticut, and the other is in Cambridge Massachusetts. These taverns sell a selection of over 500 craft and imported beers along with tavern food and other spirits and cocktails. Our Joint venture partner, New England World of Beer, LLC (“NEWOB) owns franchise rights for all of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Similar taverns are currently open in 20 states. NEWOB, operates and manages our locations. Through our agreement with NEWOB, we have the right, but are not obligated, to participate in the development of new franchises. As NEWOB has franchise rights with the World of Beer Franchising, Inc. in Tampa, Florida (“franchisor”), we expect to develop other franchise locations in these exclusive territories.
On September 28, 2020, the Company accepted the resignation of Harrysen Mittler and Peter Pizzino as Officers and Directors of the Company.
On September 28, 2020, the Company appointed Izak On as the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and a Director of the Company.
On September 28, 2020, the Company appointed Michael Finkelstein as the Secretary and as a Director of the Company.
Our fiscal year-end date is September 30.
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The following description of our business contains forward-looking statements relating to future events or our future financial or operating performance that involve risks and uncertainties, as set forth above under “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors described in the Annual Report, including those set forth above in the Special Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements or under the heading “Risk Factors” or elsewhere in this Offering Circular.
Our Business Overview
We are the owner of a 51% interest in two World of Beer franchise taverns through our wholly owned subsidiary Pacific Acquisition Assets, Inc. One is located in West Hartford Connecticut, and the other is in Cambridge Massachusetts. These taverns sell a selection of over 500 craft and imported beers along with tavern food and other spirits and cocktails. Our Joint venture partner, New England World of Beer, LLC (“NEWOB) owns franchise rights for all of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Similar taverns are currently open in 20 states. NEWOB, operates and manages our locations. Through our agreement with NEWOB, we have the right, but are not obligated, to participate in the development of new franchises. As NEWOB has franchise rights with the World of Beer Franchising, Inc. in Tampa, Florida (“franchisor”), we expect to develop other franchise locations in these exclusive territories. We also are planning on investigating into the acquisition of other similar restaurants and chains as may be advantageous due to current market conditions.
Stock Purchase Agreement
On September 28, 2020, the Company entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (“Purchase Agreement”) by and between the Company, Pacific Acquisition Assets, Inc., and certain stockholders identified on schedule A. The Company is issuing 22,000 shares of its Series B Preferred Stock, promissory notes, option agreement, conveyance agreement and a convertible note as consideration for the purchase and acquisition of the assets held by those certain stockholders. The Company has agreed to accept as per the Purchase Agreement, through the acquisition of Pacific Acquisition Assets, Inc., the West Hartford World of Beer, and Cambridge Craft restaurants as well as their assets and liabilities from Attitude Beer Holding, Inc (“Restaurants”).
Promissory Notes
On September 28, 2020, in connection with the Purchase Agreement and the acquisition of the Restaurants, the Company agreed to assume and reissue the following promissory notes and Series B Preferred Stock in the following amounts, $98,100 promissory note and 654 Series B Preferred Shares to EMA Financial, LLC., $1,929,900 and 12,866 Series B Preferred Shares to Alpha Capital Anstalt, and $972,000 and 6,480 Series B Preferred Shares to Tarpon Bay Partners, LLC (“Promissory Notes”). The Promissory notes have an annual interest rate of three percent per annum, conversion price of 25% of the lowest closing bid price for the 20 trading days prior to the conversion date, and a limit on beneficial ownership of 9.99%
Option Agreement – Conveyance Agreement
On September 28, 2020, as part of the Purchase Agreement the Company entered into an Option Agreement (“Option Agreement”) by and between the Company and Digi Assets, Inc., a company managed and controlled by Harrysen Mittler and Peter Pizzino, to purchase some or all of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets, in exchange for the retirement and cancellation of two million shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock owned by Harrysen Mittler and Peter Pizzino in the Company, through an Agreement of Conveyance (“Conveyance Agreement”). The Conveyance Agreement permits Digi Assets, Inc. the option to transfer the Company’s rights to 5,000,000 shares in Hypersoft Ventures, Inc., the 15% royalty fee derived from the potential future revenues of BOAPIN.com, $70,000 in accrued compensation to be paid by the Company to the prior management, and the liabilities, accrued interest, and Notes Payable, in the amounts of $33,815, $42,000 and $8,294 of the Company, in exchange for the cancellation of the two million Series A Preferred Stock as per the Conveyance Agreement.
Convertible Note
On September 28, 2020, in relation to the Stock Purchase Agreement and the acquisition of the Restaurants the Company entered into a convertible note (“Convertible Note”) with Southridge Financial Management Financial Services in the amount of $1,255,472 with an interest rate of 3% per annum, a conversion price of 25% of the lowest closing bid price for the 20 trading days prior to the conversion date, and a limit on beneficial ownership of 9.99%.
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Assignment and Agreement
On September 17, 2020, Pacific Asset Acquisitions, Inc., a Nevada corporation (“PAA”) our wholly owned subsidiary, acquired from Tarpon Bay Partners, LLC, as collateral agent “(“Collateral Agent”) acting on behalf of secured creditors, entered into an Assignment and Agreement (“Assignment Agreement”), wherein, Collateral Agent assigned the assets Attitude Beer Holdings Co., a Delaware corporation (“ABH”) from Harrison Vickers, and Waterman, Inc. a Nevada corporation (“Waterman”), to PAA. Waterman defaulted upon foreclosing notes, pursuant to which secured creditors and Collateral Agent obtained a validly perfected, fully enforceable security interest in ABH. Pursuant to the Assignment Agreement Waterman transferred all the assets in connection to ABH to PAA. The assets of ABH being 51% membership interest in West Hartford WOB, LLC and 51% membership interest in Cambridge Craft LLC.
The foregoing descriptions of the Assignment Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of such agreement, which is filed hereto as Exhibit 6.9, to our Regulation A Offering, respectively, and is incorporated herein by reference.
Franchise Agreements
The Franchise Agreement by and between West Hartford WOB, LLC (“WH”) and World of Beer Franchising, Inc., was entered into on November 11, 2014 (“WH Franchise Agreement”). The WH Franchise Agreement allows WH to use the World of Beer system and Marks. The term of the grant is ten (10) years from the date granted, at which time if the WH has substantially complied with the maintenance and upkeep of the restaurant, WOB will allow WH to operate the restaurant for three additional consecutive 5-year periods on the terms and conditions of the WH Franchise Agreement. In order to apply for the successor franchise WH agrees to give WOB notice during the first 90 days of the 9th year of the WH Franchise Agreement and paying the successor franchise fee. As per the WH Franchise Agreement, WH may not without written approval relocate its restaurant and any additional franchise locations will need to be approved by WOB. All WH restaurant décor, and advertising must be previously approved by us and must comply with the WOB standards and those standards may be periodically revised. As per the WH Franchise Agreement we agree to pay a monthly royalty fee equal to 5% of net sales, as defined in the WH Franchise Agreement.
The Franchise Agreement by and between Cambridge Craft, LLC (“CC”) and World of Beer Franchising, Inc., was entered into on December 15, 2015 (“CC Franchise Agreement”). The CC Franchise Agreement allows CC to use the World of Beer system and Marks. The term of the grant is ten (10) years from the date granted, at which time if the CC has substantially complied with the maintenance and upkeep of the restaurant, WOB will allow CC to operate the restaurant for three additional consecutive 5-year periods on the terms and conditions of the CC Franchise Agreement. In order to apply for the successor franchise CC agrees to give WOB notice during the first 90 days of the 9th year of the CC Franchise Agreement and paying the successor franchise fee. As per the CC Franchise Agreement, CC may not without written approval relocate its restaurant and any additional franchise locations will need to be approved by WOB. All CC restaurant décor, and advertising must be previously approved by us and must comply with the WOB standards and those standards may be periodically revised. As per the CC Franchise Agreement we agree to pay a monthly royalty fee equal to 5% of net sales, as defined in the CC Franchise Agreement.
The foregoing descriptions of the WH Franchise Agreement and the CC Franchise Agreements do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the complete text of such agreements, which are filed hereto as Exhibit 6.7, and Exhibit 6.8, to our Regulation A Offering, respectively, and are incorporated herein by reference.
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Our Concept and Business Strategy
The restaurant industry has always been difficult for most and incredibly lucrative for a few. It is also very fragmented and competition for consumer dollars is intense. Clearly that circumstance has been exacerbated by the current COVID-19 pandemic. Due to this pandemic, the commercial landscape associated with being a restauranteur, small or large, will increasingly become challenging.
With our new management and assets we are going to attempt to take advantage of potential opportunities in the restaurant space (primarily the fast casual restaurant space but also, with a potential casual element) to seek out acquisitions and / or joint ventures / partnerships with mini (2-5 restaurants) or medium (5-20 restaurants) sized restaurant chains which possess the attribute of being potentially expandable in number. Our current management is abundantly experienced in the restaurant industry and recognizes both the need for capital and skilled input in order to sustain and to help these concepts. Our mission is to assemble a high quality and diverse set of expanding restaurant chains with tactical and strategic focus on both restaurant quality and the bottom line.
To implement our strategy, we intend to
| ● | Identify, acquire or invest in and develop locations; |
| ● | Continuously improve and develop and deliver unique guest experiences; |
| ● | Create an inviting neighborhood atmosphere; |
| ● | Focus on operational excellence; |
| ● | Increase same-store sales, average unit volumes, and profitability. |
Our Growth Strategy
We will continue to concentrate in the New England area where we already have a presence and understanding of the market. We will develop procedures for identifying new opportunities, determining our expansion strategy in those areas and developing sites for franchised restaurants and taverns. Our current growth strategy is to look for potential acquisitions or joint ventures of existing restaurants and to continue to open franchised locations.
In addition to expanding our current brand of restaurants we will also investigate acquiring other restaurants outside our brand but still in the fast-casual space that possess the attribute of being potentially expandable. Due to the current economic conditions in the restaurant industry we believe that there will be potential opportunities to find and make these acquisitions within the next year to eighteen months. At this point we do not have any acquisitions planned nor do we have any potential targets for acquisitions.
Along with planned unit growth, we are focused on innovating our customer experience in order to enhance each visit to our establishment and strengthen brand loyalty by customizing our menu for specific events that we believe will draw a particular crowd (e.g. - Daytona 500) as well as combining foods with specific beer promotions (e.g. - Bavarian pretzels with German lager promotions).
World of Beer Menu
The World of Beer menu is standard for most items throughout all locations, but there are typically some specialty items added for local tastes and preferences that vary based upon specific promotions or sporting events. The typical menu includes “Tavern shares” which are appetizers that include onion rings, shrimp and potatoes. Entrees include traditional bar fare such as hamburgers, salads and desserts.
Our taverns feature a full bar which offers an extensive selection of over 500 different local, regional and imported bottle beer selections and craft and favorite beer on 50 rotating taps as well as popular and craft wine and spirits. NEWOB periodically introduces new menu items in order to improve the experience. The strategy is to balance the established menu offerings that appeal to our loyal guests with new menu items that increase guest frequency and attract new guests.
World of Beer Atmosphere and Layout
Our restaurants and taverns are “open layouts” which provide for complete visibility for our patrons. The open layout, combined with our detailed selection of beers, we believe makes for an excellent experience that combines a friendly atmosphere, sporting events and our outstanding beer selection. We strive to provide a high-energy atmosphere where friends can gather for camaraderie and to celebrate competition, as well as allow our guests the flexibility to customize their dining experience. The inviting and energetic environment of our restaurant is designed using furnishings that can be easily rearranged to accommodate parties of various sizes. Our taverns also feature distinct dining and bar areas.
Site Selection and Development
Our site selection process is integral to the successful execution of our growth strategy. Criteria examined include key demographics, population density and other measures. We will examine site-specific details including visibility, signage, access to main roads and parking.
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Possible Restaurant Franchise Operations
All of our franchise agreements will be subject to approval of World of Beer Franchising Inc. and will require that each franchised location operate in accordance with their defined operating procedures, adhere to the established menus, meet applicable quality, service, health and cleanliness standards and comply with all applicable laws.
Information Technology
The store utilizes a standard point-of-sale system which tabulates sales as well as items sold. We have daily reporting of revenues and expenses plus inventory on hand.
Marketing
Our marketing programs are designed to build awareness of our brand with beer aficionados, sports fans, and families encouraging them to visit and ultimately develop a personal connection to World of Beer. We believe these programs will drive return traffic to our facility and support new restaurant openings.
These lifestyles and behaviors are the cornerstones for creating key brand touchpoints within each campaign that includes media, promotions, partnerships and food and beverage experiences that will encourage social interactions and bring each theme to life.
In addition, we have a gift card program. We can give these away as promotions to bring new customers into our facilities as quickly as possible and also to generate loyalty with existing customers.
Net Revenue Streams
Our net revenue streams are currently derived solely from the revenues from our West Hartford World of Beer location.
Operations
Our leadership team strives for operational excellence by implementing operational standards and best practices.
Kitchen Operations. An important aspect of our concept is the efficient design, layout and execution of our kitchen operations. Due to the relatively simple preparation of our menu items, the kitchen consists of fryers, grill and food prep stations that are arranged assembly-line style for maximum productivity. Our kitchen employees require only basic training before reaching full productivity. Additionally, we do not require the added expense of an on-site chef. The ease and simplicity of our kitchen operations allows us to achieve our goal of preparing casual dining quality food with minimal wait times.
Training. We provide thorough training for our management and hourly employees to prepare them for their role in delivering a positive and engaging experience.
Career Opportunities. Through our training programs, we are able to motivate and retain our field operations team by providing them with opportunities for increased responsibilities and advancement. We strive for a balance of internal promotion and external hiring. This provides us with the ability to retain and grow our employee base.
Recruiting. We actively recruit and select individuals who demonstrate enthusiasm and dedication and who share our passion for high quality guest service delivered through teamwork and commitment. To attract high caliber managers, we have developed a competitive compensation plan that includes a base salary and an attractive benefits package.
Food Preparation, Quality Control and Purchasing
We strive to maintain high quality standards. Our systems are designed to protect our food supply from procurement through the preparation process. We provide detailed specifications to suppliers for our food ingredients, products and supplies. Our restaurant managers are certified in a comprehensive food safety and sanitation course, ServSafe®, which was developed by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
We negotiate directly with independent suppliers for our supply of food and paper products. Domestically, we use larger local distributors when possible to distribute these products to our restaurants. To maximize our purchasing efficiencies and obtain the lowest possible prices for our ingredients, products and supplies, our purchasing team negotiates prices based on the system-wide usage of both company-owned and franchised restaurants. We believe that competitively priced, high-quality alternative manufacturers, suppliers, growers and distributors are available should the need arise.
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We also explore purchasing strategies to reduce the severity of cost increases and fluctuations, including long-term purchasing arrangements if possible.
Competition
The restaurant industry is intensely competitive. We compete on the basis of the taste, quality and price of food offered, guest service, ambience, location and overall guest experience. We believe that our attractive price-value relationship, the atmosphere of our restaurants, our sports viewing experience, our focus on our guests and the quality and distinctive flavor of our food enable us to differentiate ourselves from our competitors. We believe we compete primarily with local and regional sports bars and national casual dining and quick casual establishments and to a lesser extent with quick service restaurants. Many of our direct and indirect competitors are well-established national, regional or local chains, and some have greater financial and marketing resources than we do.
Government Regulation
The restaurant industry is subject to numerous federal, state and local governmental regulations, including those relating to the preparation and sale of food and alcoholic beverages, sanitation, public health, fire codes, zoning, and building requirements. Each restaurant requires appropriate licenses from regulatory authorities allowing it to sell liquor, beer and wine, and each restaurant requires food service licenses from local health authorities. Our licenses to sell alcoholic beverages must be renewed annually and may be suspended or revoked at any time for cause, including violation by us or our employees of any law or regulation pertaining to alcoholic beverage control, such as those regulating the minimum age of employees or patrons who may serve or be served alcoholic beverages, the serving of alcoholic beverages to visibly intoxicated patrons, advertising, wholesale purchasing and inventory control. In order to reduce this risk, restaurant employees are trained in standardized operating procedures designed to assure compliance with all applicable codes and regulations. We have implemented policies, procedures and training to ensure compliance with these regulations.
We are also subject to laws governing our relationship with employees. Our failure or the failure of our franchisees to comply with international, federal, state and local employment laws and regulations may subject us to losses and harm our brands. The laws and regulations govern such matters as wage and hourly requirements; workers’ compensation insurance; unemployment and other taxes; working and safety conditions; and citizenship and immigration status. Significant additional government-imposed regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act and similar laws related to increases in minimum wages, overtime pay, paid leaves of absence, and mandated health benefits, may also impact the performance of our franchised operations. In addition, employee claims based on, among other things, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, wage and hour requirements and payments to employees who receive gratuities, may divert financial and management resources and adversely affect operations. The losses that may be incurred as a result of any violation of such governmental regulations by the company or our franchisees are difficult to quantify.
We are also subject to licensing and regulation by States of Massachusetts and Connecticut and local departments relating to the service of alcoholic beverages, health, sanitation, fire and safety standards. Compliance with these laws and regulations may lead to increased costs and operational complexity and may increase our exposure to governmental investigations or litigation. In addition, we are subject to various state and federal laws relating to the offer and sale of franchises and the franchisor-franchisee relationship. In general, these laws and regulations impose specific disclosure and registration requirements prior to the sale and marketing of franchises and regulate certain aspects of the relationship between franchisor and franchisee.
Response to COVID-19
The Company is subject to risks and uncertainties as a result of the outbreak of, and local, state and federal governmental responses to, the COVID-19 pandemic which was declared a National Public Health Emergency on March 13, 2020. We have experienced significant disruptions to our business due to suggested and mandated social distancing and shelter-in-place orders, which resulted in the temporary closure of our taverns. In late April 2020, certain jurisdictions began allowing the reopening of restaurant dining rooms. However, restrictions on the type of operating model and occupancy capacity continue to change. We have reopened our taverns. Our West Hartford facility has returned to comparable revenue generation to the Pre-Covid-19 breakout. However, our Cambridge facility is still distressed due to only allowing outside seating. We believe there is a possibility that as colder weather comes, the State of Massachusetts will allow indoor dining with limitations.
Seasonality
We do not expect any seasonality in our business.
Property
Our mailing address is 600 North Ave, #304, Wakefield, MA, 01880. Our main telephone number is (844) 513-0056. Our website is www.pacificsoftwareinc.com and our email address is info@pacificsoftwareinc.com.
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Employees
Including our Officers and Directors we have 1 full-time employee and 2 part-time employees of our business or operations who are employed at will by Pacific Software, Inc. We anticipate adding additional employees in the next 12 months, as needed. We do not feel that we would have any unmanageable difficulty in locating needed staff.
Intellectual Property
We may rely on a combination of patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret laws in the United States as well as confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to protect our databases, and our brand.
We have a policy of requiring key employees and consultants to execute confidentiality agreements upon the commencement of an employment or consulting relationship with us. Our employee agreements also require relevant employees to assign to us all rights to any inventions made or conceived during their employment with us. In addition, we have a policy of requiring individuals and entities with which we discuss potential business relationships to sign non-disclosure agreements. Our agreements with clients may include confidentiality and non-disclosure provisions.
Legal Proceedings
We may from time to time be involved in various claims and legal proceedings of a nature we believe are normal and incidental to our business. These matters may include product liability, intellectual property, employment, personal injury caused by our employees, and other general claims. We are not presently a party to any legal proceedings that, in the opinion of our management, are likely to have a material adverse effect on our business. Regardless of outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.
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The following table sets forth information regarding our executive officers, directors and significant employees, including their ages as of January 22, 2021:
As of December 15, 2020, the Pacific Software, Inc. had 1 full-time employees, and 2 part-time employees.
The directors and executive officers of the Company as of January 22, 2021 are as follows:
| Name | Position | Age | Date of Appointment | Approx. Hours Per Week | ||||
| Izak On | CEO, CFO, Director | 69 | 9.28.20 | 20 | ||||
| Michael Finkelstein | Secretary, Director | 66 | 9.28.20 | 20 | ||||
| Harrysen Mittler | Former CEO, CFO Director | 68 | 0 | |||||
| Peter Pizzino | Former President, Director | 46 | 0 |
Izak On, Age 69: Mr. Onn serves as our CEO, CFO and on the Board of Directors. He currently serves or has served on the Board of Directors of other companies such as Cybra Corp., Intellect Neurosciences, Inc. and Ness Energy. Mr. On is an Israeli attorney who has been practicing corporate law for over the last ten years. His previous experience includes Mooney Airplane Corp. from 2002 to 2004 as Crisis Manager. He served as CEO and Partner of Fueling Services, Ltd. From 2001 to 2002. He also served as VP –Marketing for Austria Casino. He received his degree in Business administration and marketing from the Tel Aviv College of Management, and his law degree is from Ono Academic College Law school in Israel, where he is a member of the Israeli Bar.
Michael Finkelstein, Age 66: Michael currently serves as our Secretary and on our Board of Directors. He is a graduate of Mcgill University with a Major in Economics. Michael received his Diploma in Public Accounting after completion of his BA. He was then granted his Chartered Accountancy in Canada ( equivalent to a US CPA) after successfully passing the Uniform Qualifications Exams. His public accounting, financial and taxation experience is primarily derived from his time at Arthur Andersen & co where he rose to the level of Income Tax Manager prior to joining the sell side of the investment advisory industry for almost two decades. Michael became one of Canada’s top producing investment advisors and was a multi-year award winner for his firm as a revenue producer. While in the Investment Advisory Business, Michael cofounded a hedge fund which specialized in private investments in public equities, which, at its peak grew to be $100mm in assets. The Fund was liquidated in 2013. Subsequently, and to date, Michael has consulted with high-net-worth family offices in Europe as a reorg and recapitalization specialist and serves on the Board of Directors of several restaurant and food service organizations. Michael also serves as Chief Operating and Financial Officer within these entities and is responsible for their profitable growth and expansion.
None of our officers or directors in the last five years has been the subject of any conviction in a criminal proceeding or named as a defendant in a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses), the entry of an order, judgment, or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, by a court of competent jurisdiction that permanently or temporarily enjoined, barred, suspended or otherwise limited such person’s involvement in any type of business, securities, commodities, or banking activities; a finding or judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction (in a civil action), the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or a state securities regulator of a violation of federal or state securities or commodities law, which finding or judgment has not been reversed, suspended, or vacated; or the entry of an order by a self-regulatory organization that permanently or temporarily barred, suspended or otherwise limited such person’s involvement in any type of business or securities activities.
Note any familial relationship here. Other than the foregoing, there are no family relationships among and between our directors, officers, persons nominated or chosen by the Company to become directors or officers, or beneficial owners of more than five percent (5%) of the any class of the Company’s equity securities.
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The following summary compensation table sets forth all compensation awarded to, earned by, or paid to our named executive Officers paid by us during the year ended September 30, 2020, in all capacities for the accounts of our executives, including the Chief Executive Officers (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), President (P), and Executive Vice President (EVP).
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
| Name and Principal Position | Year | Salary
($) | Bonus
($) | Stock
Awards ($) | Option
Awards ($) | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) | Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($) | All
Other Compensation ($) | Totals
($) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Izak On, | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CEO, CFO, Director | 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michael Finkelstein, | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary, Director | 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Harrysen Mittler, | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former CEO, CFO, Director | 2019 | 267,000 | 0 | 14,130,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14,379,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peter Pizzino, | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former President, Director | 2019 | 217,000 | 0 | 7,132,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7,349,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table
There are no compensatory plans or arrangements, including payments to be received from the Company with respect to any executive Officer, that would result in payments to such person because of his or her resignation, retirement or other termination of employment with the Company, or its subsidiaries, any change in control, or a change in the person’s responsibilities following a change in control of the Company.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
No executive Officer received any equity awards, or holds exercisable or unexercisable options, as of the year ended September 30, 2020.
| OPTION AWARDS | STOCK AWARDS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Name | Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable | Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Unexercisable | Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Unearned Options (#) | Option Exercise Price ($) | Option Expiration Date | Number of Shares or Units of Stock that have not Vested (#) | Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock that have not Vested ($) | Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights that have not Vested ($) | Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights that have not Vested ($) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (a) | (b) | (c) | (d) | (e) | (f) | (g) | (h) | (i) | (j) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| None | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Long-Term Incentive Plans
There are no arrangements or plans in which the Company would provide pension, retirement or similar benefits for our Director or executive Officer.
Compensation Committee
The Company currently does not have a compensation committee of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors as a whole determines executive compensation.
Compensation of Directors
Directors are permitted to receive fixed fees and other compensation for their services as Directors. The Board of Directors has the authority to fix the compensation of Directors. No amounts have been paid to, or accrued to, Directors in such capacity.
Director Independence
The Board of Directors is currently composed of 2 members. Izak On, and Michael Finkelstein, who do not qualify as independent Directors in accordance with the published listing requirements of the NASDAQ Global Market. The NASDAQ independence definition includes a series of objective tests, such as that the Director is not, and has not been for at least three years, one of the Company’s employees and that neither the Director, nor any of his family members has engaged in various types of business dealings with us. In addition, the Board of Directors has not made a subjective determination as to each Director that no relationships exist which, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a Director, though such subjective determination is required by the NASDAQ rules. Had the Board of Directors made these determinations, the Board of Directors would have reviewed and discussed information provided by the Directors and the Company with regard to each Director’s business and personal activities and relationships as they may relate to the Company and its management.
Security Holders Recommendations to Board of Directors
The Company welcomes comments and questions from the shareholders. Shareholders can direct communications to the Michael Finkelstein, our President, 600 North Ave, #304, Wakefield, MA 01880. Our main telephone number is (844) 513-0056. However, while the Company appreciates all comments from shareholders, it may not be able to individually respond to all communications. Management attempts to address shareholder questions and concerns in press releases and documents filed with the SEC so that all shareholders have access to information about the Company at the same time. Michael Finkelstein collects and evaluates all shareholder communications. All communications addressed to the Director and executive Officer will be reviewed by Michael Finkelstein unless the communication is clearly frivolous.
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
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During the last two full fiscal years and the current fiscal year or any currently proposed transaction, there is no transaction involving the Company, in which the amount involved exceeds the lesser of $120,000 or one percent of the average of the Company’s total assets at year-end for its last three fiscal years.
Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Other than the aforementioned, there are no conflicts of interest between the Company and any of its officers or directors.
Stock Options
We have not issued and do not have outstanding any options to purchase shares of our Common Stock. We do not have any stock option plans.
Share Purchase Warrants
None.
Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Our articles of incorporation provide that no Director or Officer shall be personally liable for damages for breach of fiduciary duty for any act or omission unless such acts or omissions involve intentional misconduct, fraud, knowing violation of law, or payment of dividends in violation of Section 78.300 of the Nevada Revised Statutes.
Our bylaws provide that we shall indemnify any and all of our present or former Directors and Officers, or any person who may have served at our request as Director or Officer of another corporation in which we own stock or of which we are a creditor, for expenses actually and necessarily incurred in connection with the defense of any action, except where such Officer or Director is adjudged to be liable for negligence or misconduct in performance of duty. To the extent that a Director has been successful in defense of any proceeding, the Nevada Revised Statutes provide that he shall be indemnified against reasonable expenses incurred in connection therewith.
We do not currently maintain standard policies of insurance under which coverage is provided (a) to our Directors, Officers, employees and other agents against loss arising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful act, and (b) to us with respect to payments which may be made by us to such Officers and Directors pursuant to the above indemnification provision or otherwise as a matter of law, although we may do so in the future.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to Directors, Officers and controlling persons of the Company pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Company has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy and is, therefore, unenforceable.
Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related Parties
We have adopted a related-party transactions policy under which our executive officers, directors, nominees for election as a director, beneficial owners of more than 5% of any class of our Common Stock, and any members of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons are not permitted to enter into a related-party transaction with us without the consent of our audit committee. If the related party is, or is associated with, a member of our audit committee, the transaction must be reviewed and approved by another independent body of our Board of Directors, such as our governance committee. Any request for us to enter into a transaction with a related party in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and such party would have a direct or indirect interest must first be presented to our audit committee for review, consideration and approval. If advance approval of a related-party transaction was not feasible or was not obtained, the related-party transaction must be submitted to the audit committee as soon as reasonably practicable, at which time the audit committee shall consider whether to ratify and continue, amend and ratify, or terminate or rescind such related-party transaction. All of the transactions described above were reviewed and considered by, and were entered into with the approval of, or ratification by, our Board of Directors.
During the last two full fiscal years and the current fiscal year or any currently proposed transaction, there are transactions involving the issuer, in which the amount involved exceeds the lesser of $120,000 or one percent of the average of the issuer’s total assets at year-end for its last three fiscal years, except compensation awarded to executives.
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Related Party Transactions
Management:
In October 2017, the Company retained the services of Harrysen Mittler as a consultant. Contractually he is to receive $19,000 per month cash compensation and 25,000 shares of common stock monthly. As of June 30, 2019, the Company paid $210,000 in cash and issued shares of common stock valued at $510,000 and preferred stock estimated to be valued at $13,440,000 for his consulting services. As of June 30, 2020, the Company paid $19,000 and accrued $76,000 in cash fees, issued 90,000 shares, valued at $180,000 or $2 per share and accrued 60,000 shares of common stock, valued at $120,000 or $2 per share. By agreement, Mr. Mittler agreed to forego cash and stock fees for March 2020.
In June 2018, the Company retained the services of Peter Pizzino as a consultant. Contractually he is to receive $15,000 per month cash compensation and 25,000 shares of common stock monthly. As of June 30, 2019, the Company has paid $172,000 in cash and issued shares of common stock valued at $422,000 and preferred stock estimated to be valued at $6,560,000 for his consulting services. As of June 30, 2010, the Company paid $15,000 in cash and accrued $60,000 in cash fees, issued 75,000 shares of common stock, valued at $150,000 or $2 per share and accrued 60,000 shares of common stock, valued at $120,000 or $2 per share. By agreement, Mr. Pizzino agreed to forego cash and stock fees for March 2020.
The Company has retained the services of Dr. Wang-Chang Wong as an advisor. Contractually he is to receive 100,000 shares of common stock per year for 5 years, the shares vesting over 12 months. As of June 30, 2019, the Company issued 200,000 shares of common stock, valued at $400,000 or $2.00 per share, expensed $150,000 as advisory fees and capitalized the remaining balance of $355,616. As of June 30, 2020, the Company has expensed $150,000 as advisory fees for the three quarters in fiscal year 2020, leaving a capitalized balance of 155,616.
Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
There are no conflicts of interest between the Company and any of its officers or directors.
Legal/Disciplinary History
None of Pacific Software, Inc.’s Officers or Directors have been the subject of any criminal proceeding or named as a defendant in a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses);
None of Pacific Software, Inc.’s Officers or Directors have been the subject of any entry of an order, judgment, or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, by a court of competent jurisdiction that permanently or temporarily enjoined, barred, suspended or otherwise limited such person’s involvement in any type of business, securities, commodities, or banking activities;
None of Pacific Software, Inc.’s Officers or Directors have been the subject of any finding or judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction (in a civil action), the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or a state securities regulator of a violation of federal or state securities or commodities law, which finding or judgment has not been reversed, suspended, or vacated; or
None of Pacific Software, Inc.’s Officers or Directors has been the subject of any entry of an order by a self-regulatory organization that permanently or temporarily barred, suspended or otherwise limited such person’s involvement in any type of business or securities activities.
Board Composition
Our board of directors currently consists of two members. Each director of the Company serves until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until his successor is elected and duly qualified, or until his earlier death, resignation or removal. Our board is authorized to appoint persons to the offices of Chairman of the Board of Directors, President, Chief Executive Officer, one or more vice presidents, a Treasurer or Chief Financial Officer and a Secretary and such other offices as may be determined by the board.
We have no formal policy regarding board diversity. In selecting board candidates, we seek individuals who will further the interests of our stockholders through an established record of professional accomplishment, the ability to contribute positively to our collaborative culture, knowledge of our business and understanding of our prospective markets.
Board Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight
The board of directors oversees our business and considers the risks associated with our business strategy and decisions. The board currently implements its risk oversight function as a whole. Each of the board committees when established will also provide risk oversight in respect of its areas of concentration and reports material risks to the board for further consideration.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
Prior to one year from the date of this Offering’s qualification, we plan on adopting a written code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. We will post on our website a current copy of the code and all disclosures that are required by law or market rules in regard to any amendments to, or waivers from, any provision of the code.
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The following table sets forth certain information known to us regarding beneficial ownership of our capital stock as of January 22, 2021 for (i) all executive officers and directors as a group and (ii) each person, or group of affiliated persons, known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than ten percent (10%) of our capital stock. The percentage of beneficial ownership in the table below is based on 19,297,299 shares of common stock deemed to be outstanding as of January 22, 2021.
The following table gives information on ownership of our securities as of January 22, 2021. The following lists ownership of our Common Stock and Preferred Stock by each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of over 5% of the outstanding Common and Preferred Stock, and by our officers and directors:
| Name of Beneficial Owner | Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership(1) | Percentage of Beneficial Ownership | ||||
| Directors and Officers: | ||||||
| Izak On | 0 Common Stock | 0% | ||||
| Michael Finkelstein | 0 Common Stock | 0% | ||||
| Harrysen Mittler | 10,455,000 Common Stock | 54.2%(3) | ||||
| 494,000 Series A Preferred Stock | 19%(2) | |||||
| 1,000 Series B Preferred Stock | 5%(4) | |||||
| Peter Pizzino | 5,278,500 Common Stock | 27%(3) | ||||
| 239,000 Series A Preferred | 9%(2) | |||||
| 1,000 Series B Preferred Stock | 5%(4) | |||||
| Alpha Capital Anstalt | 12,866 Series B Preferred | 59%(4) | ||||
| EMA Financial, LLC | 654 Series B Preferred | 3%(4) | ||||
| Tarpon Bay Partners | 6,480 Series B Preferred | 30%(4) | ||||
| All executive officers and directors as a group (2 persons) | 0% Common Stock
0% Total Common Vote |
|||||
| (1) | Under Rule 13d-3, a beneficial owner of a security includes any person who, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship, or otherwise has or shares: (i) voting power, which includes the power to vote, or to direct the voting of shares; and (ii) investment power, which includes the power to dispose or direct the disposition of shares. Certain shares may be deemed to be beneficially owned by more than one person (if, for example, persons share the power to vote or the power to dispose of the shares). In addition, shares are deemed to be beneficially owned by a person if the person has the right to acquire the shares (for example, upon exercise of an option) within 60 days of the date as of which the information is provided. In computing the percentage ownership of any person, the amount of shares outstanding is deemed to include the amount of shares beneficially owned by such person (and only such person) by reason of these acquisition rights. As a result, the percentage of outstanding shares of any person as shown in this table does not necessarily reflect the person’s actual ownership or voting power with respect to the number of shares of common stock actually outstanding. |
| (2) | Based upon 26,627,299 shares when considering Series A Preferred Stock voting designation (Series A Convertible Preferred Stock votes on 10 shares of Common Stock for each 1 share of Series A share). |
| (3) | Based upon 19,297,299 common shares issued and outstanding, without conversions as of January 22, 2021. |
| (4) | Based upon 22,000 shares of Series B Preferred issued and outstanding without conversion as of January 22, 2021. |
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INTEREST OF MANAGEMENT AND OTHERS IN CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS
_____
Other than as reported herein, during the last two full fiscal years and the current fiscal year or any currently proposed transaction, there is no transaction involving the Company, in which the amount involved exceeds the lesser of $120,000 or one percent of the average of the Company’s total assets at year-end for its last three fiscal years.
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The Company’s Authorized Stock
We are authorized to issue One Hundred Million (100,000,000) shares of common stock with a par value of $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”) and Ten Million (10,000,000) shares of preferred stock (the “Preferred Stock”), of which 3,000,000 such shares have been designated as Series A Preferred Stock, and 22,000 such shares have been designated as Series B Preferred Stock.
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock: The Company, a Nevada Corporation, is authorized to issue 10,000,000 Shares of Preferred Stock, of which 3,000,000 shares are designated as Series A Convertible Preferred Stock. The Series A Convertible Preferred Shares convert into common stock on the following basis: 1 Preferred Share = 10 Common Shares, $0.001 par value. The Series A Convertible Preferred Stock votes as 10 shares of common stock for every one share of Series A Preferred Stock. As of January 13, 2021, 733,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding, respectively.
Series B Convertible Preferred Stock: The Company is currently authorized to issue up to 22,000 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share. The Series B Preferred stock is convertible at the lower of (i) the 25% lowest closing bid price for the 20 trading days prior to the conversion or (ii) the fixed price, which is set at $1.00 both of which are subject to adjustment as provided in the Series B Preferred certificate of designation. The stated value of the shares is $100 per share. The Series B Preferred shares have no voting rights and there is a conversion limit on beneficial ownership of common stock at 9.99%. As of January 13, 2020, 22,000 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding, respectively.
Common Stock
No shareholders of the Corporation holding Common Stock have any preemptive or other right to subscribe for any additional unissued or treasury shares of stock or for other securities of any class.
Subject to the rights of holders of Preferred Stock, holders of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive such cash dividends as may be declared thereon by the Board from time to time out of assets of funds of the Corporation legally available, therefore.
Cumulative Voting. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, there shall be no cumulative voting on any matter brought to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.
Except as otherwise required by Nevada corporation law, the Articles of Incorporation, or any designation for a class of Preferred Stock (which may provide that an alternate vote is required), (i) all shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders of the Corporation; and (ii) the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of voting stock entitled to vote in connection with the applicable matter shall be required for approval of such matter.
Adoption of Bylaws. In the furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute and the Articles of Incorporation, the Board is expressly authorized to adopt, repeal, rescind. alter or amend in any respect the bylaws of the Corporation.
Shareholder Amendment of Bylaws. The Bylaws may also be adopted, repealed, rescinded, altered or amended in any respect by the stockholders of the Corporation, but only by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of voting stock, regardless of class and voting together as a single voting class.
Removal of Directors. Except as may otherwise be provided in connection with rights to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, which may be granted to the holders of any class or series of Preferred Stock, any director may be removed from office only by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the voting power of the issued and outstanding stock entitled to vote. Failure of an incumbent director to be nominated to serve an additional term of office shall not be deemed a removal from office requiring any stockholder vote.
Preferred Stock
The powers, preferences, rights, qualifications, limitations and restrictions pertaining to the Preferred Stock, or any series thereof, shall be such as may be fixed, from time to time, by the Board in its sole discretion. Authority to do so being hereby expressly vested in the Board. The authority of the Board with respect to each such series of Preferred Stock will include, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the determination of any or all of the following:
The number of shares of any series and the designation to distinguish the shares of such series from the shares of all other series: (1) the voting powers, if any, of the shares of such series and whether such voting powers are full or limited: (2) the redemption provisions, if any, applicable to such series, including the redemption price or prices to be paid; (3) whether dividends, if any, will be cumulative or noncumulative, the dividend rate or rates of such series and the dates and preferences of dividends on such series: (4) the rights of such series upon the voluntary or involuntary dissolution of, or upon any distribution of the assets of. the Corporation: (5) the provisions, if any, pursuant to which the shares of such series are convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of any other class or classes of any other series of the same other any other class or classes of stock or any other security, of the Corporation or any other corporation or entity, and the rates or other determinants of conversion or exchange applicable thereto; (6) the right, if any, to subscribe for or to purchase any securities of the Corporation or any other corporation or other entity; (7) the provisions, if any. of a sinking fund applicable to such series: and (8) any other relative, participating, optional or other powers, preferences or rights, and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof. of such series.
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______
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain any future earnings for use in the operation of our business and do not intend to declare or pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any further determination to pay dividends on our capital stock will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors, subject to applicable laws, and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, general business conditions, and other factors that our Board of Directors considers relevant.
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______
Current Offering
Pacific Software, Inc. (“PFSF,” “We,” or the “Company”) is offering up to $15,000,000 total of Securities, consisting of Common Stock, $0.001 par value (the “Common Stock” or collectively the “Securities”).
Transfer Agent
Our transfer agent is Action Stock Transfer, whose address is 2469 E. Fort Union Blvd., Ste 214, Salt Lake City, UT 84121, telephone number is (801) 274-1088, and website is www.actionstocktransfer.com.
The transfer agent is registered under the Exchange Act and operates under the regulatory authority of the SEC and FINRA.
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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
_____
Prior to this Offering, there has been a limited market for our Common Stock. Future sales of substantial amounts of our Common Stock, or securities or instruments convertible into our Common Stock, in the public market, or the perception that such sales may occur, could adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock prevailing from time to time. Furthermore, because there will be limits on the number of shares available for resale shortly after this Offering due to contractual and legal restrictions described below, there may be resales of substantial amounts of our Common Stock in the public market after those restrictions lapse. This could adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock prevailing at that time.
Rule 144
In general, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of our Common Stock for at least twelve months, in the event we are a reporting company under Regulation A, or at least six months, in the event we have been a reporting company under the Exchange Act for at least 90 days before the sale, would be entitled to sell such securities, provided that such person is not deemed to be an affiliate of ours at the time of sale or to have been an affiliate of ours at any time during the 90 days preceding the sale. A person who is an affiliate of ours at such time would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of the following:
| - | 1% of the number of shares of our Common Stock then outstanding; or the average weekly trading volume of our Common Stock during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing by such person of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale; |
provided that, in each case, we are subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act for at least 90 days before the sale. Rule 144 trades must also comply with the manner of sale, notice and other provisions of Rule 144, to the extent applicable.
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Certain legal matters with respect to the shares of common stock offered hereby will be passed upon by Andrew Coldicutt, Esq. of San Diego, CA.
42
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The consolidated financial statements of the Company appearing elsewhere in this Offering Circular have been prepared by management and have not been reviewed by an independent accountant.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
______
We have filed with the SEC a Regulation A Offering Statement on Form 1-A under the Securities Act with respect to the shares of common stock offered hereby. This Offering Circular, which constitutes a part of the Offering Statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the Offering Statement or the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. For further information about us and the common stock offered hereby, we refer you to the Offering Statement and the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. Statements contained in this Offering Circular regarding the contents of any contract or other document that is filed as an exhibit to the Offering Statement are not necessarily complete, and each such statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the full text of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the Offering Statement. Upon the completion of this Offering, we will be required to file periodic reports, proxy statements, and other information with the SEC pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. You may read and copy this information at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy statements and other information about issuers, including us, that file electronically with the SEC. The address of this site is www.sec.gov.
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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
September 30, 2020
Index to the (Unaudited) Consolidated Financial Statements
F-1
BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
As of September 30, 2020, and September 30, 2019
| 30-Sep-20 | 30-Sep-19 | |||||||
| ASSETS | (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | ||||||
| Current assets | ||||||||
| Cash in bank | $ | 80,550 | $ | 108,849 | ||||
| Accounts receivable | 5,000 | - | ||||||
| Inventories | 56,831 | - | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses | 150,755 | 305,616 | ||||||
| Total Current assets | 293,136 | 414,465 | ||||||
| Deferred financing costs | 1,255,472 | - | ||||||
| Fixed assets- net | 931,032 | - | ||||||
| Other assets | 50,498 | - | ||||||
| Equity in and advances to investment | - | 223,246 | ||||||
| Total Non-current assets | 2,237,002 | |||||||
| Total assets | $ | 2,530,138 | $ | 637,711 | ||||
| LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY | ||||||||
| Current liabilities | ||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 153,608 | $ | 16,270 | ||||
| Accrued liabilities | 121,757 | - | ||||||
| Convertible notes payable, net of discount of $4.262,472- at September 30, 2020 | 70,340 | - | ||||||
| Paycheck Protection program note payable | 351,064 | - | ||||||
| Non-convertible notes payable | 26,600 | - | ||||||
| Derivative liability | 4,876,713 | - | ||||||
| Accrued interest - related party | - | 33,606 | ||||||
| Notes Payable -related party | - | 8,294 | ||||||
| Total Current liabilities | 5,600,082 | 58,170 | ||||||
| Commitments and contingencies | ||||||||
| Shareholders' deficit and non-controlling interest | ||||||||
| Preferred stock, 10,000,000 shares authorized, $.001 par value Series A, 3,000,000 shares authorized, par value $.001 733,000 and 733,000 issued and outstanding | - | 733 | ||||||
| Series B, 22,000 shares authorized, par value $.10, none outstanding | ||||||||
| Common stock, 100,000,000 shares, par value $0.001, | 2,200 | - | ||||||
| authorized, 19,297,299 and 19,132,299 issued and outstanding | ||||||||
| as of September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, respectively | 19,187 | 19,132 | ||||||
| Additional paid in capital | 24,048,331 | 26,843,721 | ||||||
| Accumulated deficit | (27,458,361 | ) | (26,284,045 | ) | ||||
| Total shareholders' deficit attributable to common shareholders | (3,388,643 | ) | 579,541 | |||||
| No Non-controlling interest | 318.699 | - | ||||||
| TOTAL LIABILITIES , SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NON-CONTROLLING INTEREST | $ | 2,530,138 | $ | 637,711 | ||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-2
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
For the twelve months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019
| Twelve months ended | ||||||||
| September 30, 2020 | September 30, 2019 | |||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | |||||||
| Revenues | $ | 20,000 | $ | - | ||||
| Operating expenses: | ||||||||
| Food and beverage costs | 5,000 | - | ||||||
| Labor costs | 6,000 | - | ||||||
| Other operating expenses | 4,000 | - | ||||||
| General and Administrative | 33,600 | - | ||||||
| Total operating expenses | 48,600 | - | ||||||
| Loss from operations | (28,600 | ) | - | |||||
| Other (income)/expenses | ||||||||
| Derivative expense | 11,573,861 | - | ||||||
| Amortization of debt discount | 70,340 | |||||||
| Interest expense | 2,170 | - | ||||||
| Change in fair market value of derivative liability | (10,959,620 | ) | - | |||||
| (686,751 | ) | - | ||||||
| (Loss) before Unconsolidated interest, provision for income taxes and discontinued operations | (715,351 | ) | - | |||||
| Unconsolidated interest | (2,450 | ) | - | |||||
| (Loss) before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations | (717,801 | ) | - | |||||
| Provision for income taxes | - | - | ||||||
| (Loss) before discontinued operations | (717,801 | ) | - | |||||
| Loss from discontinued operations (See Note 4) | (456,515 | ) | (21,111,811 | ) | ||||
| Net (Loss) | $ | (1,174,316 | ) | $ | (21,111,811 | ) | ||
| Weighted average shares outstanding | 19,184,135 | 12,432,747 | ||||||
| Loss per common share | ($ | .06 | ) | ($ | 1.70 | ) | ||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-3
PACIFIC SOFTWARE,
INC.
UNAUDITED STATEMENT OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
For the period ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019
| Additional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preferred stock | Common stock | Paid in | Accumulated | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Preferred stock | Shares | Amount | Capital | (Deficit) | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 30, 2018 | - | $ | - | - | $ | - | 18,430,049 | $ | 18,430 | $ | 6,071,156 | $ | (5,094,805 | ) | $ | 994,781 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares cancelled in settlement | (2,778,750 | ) | (2,779 | ) | (1,439,721 | ) | (1,442,500 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares repurchased | (15,000 | ) | (15 | ) | (7,485 | ) | (7,500 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares issued for compensation | 1,000,000 | 1,000 | 631,000 | 631 | 21,260,369 | 21,262,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| shares cancelled for services | (300,000 | ) | (300 | ) | (2,700 | ) | (3,000 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares issued for services | 297,500 | 297 | 594,703 | # | 595,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares issued for cash | 197,500 | 198 | 369,802 | 370,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares issued upon conversion | (267,000 | ) | (267 | ) | 2,670,000 | 2,670 | (2,403 | ) | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dividends | (77,430 | ) | (77,430 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | (21,111,810 | ) | (21,111,810 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 30, 2019 | 733,000 | $ | 733 | - | $ | - | 19,132,299 | $ | 19,132 | $ | 26,843,721 | (26,284,045 | ) | $ | 579,541 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Common stock issued for compensation | 55,000 | 55 | 109,945 | 110,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cancellation of Series A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preferred stock | (733,000 | ) | (733 | ) | (14,660,000 | ) | (14,660,733 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of Series B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preferred stock | 22,000 | 2,200 | 14,657,800 | 14,660,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumption of debt | (3,000,000 | ) | (3,000,000 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Acquisition of World of Beer restaurants | 329,158 | 329,158 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disposition of assets and liabilities of predecessor entity | (232,293 | ) | (232,293 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss, twelve months ended September 30, 2020 | (1,174,316 | ) | (1,174,316 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 30, 2020 | - | - | 22,000 | 2,200 | 19,187,299 | 19,187 | 24,048,331 | (27,458,361 | ) | (3,388,643 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-4
UNAUDITED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For the Twelve months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019
| Twelve months Ended September 30, 2020 | Twelve months Ended September 30, 2019 | |||||||
| Cash flows from operating activities | ||||||||
| Net (loss) before discontinued operations | $ | (717,801 | ) | $ | - | |||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flow from operations: | ||||||||
| Change in fair market value of derivative liability | (10,959,620 | ) | - | |||||
| Derivative expense on newly issued debt | 11,573,861 | - | ||||||
| Non-controlling interest | 2,450 | - | ||||||
| Amortization of debt discount | 70,340 | - | ||||||
| Operating cash flows from discontinued Operations | (108,849 | ) | (1,195,382 | ) | ||||
| Change in working capital items: | ||||||||
| Accounts Receivable | (5,000 | ) | - | |||||
| Accrued liabilities | 2,170 | - | ||||||
| Net cash (used) in operations | $ | (142,449 | ) | $ | (1,195,382 | ) | ||
| Cash flows from investing activities | ||||||||
| Cash provided from purchase of World of Beer restaurants | 80,550 | - | ||||||
| Net cash provided from Inversting activities | 80,550 | - | ||||||
| Cash flows from financing activities: | ||||||||
| Common stock issued | - | 370,000.00 | ||||||
| Cash debt issued | 33,600.00 | - | ||||||
| Net cash provided from Financing activities | 33,600 | 370,000 | ||||||
| Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | (28,299 | ) | (825,382 | ) | ||||
| Cash at beginning of period | 108,849 | 934,231 | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents-end of period | $ | 80,550 | $ | 108,849 | ||||
| Interest paid | $ | - | $ | - | ||||
| Taxes paid | $ | - | $ | - | ||||
| Debt assumed in World of Beer purchase | $ | 3,000,000 | $ | - | ||||
| Net | $ | 645,407 | $ | - | ||||
| Financing note issued | $ | 1,255,472 | $ | - | ||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-5
Footnotes to the Condensed Unaudited Financial Statements
September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019
| 1. | Organization and basis of presentation |
Pacific Software, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated in the State of Nevada on October 12, 2005 with a principal office in Carson City. The Company was in the development stage and was engaged in developing. producing, and marketing online internet sales portals to facilitate ecommerce between countries. The Company was in the development stage and decided to overhaul its business model. On September 28, 2020, Pacific Software, Inc (the “Company”) entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement for the acquisition of fifty-one (51) percent of the West Hartford World of Beer and Cambridge Craft restaurants as well as the associated assets and liabilities, from Attitude Beer Holding, Inc. (“Restaurants”) for 22,000 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and a combined $3,000.000 3% note and the possibility of bridge financing.
With a premier location in West Hartford, Connecticut, the World of Beer Tavern occupies over 5,000 square feet. Centrally located in the city’s heart and with an excellent upscale demographic, it has been proven to be an asset of great value. All visitors-both from within and outside the area enjoy an outstanding variety of craft beers and delectable food at very reasonable prices. Cambridge World of Beer in Cambridge Mass. enjoys a premium location in close proximity to the world greatest institutions of higher learning, with an abundance of bustling commerce, hotels and residential dwellings in the area. Wonderful libations alongside 60 types of craft beers, and food to satisfy the discerning palate, Cambridge is an excellent venue for sports entertainment TV and/or those seeking a relaxing and casual ambiance – an intermission from life’s pressures.
In the very near future, we plan on changing the corporate name shortly to reflect our new business strategy and assets. In addition to the wonderful additions of the two World of Beers to the Pacific Software Inc. portfolio, a capital raise of up to $25 million is currently in process with a view to completing the registration in the next few weeks. The objective of this substantial raise is the accumulation of both mini and medium sized fast casual and casual restaurant chains throughout the United States. The management/ acquisition team recognizes the substantial opportunity present throughout the industry given the unfortunate circumstances associated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has oft been written that 30-40% of the restaurant stock in the United States will be permanently shuttered due to COVID-19 and its effects on the industry.
The management and acquisition team has abundant food service experience and has and will continue to capitalize on societal trends that are becoming more focused on fast casual eat-in and, especially takeout and delivery, in its many forms. The opportunity is potentially highly significant and the management strategy and laser focus is to build a cash flow machine within a portfolio of a diverse but high- quality chain assets. The tactics to be utilized may vary-outright buyouts, partnerships, asset purchases, - all including cost rationalization, revenue optimization and expansion of the chains’ footprint in great locations assumed through sublease or outright lease or real estate ownership, where appropriate.
PFSF(again-name and symbol to be changed to be more reflective of the central corporate activity) will use highly skilled due diligence teams to search out specific types of restaurant operations. These are: a) given the difficult environment, those that require capital and management input and direction, and b) ( perhaps, most importantly-since most operations today need capital) the potential for high cash flow and unit expansion with the injection of intellectual capital and monetary investment and c) unit ( mini and mid-sized) chains that can be molded and adapted to fit current day societal trends.
Basis of presentation
The accompanying interim condensed financial statements are unaudited, but in the opinion of management of Pacific Software, Inc. (the Company), contain all adjustments, which include normal recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly the financial position at September 30, 2020 and the results of operations and cash flows for the twelve months ended September 30, 2020. The balance sheet as of September 30, 2019 is derived from the Company’s audited financial statements.
Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, although management of the Company believes that the disclosures contained in these financial statements are adequate to make the information presented therein not misleading.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expense during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
F-6
| 2. | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements are prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The preparation of these financial statements requires our management to make estimates and assumptions about future events that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and related notes. Future events and their effects cannot be determined with absolute certainty. Therefore, the determination of management’s estimates requires the exercise of judgment. We believe the following critical accounting policies affect its more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of financial statements.
Discontinued operations
Pursuant to Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-08 the disposal of a component (including business activities) must be reported in discontinued operations only if the disposal represents a “strategic shift” that has or will have a major effect on the company’s operations and financial results. The sale of the Company’s internet portal business was determined to be a strategic shift and thusly its operations have been recorded as discontinued.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
COVID-19 Pandemic
The Company is subject to risks and uncertainties as a result of the outbreak of, and local, state and federal governmental responses to, the COVID-19 pandemic which was declared a National Public Health Emergency on March 13, 2020. We have experienced significant disruptions to our business due to suggested and mandated social distancing and shelter-in-place orders, which resulted in the temporary closure of a number of our two restaurants across our portfolio. In late April 2020, certain jurisdictions began allowing the reopening of restaurant dining rooms However, restrictions on the type of operating model and occupancy capacity continue to change. To date, neither our West Hartford or Cambridge World of Beer restaurants have returned to a pre-pandemic level of revenues.
Cash and cash equivalents
For financial statement presentation purposes, the Company considers all short-term investments with a maturity date of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
Reclassification
Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified for consistency with current year presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on the reported results of operations.
Accounts receivable
We estimate credit loss reserves for accounts receivable on an individual receivable basis. A specific impairment allowance reserve is established based on expected future cash flows and the financial condition of the debtor. We charge off customer balances in part or in full when it is more likely than not that we will not collect that amount of the balance due. We consider any balance unpaid after the contract payment period to be past due. There are no accounts receivable at September 30, 2020 or September 30, 2019.
Inventories
Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market and use the First-in first-out cost flow assumption.
Recognition of Revenues
The Company recognizes revenue from interest income on consumer loans as the interest is earned. The Company’s revenue recognition policies comply with FASB ASC Topic 605. Revenue is recorded when earned, which is generally over the period services are provided and no contingencies exist.
Deferred Taxes.
The Company accounts for income taxes under Section 740-10-30 of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are determined based upon differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent management concludes it is more likely than not that the assets will not be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the statements of operations in the period that includes the enactment date.
ASC 740, Income Taxes, requires a company to first determine whether it is more likely than not (which is defined as a likelihood of more than fifty percent) that a tax position will be sustained based on its technical merits as of the reporting date, assuming that taxing authorities will examine the position and have full knowledge of all relevant information. A tax position that meets this more likely than not threshold is then measured and recognized at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely to be realized upon effective settlement with a taxing authority.
F-7
Commitments and Contingencies.
The Company follows subtopic 450-20 of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification to report accounting for contingencies. Certain conditions may exist as of the date the financial statements are issued, which may result in a loss to the Company but which will only be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. The Company assesses such contingent liabilities, and such assessment inherently involves an exercise of judgment. In assessing loss contingencies related to legal proceedings that are pending against the Company or unasserted claims that may result in such proceedings, the Company evaluates the perceived merits of any legal proceedings or unasserted claims as well as the perceived merits of the amount of relief sought or expected to be sought therein.
If the assessment of a contingency indicates that it is probable that a material loss has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be estimated, then the estimated liability would be accrued in the Company’s financial statements. If the assessment indicates that a potentially material loss contingency is not probable but is reasonably possible, or is probable but cannot be estimated, then the nature of the contingent liability, and an estimate of the range of possible losses, if determinable and material, would be disclosed. Loss contingencies considered remote are generally not disclosed unless they involve guarantees, in which case the guarantees would be disclosed. Management does not believe, based upon information available at this time that these matters will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. However, there is no assurance that such matters will not materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial position, and results of operations or cash flows.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The Company follows paragraph 825-10-50-10 of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification for disclosures about fair value of its financial instruments and paragraph 820-10-35-37 of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“Paragraph 820-10-35-37”) to measure the fair value of its financial instruments. Paragraph 820-10-35-37 establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP), and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. To increase consistency and comparability in fair value measurements and related disclosures, Paragraph 820-10-35-37 establishes a fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs. The three levels of fair value hierarchy defined by Paragraph 820-10-35-37 are described below:
| Level 1 | Quoted market prices available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities as of the reporting date. |
| Level 2 | Pricing inputs other than quoted prices in active markets included in Level 1, which are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reporting date. |
| Level 3 | Pricing inputs that are generally observable inputs and not corroborated by market data. |
Fair value of the carrying amounts of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities, such as cash and accounts payable approximate their fair values because of the short maturity of these instruments. Our financial instruments include cash, accounts payable, and accrued expenses.
Discontinued operations
Pursuant to Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-08 the disposal of a component (including business activities) must be reported in discontinued operations only if the disposal represents a “strategic shift” that has or will have a major effect on the company’s operations and financial results. The sale of the Company’s internet portal business was determined to be a strategic shift and thusly its operations have been recorded as discontinued.
Risk and Uncertainties
The Company is subject to risks common to companies in the service industry, including but not limited to COVID-19, litigation, development of new technological innovations and dependence on key personnel.
Basic and Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Share
Earnings per share is calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 260, Earnings Per Share. Basic earnings per share (“EPS”) is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted EPS is based on the assumption that all dilutive convertible shares and stock warrants were converted or exercised. Dilution is computed by applying the treasury stock method. Under this method, options and warrants are assumed to be exercised at the beginning of the period (or at the time of issuance, if later), and as if funds obtained thereby were used to purchase common stock at the average market price during the period. There were no potentially dilutive securities outstanding during the twelve months ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019 due to the Company incurring a net loss.
F-8
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Recent Accounting Pronouncements In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement” (“ASU 2018-13”). ASU 2018-13 removes, modifies and adds certain disclosure requirements in Topic 820 “Fair Value Measurement”. ASU 2018-13 eliminates certain disclosures related to transfers and the valuations process, modifies disclosures for investments that are valued based on net asset value, clarifies the measurement uncertainty disclosure, and requires additional disclosures for Level 3 fair value measurements. ASU 2018-13 is effective for the Company for annual and interim reporting periods beginning January 1, 2020. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In December 2019, the FASB issued authoritative guidance intended to simplify the accounting for income taxes (ASU 2019-12, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes”). This guidance eliminates certain exceptions to the general approach to the income tax accounting model and adds new guidance to reduce the complexity in accounting for income taxes. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those annual periods. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of this guidance on its consolidated financial statements. In January 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-01, Investments - Equity Securities (Topic 321), Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323), and Derivative and Hedging (Topic 815), which clarifies the interaction of rules for equity securities, the equity method of accounting, and forward contracts and purchase options on certain types of securities. The guidance clarifies how to account for the transition into and out of the equity method of accounting when considering observable transactions under the measurement alternative. The ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim reporting periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on our consolidated financial statements.
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity. This ASU amends the guidance on convertible instruments and the derivatives scope exception for contracts in an entity's own equity, and also improves and amends the related EPS guidance for both Subtopics. The ASU will be effective for annual reporting periods after December 15, 2021 and interim periods within those annual periods and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on our consolidated financial statements. Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective accounting pronouncements, when adopted, will have a material effect on the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
| 3. | Going Concern. |
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the settlement of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. As reflected in the accompanying financial statements, the company has no revenues, net accumulated losses since inception, and an accumulated deficit of $27,458,361. These factors raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. The ability of the Company to continue as a going concern is dependent on the company’s ability to raise additional funds and implement its business plan. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain the additional capital resources necessary to implement its business plan or that any assumptions relating to its business plan will prove accurate. The financial statements of the Company do not include any adjustments that might be necessary if the company is unable to continue as a going concern.
| 4. | Discontinued operations |
Commensurate with its new operating strategy, the Company exited the internet portal sector. This was deemed to be a “strategic shift” and the Company has recorded those operating results as Discontinued operations. A break-down of discontinued operations follows below:
| September 30, 2020 | September 30, 2019 | |||||||
| Officer and director stock compensation, | ||||||||
| Net of cancelled shares* | $ | 430,220 | $ | 20,800,811 | ||||
| Other expenses | 25,615 | 311,000 | ||||||
| Discontinued operations | $ | 456,515 | $ | 21,111,811 | ||||
*- Included in 2019 discontinued operations is a gain on cancellation of shares issued of $1,442,500 which is netted against shares issued.
| 5. | Inventories |
Inventories, as estimated by management, currently consist of inventory for our World of Beer franchise locations in West Hartford, and Cambridge. Inventories are stated at the lower of cost on the first in, first-out method or market. The inventory is comprised of the beverages and food and other items needed for the preparation of meals and spirits to our customers. Balances at September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2020 were as follows:
| September 30, 2020 | September 30, 2019 | |||||||
| Inventories | $ | 56,831 | $ | - | ||||
F-9
| 6. | Deferred Financing asset |
Pursuant to the closing of the transaction for the World of Beer restaurants (See Note One above), the Company issued to Southridge Financial management Financial services a noted for $1,255,472. The Company has determined this to be a cost of the transaction and will amortize the note into expense over the ensuing year. Balances at September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019 were as follows:
| September 30, 2020 | September 30, 2019 | |||||||
| Deferred Financing asset | $ | 1,255,472 | $ | -0- | ||||
| 7. | Fixed assets-net |
Property and equipment relate to the fixtures at our World of Beer taverns. They are reported net of accumulated depreciation and included tenant equipment, bar equipment and improvements. Assets are depreciated over usable lives estimated to be between five and twenty years. Balances at September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019 were as follows:
| September 30, 2020 | September 30, 2019 | |||||||
| Fixed Assets-Net | $ | 931,032 | $ | -0- | ||||
| 8. | Accounts payable |
Accounts payable represent ordinary trade payables at the taverns such as accrued salaries and cost of goods. As of September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, the balances were as follows
| September 30, 2020 | September 30, 2019 | |||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 153,608 | $ | 16,270 | ||||
| 9. | Accrued Expenses |
Accrued expenses represent rents on the operating taverns and accrued interest on the Company’s outstanding indebtedness. As of September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, the balances were as follows
| September 30, 2020 | September 30, 2019 | |||||||
| Accrued rent | $ | 119,587 | $ | - | ||||
| Accrued interest | 2,170 | - | ||||||
| Accrued expenses | $ | 121,757 | $ | - | ||||
| 10. | Convertible notes payable |
Convertible notes payable balances were as follows:
| September 30, 2020 | September 30, 2019 | |||||||
| Convertible notes payable | $ | 70,340 | $ | -0- | ||||
Convertible notes payable at September 30, 2020 were as follows:
| Discount | Note | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | Maturity | remaining at | balance at | Interest | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Issued | Date | Issuer | Amount | Discount | 30-Sep-20 | 30-Sep-20 | Rate | |||||||||||||||||
| 20-Sep-20 | 20-Mar-21 | Trillium Partners LP (1) | $ | 7,000 | $ | 7,000 | $ | 6,613 | $ | 387 | 10 | % | ||||||||||||
| 24-Sep-20 | 24-Sep-21 | Alpha Capital Anstalt (2) | 1,929,900 | 1,929,900 | 1,898,175.62 | 31,724 | 3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| 24-Sep-20 | 24-Sep-21 | Tarpon Bay Partners, LLC (2) | 972,000 | 972,000 | 956,021.92 | 15,978 | 3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| 24-Sep-20 | 24-Sep-21 | EMA Financial, LLC (2) | 98,100 | 98,100 | 96,487.40 | 1,613 | 3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| 24-Sep-20 | 24-Sep-21 | Southrige Financial Management Financial Services (2) | 1,255,472 | 1,255,472 | 1,234,834.10 | 20,638 | 3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| $ | 4,262,472 | $ | 4,262,472 | $ | 4,192,132 | $ | 70,340 | |||||||||||||||||
| (1) | - Note is convertible at a 50% of the low bid price for the thirty days prior to conversion |
| (2) | - Note is convertible at a 25% of the low bid price for the twenty days prior to conversion |
F-10
| 11. | Paycheck Protection program note payable |
Balances in the Paycheck Protection program note payable were as follows:
| September 30, 2020 | September 30, 2019 | |||||||
| Paycheck protection program note payable | $ | 351,064 | $ | -0- | ||||
The Paycheck protection program (“PPP”) was launched in April 2020 to help businesses struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP provided for 2.5 months of payroll costs for most borrowers. The Company took advantage of such dispensation and borrowed approximately $351,000. If the money is spent on payroll, payroll taxes, rent or group health insurance, the funds do not have to be repaid. The Company believes it has complied with the rules of PPP and intends to file for loan forgiveness. The Company does not believe they will ultimately be required to repay the funds or any interest. No interest has been accrued on the debt.
| 12. | Derivative liability |
The convertible notes discussed in Note 10 above have a conversion price that can be adjusted based on the Company’s stock price which results in the conversion feature being recorded as a derivative liability.
The fair value of the derivative liability is recorded and shown separately under current liabilities. Changes in the fair value of the derivative liability are recorded in the statement of operations under other income (expense).
The Company uses a weighted average Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model with the following assumptions to measure the fair value of derivative liability at September 30, 2020. There was no convertible debt outstanding at September 30, 2019.
As of September 30, 2020, the following were inputs into the derivative liability calculation:
| Stock price | $ | 2.50 | ||
| Risk free rate | .25 | % | ||
| Volatility | 82 | % | ||
| Dividend rate | 0.00 | % |
The following is the Company’s derivative liability measured at fair value on a recurring basis at September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019:
| September 30, 2020 | September 30 2019 | |||||||
| Level One | $ | -0- | $ | -0- | ||||
| Level Two | $ | -0- | $ | -0- | ||||
| Level Three | $ | 4,876,713 | $ | -0- | ||||
| 13. | Stockholders’ Deficit |
Common Stock
The Company is currently authorized to issue 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share.
In the period ended September 30,2020 the Company issued 55,000 shares of common stock to its management as compensation, valued at $110,000 or $2.00 per share.
As of September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, the Company has 19,187,299 and 19,132,299 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, respectively.
Preferred Stock
The Company is currently authorized to issue 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock.
Series A Preferred Stock
The Company authorized 3,000,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred stock and issued 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock during the year ended September 30, 2019.
In June 2019, the Company converted 267,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred stock to 2,670,000 shares of common stock at the request of the shareholders. There have been no preferred stock transactions during the period ended September 30, 2020.
Upon the Company’s strategic shift, the remaining 733,000 shares of Series A Preferred stock owned by predecessor management were cancelled.
F-11
Series B Preferred Stock
On August 5, 2020, the Company authorized 22,000 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.10, stated value $100, 3% annual dividends on stated value, payable upon anniversary date or conversion date. These shares shall rank senior to all common stock issuances and below Series A Convertible Preferred Shares. The shares shall be convertible at a substantial discount to market. No shares have been issued as of the date of this filing.
On August 7, 2020, with the approval of the majority of our shareholders and our board of directors the Company designated 22,000 shares of preferred stock as Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series B Preferred”). The Series B Preferred stock is convertible at the lower of (i) the 25% lowest closing bid price for the 20 trading days prior to the conversion or (ii) the fixed price, which is set at $1.00 both of which are subject to adjustment as provided in the Series B Preferred certificate of designation. The stated value of the shares is $100 per share. The Series B Preferred shares have no voting rights and there is a limit on beneficial ownership of 9.99%.
On September 28, 2020, the Company entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (“Purchase Agreement”) by and between the Company and certain stockholders The Company issued 22,000 shares of its Series B Preferred Stock, promissory notes, option agreement, conveyance agreement and a convertible note as consideration for the purchase and acquisition of the assets held by those certain stockholders. The Company has agreed to accept as per the Purchase Agreement, the West Hartford World of Beer, and Cambridge Craft restaurants as well as their assets and liabilities from Attitude Beer Holding, Inc (“Restaurants”). See Item 3B. Issuance history for the list of the recipients of the Series B Preferred stock.
| 14. | Management Changes |
On September 28, 2020, as part of the Purchase Agreement the Company entered into an Option Agreement (“Option Agreement”) by and between the Company and Digi Assets, Inc., a company managed and controlled by Harrysen Mittler and Peter Pizzino, to purchase some or all of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets, in exchange for the retirement and cancellation of 733,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock owned by Harrysen Mittler and Peter Pizzino in the Company, through an Agreement of Conveyance (“Conveyance Agreement”). The Conveyance Agreement permits Digi Assets, Inc. the option to transfer the Company’s rights to 5,000,000 shares in Hypersoft Ventures, Inc., the 15% royalty fee derived from the potential future revenues of BOAPIN.com, $70,000 in accrued compensation to be paid by the Company to the prior management, and the liabilities, accrued interest, and Notes Payable, in the amounts of $33,815, $42,000 and $8,294 of the Company, in exchange for the cancellation of the 733,000 Series A Preferred Stock as per the Conveyance Agreement.
Effective with the change in business model, Isaac Onn became Chief Executive Officer and Michael Finkelstein became Chief Operating Officer.
| 15. | Net income (loss) per share |
Income (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares of stock outstanding during the period. Diluted income (loss) per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common stock that would then share in the income of the Company, subject to anti-dilution limitations. Basic and diluted (loss) per share were the same for the periods ended September 30, 2020 and 2019.
For the twelve months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, the Company posted a net loss per share of ($.06) and losses of ($1.70), respectively.
| 16. | Income taxes |
Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effect of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. Significant components of the net deferred taxes, as of September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019 are as follows:
| September 30, 2020 | September 30, 2019 | |||||||
| Deferred tax assets | ||||||||
| Net operating loss carryforward | $ | 5,707,895 | $ 1,319,649 | |||||
| Less valuation allowance | (5,707,895 | ) | (1,319,649 | ) | ||||
| Total net deferred tax assets | $ | - | $ | - | ||||
F-12
The federal statutory tax rate reconciled to the effective tax rate during fiscal 2020 and 2019, respectively, is as follows:
| 2020 | 2019 | |||||||
| Tax at U.S. Statutory Rate | 21.0 | % | 21.0 | % | ||||
| Estimated state income tax rate | 5.0 | % | 5.0 | % | ||||
| Less valuation allowance | (26.0 | ) | (26.0 | ) | ||||
| 0.0 | % | 0.0 | % | |||||
Utilization of the Company’s net operating losses may be subject to substantial limitations if the Company experiences a 50% change in ownership, as provided by the Internal Revenue Service Code and similar state provisions.
| 17. | COVID-19 |
The Company, like all enterprises, is currently dealing with the impact of COVID-19 on its operations and future prospects. To date, the restaurant industry has been substantially impacted by social distancing guidelines. Recent events such as the approval of vaccines to treat COVID-19 do not guarantee a return to pre-pandemic levels of dining.
| 18. | Subsequent events |
Management has determined that there are no further events subsequent to the balance sheet date that should be disclosed in these financial statements.
F-13
PART III—EXHIBITS
Index to Exhibits
| * | Filed Herewith |
III-1
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Regulation A, the issuer certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 1-A and has duly caused this Offering Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Wakefield, MA on January 25, 2021.
| (Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter): | Pacific Software, Inc. |
This Offering Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| By: | /s/ Izak On |
| Title: Izak On, Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) | |
| (Date): | January 25, 2021 |
/s/ Izak On | |
| Title: Izak On, Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer) | |
| (Date): | January 25, 2021 |
SIGNATURES OF DIRECTORS:
|
||
/s/ Izak On |
January 25, 2021 | |
| Date |
/s/ Michael Finkelstein |
January 25, 2021 | |
| Date |
III-2
Exhibit 2.1

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Exhibit 2.2
PACIFIC SOFTWARE, INC.
BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS
| 1. | Stockholders meetings shall be held in the office of the Corporation, at Carson City, NV, or at such other place or places as the directors shall from time to time determine. |
| 2. | The annual meeting of the Stockholders of this Corporation shall be held at 11 a.m., on the 10th day of October of each year beginning in 2006, at which time there shall be elected by the Stockholders of the Corporation a Board of Directors for the ensuing year, and the Stockholders shall transact such other business as shall properly come before them. |
| 3. | A notice setting out the time and place of such annual meeting shall be mailed postage prepaid to each of the Stockholders of record, at his address and as the same appears on the stock book of the company, or if no such address appears, at his last known place of business, at least ten (10) days prior to the annual meeting. |
| 4. | If a quorum is not present at the annual meeting, the Stockholders present, in person or by proxy, may adjourn to such future time as shall be agreed upon by them, and notice of such adjournment shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to each Stockholder of record at least ten (10) days before such date to which the meeting was adjourned; but if a quorum is present, they may adjourn from day to day as they see fit, and no notice of such adjournment need be given. |
| 5. | Special meetings of the Stockholders may be called at any time by the President; by all of the Directors provided there are not more than three, or if more than three, by any three Directors; or by the holder of a majority share of the capital stock of the Corporation. The Secretary shall send a notice of such called meeting to each Stockholder of record at least ten (10) days before such meeting, and such notice shall state the time and place of the meeting, and the object thereof. No business shall be transacted at a special meeting except as stated in the notice to the Stockholders, unless by unanimous consent of all the Stockholders present, either in person or by proxy, all such stock being represented at the meeting. A majority of the stock issued and outstanding, either in person or by proxy, all such stock being represented at the meeting. |
| 6. | A majority of the stock issued and outstanding, either in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Stockholders. |
| 7. | Each Stockholder shall be entitled to one vote for each share of stock in his own name on the books of the company, whether represented in person or by proxy. |
| 8. | All proxies shall be in writing and signed. |
| 9. | The following order of business shall be observed at all meetings of the Stockholders as far as is practical; |
| a. | Call the roll; |
| b. | Reading, correcting, and approving of the minutes of the previous meeting; |
| c. | Reports of Officers. |
| d. | Reports of Committees; |
| e. | Election of Directors; |
| f. | Unfinished business; and |
| g. | New business |
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ARTICLE II STOCK
| 1. | Certificates of stock shall be in a form adopted by the Board of Directors and shall be signed by the President and Secretary of the Corporation. |
| 2. | All certificates shall be consecutively numbered; the name of the person owning the shares represented thereby, with the number of shares and the date of issue shall be entered on the company’s books. |
| 3. | All certificates of stock transferred by endorsement thereon shall be surrendered by cancellation and new certificates issued to the purchaser or assignee. |
ARTICLE III DIRECTORS
| 1. | A Board of Directors, consisting of at least one (1) person shall be chosen annually by the Stockholders at their meeting to manage the affairs of the company. The Directors’ term of office shall be one year, and Directors may be re-elected for successive annual terms. |
| 2. | Vacancies on the Board of Directors by reason of death, resignation or other causes shall be filled by the remaining Director or choosing a Director of Directors to fill the unexpired term. |
| 3. | Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at 1 p.m. on the 10th day of October of each year beginning in 2006 at the office of the company at Carson City, NV, or at such other time or place as the Board of Directors shall by resolution appoint; special meetings may be called by the President or any Director giving ten (10) days notice to each Director. Special meetings may also be called by execution of the appropriate waiver of notice and call when executed by a majority of the Directors of the company. A majority of the Directors shall constitute a quorum. |
| 4. | The Directors have the general management and control of the business and affairs of the company sand shall exercise all the powers that may be exercised or performed by the Corporation, under the statutes, the Articles of Incorporation, and the By-Laws. Such management will be by equal vote of each member of the Board of Directors with each board member having an equal vote. |
| 5. | A resolution, in writing, signed by all or a majority of the members of the Board of Directors, shall constitute action by the Board of Directors o effect therein expressed, with the same force and effect as though such a resolution has been passed at a duly convened meeting; and it shall be the duty of the Secretary to record every such resolution in the Minute Book of the Corporation under its proper date. |
ARTICLE IV OFFICERS
| 1. | The officers of this company shall consist of: a President, one or more Vice President(s), Secretary, Treasurer, Resident Agent, and such other officers as shall, from time to time, be elected or appointed by the Board of Directors. |
| 2. | The PRESIDENT shall preside at all meetings of the Directors and the Stockholders and shall have general charge and control over the affairs of the Corporation subject to the Board of Directors. He shall sign or countersign all certificates, contracts and other instruments of the Corporation as authorized by the Board of Directors and shall perform all such other duties as are incident to his office or are required by him by the Board of Directors. |
| 3. | The VICE PRESIDENT shall exercise the functions of the President during the absence or disability of the President and shall have such powers and such duties as may be assigned to him from time to time by the Board of Directors. |
| 4. | The SECRETARY shall issue notices for all meetings as required by the By-Laws, shall keep a record of the minutes of the proceedings of the meetings of the Stockholders and Directors, shall have charge of the corporate books, and shall make such reports and perform such other duties as are incident to his office, or properly required of him by the Board of Directors. He shall be responsible that the corporation complies with Section 78.105 of the Nevada Corporation laws and supplies to the Nevada Resident Agent or Registered Office in Nevada, and maintain, any and all amendments or changes to the By-Laws of the Corporation. In compliance with Section 78.105, he will also supply to the Nevada Resident Agent or registered Office in Nevada, and maintain, a current statement setting out the name of the custodian of the stock ledger or duplicate stock ledger, and the present and complete Post Office address, including street and number, if any, where such stock ledger or duplicate stock ledger specified in the section is kept. |
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| 5. | The TREASURER shall have the custody of all monies and securities of the Corporation and shall keep regular books of account. He shall disburse the funds of the Corporation in payment of the just demands against the Corporation, or as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, making proper vouchers for such disbursements and shall render to the Board of Directors, from time to time, as may be required of him, an account of all his transactions as Treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation. He shall perform all duties incident to his office of which are properly required of him by the Board of Directors. |
| 6. | The RESIDENT AGENT shall be in charge of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Nevada, upon whom process against the Corporation may be served and shall perform all duties required of him by statute. |
| 7. | The salaries of all offices shall be fixed by the Board of Directors and may be changed from time to time by a majority vote of the board. |
| 8. | Each such officer shall serve for a term of one (1) year or until their successors are chosen and qualified. Officers may be re-elected or appointed for successive annual terms. |
| 9. | The Board of Directors may appoint such other officers and agents, as it shall deem necessary or expedient, who shall hold their offices for such terms and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as shall be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors. |
ARTICLE V INDEMNIFICATION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
| 1. | The Corporation shall indemnify any and all of its Directors and Officers, and its former Directors and Officers, or any person who may have served at the Corporations request as a Director or Officer of another Corporation in which it owns shares of capital stock or of which it is a creditor, against expenses actually and necessarily incurred by them in connection with the defense of any action, suit or proceeding in which they, or any of them, are made parties, or a party, by reason of being or having been Director(s) or Officer(s) of the Corporation, or of such other Corporation, except, in relation to matters as to which any such director or officer or former Director or Officer or person shall be adjudged in such action, suit or proceeding to be liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of duty. Such indemnification shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those indemnified may be entitled, under By-Law, agreement, vote of Stockholders or otherwise. |
ARTICLE VI AMENDMENTS
| 1. | Any of these By-Laws may be amended by a majority vote of the Stockholders at any meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose. |
| 2. | The Board of Directors may amend the By-Laws or adopt additional By-Laws, but shall not alter or repeal any By-Law adopted by the Stockholders of the company. |
| CERTIFIED TO BE THE BY-LAWS OF: | ||
| PACIFIC SOFTWARE, INC. | ||
| BY: | /s/ Rinus Jellema | |
| Secretary | ||
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Exhibit 3.1

Exhibit 3.2
PACIFIC SOFTWARE, INC.
SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT
________________________________________________
THIS INVESTMENT INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK. THIS INVESTMENT IS SUITABLE ONLY FOR PERSONS WHO CAN BEAR THE ECONOMIC RISK FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD OF TIME AND WHO CAN AFFORD TO LOSE THEIR ENTIRE INVESTMENT. FURTHERMORE, INVESTORS MUST UNDERSTAND THAT SUCH INVESTMENT IS ILLIQUID AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO BE ILLIQUID FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD OF TIME. NO PUBLIC MARKET EXISTS FOR THE SECURITIES, AND NO PUBLIC MARKET IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP FOLLOWING THIS OFFERING.
THE SECURITIES OFFERED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “ACT”), OR ANY STATE SECURITIES OR BLUE SKY LAWS AND ARE BEING OFFERED AND SOLD IN RELIANCE ON EXEMPTIONS FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE ACT AND STATE SECURITIES OR BLUE SKY LAWS. ALTHOUGH AN OFFERING STATEMENT HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (THE “SEC”), THAT OFFERING STATEMENT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE SAME INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN A REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE ACT. THE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SEC, ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR OTHER REGULATORY AUTHORITY, NOR HAVE ANY OF THE FOREGOING AUTHORITIES PASSED UPON THE MERITS OF THIS OFFERING OR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS OR INFORMATION MADE AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBER IN CONNECTION WITH THIS OFFERING THROUGH THE WEBSITE MAINTAINED BY THE COMPANY. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS UNLAWFUL.
PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS MAY NOT TREAT THE CONTENTS OF THE SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT, THE OFFERING CIRCULAR OR ANY OF THE OTHER MATERIALS RELATING TO THE OFFERING AND PRESENTED TO INVESTORS ON THE COMPANY’S WEBSITE OR PROVIDED BY THE BROKER (COLLECTIVELY, THE “OFFERING MATERIALS”) OR ANY PRIOR OR SUBSEQUENT COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE COMPANY OR ANY OF ITS OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS (INCLUDING “TESTING THE WATERS” MATERIALS) AS INVESTMENT, LEGAL OR TAX ADVICE. IN MAKING AN INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS MUST RELY ON THEIR OWN EXAMINATION OF THE COMPANY AND THE TERMS OF THIS OFFERING, INCLUDING THE MERITS AND THE RISKS INVOLVED. EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR SHOULD CONSULT THE INVESTOR’S OWN COUNSEL, ACCOUNTANT AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL ADVISOR AS TO INVESTMENT, LEGAL, TAX AND OTHER RELATED MATTERS CONCERNING THE INVESTOR’S PROPOSED INVESTMENT.
THE OFFERING MATERIALS MAY CONTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION RELATING TO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE COMPANY, ITS BUSINESS PLAN AND STRATEGY, AND ITS INDUSTRY. THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON THE BELIEFS OF, ASSUMPTIONS MADE BY, AND INFORMATION CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO THE COMPANY’S MANAGEMENT. WHEN USED IN THE OFFERING MATERIALS, THE WORDS “ESTIMATE,” “PROJECT,” “BELIEVE,” “ANTICIPATE,” “INTEND,” “EXPECT” AND SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS ARE INTENDED TO IDENTIFY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, WHICH CONSTITUTE FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS. THESE STATEMENTS REFLECT MANAGEMENT’S CURRENT VIEWS WITH RESPECT TO FUTURE EVENTS AND ARE SUBJECT TO RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES THAT COULD CAUSE THE COMPANY’S ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE CONTAINED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. INVESTORS ARE CAUTIONED NOT TO PLACE UNDUE RELIANCE ON THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, WHICH SPEAK ONLY AS OF THE DATE ON WHICH THEY ARE MADE. THE COMPANY DOES NOT UNDERTAKE ANY OBLIGATION TO REVISE OR UPDATE THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS TO REFLECT EVENTS OR CIRCUMSTANCES AFTER SUCH DATE OR TO REFLECT THE OCCURRENCE OF UNANTICIPATED EVENTS.
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THE COMPANY MAY NOT BE OFFERING THE SECURITIES IN EVERY STATE. THE OFFERING MATERIALS DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OR SOLICITATION IN ANY STATE OR JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE SECURITIES ARE NOT BEING OFFERED.
THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THE OFFERING MATERIALS WAS PREPARED BY THE COMPANY SOLELY FOR THE USE BY PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS IN CONNECTION WITH THIS OFFERING. NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES ARE MADE AS TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN ANY OFFERING MATERIALS, AND NOTHING CONTAINED IN THE OFFERING MATERIALS IS OR SHOULD BE RELIED UPON AS A PROMISE OR REPRESENTATION AS TO THE FUTURE PERFORMANCE OF THE COMPANY.
THE COMPANY RESERVES THE RIGHT IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION AND FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER TO MODIFY, AMEND AND/OR WITHDRAW ALL OR A PORTION OF THE OFFERING AND/OR ACCEPT OR REJECT IN WHOLE OR IN PART ANY PROSPECTIVE INVESTMENT IN THE SECURITIES OR TO ALLOT TO ANY PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR LESS THAN THE AMOUNT OF SECURITIES SUCH INVESTOR DESIRES TO PURCHASE. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE INDICATED, THE OFFERING MATERIALS SPEAK AS OF THEIR DATE. NEITHER THE DELIVERY NOR THE PURCHASE OF THE SECURITIES SHALL, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, CREATE ANY IMPLICATION THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE COMPANY SINCE THAT DATE.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
| 1. | Subscription. |
| a. | The undersigned (“Subscriber”) hereby irrevocably subscribes for and agrees to purchase Common Stock (the “Securities”), of Pacific Software, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), at a purchase price of $2.00 per share of Common Stock (the “Per Security Price”), upon the terms and conditions set forth herein. The minimum purchase requirement per investor is 10,000 Offered Shares ($20,000); however, we can waive the minimum purchase requirement on a case-by-case basis in our sole discretion. |
| b. | Subscriber understands that the Securities are being offered pursuant to an offering circular (the “Offering Circular”) filed with the SEC as part of the Offering Statement. By executing this Subscription Agreement, Subscriber acknowledges that Subscriber has received this Subscription Agreement, copies of the Offering Circular and Offering Statement, including exhibits thereto, and any other information required by the Subscriber to make an investment decision. |
| c. | The Subscriber’s subscription may be accepted or rejected in whole or in part, at any time prior to a Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), by the Company at its sole discretion. In addition, the Company, at its sole discretion, may allocate to Subscriber only a portion of the number of Securities Subscriber has subscribed for. The Company will notify Subscriber whether this subscription is accepted (whether in whole or in part) or rejected. If Subscriber’s subscription is rejected, Subscriber’s payment (or portion thereof if partially rejected) will be returned to Subscriber without interest and all of Subscriber’s obligations hereunder shall terminate. |
| d. | The aggregate number of Securities sold shall not exceed 2,500,000 shares (the “Maximum Offering”). The Company may accept subscriptions until the termination date given in the Offering Circular, unless otherwise extended by the Company in its sole discretion in accordance with applicable SEC regulations for such other period required to sell the Maximum Offering (the “Termination Date”). The Company may elect at any time to close all or any portion of this offering, on various dates at or prior to the Termination Date (each a “Closing Date”). |
| e. | In the event of rejection of this subscription in its entirety, or in the event the sale of the Securities (or any portion thereof) is not consummated for any reason, this Subscription Agreement shall have no force or effect, except for Section 5 hereof, which shall remain in force and effect. |
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| 2. | Purchase Procedure. |
| a. | Payment. The purchase price for the Securities shall be paid simultaneously with the execution and delivery to the Company of the signature page of this Subscription Agreement. Subscriber shall deliver a signed copy of this Subscription Agreement (which may be executed and delivered electronically), along with payment for the aggregate purchase price of the Securities by Check, ACH electronic transfer or wire transfer to an account designated by the Company, or by any combination of such methods. |
| b. | No Escrow. The proceeds of this offering will not be placed into an escrow account. As there is no minimum offering, upon the approval of any subscription to this Offering Circular, the Company shall immediately deposit said proceeds into the bank account of the Company and may dispose of the proceeds in accordance with the Use of Proceeds. |
| 3. | Representations and Warranties of the Company. |
The Company represents and warrants to Subscriber that the following representations and warranties are true and complete in all material respects as of the date of each Closing Date, except as otherwise indicated. For purposes of this Agreement, an individual shall be deemed to have “knowledge” of a particular fact or other matter if such individual is actually aware of such fact. The Company will be deemed to have “knowledge” of a particular fact or other matter if one of the Company’s current officers has, or at any time had, actual knowledge of such fact or other matter.
| a. | Organization and Standing. The Company is a corporation duly formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Nevada. The Company has all requisite power and authority to own and operate its properties and assets, to execute and deliver this Subscription Agreement and any other agreements or instruments required hereunder. The Company is duly qualified and is authorized to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in all jurisdictions in which the nature of its activities and of its properties (both owned and leased) makes such qualification necessary, except for those jurisdictions in which failure to do so would not have a material adverse effect on the Company or its business. |
| b. | Issuance of the Securities. The issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities in accordance with this Subscription Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company. The Securities, when so issued, sold and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the provisions of this Subscription Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
| c. | Authority for Agreement. The execution and delivery by the Company of this Subscription Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (including the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities) are within the Company’s powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company. Upon full execution hereof, this Subscription Agreement shall constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by 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) with respect to provisions relating to indemnification and contribution, as limited by considerations of public policy and by federal or state securities laws. |
| d. | No filings . Assuming the accuracy of the Subscriber’s representations and warranties set forth in Section 4 hereof, no order, license, consent, authorization or approval of, or exemption by, or action by or in respect of, or notice to, or filing or registration with, any governmental body, agency or official is required by or with respect to the Company in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Subscription Agreement except (i) for such filings as may be required under Regulation A or under any applicable state securities laws, (ii) for such other filings and approvals as have been made or obtained, or (iii) where the failure to obtain any such order, license, consent, authorization, approval or exemption or give any such notice or make any filing or registration would not have a material adverse effect on the ability of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder. |
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| e. | Capitalization. The authorized and outstanding securities of the Company immediately prior to the initial investment in the Securities is as set forth in “Securities Being Offered” in the Offering Circular. Except as set forth in the Offering Circular, there are no outstanding options, warrants, rights (including conversion or preemptive rights and rights of first refusal), or agreements of any kind (oral or written) for the purchase or acquisition from the Company of any of its securities. |
| f. | Financial statements. Complete copies of the Company’s financial statements consisting of the balance sheets of the Company given in the Offering Circular and the related statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the two-year period then ended (the “Financial Statements”) have been made available to the Subscriber and appear in the Offering Circular. The Financial Statements are based on the books and records of the Company and fairly present in all material respects the financial condition of the Company as of the respective dates they were prepared and the results of the operations and cash flows of the Company for the periods indicated. |
| g. | Proceeds. The Company shall use the proceeds from the issuance and sale of the Securities as set forth in the “Use of Proceeds” section in the Offering Circular. |
| h. | Litigation. There is no pending action, suit, proceeding, arbitration, mediation, complaint, claim, charge or investigation before any court, arbitrator, mediator or governmental body, or to the Company’s knowledge, currently threatened in writing (a) against the Company or (b) against any consultant, officer, manager, director or key employee of the Company arising out of his or her consulting, employment or board relationship with the Company or that could otherwise materially impact the Company. |
| 4. | Representations and Warranties of Subscriber. By executing this Subscription Agreement, Subscriber (and, if Subscriber is purchasing the Securities subscribed for hereby in a fiduciary capacity, the person or persons for whom Subscriber is so purchasing) represents and warrants, which representations and warranties are true and complete in all material respects as of such Subscriber’s respective Closing Date(s): |
| a. | Requisite Power and Authority. Such Subscriber has all necessary power and authority under all applicable provisions of law to execute and deliver this Subscription Agreement and other agreements required hereunder and to carry out their provisions. All action on Subscriber’s part required for the lawful execution and delivery of this Subscription Agreement and other agreements required hereunder have been or will be effectively taken prior to the Closing Date. Upon their execution and delivery, this Subscription Agreement and other agreements required hereunder will be valid and binding obligations of Subscriber, enforceable in accordance with their terms, except (a) as limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights and (b) as limited by general principles of equity that restrict the availability of equitable remedies. |
| b. | Investment Representations. Subscriber understands that the Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Subscriber also understands that the Securities are being offered and sold pursuant to an exemption from registration contained in the Securities Act based in part upon Subscriber’s representations contained in this Subscription Agreement. |
| c. | Illiquidity and Continued Economic Risk. Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that there is a limited public market for the Securities and that there is no guarantee that a market for their resale will ever exist. Subscriber must bear the economic risk of this investment indefinitely and the Company has no obligation to list the Securities on any market or take any steps (including registration under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) with respect to facilitating trading or resale of the Securities. Subscriber acknowledges that Subscriber is able to bear the economic risk of losing Subscriber’s entire investment in the Securities. Subscriber also understands that an investment in the Company involves significant risks and has taken full cognizance of and understands all of the risk factors relating to the purchase of Securities. |
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| d. | Company Information. Subscriber understands that the Company is subject to all the risks that apply to early-stage companies, whether or not those risks are explicitly set out in the Offering Circular. Subscriber has had such opportunity as it deems necessary (which opportunity may have presented through online chat or commentary functions) to discuss the Company’s business, management and financial affairs with managers, officers and management of the Company and has had the opportunity to review the Company’s operations and facilities. Subscriber has also had the opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from the Company and its management regarding the terms and conditions of this investment. Subscriber acknowledges that except as set forth herein, no representations or warranties have been made to Subscriber, or to Subscriber’s advisors or representative, by the Company or others with respect to the business or prospects of the Company or its financial condition. |
| e. | Valuation. The Subscriber acknowledges that the price of the Securities was set by the Company on the basis of the Company’s internal valuation and no warranties are made as to value. The Subscriber further acknowledges that future offerings of Securities may be made at lower valuations, with the result that the Subscriber’s investment will bear a lower valuation. |
| f. | Domicile. Subscriber maintains Subscriber’s domicile (and is not a transient or temporary resident) at the address shown on the signature page. |
| g. | No Brokerage Fees. There are no claims for brokerage commission, finders’ fees or similar compensation in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Subscription Agreement or related documents based on any arrangement or agreement binding upon Subscriber. |
| h. | Issuer-Directed Offering; No Underwriter. Subscriber understands that the offering is being conducted by the Company directly (issuer-directed) and the Company has not engaged a selling agent such as an underwriter or placement agent. |
| i. | Foreign Investors. If Subscriber is not a United States person (as defined by Section 7701(a)(30) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended), Subscriber hereby represents that it has satisfied itself as to the full observance of the laws of its jurisdiction in connection with any invitation to subscribe for the Securities or any use of this Subscription Agreement, including (i) the legal requirements within its jurisdiction for the purchase of the Securities, (ii) any foreign exchange restrictions applicable to such purchase, (iii) any governmental or other consents that may need to be obtained, and (iv) the income tax and other tax consequences, if any, that may be relevant to the purchase, holding, redemption, sale, or transfer of the Securities. Subscriber’s subscription and payment for and continued beneficial ownership of the Securities will not violate any applicable securities or other laws of the Subscriber’s jurisdiction. |
| 5. | Survival of Representations. The representations, warranties and covenants made by the Subscriber herein shall survive the Termination Date of this Agreement. |
| 6. | Governing Law; Jurisdiction. This Subscription Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada. |
| 7. | Notices. Notice, requests, demands and other communications relating to this Subscription Agreement and the transactions contemplated herein shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if and when (a) delivered personally, on the date of such delivery; or (b) mailed by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, in the third day after the posting thereof; or (c) emailed, telecopied or cabled, on the date of such delivery to the address of the respective parties as follows: |
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| 8. | If to the Company, to: |
Pacific Software, Inc.
600 North Ave., #304
Wakefield, MA 01880
If to a Subscriber, to Subscriber’s address as shown on the signature page hereto
or to such other address as may be specified by written notice from time to time by the party entitled to receive such notice. Any notices, requests, demands or other communications by telecopy or cable shall be confirmed by letter given in accordance with (a) or (b) above.
| 9. | Miscellaneous. |
| a. | All pronouns and any variations thereof shall be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine, neuter, singular or plural, as the identity of the person or persons or entity or entities may require. |
| b. | This Subscription Agreement is not transferable or assignable by Subscriber. |
| c. | The representations, warranties and agreements contained herein shall be deemed to be made by and be binding upon Subscriber and its heirs, executors, administrators and successors and shall inure to the benefit of the Company and its successors and assigns. |
| d. | None of the provisions of this Subscription Agreement may be waived, changed or terminated orally or otherwise, except as specifically set forth herein or except by a writing signed by the Company and Subscriber. |
| e. | In the event any part of this Subscription Agreement is found to be void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions are intended to be separable and binding with the same effect as if the void or unenforceable part were never the subject of agreement. |
| f. | The invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of one or more of the provisions of this Subscription Agreement in any jurisdiction shall not affect the validity, legality or enforceability of the remainder of this Subscription Agreement in such jurisdiction or the validity, legality or enforceability of this Subscription Agreement, including any such provision, in any other jurisdiction, it being intended that all rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall be enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. |
| g. | This Subscription Agreement supersedes all prior discussions and agreements between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and contains the sole and entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. |
| h. | The terms and provisions of this Subscription Agreement are intended solely for the benefit of each party hereto and their respective successors and assigns, and it is not the intention of the parties to confer, and no provision hereof shall confer, third-party beneficiary rights upon any other person. |
| i. | The headings used in this Subscription Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and do not define or limit the provisions hereof. |
| j. | This Subscription Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. |
| k. | If any recapitalization or other transaction affecting the stock of the Company is effected, then any new, substituted or additional securities or other property which is distributed with respect to the Securities shall be immediately subject to this Subscription Agreement, to the same extent that the Securities, immediately prior thereto, shall have been covered by this Subscription Agreement. |
| l. | No failure or delay by any party in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Subscription Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. The rights and remedies herein provided shall be cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or remedies provided by law. |
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
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Pacific Software, Inc.
SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT SIGNATURE PAGE
The undersigned, desiring to purchase Common Stock of Pacific Software, Inc., by executing this signature page, hereby executes, adopts and agrees to all terms, conditions and representations of the Subscription Agreement.
| (a) The number of shares of Common Stock the undersigned hereby irrevocably subscribes for is: | ____________ (print number of Shares)
| |
(b) The aggregate purchase price (based on a purchase price of $2.00 per Share) for the Common Stock the undersigned hereby irrevocably subscribes for is:
|
$_____________ (print aggregate purchase price)
| |
| (c) The Securities being subscribed for will be owned by, and should be recorded on the Company’s books as held in the name of: | _____________________
|
| (print name of owner or joint owners) | ||
| If the Securities are to be purchased in joint names, both Subscribers must sign: | |
__________________________________ Signature
__________________________________ Name (Please Print)
_________________________________ Entity Name (if applicable)
__________________________________ Signatory title (if applicable)
__________________________________ Email address
__________________________________ Address __________________________________
__________________________________ Telephone Number
__________________________________ Social Security Number/EIN
__________________________________ Date |
___________________________________ Signature
___________________________________ Name (Please Print)
___________________________________ Email address
___________________________________ Address ___________________________________
___________________________________ Telephone Number
___________________________________ Social Security Number
___________________________________ Date |
* * * * *
This Subscription is accepted on _____________, 2020 |
Pacific Software, Inc.
By: ____________________________ Name: Izak On Title: CEO |
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Exhibit 6.1
STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of August 10, 2020, is entered into by and between the undersigned stockholders identified on Schedule A(each, a “Seller”; and, collectively, the “Sellers”) of Pacific Acquisition Assets, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and Pacific Software, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Buyer”).
WHEREAS, the Sellers own all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock, $[0.001] par per share, of the Company (the “Company Shares”); and
WHEREAS, the Sellers desire to sell to the Buyer, and the Buyer desires to purchase from the Sellers, all of the Company Shares, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter set forth and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Sale and Purchase. On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, at the Closing (as defined in Section 3), the Sellers shall sell, convey, assign, transfer, and deliver to the Buyer, and the Buyer shall purchase from the Sellers, all of the Company Shares, free and clear of all liens, pledges, interests, charges, options, encumbrances, and other restrictions (other than restrictions on transfer under applicable securities laws) (collectively, the “Encumbrances”), for the consideration specified in Section 2.
2. Consideration. As payment for the Company Shares, the Buyer shall issue to the Sellers (i) a note in the form annexed hereto as Exhibit A (each a “Note” and collectively the “Notes”),(ii) shares of the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred” and together with the Notes the “Buyer Consideration”), in the amounts set forth on Schedule A and (iii) Current Buyers management will receive $200,000 in Series B Preferred. The certificate of Designation for the Series B Preferred is annexed hereto as Exhibit B. At the Closing, the Buyer shall issue to each Seller such Seller’s proportionate share of the Buyer Consideration as set forth on Schedule A.
3. The Closing; Closing Deliverables. The closing of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (the “Closing”) shall take place simultaneously with the execution and delivery of this Agreement on the date of this Agreement (the “Closing Date”), shall be conducted electronically via email, and shall be deemed to be effective at 12:01 a.m. (Pacific time) on the Closing Date. At the Closing:
(a) the Sellers shall deliver to the Buyer a confirmation from the Company that the Company Shares have been registered in the name of the Buyer; and
(b) the Buyer shall deliver to each Seller a Note and stock certificate representing the Buyer Consideration issuable to such Seller pursuant to Section 2. The directors and executive officers of the Buyer shall deliver to the Buyer the $200,000 in Series B Preferred, their respective resignations from such positions, effective as of the Closing Date, and a unanimous written consent of the directors, effective contemporaneously with the effectiveness of their resignation as directors, that appoints the following individuals as directors of the Buyer: Isaac Onn, and Michael Finkelstein; and the following individuals as the Buyer’s executive officers: Isaac Onn, as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and Michael Finkelstein, as Secretary.
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4. Representations and Warranties of the Sellers. Each Seller, for itself only, hereby represents and warrants to the Buyer, as of the Closing Date, as follows:
(a) Authority of the Seller. Such Seller has full power, authority, and legal capacity to enter into this Agreement and the other and documents required to be delivered in connection with this Agreement or at the Closing (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”) to which such Seller is a party, to carry out such Seller’s obligations hereunder and thereunder, and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The execution and delivery by such Seller of this Agreement and any other Transaction Document to which such Seller is a party, the performance by such Seller of such Seller’s obligations hereunder and thereunder, and the consummation by such Seller of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all requisite action on the part of such Seller. This Agreement and each Transaction Document to which such Seller is a party constitute legal, valid, and binding obligations of such Seller enforceable against such Seller in accordance with their respective terms.
(b) Capitalization. The authorized shares of the Company consist of 100,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value, of which 100,000 shares are issued and outstanding and constitute the Company Shares. All of the Company Shares have been duly authorized, are validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable, and are owned of record and beneficially by the Sellers in the numbers set forth on Schedule 4(c), free and clear of all Encumbrances. Upon the transfer, assignment, and delivery of the Company Shares for the Buyer Consideration in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Buyer shall own all of the Company Shares, free and clear of all Encumbrances. All of the Company Shares were issued in compliance with applicable Laws (as defined in Section 4(e)). None of the Company Shares were issued in violation of any agreement or commitment to which such Seller or the Company is a party or is subject to or in violation of any preemptive or similar rights of any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, Governmental Authority (as defined in Section 4(e)), unincorporated organization, trust, association, or other entity (each, a “Person”). There are no outstanding or authorized options, warrants, convertible securities, stock appreciation, phantom stock, profit participation, or other rights, agreements, or commitments relating to capital stock of the Company or obligating the Company or such Seller to issue or sell any capital stock of, or any other interest in, the Company to which such Seller is a party. There are no voting trusts, shareholder agreements, proxies, or other agreements in effect with respect to the voting or transfer of any of the Company Shares to which such Seller is a party.
(c) No Conflicts or Consents. The execution, delivery, and performance by the Seller of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which such Seller is a party, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, do not and will not: (i) violate or conflict with any provision of the certificate of formation, bylaws, or other governing documents of such Seller or the Company; (ii) violate or conflict with any provision of any statute, law, ordinance, regulation, rule, code, treaty, or other requirement of any Governmental Authority (collectively, the “Laws”) or any order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, determination, penalty, or award entered by or with any Governmental Authority (a “Governmental Order”) applicable to such Seller or the Company; (iii) require the consent of, notice to, filing with, or other action by any Person or require any Permit (as defined in Section 4(n)), license, or Governmental Order; (iv) violate or conflict with, result in the acceleration of, or create in any party the right to accelerate, terminate, or modify any contract, lease, deed, mortgage, license, instrument, note, indenture, joint venture, or any other agreement, commitment, or legally binding arrangement, whether written or oral (collectively, “Contracts”), to which such Seller is a party, by which such Seller is bound, or to which any of their respective properties and assets is subject; or (v) result in the creation or imposition of any Encumbrance on any properties or assets of the such Seller. For purposes of this Agreement, “Governmental Authority” means any federal, state, local, or foreign government or political subdivision thereof, or any agency or instrumentality of such government or political subdivision, or any arbitrator, court, or tribunal of competent jurisdiction.
(d) Acknowledgment of Dilution. The Buyer understands and acknowledges the potentially dilutive effect to the Common Stock upon the issuance of the Buyer Consideration and Conversion Shares upon conversion of the Notes and Series B Preferred (“Underlying Shares”). The Buyer further acknowledges that its obligation to issue the Underlying Shares in accordance with this Agreement, the Note, and Certificate of Designation is absolute and unconditional regardless of the dilutive effect that such issuance may have on the ownership interests of other shareholders of the Buyer.
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(e) Issuance of the Securities. The Buyer Consideration is duly authorized and, when issued in accordance with this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all liens other than those created by the Sellers. The Buyer has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock at least three times the number of shares of common stock issuable as Underlying Shares for issuance of the Underlying Shares. The failure to comply with the terms of this section shall be a material breach of the agreement.
(f) As Is. The Buyer acknowledges that the Company Shares are being sold “as is” with no representations or warranties except as specifically set forth in this Agreement.
(g) No Brokers. No broker, finder, or investment banker is entitled to any brokerage, finder’s, or other fee or commission in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other Transaction Document based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of such Seller.
(h) Investment Representations.
(i) Such Seller is acquiring the Buyer Consideration for such Seller’s own account for the purpose of investment only, without any view toward sale or distribution.
(ii) Such Seller is an “accredited investor” within the meaning of Rule 501 of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
(iii) Such Seller has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters so as to be able to evaluate the risks and merits of such Seller’s investment in the Buyer and is able financially to bear the risks thereof.
(iv) Such Seller understands that (A) the Buyer Consideration have not been registered under the Securities Act or qualified under any state securities or blue sky laws by reason of their issuance in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and the qualification requirements of the various state securities or blue sky laws and, therefore, cannot be resold unless they are registered under the Securities Act and qualified under applicable state securities laws or unless exemptions from such registration and qualification requirements are available, (B) even if the Buyer Consideration are subsequently registered under the Securities Act and qualified under state securities or blue sky laws, or exemptions from such registration and qualification requirements are available, the amount or percentage of the Buyer Consideration that may be sold or transferred may be limited by applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations, and (C) no public agency has reviewed the accuracy or adequacy of any information furnished to the Sellers and their respective representatives in connection with the Sellers’ respective acquisitions of the Buyer Consideration. Seller agrees that all stock certificates representing the Buyer Consideration shall bear the following legend (or substantially equivalent language):
“THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF UNLESS REGISTERED UNDER THAT ACT OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION THEREUNDER IS AVAILABLE.”
(v) Seller acknowledges that such Seller has had access to such financial and other information relating to the Buyer required for such Seller to make an informed decision with respect to such Seller’s acquisition of the Buyer Consideration hereby and that such Seller has had an opportunity to discuss the Buyer’s business, management, and financial affairs with the Buyer’s management, and has had all of such Seller’s questions regarding the Buyer or the Buyer Consideration answered to such Seller’s satisfaction.
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(i) Full Disclosure. No representation or warranty by the such Seller in this Agreement and no statement contained in the Schedules to this Agreement or any certificate or other document furnished or to be furnished to the Buyer by such Seller pursuant to this Agreement contains, or will contain, any untrue statement of a material fact, or omits, or will omit, to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein, in light of the circumstances in which they are made, not misleading.
5. Representations, Warranties, and Closing Undertaking and Post-closing Covenant of the Buyer. The Buyer hereby represents and warrants to the Sellers, as of the Closing Date, and covenants to the Sellers, as follows:
(a) Organization and Authority of the Buyer. The Buyer is a corporation duly organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the Laws of the State of Nevada. The Buyer has full corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which the Buyer is a party, to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder, and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The execution and delivery by the Buyer of this Agreement and any other Transaction Document to which the Buyer is a party, the performance by the Buyer of its obligations hereunder and thereunder, and the consummation by the Buyer of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all requisite corporate action on the part of the Buyer. This Agreement and each Transaction Document to which the Buyer is a party constitute legal, valid, and binding obligations of the Buyer enforceable against the Buyer in accordance with their respective terms.
(b) Capitalization. The authorized shares of the Buyer consist of 100,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value, of which 19,187,299 shares are issued and outstanding and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value, of which 3,000,000 such shares have been designated as Series A Convertible Preferred Stock of which [733,000] shares are issued and outstanding, and [22,000 such shares have been designated as Series B Convertible Preferred Stock of which 0 shares are issued and outstanding, but all of which are being issued at the Closing as per the table following this section 5(b). All such issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Buyer have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable. Upon issuance pursuant to the terms hereof, the Buyer Consideration shall be validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable, and will not have been issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive or similar rights. There are no outstanding or authorized options, warrants, convertible securities, stock appreciation, phantom stock, profit participation, or other rights, agreements, or commitments relating to capital stock of the Buyer or obligating the Buyer to issue or sell any capital stock of, or any other interest in, the Buyer.
| Series B Shareholder | Series B Preferred | |||
| Harrysen Mittler | 1,000 | |||
| Peter Pizzino | 1,000 | |||
(c) No Conflicts; Consents. The execution, delivery, and performance by the Buyer of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, do not and will not: (i) violate or conflict with any provision of the certificate of formation, bylaws, or other governing documents of the Buyer; (ii) violate or conflict with any provision of any Law or Governmental Order applicable to the Buyer; or (iii) require the consent of, notice to, filing with, or other action by any Person or require any Permit, license, or Governmental Order.
No Brokers. No broker, finder, or investment banker is entitled to any brokerage, finder’s, or other fee or commission in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other Transaction Document based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of the Buyer.
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(d) Holdco. Digi Asset, Inc. (“DIGI”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company and DIGI is the legal and beneficial owner of the assets identified on Schedule B.
(e) Filing of Regulation A Offering Statement on Form 1-A or Registration Statement on Form S-1. The Buyer covenants that, within 60 days following the Closing Date, it shall use its best efforts to file a Regulation A Offering Statement on Form 1-A or a Registration Statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and, thereafter, use its best efforts to have such Statement deemed qualified or effective by the Commission. The gross proceeds of the primary offering of the Buyer’s common stock to be so qualified or registered shall be $10 million with a per-share price to be determined that shall be consistent with a discount from the valuation [of ] modeled at $31 million. Affiliates (Harrysen Mittler & Peter Pizzino) of the Buyer may participate in such public offering as Selling Shareholders up to the 30% maximum limitation (2,000,000 shares each for a total of 4,000,000 shares are per the currently considered 14,000,000 share offering) as further referenced in the proposed Reg A offering (or to the equivalent thereof if the Buyer shall file a Registration statement on Form S-1 in lieu of the Regulation A Offering Statement on Form 1-A).
6. Miscellaneous.
(a) Further Assurances. Following the Closing, each of the parties hereto shall, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to, execute and deliver such additional documents and instruments and take such further actions as may be reasonably required to carry out the provisions hereof and give effect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents.
(b) Survival of Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties made herein shall survive the Closing.
(c) Expenses. All costs and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be paid by the party incurring such costs and expenses.
(d) Notices. All notices, claims, demands, and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given: (i) when delivered by hand (with written confirmation of receipt); (ii) when received by the addressee if sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier (receipt requested); (iii) on the date sent by facsimile or email of a PDF document (with confirmation of transmission) if sent during normal business hours of the recipient, and on the next business day if sent after normal business hours of the recipient; or (iv) on the third day after the date mailed, by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, if sent to the respective parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 7(d)):
If to the Sellers:
[SELLERS’ REP]
[●]
Facsimile: [●]
Email: [●]
Attention: [●]
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with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
GRUSHKO & MITTMAN, P.C.
515 Rockaway Avenue
Valley Stream, New York 11581
Attention: Eliezer Drew
Facsimile: 212-697-3575
Email: eli@grushkomittman.com
If to the Buyer:
Pacific Software, Inc.
Attn: Harrysen Mittler
2 Bloor St. East, Suite 3500
Toronto ON M4W 1A8
Email: HarrysenMittler@Gmail.com
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Law Office of Andrew Coldicutt
1220 Rosecrans St. PMB 258
San Diego, CA 92106
Attn: Andrew Coldicutt, Esq.
Phone: 619.228.4970
E-mail: Andrew@ColdicuttLaw.com
(e) Interpretation; Headings. This Agreement shall be construed without regard to any presumption or rule requiring construction or interpretation against the party drafting an instrument or causing any instrument to be drafted. The headings in this Agreement are for reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement.
(f) Severability. If any term or provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any other term or provision of this Agreement.
(g) Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the other Transaction Documents constitute the sole and entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement with respect to the subject matter contained herein and therein, and supersede all prior and contemporaneous understandings and agreements, both written and oral, with respect to such subject matter. In the event of any inconsistency between the statements in the body of this Agreement and those in the other Transaction Documents and the Schedules hereto (other than an exception expressly set forth as such in the Schedules), the statements in the body of this Agreement will control.
(h) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Neither party may assign its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. No assignment shall relieve the assigning party of any of its obligations hereunder.
(i) Amendment and Modification; Waiver. This Agreement may only be amended, modified, or supplemented by an agreement in writing signed by each party hereto. No waiver by any party of any of the provisions hereof shall be effective unless explicitly set forth in writing and signed by the party so waiving. No failure to exercise, or delay in exercising, any right or remedy arising from this Agreement shall operate or be construed as a waiver thereof. No single or partial exercise of any right or remedy hereunder shall preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or remedy.
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(j) Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdiction). Any legal suit, action, proceeding, or dispute arising out of or related to this Agreement, the other Transaction Documents, or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the City of New York and Borough of Manhattan, and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action, proceeding, or dispute.
(k) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall be deemed to be one and the same agreement. A signed copy of this Agreement delivered by email or other means of electronic transmission shall be deemed to have the same legal effect as delivery of an original signed copy of this Agreement.
(Signatures Appear on the Next Page)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement on the date first set forth hereinabove.
| SELLERS: | ||
| EMA Financial, LLC | ||
| /s/ Felicia Preston | ||
| Name: | Felicia Preston | |
| Tarpon Bay Partners, LLC | ||
| Name: | /s/ Steve Hicks | |
| Name: Steve Hicks | ||
| Alpha Capital Anstalt | ||
| /s/ Konrad Ackermann | ||
| Name: | Konrad Ackermann | |
| BUYER: | ||
| PACIFIC SOFTWARE, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Harrysen Mittler | |
| Harrysen Mittler | ||
| Chief Executive Officer | ||
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Exhibit 6.2
NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THIS SECURITY IS CONVERTIBLE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO BORROWER. THIS SECURITY AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS SECURITY MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT WITH A REGISTERED BROKER-DEALER OR OTHER LOAN WITH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT IS AN “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” AS DEFINED IN RULE 501(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.
Original Issue Date: August 24, 2020
Principal Amount: $200,000
CONVERTIBLE NOTE
DUE AUGUST 24, 2021
THIS CONVERTIBLE NOTE is one of a series of duly authorized and validly issued notes of Pacific Software, Inc., a Nevada corporation, (the “Borrower”), having its principal place of business at 2 Bloor St. East, Suite 3500, Toronto, Canada, M4W 1A8, due August 24, 2021 (this note, the “Note” and, collectively with the other notes of such series, the “Notes”).
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, Borrower promises to pay to EMA Financial, LLC or its registered assigns (the “Holder”), maintaining an address at 888 Brickell Key Dr. Unit 1102 Miami, Florida 33131 or shall have paid pursuant to the terms hereunder, the principal sum of dollars ($200,000) with interest as set forth below, on August 24, 2021 (the “Maturity Date”) or such earlier date as this Note is required or permitted to be repaid as provided hereunder, and to pay interest, if any, to the Holder on the aggregate unconverted and then outstanding principal amount of this Note in accordance with the provisions hereof.
This Note is subject to the following additional provisions:
Section 1. Definitions. For the purposes hereof, in addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Note, (a) capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Purchase Agreement and (b) the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Alternate Consideration” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(e).
“Bankruptcy Event” means any of the following events: (a) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof commences a case or other proceeding under any bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment of debt, relief of debtors, dissolution, insolvency or liquidation or similar law of any jurisdiction relating to Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof, (b) there is commenced against Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof any such case or proceeding that is not dismissed within 60 days after commencement, (c) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof is adjudicated insolvent or bankrupt or any order of relief or other order approving any such case or proceeding is entered, (d) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof suffers any appointment of any custodian or the like for it or any substantial part of its property that is not discharged or stayed within 60 calendar days after such appointment, (e) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, (f) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof calls a meeting of its creditors with a view to arranging a composition, adjustment or restructuring of its debts or (g) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof, by any act or failure to act, expressly indicates its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any of the foregoing or takes any corporate or other action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing.
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“Base Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(b).
“Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(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 4(c)(v).
“Change of Control Transaction” means, other than by means of conversion or exercise of the Notes and the Securities issued together with the Notes, the occurrence after the date hereof of any of (a) an acquisition after the date hereof by an individual or legal entity or “group” (as described in Rule 13d-5(b)(1) promulgated under the Exchange Act) of effective control (whether through legal or beneficial ownership of capital stock of Borrower, by contract or otherwise) of in excess of 50% of the voting securities of Borrower, (b) Borrower merges into or consolidates with any other Person, or any Person merges into or consolidates with Borrower and, after giving effect to such transaction, the stockholders of Borrower immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of Borrower or the successor entity of such transaction, (c) Borrower sells or transfers all or substantially all of its assets to another Person and the stockholders of Borrower immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of the acquiring entity immediately after the transaction, (d) a replacement at one time or within a one year period of more than one-half of the members of the Board of Directors which is not approved by a majority of those individuals who are members of the Board of Directors on the Original Issue Date (or by those individuals who are serving as members of the Board of Directors on any date whose nomination to the Board of Directors was approved by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors who are members on the date hereof), or (e) the execution by Borrower of an agreement to which Borrower is a party or by which it is bound, providing for any of the events set forth in clauses (a) through (d) above.
“Closing Price” means on any particular date (a) the last reported closing bid price per share of Common Stock on such date on the Trading Market (as reported by Bloomberg L.P. at 4:15 p.m. (New York City time)), or (b) if there is no such price on such date, then the closing bid price on the Trading Market on the date nearest preceding such date (as reported by Bloomberg L.P. at 4:15 p.m. (New York City time)), or (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted on a Trading Market 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) if the shares of Common Stock are not then publicly traded the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holder and reasonably acceptable to Borrower, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by Borrower.
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“Conversion” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.
“Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).
“Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(b).
“Conversion Shares” means, collectively, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of this Note in accordance with the terms hereof.
“Event of Default” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(a).
“Fundamental Transaction” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(e).
“Interest Payment Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Lowest Closing Bid Price” means the lower of lowest closing bid price at which the Company’s Common Stock is traded on its Trading Market on the day prior to the Conversion Date.
“Mandatory Default Amount” means the greater of (i) the outstanding principal amount of this Note divided by the Conversion Price on the date the Mandatory Default Amount is either (A) demanded (if demand or notice is required to create an Event of Default) or otherwise due or (B) paid in full, whichever has a lower Conversion Price, (b) all other amounts, costs, expenses and liquidated damages due in respect of this Note.
“New York Courts” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9(d).
“Note Register” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(c).
“Notice of Conversion” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).
“Original Issue Date” means the date of the first issuance of the Notes, regardless of any transfers of any Note and regardless of the number of instruments which may be issued to evidence such Notes.
“Other Holders” means holders of Other Notes.
“Other Notes” means Notes nearly identical to this Note issued to Other Holders pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
“Purchase Agreement” means the Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of August 24, 2020 among Borrower and the Holders, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Share Delivery Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(c)(ii).
“Successor Entity” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(e).
“Threshold Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(b).
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“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, the OTC Bulletin Board, the OTCQB, or the OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Underlying Shares” means all of the Conversion Shares and all of the Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
“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 Board 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, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on the OTC Bulletin Board and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the OTCQX, OTCQB or OTC Pink Marketplace maintained by the OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock on the first such facility (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), 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 Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to Borrower, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by Borrower.
Section 2. Interest.
a) Interest in Cash. Holders shall be entitled to receive, and Borrower shall pay, cumulative interest on the outstanding principal amount of this Note compounded annually at the annual rate of three (3%) percent (all subject to increase as set forth in this Note), payable on the Maturity Date and on each Conversion Date, (with respect only to Note principal being converted) (each such date, an “Interest Payment Date”) (if any Interest Payment Date is not a Trading Day, the applicable payment shall be due on the next succeeding Trading Day) in cash only.
b) Payment Grace Period. The Borrower shall not have any grace period to pay any monetary amounts due under this Note except as specifically set forth herein.
c) Conversion Privileges. The Conversion Rights set forth in Section 4 shall remain in full force and effect immediately from the date hereof and until the Note is paid in full regardless of the occurrence of an Event of Default. This Note shall be payable in full on the Maturity Date, unless previously converted into Common Stock in accordance with Section 4 hereof.
d) Application of Payments. Interest on this Note shall be calculated on the basis of a 360-day year and the actual number of days elapsed. Payments made in connection with this Note shall be applied first to amounts due hereunder other than principal and interest, thereafter to interest and finally to principal.
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e) Pari Passu. Except as otherwise set forth herein, all payments made on this Note and the Other Notes and all actions taken by the Borrower with respect to this Note and the Other Notes, shall be made and taken pari passu with respect to this Note and the Other Notes.
f) Manner and Place of Payment. Principal and interest on this Note and other payments in connection with this Note shall be payable at the Holder’s offices as designated above in lawful money of the United States of America in immediately available funds without set-off, deduction or counterclaim. Upon assignment of the interest of Holder in this Note, Borrower shall instead make its payment pursuant to the assignee’s instructions upon receipt of written notice thereof. Except as set forth herein, this Note may not be prepaid or mandatorily converted without the consent of the Holder.
Section 3. Registration of Transfers and Exchanges.
a) Different Denominations. This Note is exchangeable for an equal aggregate principal amount of Notes of different authorized denominations, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same. No service charge will be payable for such registration of transfer or exchange.
b) Investment Representations. This Note has been issued subject to certain investment representations of the original Holder set forth in the Purchase Agreement and may be transferred or exchanged only in compliance with the Purchase Agreement and applicable federal and state securities laws and regulations.
c) Reliance on Note Register. Prior to due presentment for transfer to Borrower of this Note, Borrower and any agent of Borrower may treat the Person in whose name this Note is duly registered on the Note Register as the owner hereof for the purpose of receiving payment as herein provided and for all other purposes, whether or not this Note is overdue, and neither Borrower nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
Section 4. Conversion.
a) Conversion. At any time after the Original Issue Date (the “Initial Conversion Date”), until this Note is no longer outstanding, this Note shall be convertible, in whole or in part, into shares of Common Stock at the option of the Holder, at any time and from time to time (subject to the conversion limitations set forth in Section 4(d) hereof). The Holder shall effect conversions by delivering to Borrower a Notice of Conversion, the form of which is attached hereto as Annex A (each, a “Notice of Conversion”), specifying therein the principal amount of this Note to be converted and the date on which such conversion shall be effected (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 is deemed delivered hereunder. To effect conversions hereunder, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Note to Borrower unless the entire principal amount of this Note has been so converted. Conversions hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding principal amount of this Note in an amount equal to the applicable conversion. The Holder and Borrower shall maintain records showing the principal amount(s) converted and the date of such conversion(s). Borrower may deliver an objection to any Notice of Conversion within one (1) Business Day of delivery of such Notice of Conversion. In the event of any dispute or discrepancy, the records of the Holder shall be controlling and determinative in the absence of manifest error. The Holder, and any assignee by acceptance of this Note, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following conversion of a portion of this Note, the unpaid and unconverted principal amount of this Note may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
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b) Conversion Price. The conversion price for the principal in connection with voluntary conversions by the Holder shall be 25% of Lowest Closing Bid Price for the 20 Trading Days prior to the Conversion Date (the “Conversion Price”).
c) Mechanics of Conversion.
i. Conversion Shares Issuable Upon Conversion of Principal Amount. The number of Conversion Shares issuable upon a conversion hereunder shall be determined by the quotient obtained by dividing the outstanding principal amount of this Note to be converted by (y) the Conversion Price.
ii. Delivery of Certificate Upon Conversion. Not later than two (2) Trading Days after each Conversion Date (the “Share Delivery Date”), and provided there is a sale of such Conversion Shares either pursuant to Rule 144 or an effective Registration Statement, as the case may be, Borrower shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Holder a certificate or certificates representing the Conversion Shares which, on or after the earlier of (i) the six month anniversary of the Original Issue Date or (ii) the Effective Date, shall be free of restrictive legends and trading restrictions (other than those which may then be required by the Purchase Agreement) representing the number of Conversion Shares being acquired upon the conversion of this Note. On or after the earlier of (i) the six month anniversary of the Original Issue Date or (ii) the Effective Date, provided there is a sale of such Conversion Shares either pursuant to Rule 144 or an effective Registration Statement, as the case may be, Borrower shall use its best efforts to deliver any certificate or certificates required to be delivered by Borrower under this Section 4(c) electronically through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions.
iii. Failure to Deliver Certificates. If, in the case of any Notice of Conversion, such certificate or certificates 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 Borrower at any time on or before its receipt of such certificate or certificates, to rescind such Conversion, in which event Borrower shall promptly return to the Holder any original Note delivered to Borrower and the Holder shall promptly return to Borrower the Common Stock certificates issued to such Holder pursuant to the rescinded Conversion Notice.
iv. Obligation Absolute; Partial Liquidated Damages. Borrower’s obligations to issue and deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion of this Note in accordance with the terms hereof are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by the 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 the Holder or any other Person of any obligation to Borrower or any violation or alleged violation of law by the Holder or any other Person, and irrespective of any other circumstance which might otherwise limit such obligation of Borrower to the Holder in connection with the issuance of such Conversion Shares; provided, however, that such delivery shall not operate as a waiver by Borrower of any such action Borrower may have against the Holder. In the event the Holder of this Note shall elect to convert any or all of the outstanding principal amount hereof, Borrower may not refuse conversion based on any claim that the Holder or anyone associated or affiliated with the Holder has been engaged in any violation of law, agreement or for any other reason, unless an injunction from a court, on notice to Holder, restraining and or enjoining conversion of all or part of this Note shall have been sought and obtained, and Borrower posts a surety bond for the benefit of the Holder in the amount of 150% of the outstanding principal amount of this Note, which is subject to the injunction, which bond shall remain in effect until the completion of arbitration/litigation of the underlying dispute and the proceeds of which shall be payable to the Holder to the extent it obtains judgment. In the absence of such injunction, Borrower shall issue Conversion Shares or, if applicable, cash, upon a properly noticed conversion. If Borrower fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder such certificate or certificates pursuant to Section 4(c)(ii) by the Share Delivery Date, Borrower shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of principal amount being converted, $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth (5th) Trading Day after such liquidated damages being to accrue) for each Trading Day after such Share Delivery Date until such certificates are delivered or Holder rescinds such conversion. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue actual damages or declare an Event of Default pursuant to Section 8 hereof for Borrower’s failure to deliver Conversion Shares within the period specified herein and the 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 the Holder from seeking to enforce damages pursuant to any other Section hereof or under applicable law.
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v. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Certificates Upon Conversion. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if Borrower fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder such certificate or certificates by the Share Delivery Date pursuant to Section 4(c)(ii), and if after such Share Delivery Date the Holder is required by its brokerage firm to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise), or the Holder or Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Conversion Shares which the Holder was entitled to receive upon the conversion relating to such Share Delivery Date (a “Buy-In”), then Borrower shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder (in addition to any other remedies available to or elected by the Holder) the amount, if any, by which (x) the 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 the 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 the Holder, either reissue (if surrendered) this Note in a principal amount equal to the principal amount of the attempted conversion (in which case such conversion shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if Borrower had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 4(c)(ii). 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 conversion of this Note 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, Borrower shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide Borrower written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of Borrower, 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 Borrower’s failure to timely deliver certificates representing shares of Common Stock upon conversion of this Note as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
vi. Reservation of Shares Issuable Upon Conversion. Borrower 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 this Note 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 Notes), not less than one hundred (100%) percent of the 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 5) upon the conversion of the then outstanding principal amount of this Note at the Conversion Price (as adjusted from time to time), assuming such principal amount was not converted through the Maturity Date. Borrower covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
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vii. Fractional Shares. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the conversion of this Note. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such conversion, Borrower 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.
viii. Transfer Taxes and Expenses. The issuance of certificates for shares of the Common Stock on conversion of this Note shall be made without charge to the Holder hereof for any documentary stamp or similar taxes that may be payable in respect of the issue or delivery of such certificates, provided that, Borrower 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 certificate upon conversion in a name other than that of the Holder of this Note so converted and Borrower shall not be required to issue or deliver such certificates unless or until the Person or Persons requesting the issuance thereof shall have paid to Borrower the amount of such tax or shall have established to the satisfaction of Borrower that such tax has been paid. Borrower shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Conversion.
(d) Holder’s Conversion Limitations. (a) Borrower shall not effect any conversion of this Note, and a Holder shall not have the right to convert any portion of this Note, to the extent that after giving effect to the conversion set forth on the applicable Notice of Conversion, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any 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 conversion of this Note 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 principal amount of this Note beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of Borrower subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein (including, without limitation, any other Notes or the Warrants) beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 4(d), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 4(d) applies, the determination of whether this Note is convertible (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates) and of which principal amount of this Note is convertible shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Conversion shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Note may be converted (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates) and which principal amount of this Note is convertible, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation. To ensure compliance with this restriction, the Holder will be deemed to represent to Borrower each time it delivers a Notice of Conversion that such Notice of Conversion has not violated the restrictions set forth in this paragraph and Borrower 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 4(d), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as stated in the most recent of the following: (i) Borrower’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (ii) a more recent public announcement by Borrower, or (iii) a more recent written notice by Borrower or Borrower’s transfer agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, Borrower 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 Borrower, including this Note, 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 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 this Note held by the Holder. The Holder may decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation at any time and the Holder, upon not less than 61 days’ prior notice to Borrower, may increase the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 4(d), 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 Note held by the Holder and the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 4(d) shall continue to apply. Any such increase will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to Borrower. The Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 4(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 this Note.
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Section 5. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If Borrower, at any time while this Note 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 Common Stock Equivalents (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by Borrower upon conversion of the Notes), (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 Borrower, 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 Borrower) 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 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) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 5(a) above, if at any time Borrower grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to all of 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 conversion of this Note (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).
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c) Intentionally omitted.
d) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Note is outstanding, if Borrower 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 Note, 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 Note (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).
e) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Note is outstanding, (i) Borrower, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of Borrower with or into another Person, (ii) Borrower, 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 Borrower 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) Borrower, 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) Borrower, 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 Note, 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 4(d) and Section 4(e) on the conversion of this Note), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of Borrower, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Note is convertible immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 4(d) and Section 4(e) on the conversion of this Note). 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 (1) share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and Borrower 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 Note following such Fundamental Transaction. Borrower shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which Borrower is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of Borrower under this Note and the other Transaction Documents (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) in accordance with the provisions of this Section 5(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 Note, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Note a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Note 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 Note (without regard to any limitations on the conversion of this Note) 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 Note 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 Note and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of Borrower and shall assume all of the obligations of Borrower under this Note and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as Borrower herein.
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f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 5 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 5, 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 Borrower) issued and outstanding.
g) Notice to the Holder.
i. Adjustment to Conversion Price. Whenever the Conversion Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 5, Borrower 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) Borrower shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) Borrower shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) Borrower 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) the approval of any stockholders of Borrower shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which Borrower is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of Borrower, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property or (E) Borrower shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of Borrower, then, in each case, Borrower shall cause to be filed at each office or agency maintained for the purpose of conversion of this Note, and shall cause to be delivered to the Holder at its last address as it shall appear upon the Note Register, 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 Borrower or any of the Subsidiaries, Borrower shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to convert this Note 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.
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Section 6. Prepayment. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Borrower may not prepay or redeem this Note in whole or in part without the prior written consent of the Holder, and to the extent the Borrower agrees with Other Holders to prepay or redeem Other Notes in whole or in part, the Borrower shall offer such prepayment or redemption of this Note on a pro rata basis on the same terms and conditions as agreed upon by the Holder and all Other Holders for such Other Notes.
Section 7. Negative Covenants. Prior to the Maturity Date (notwithstanding any limitations on issuance of Common Stock), and for so long as an amount in excess of 25% of this Note remains outstanding, unless the Lead Investor shall have otherwise given prior written consent, Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of the Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly:
a) other than its existing indebtedness, enter into, create, incur, assume, guarantee or suffer to exist any indebtedness for borrowed money of any kind, including, but not limited to, a guarantee, on or with respect to any of its property or assets now owned or hereafter acquired or any interest therein or any income or profits therefrom, except for accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business;
b) other than Existing Liens, enter into, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Liens of any kind, on or with respect to any of its property or assets now owned or hereafter acquired or any interest therein or any income or profits therefrom;
c) amend its charter documents, including, without limitation, its certificate of incorporation and bylaws, in any manner that materially and adversely affects any rights of the Holder;
d) repay, repurchase or offer to repay, repurchase or otherwise acquire more than a de minimis number of shares of its Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents other than as to the Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares as permitted or required under the Transaction Documents;
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e) redeem, defease, repurchase, repay or make any payments in respect of, by the payment of cash or cash equivalents (in whole or in part, whether by way of open market purchases, tender offers, private transactions or otherwise), all or any portion of any Indebtedness (other than the Notes if on a pro-rata basis), whether by way of payment in respect of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on, such Indebtedness, the foregoing restriction shall also apply to Permitted Indebtedness from and after the occurrence of an Event of Default;
f) 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;
g) issue any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents except as permitted pursuant to the Purchase Agreement;
h) enter into any transaction with any Affiliate of Borrower which would be required to be disclosed in any public filing with the Commission, unless such transaction is made on an arm’s-length basis and expressly approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of Borrower (even if less than a quorum otherwise required for board approval); or
i) enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing.
Section 8. Events of Default.
a) “Event of Default” means, wherever used herein, any of the following events (whatever the reason for such event and whether such event shall be voluntary or involuntary or effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court, or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):
i. any default in the payment of (A) the principal amount of any Note or (B) liquidated damages and other amounts owing to a Holder on any Note, as and when the same shall become due and payable (whether on a Conversion Date or the Maturity Date or by acceleration or otherwise) which default, solely in the case of a default under clause (B) above, is not cured within 2 Trading Days after Borrower has become or should have become aware of such default;
ii. Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any other covenant or agreement contained in the Notes (other than a breach by Borrower of its obligations to deliver shares of Common Stock to the Holder upon conversion, which breach is addressed in clause (x) below) which failure is not cured, if possible to cure, within the earlier to occur of (A) 5 Trading Days after notice of such failure sent by the Holder or by any Other Holder to Borrower and (B) 10 Trading Days after Borrower has become or should have become aware of such failure;
iii. a default or event of default (subject to any grace or cure period provided in the applicable agreement, document or instrument) shall occur under (A) any of the Transaction Documents, including but not limited to failure to strictly comply with the provisions of the Warrants, or (B) any other material agreement, lease, document or instrument to which Borrower is obligated (and not covered by clause (vi) below);
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iv. any material representation or warranty made in this Note, any other Transaction Documents, any written statement pursuant hereto or thereto or any other report, financial statement or certificate made or delivered to the Holder or any Other Holder in connection therewith shall be untrue or incorrect in any material respect as of the date when made or deemed made;
v. Borrower shall be subject to a Bankruptcy Event;
vi. Borrower or any Subsidiary shall default on any of its obligations under any mortgage, credit agreement or other facility, indenture agreement, factoring agreement or other instrument under which there may be issued, or by which there may be secured or evidenced, any indebtedness for borrowed money or money due under any long term leasing or factoring arrangement that (a) involves an obligation greater than $250,000, whether such indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created, and (b) results in such indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise become due and payable;
vii. Borrower does not meet the current public information requirements under Rule 144;
viii. Borrower shall fail for any reason to deliver certificates to a Holder prior to the fifth Trading Day after a Conversion Date pursuant to Section 4(c) or Borrower shall provide at any time notice to the Holder, including by way of public announcement, of Borrower’s intention to not honor requests for conversions of any Notes in accordance with the terms hereof;
ix. Borrower shall have, any monetary judgment, writ or similar final process shall be entered or filed against Borrower, any subsidiary or any of their respective property or other assets for more than $250,000, and such judgment, writ or similar final process shall remain unvacated, unbonded or unstayed for a period of 90 calendar days;
x. any dissolution, liquidation or winding up by Borrower of a material Subsidiary of a substantial portion of their business;
xi. cessation of operations by Borrower or a material Subsidiary;
xii. An event resulting in the Common Stock no longer being listed or quoted on a Trading Market;
xiii. a Commission or judicial stop trade order or suspension from its Principal Trading Market;
xiv. a failure by Borrower to notify Holder of any material event of which Borrower is obligated to notify Holder pursuant to the terms of this Note or any other Transaction Document;
xv. a default by the Borrower of a material term, covenant, warranty or undertaking of any other agreement to which the Borrower and Holder are parties, or the occurrence of an event of default under any such other agreement to which Borrower and Holder are parties which is not cured after any required notice and/or cure period;
xvi. the occurrence of an Event of Default under any Other Note;
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xvii. the restatement after the date hereof of any financial statements filed by the Borrower with the Commission for any date or period from two years prior to the Original Issue Date and until this Note is no longer outstanding, if the result of such restatement would, by comparison to the unrestated financial statements, have constituted a Material Adverse Effect. For the avoidance of doubt, any restatement related to new accounting pronouncements shall not constitute a default under this Section; or
xviii. any provision of any Transaction Document shall at any time for any reason (other than pursuant to the express terms thereof) cease to be valid and binding on or enforceable against the parties thereto, or the validity or enforceability thereof shall be contested by any party thereto, or a proceeding shall be commenced by Borrower or any Subsidiary or any governmental authority having jurisdiction seeking to establish the invalidity or unenforceability thereof, or Borrower or any Subsidiary shall deny in writing that it has any liability or obligation purported to be created under any Transaction Document.
b) Remedies Upon Event of Default, Fundamental Transaction and Change of Control Transaction. If any Event of Default or a Fundamental Transaction the outstanding principal amount of this Note, liquidated damages and other amounts owing in respect thereof through the date of acceleration, shall become, at the Holder’s election, immediately due and payable in cash at the Mandatory Default Amount. Commencing on the Maturity Date and also five (5) days after the occurrence of any Event of Default interest on this Note shall accrue at an interest rate equal to the lesser of 15% per annum or the maximum rate permitted under applicable law. Upon the payment in full of the Mandatory Default Amount, the Holder shall promptly surrender this Note to or as directed by Borrower. In connection with such acceleration described herein, the Holder need not provide, and Borrower hereby waives, any presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, and the Holder may immediately and without expiration of any grace period enforce any and all of its rights and remedies hereunder and all other remedies available to it under applicable law. Such acceleration may be rescinded and annulled by Holder at any time prior to payment hereunder and the Holder shall have all rights as a holder of the Note until such time, if any, as the Holder receives full payment pursuant to this Section 8(b). No such rescission or annulment shall affect any subsequent Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 9. Miscellaneous.
a) Notices. All notices, demands, requests, consents, approvals, and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and, unless otherwise specified herein, shall be (i) personally served, (ii) deposited in the mail, registered or certified, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, (iii) delivered by reputable air courier service with charges prepaid, or (iv) transmitted by hand delivery, telegram, or facsimile, addressed as set forth below or to such other address as such party shall have specified most recently by written notice. Any notice or other communication required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be deemed effective (a) upon hand delivery or delivery by facsimile, with accurate confirmation generated by the transmitting facsimile machine, at the address or number designated below (if delivered on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received), or the first business day following such delivery (if delivered other than on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received) or (b) on the second business day following the date of mailing by express courier service, fully prepaid, addressed to such address, or upon actual receipt of such mailing, whichever shall first occur. The addresses for such communications shall be: (i) if to Borrower, to: Pacific Software, Inc., 2 Bloor St., Suite 3500, Toronto Ont., M4W 1A8, Canada, Attn: Harrysen Mittler, CEO, email: HarrysenMittler@gmail.com, with a copy by email only to (which shall not constitute notice): Andrew Coldicutt, Esq., email: Andrew@ColdicuttLaw.com, and (ii) if to the Holder, to: the address and fax number indicated on the front page of this Note, with an additional copy by fax only to (which shall not constitute notice): Grushko & Mittman, P.C., 515 Rockaway Avenue, Valley Stream, New York 11581, facsimile: (212) 697-3575.
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b) Absolute Obligation. Except as expressly provided herein, no provision of this Note shall alter or impair the obligation of Borrower, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of, liquidated damages and accrued interest, as applicable, on this Note at the time, place, and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed. This Note is a direct debt obligation of Borrower. This Note ranks pari passu with all Other Notes now or hereafter issued under the terms set forth herein.
c) Lost or Mutilated Note. If this Note shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, Borrower shall execute and deliver, in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of a mutilated Note, or in lieu of or in substitution for a lost, stolen or destroyed Note, a new Note for the principal amount of this Note so mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, but only upon receipt of evidence of such loss, theft or destruction of such Note, and of the ownership hereof, reasonably satisfactory to Borrower.
d) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Note 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 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 Note 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 Note or the transactions contemplated hereby. If any party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Note, 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. This Note shall be deemed an unconditional obligation of Borrower for the payment of money and, without limitation to any other remedies of Holder, may be enforced against Borrower by summary proceeding pursuant to New York Civil Procedure Law and Rules Section 3213 or any similar rule or statute in the jurisdiction where enforcement is sought. For purposes of such rule or statute, any other document or agreement to which Holder and Borrower are parties or which Borrower delivered to Holder, which may be convenient or necessary to determine Holder’s rights hereunder or Borrower’s obligations to Holder are deemed a part of this Note, whether or not such other document or agreement was delivered together herewith or was executed apart from this Note.
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e) Waiver. Any waiver by Borrower or the Holder of a breach of any provision of this Note 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 Note. The failure of Borrower or the Holder to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Note on one or more occasions shall not be considered a waiver or deprive that party of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any other term of this Note on any other occasion. Any waiver by Borrower or the Holder must be in writing.
f) Severability. If any provision of this Note is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the balance of this Note 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.
g) Usury. 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. Borrower covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it shall not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law or other law which would prohibit or forgive Borrower from paying all or any portion of the principal of or interest on this Note as contemplated herein, wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Note, and Borrower (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefits or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Holder, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such as though no such law has been enacted.
h) 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.
i) Headings. The headings contained herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Note and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
j) Amendment. Unless otherwise provided for hereunder, this Note may not be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived without the written consent of Borrower and the Holder.
k) Facsimile Signature. In the event that the Borrower’s signature is delivered by facsimile transmission, PDF, electronic signature or other similar electronic means, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the Borrower with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.
*********************
(Signature Pages Follow)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Borrower has caused this Note to be signed in its name by an authorized officer as of date written above.
| PACIFIC SOFTWARE, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Harrysen Mittler | |
| Name: Harrysen Mittler | ||
| Title: CEO | ||
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ANNEX A
NOTICE OF CONVERSION
The undersigned hereby elects to convert principal under the Convertible Note due August 24, 2021 of Pacific Software, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Borrower”), into shares of common stock (the “Common Stock”), of Borrower 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 reasonably requested by Borrower in accordance therewith. No fee will be charged to the holder for any conversion, except for such transfer taxes, if any.
By the delivery of this Notice of Conversion the undersigned represents and warrants to Borrower that its ownership of the Common Stock does not exceed the amounts specified under Section 4 of this Note, as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act.
The undersigned agrees to comply with the prospectus delivery requirements under the applicable securities laws in connection with any transfer of the aforesaid shares of Common Stock.
Conversion calculations:
| Date to Effect Conversion:______________________________________ | |
| Principal Amount of Note to be Converted: $_______________________ | |
| Number of shares of Common Stock to be issued: ___________________ | |
| Signature: _______________________ | |
| Name: _______________________ | |
| Address for Delivery of Common Stock Certificates: ________________ | |
| __________________________________________________________ | |
| __________________________________________________________ | |
| Or | |
| DWAC Instructions: __________________________________________ | |
| Broker No: _________________ | |
| Account No: ________________ |
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Exhibit 6.3
NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THIS SECURITY IS CONVERTIBLE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO BORROWER. THIS SECURITY AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS SECURITY MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT WITH A REGISTERED BROKER-DEALER OR OTHER LOAN WITH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT IS AN “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” AS DEFINED IN RULE 501(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.
Original Issue Date: August 24, 2020
Principal Amount: $2,463,120
CONVERTIBLE NOTE
DUE AUGUST 24, 2021
THIS CONVERTIBLE NOTE is one of a series of duly authorized and validly issued notes of Pacific Software, Inc., a Nevada corporation, (the “Borrower”), having its principal place of business at 2 Bloor St. East, Suite 3500, Toronto, Canada, M4W 1A8, due August 24, 2021 (this note, the “Note” and, collectively with the other notes of such series, the “Notes”).
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, Borrower promises to pay to Alpha Capital Anstalt or its registered assigns (the “Holder”), maintaining an address at __________________ or shall have paid pursuant to the terms hereunder, the principal sum of dollars ($2,463,120) with interest as set forth below, on August 24, 2021 (the “Maturity Date”) or such earlier date as this Note is required or permitted to be repaid as provided hereunder, and to pay interest, if any, to the Holder on the aggregate unconverted and then outstanding principal amount of this Note in accordance with the provisions hereof.
This Note is subject to the following additional provisions:
Section 1. Definitions. For the purposes hereof, in addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Note, (a) capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Purchase Agreement and (b) the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Alternate Consideration” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(e).
“Bankruptcy Event” means any of the following events: (a) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof commences a case or other proceeding under any bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment of debt, relief of debtors, dissolution, insolvency or liquidation or similar law of any jurisdiction relating to Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof, (b) there is commenced against Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof any such case or proceeding that is not dismissed within 60 days after commencement, (c) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof is adjudicated insolvent or bankrupt or any order of relief or other order approving any such case or proceeding is entered, (d) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof suffers any appointment of any custodian or the like for it or any substantial part of its property that is not discharged or stayed within 60 calendar days after such appointment, (e) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, (f) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof calls a meeting of its creditors with a view to arranging a composition, adjustment or restructuring of its debts or (g) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof, by any act or failure to act, expressly indicates its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any of the foregoing or takes any corporate or other action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing.
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“Base Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(b).
“Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(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 4(c)(v).
“Change of Control Transaction” means, other than by means of conversion or exercise of the Notes and the Securities issued together with the Notes, the occurrence after the date hereof of any of (a) an acquisition after the date hereof by an individual or legal entity or “group” (as described in Rule 13d-5(b)(1) promulgated under the Exchange Act) of effective control (whether through legal or beneficial ownership of capital stock of Borrower, by contract or otherwise) of in excess of 50% of the voting securities of Borrower, (b) Borrower merges into or consolidates with any other Person, or any Person merges into or consolidates with Borrower and, after giving effect to such transaction, the stockholders of Borrower immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of Borrower or the successor entity of such transaction, (c) Borrower sells or transfers all or substantially all of its assets to another Person and the stockholders of Borrower immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of the acquiring entity immediately after the transaction, (d) a replacement at one time or within a one year period of more than one-half of the members of the Board of Directors which is not approved by a majority of those individuals who are members of the Board of Directors on the Original Issue Date (or by those individuals who are serving as members of the Board of Directors on any date whose nomination to the Board of Directors was approved by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors who are members on the date hereof), or (e) the execution by Borrower of an agreement to which Borrower is a party or by which it is bound, providing for any of the events set forth in clauses (a) through (d) above.
“Closing Price” means on any particular date (a) the last reported closing bid price per share of Common Stock on such date on the Trading Market (as reported by Bloomberg L.P. at 4:15 p.m. (New York City time)), or (b) if there is no such price on such date, then the closing bid price on the Trading Market on the date nearest preceding such date (as reported by Bloomberg L.P. at 4:15 p.m. (New York City time)), or (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted on a Trading Market 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) if the shares of Common Stock are not then publicly traded the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holder and reasonably acceptable to Borrower, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by Borrower.
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“Conversion” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.
“Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).
“Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(b).
“Conversion Shares” means, collectively, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of this Note in accordance with the terms hereof.
“Event of Default” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(a).
“Fundamental Transaction” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(e).
“Interest Payment Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Lowest Closing Bid Price” means the lower of lowest closing bid price at which the Company’s Common Stock is traded on its Trading Market on the day prior to the Conversion Date.
“Mandatory Default Amount” means the greater of (i) the outstanding principal amount of this Note divided by the Conversion Price on the date the Mandatory Default Amount is either (A) demanded (if demand or notice is required to create an Event of Default) or otherwise due or (B) paid in full, whichever has a lower Conversion Price, (b) all other amounts, costs, expenses and liquidated damages due in respect of this Note.
“New York Courts” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9(d).
“Note Register” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(c).
“Notice of Conversion” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).
“Original Issue Date” means the date of the first issuance of the Notes, regardless of any transfers of any Note and regardless of the number of instruments which may be issued to evidence such Notes.
“Other Holders” means holders of Other Notes.
“Other Notes” means Notes nearly identical to this Note issued to Other Holders pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
“Purchase Agreement” means the Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of August 24, 2020 among Borrower and the Holders, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Share Delivery Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(c)(ii).
“Successor Entity” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(e).
“Threshold Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(b).
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“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, the OTC Bulletin Board, the OTCQB, or the OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Underlying Shares” means all of the Conversion Shares and all of the Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
“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 Board 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, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on the OTC Bulletin Board and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the OTCQX, OTCQB or OTC Pink Marketplace maintained by the OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock on the first such facility (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), 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 Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to Borrower, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by Borrower.
Section 2. Interest.
a) Interest in Cash. Holders shall be entitled to receive, and Borrower shall pay, cumulative interest on the outstanding principal amount of this Note compounded annually at the annual rate of three (3%) percent (all subject to increase as set forth in this Note), payable on the Maturity Date and on each Conversion Date, (with respect only to Note principal being converted) (each such date, an “Interest Payment Date”) (if any Interest Payment Date is not a Trading Day, the applicable payment shall be due on the next succeeding Trading Day) in cash only.
b) Payment Grace Period. The Borrower shall not have any grace period to pay any monetary amounts due under this Note except as specifically set forth herein.
c) Conversion Privileges. The Conversion Rights set forth in Section 4 shall remain in full force and effect immediately from the date hereof and until the Note is paid in full regardless of the occurrence of an Event of Default. This Note shall be payable in full on the Maturity Date, unless previously converted into Common Stock in accordance with Section 4 hereof.
d) Application of Payments. Interest on this Note shall be calculated on the basis of a 360-day year and the actual number of days elapsed. Payments made in connection with this Note shall be applied first to amounts due hereunder other than principal and interest, thereafter to interest and finally to principal.
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e) Pari Passu. Except as otherwise set forth herein, all payments made on this Note and the Other Notes and all actions taken by the Borrower with respect to this Note and the Other Notes, shall be made and taken pari passu with respect to this Note and the Other Notes.
f) Manner and Place of Payment. Principal and interest on this Note and other payments in connection with this Note shall be payable at the Holder’s offices as designated above in lawful money of the United States of America in immediately available funds without set-off, deduction or counterclaim. Upon assignment of the interest of Holder in this Note, Borrower shall instead make its payment pursuant to the assignee’s instructions upon receipt of written notice thereof. Except as set forth herein, this Note may not be prepaid or mandatorily converted without the consent of the Holder.
Section 3. Registration of Transfers and Exchanges.
a) Different Denominations. This Note is exchangeable for an equal aggregate principal amount of Notes of different authorized denominations, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same. No service charge will be payable for such registration of transfer or exchange.
b) Investment Representations. This Note has been issued subject to certain investment representations of the original Holder set forth in the Purchase Agreement and may be transferred or exchanged only in compliance with the Purchase Agreement and applicable federal and state securities laws and regulations.
c) Reliance on Note Register. Prior to due presentment for transfer to Borrower of this Note, Borrower and any agent of Borrower may treat the Person in whose name this Note is duly registered on the Note Register as the owner hereof for the purpose of receiving payment as herein provided and for all other purposes, whether or not this Note is overdue, and neither Borrower nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
Section 4. Conversion.
a) Conversion. At any time after the Original Issue Date (the “Initial Conversion Date”), until this Note is no longer outstanding, this Note shall be convertible, in whole or in part, into shares of Common Stock at the option of the Holder, at any time and from time to time (subject to the conversion limitations set forth in Section 4(d) hereof). The Holder shall effect conversions by delivering to Borrower a Notice of Conversion, the form of which is attached hereto as Annex A (each, a “Notice of Conversion”), specifying therein the principal amount of this Note to be converted and the date on which such conversion shall be effected (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 is deemed delivered hereunder. To effect conversions hereunder, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Note to Borrower unless the entire principal amount of this Note has been so converted. Conversions hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding principal amount of this Note in an amount equal to the applicable conversion. The Holder and Borrower shall maintain records showing the principal amount(s) converted and the date of such conversion(s). Borrower may deliver an objection to any Notice of Conversion within one (1) Business Day of delivery of such Notice of Conversion. In the event of any dispute or discrepancy, the records of the Holder shall be controlling and determinative in the absence of manifest error. The Holder, and any assignee by acceptance of this Note, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following conversion of a portion of this Note, the unpaid and unconverted principal amount of this Note may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
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b) Conversion Price. The conversion price for the principal in connection with voluntary conversions by the Holder shall be 25% of Lowest Closing Bid Price for the 20 Trading Days prior to the Conversion Date (the “Conversion Price”).
c) Mechanics of Conversion.
i. Conversion Shares Issuable Upon Conversion of Principal Amount. The number of Conversion Shares issuable upon a conversion hereunder shall be determined by the quotient obtained by dividing the outstanding principal amount of this Note to be converted by (y) the Conversion Price.
ii. Delivery of Certificate Upon Conversion. Not later than two (2) Trading Days after each Conversion Date (the “Share Delivery Date”), and provided there is a sale of such Conversion Shares either pursuant to Rule 144 or an effective Registration Statement, as the case may be, Borrower shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Holder a certificate or certificates representing the Conversion Shares which, on or after the earlier of (i) the six month anniversary of the Original Issue Date or (ii) the Effective Date, shall be free of restrictive legends and trading restrictions (other than those which may then be required by the Purchase Agreement) representing the number of Conversion Shares being acquired upon the conversion of this Note. On or after the earlier of (i) the six month anniversary of the Original Issue Date or (ii) the Effective Date, provided there is a sale of such Conversion Shares either pursuant to Rule 144 or an effective Registration Statement, as the case may be, Borrower shall use its best efforts to deliver any certificate or certificates required to be delivered by Borrower under this Section 4(c) electronically through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions.
iii. Failure to Deliver Certificates. If, in the case of any Notice of Conversion, such certificate or certificates 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 Borrower at any time on or before its receipt of such certificate or certificates, to rescind such Conversion, in which event Borrower shall promptly return to the Holder any original Note delivered to Borrower and the Holder shall promptly return to Borrower the Common Stock certificates issued to such Holder pursuant to the rescinded Conversion Notice.
iv. Obligation Absolute; Partial Liquidated Damages. Borrower’s obligations to issue and deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion of this Note in accordance with the terms hereof are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by the 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 the Holder or any other Person of any obligation to Borrower or any violation or alleged violation of law by the Holder or any other Person, and irrespective of any other circumstance which might otherwise limit such obligation of Borrower to the Holder in connection with the issuance of such Conversion Shares; provided, however, that such delivery shall not operate as a waiver by Borrower of any such action Borrower may have against the Holder. In the event the Holder of this Note shall elect to convert any or all of the outstanding principal amount hereof, Borrower may not refuse conversion based on any claim that the Holder or anyone associated or affiliated with the Holder has been engaged in any violation of law, agreement or for any other reason, unless an injunction from a court, on notice to Holder, restraining and or enjoining conversion of all or part of this Note shall have been sought and obtained, and Borrower posts a surety bond for the benefit of the Holder in the amount of 150% of the outstanding principal amount of this Note, which is subject to the injunction, which bond shall remain in effect until the completion of arbitration/litigation of the underlying dispute and the proceeds of which shall be payable to the Holder to the extent it obtains judgment. In the absence of such injunction, Borrower shall issue Conversion Shares or, if applicable, cash, upon a properly noticed conversion. If Borrower fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder such certificate or certificates pursuant to Section 4(c)(ii) by the Share Delivery Date, Borrower shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of principal amount being converted, $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth (5th) Trading Day after such liquidated damages being to accrue) for each Trading Day after such Share Delivery Date until such certificates are delivered or Holder rescinds such conversion. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue actual damages or declare an Event of Default pursuant to Section 8 hereof for Borrower’s failure to deliver Conversion Shares within the period specified herein and the 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 the Holder from seeking to enforce damages pursuant to any other Section hereof or under applicable law.
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v. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Certificates Upon Conversion. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if Borrower fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder such certificate or certificates by the Share Delivery Date pursuant to Section 4(c)(ii), and if after such Share Delivery Date the Holder is required by its brokerage firm to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise), or the Holder or Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Conversion Shares which the Holder was entitled to receive upon the conversion relating to such Share Delivery Date (a “Buy-In”), then Borrower shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder (in addition to any other remedies available to or elected by the Holder) the amount, if any, by which (x) the 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 the 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 the Holder, either reissue (if surrendered) this Note in a principal amount equal to the principal amount of the attempted conversion (in which case such conversion shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if Borrower had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 4(c)(ii). 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 conversion of this Note 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, Borrower shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide Borrower written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of Borrower, 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 Borrower’s failure to timely deliver certificates representing shares of Common Stock upon conversion of this Note as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
vi. Reservation of Shares Issuable Upon Conversion. Borrower 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 this Note 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 Notes), not less than one hundred (100%) percent of the 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 5) upon the conversion of the then outstanding principal amount of this Note at the Conversion Price (as adjusted from time to time), assuming such principal amount was not converted through the Maturity Date. Borrower covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
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vii. Fractional Shares. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the conversion of this Note. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such conversion, Borrower 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.
viii. Transfer Taxes and Expenses. The issuance of certificates for shares of the Common Stock on conversion of this Note shall be made without charge to the Holder hereof for any documentary stamp or similar taxes that may be payable in respect of the issue or delivery of such certificates, provided that, Borrower 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 certificate upon conversion in a name other than that of the Holder of this Note so converted and Borrower shall not be required to issue or deliver such certificates unless or until the Person or Persons requesting the issuance thereof shall have paid to Borrower the amount of such tax or shall have established to the satisfaction of Borrower that such tax has been paid. Borrower shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Conversion.
(d) Holder’s Conversion Limitations. (a) Borrower shall not effect any conversion of this Note, and a Holder shall not have the right to convert any portion of this Note, to the extent that after giving effect to the conversion set forth on the applicable Notice of Conversion, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any 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 conversion of this Note 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 principal amount of this Note beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of Borrower subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein (including, without limitation, any other Notes or the Warrants) beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 4(d), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 4(d) applies, the determination of whether this Note is convertible (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates) and of which principal amount of this Note is convertible shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Conversion shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Note may be converted (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates) and which principal amount of this Note is convertible, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation. To ensure compliance with this restriction, the Holder will be deemed to represent to Borrower each time it delivers a Notice of Conversion that such Notice of Conversion has not violated the restrictions set forth in this paragraph and Borrower 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 4(d), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as stated in the most recent of the following: (i) Borrower’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (ii) a more recent public announcement by Borrower, or (iii) a more recent written notice by Borrower or Borrower’s transfer agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, Borrower 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 Borrower, including this Note, 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 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 this Note held by the Holder. The Holder may decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation at any time and the Holder, upon not less than 61 days’ prior notice to Borrower, may increase the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 4(d), 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 Note held by the Holder and the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 4(d) shall continue to apply. Any such increase will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to Borrower. The Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 4(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 this Note.
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Section 5. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If Borrower, at any time while this Note 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 Common Stock Equivalents (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by Borrower upon conversion of the Notes), (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 Borrower, 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 Borrower) 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 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) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 5(a) above, if at any time Borrower grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to all of 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 conversion of this Note (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).
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c) Intentionally omitted.
d) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Note is outstanding, if Borrower 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 Note, 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 Note (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).
e) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Note is outstanding, (i) Borrower, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of Borrower with or into another Person, (ii) Borrower, 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 Borrower 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) Borrower, 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) Borrower, 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 Note, 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 4(d) and Section 4(e) on the conversion of this Note), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of Borrower, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Note is convertible immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 4(d) and Section 4(e) on the conversion of this Note). 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 (1) share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and Borrower 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 Note following such Fundamental Transaction. Borrower shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which Borrower is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of Borrower under this Note and the other Transaction Documents (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) in accordance with the provisions of this Section 5(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 Note, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Note a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Note 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 Note (without regard to any limitations on the conversion of this Note) 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 Note 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 Note and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of Borrower and shall assume all of the obligations of Borrower under this Note and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as Borrower herein.
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f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 5 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 5, 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 Borrower) issued and outstanding.
g) Notice to the Holder.
i. Adjustment to Conversion Price. Whenever the Conversion Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 5, Borrower 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) Borrower shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) Borrower shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) Borrower 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) the approval of any stockholders of Borrower shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which Borrower is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of Borrower, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property or (E) Borrower shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of Borrower, then, in each case, Borrower shall cause to be filed at each office or agency maintained for the purpose of conversion of this Note, and shall cause to be delivered to the Holder at its last address as it shall appear upon the Note Register, 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 Borrower or any of the Subsidiaries, Borrower shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to convert this Note 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.
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Section 6. Prepayment. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Borrower may not prepay or redeem this Note in whole or in part without the prior written consent of the Holder, and to the extent the Borrower agrees with Other Holders to prepay or redeem Other Notes in whole or in part, the Borrower shall offer such prepayment or redemption of this Note on a pro rata basis on the same terms and conditions as agreed upon by the Holder and all Other Holders for such Other Notes.
Section 7. Negative Covenants. Prior to the Maturity Date (notwithstanding any limitations on issuance of Common Stock), and for so long as an amount in excess of 25% of this Note remains outstanding, unless the Lead Investor shall have otherwise given prior written consent, Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of the Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly:
a) other than its existing indebtedness, enter into, create, incur, assume, guarantee or suffer to exist any indebtedness for borrowed money of any kind, including, but not limited to, a guarantee, on or with respect to any of its property or assets now owned or hereafter acquired or any interest therein or any income or profits therefrom, except for accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business;
b) other than Existing Liens, enter into, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Liens of any kind, on or with respect to any of its property or assets now owned or hereafter acquired or any interest therein or any income or profits therefrom;
c) amend its charter documents, including, without limitation, its certificate of incorporation and bylaws, in any manner that materially and adversely affects any rights of the Holder;
d) repay, repurchase or offer to repay, repurchase or otherwise acquire more than a de minimis number of shares of its Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents other than as to the Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares as permitted or required under the Transaction Documents;
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e) redeem, defease, repurchase, repay or make any payments in respect of, by the payment of cash or cash equivalents (in whole or in part, whether by way of open market purchases, tender offers, private transactions or otherwise), all or any portion of any Indebtedness (other than the Notes if on a pro-rata basis), whether by way of payment in respect of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on, such Indebtedness, the foregoing restriction shall also apply to Permitted Indebtedness from and after the occurrence of an Event of Default;
f) 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;
g) issue any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents except as permitted pursuant to the Purchase Agreement;
h) enter into any transaction with any Affiliate of Borrower which would be required to be disclosed in any public filing with the Commission, unless such transaction is made on an arm’s-length basis and expressly approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of Borrower (even if less than a quorum otherwise required for board approval); or
i) enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing.
Section 8. Events of Default.
a) “Event of Default” means, wherever used herein, any of the following events (whatever the reason for such event and whether such event shall be voluntary or involuntary or effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court, or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):
i. any default in the payment of (A) the principal amount of any Note or (B) liquidated damages and other amounts owing to a Holder on any Note, as and when the same shall become due and payable (whether on a Conversion Date or the Maturity Date or by acceleration or otherwise) which default, solely in the case of a default under clause (B) above, is not cured within 2 Trading Days after Borrower has become or should have become aware of such default;
ii. Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any other covenant or agreement contained in the Notes (other than a breach by Borrower of its obligations to deliver shares of Common Stock to the Holder upon conversion, which breach is addressed in clause (x) below) which failure is not cured, if possible to cure, within the earlier to occur of (A) 5 Trading Days after notice of such failure sent by the Holder or by any Other Holder to Borrower and (B) 10 Trading Days after Borrower has become or should have become aware of such failure;
iii. a default or event of default (subject to any grace or cure period provided in the applicable agreement, document or instrument) shall occur under (A) any of the Transaction Documents, including but not limited to failure to strictly comply with the provisions of the Warrants, or (B) any other material agreement, lease, document or instrument to which Borrower is obligated (and not covered by clause (vi) below);
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iv. any material representation or warranty made in this Note, any other Transaction Documents, any written statement pursuant hereto or thereto or any other report, financial statement or certificate made or delivered to the Holder or any Other Holder in connection therewith shall be untrue or incorrect in any material respect as of the date when made or deemed made;
v. Borrower shall be subject to a Bankruptcy Event;
vi. Borrower or any Subsidiary shall default on any of its obligations under any mortgage, credit agreement or other facility, indenture agreement, factoring agreement or other instrument under which there may be issued, or by which there may be secured or evidenced, any indebtedness for borrowed money or money due under any long term leasing or factoring arrangement that (a) involves an obligation greater than $250,000, whether such indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created, and (b) results in such indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise become due and payable;
vii. Borrower does not meet the current public information requirements under Rule 144;
viii. Borrower shall fail for any reason to deliver certificates to a Holder prior to the fifth Trading Day after a Conversion Date pursuant to Section 4(c) or Borrower shall provide at any time notice to the Holder, including by way of public announcement, of Borrower’s intention to not honor requests for conversions of any Notes in accordance with the terms hereof;
ix. Borrower shall have, any monetary judgment, writ or similar final process shall be entered or filed against Borrower, any subsidiary or any of their respective property or other assets for more than $250,000, and such judgment, writ or similar final process shall remain unvacated, unbonded or unstayed for a period of 90 calendar days;
x. any dissolution, liquidation or winding up by Borrower of a material Subsidiary of a substantial portion of their business;
xi. cessation of operations by Borrower or a material Subsidiary;
xii. An event resulting in the Common Stock no longer being listed or quoted on a Trading Market;
xiii. a Commission or judicial stop trade order or suspension from its Principal Trading Market;
xiv. a failure by Borrower to notify Holder of any material event of which Borrower is obligated to notify Holder pursuant to the terms of this Note or any other Transaction Document;
xv. a default by the Borrower of a material term, covenant, warranty or undertaking of any other agreement to which the Borrower and Holder are parties, or the occurrence of an event of default under any such other agreement to which Borrower and Holder are parties which is not cured after any required notice and/or cure period;
xvi. the occurrence of an Event of Default under any Other Note;
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xvii. the restatement after the date hereof of any financial statements filed by the Borrower with the Commission for any date or period from two years prior to the Original Issue Date and until this Note is no longer outstanding, if the result of such restatement would, by comparison to the unrestated financial statements, have constituted a Material Adverse Effect. For the avoidance of doubt, any restatement related to new accounting pronouncements shall not constitute a default under this Section; or
xviii. any provision of any Transaction Document shall at any time for any reason (other than pursuant to the express terms thereof) cease to be valid and binding on or enforceable against the parties thereto, or the validity or enforceability thereof shall be contested by any party thereto, or a proceeding shall be commenced by Borrower or any Subsidiary or any governmental authority having jurisdiction seeking to establish the invalidity or unenforceability thereof, or Borrower or any Subsidiary shall deny in writing that it has any liability or obligation purported to be created under any Transaction Document.
b) Remedies Upon Event of Default, Fundamental Transaction and Change of Control Transaction. If any Event of Default or a Fundamental Transaction the outstanding principal amount of this Note, liquidated damages and other amounts owing in respect thereof through the date of acceleration, shall become, at the Holder’s election, immediately due and payable in cash at the Mandatory Default Amount. Commencing on the Maturity Date and also five (5) days after the occurrence of any Event of Default interest on this Note shall accrue at an interest rate equal to the lesser of 15% per annum or the maximum rate permitted under applicable law. Upon the payment in full of the Mandatory Default Amount, the Holder shall promptly surrender this Note to or as directed by Borrower. In connection with such acceleration described herein, the Holder need not provide, and Borrower hereby waives, any presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, and the Holder may immediately and without expiration of any grace period enforce any and all of its rights and remedies hereunder and all other remedies available to it under applicable law. Such acceleration may be rescinded and annulled by Holder at any time prior to payment hereunder and the Holder shall have all rights as a holder of the Note until such time, if any, as the Holder receives full payment pursuant to this Section 8(b). No such rescission or annulment shall affect any subsequent Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 9. Miscellaneous.
a) Notices. All notices, demands, requests, consents, approvals, and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and, unless otherwise specified herein, shall be (i) personally served, (ii) deposited in the mail, registered or certified, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, (iii) delivered by reputable air courier service with charges prepaid, or (iv) transmitted by hand delivery, telegram, or facsimile, addressed as set forth below or to such other address as such party shall have specified most recently by written notice. Any notice or other communication required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be deemed effective (a) upon hand delivery or delivery by facsimile, with accurate confirmation generated by the transmitting facsimile machine, at the address or number designated below (if delivered on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received), or the first business day following such delivery (if delivered other than on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received) or (b) on the second business day following the date of mailing by express courier service, fully prepaid, addressed to such address, or upon actual receipt of such mailing, whichever shall first occur. The addresses for such communications shall be: (i) if to Borrower, to: Pacific Software, Inc., 2 Bloor St., Suite 3500, Toronto Ont., M4W 1A8, Canada, Attn: Harrysen Mittler, CEO, email: HarrysenMittler@gmail.com, with a copy by email only to (which shall not constitute notice): Andrew Coldicutt, Esq., email: Andrew@ColdicuttLaw.com, and (ii) if to the Holder, to: the address and fax number indicated on the front page of this Note, with an additional copy by fax only to (which shall not constitute notice): Grushko & Mittman, P.C., 515 Rockaway Avenue, Valley Stream, New York 11581, facsimile: (212) 697-3575.
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b) Absolute Obligation. Except as expressly provided herein, no provision of this Note shall alter or impair the obligation of Borrower, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of, liquidated damages and accrued interest, as applicable, on this Note at the time, place, and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed. This Note is a direct debt obligation of Borrower. This Note ranks pari passu with all Other Notes now or hereafter issued under the terms set forth herein.
c) Lost or Mutilated Note. If this Note shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, Borrower shall execute and deliver, in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of a mutilated Note, or in lieu of or in substitution for a lost, stolen or destroyed Note, a new Note for the principal amount of this Note so mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, but only upon receipt of evidence of such loss, theft or destruction of such Note, and of the ownership hereof, reasonably satisfactory to Borrower.
d) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Note 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 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 Note 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 Note or the transactions contemplated hereby. If any party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Note, 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. This Note shall be deemed an unconditional obligation of Borrower for the payment of money and, without limitation to any other remedies of Holder, may be enforced against Borrower by summary proceeding pursuant to New York Civil Procedure Law and Rules Section 3213 or any similar rule or statute in the jurisdiction where enforcement is sought. For purposes of such rule or statute, any other document or agreement to which Holder and Borrower are parties or which Borrower delivered to Holder, which may be convenient or necessary to determine Holder’s rights hereunder or Borrower’s obligations to Holder are deemed a part of this Note, whether or not such other document or agreement was delivered together herewith or was executed apart from this Note.
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e) Waiver. Any waiver by Borrower or the Holder of a breach of any provision of this Note 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 Note. The failure of Borrower or the Holder to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Note on one or more occasions shall not be considered a waiver or deprive that party of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any other term of this Note on any other occasion. Any waiver by Borrower or the Holder must be in writing.
f) Severability. If any provision of this Note is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the balance of this Note 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.
g) Usury. 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. Borrower covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it shall not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law or other law which would prohibit or forgive Borrower from paying all or any portion of the principal of or interest on this Note as contemplated herein, wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Note, and Borrower (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefits or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Holder, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such as though no such law has been enacted.
h) 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.
i) Headings. The headings contained herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Note and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
j) Amendment. Unless otherwise provided for hereunder, this Note may not be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived without the written consent of Borrower and the Holder.
k) Facsimile Signature. In the event that the Borrower’s signature is delivered by facsimile transmission, PDF, electronic signature or other similar electronic means, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the Borrower with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.
*********************
(Signature Pages Follow)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Borrower has caused this Note to be signed in its name by an authorized officer as of date written above.
| PACIFIC SOFTWARE, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Harrysen Mittler | |
| Name: Harrysen Mittler | ||
| Title: CEO | ||
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ANNEX A
NOTICE OF CONVERSION
The undersigned hereby elects to convert principal under the Convertible Note due August 24, 2021 of Pacific Software, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Borrower”), into shares of common stock (the “Common Stock”), of Borrower 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 reasonably requested by Borrower in accordance therewith. No fee will be charged to the holder for any conversion, except for such transfer taxes, if any.
By the delivery of this Notice of Conversion the undersigned represents and warrants to Borrower that its ownership of the Common Stock does not exceed the amounts specified under Section 4 of this Note, as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act.
The undersigned agrees to comply with the prospectus delivery requirements under the applicable securities laws in connection with any transfer of the aforesaid shares of Common Stock.
Conversion calculations:
| Date to Effect Conversion:______________________________________ | |
| Principal Amount of Note to be Converted: $_______________________ | |
| Number of shares of Common Stock to be issued: ___________________ | |
| Signature: _______________________ | |
| Name: _______________________ | |
| Address for Delivery of Common Stock Certificates: ________________ | |
| __________________________________________________________ | |
| __________________________________________________________ | |
| Or | |
| DWAC Instructions: __________________________________________ | |
| Broker No: _________________ | |
| Account No: ________________ |
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Exhibit 6.4
NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THIS SECURITY IS CONVERTIBLE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO BORROWER. THIS SECURITY AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS SECURITY MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT WITH A REGISTERED BROKER-DEALER OR OTHER LOAN WITH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT IS AN “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” AS DEFINED IN RULE 501(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.
Original Issue Date: September 24, 2020
Principal Amount: $972,000.00
CONVERTIBLE NOTE
DUE SEPTEMBER 24, 2021
THIS CONVERTIBLE NOTE is one of a series of duly authorized and validly issued notes of Pacific Software, Inc., a Nevada corporation, (the “Borrower”), having its principal place of business at 2 Bloor St. East, Suite 3500, Toronto, Canada, M4W 1A8, due September 24, 2021 (this note, the “Note” and, collectively with the other notes of such series, the “Notes”).
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, Borrower promises to pay to Tarpon Bay Partners LLC or its registered assigns (the “Holder”), maintaining an address at Executive Pavilion 90 Grove Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877 or shall have paid pursuant to the terms hereunder, the principal sum of nine hundred seventy two thousand dollars ($972,000.00) with interest as set forth below, on September 24, 2021 (the “Maturity Date”) or such earlier date as this Note is required or permitted to be repaid as provided hereunder, and to pay interest, if any, to the Holder on the aggregate unconverted and then outstanding principal amount of this Note in accordance with the provisions hereof.
This Note is subject to the following additional provisions:
Section 1. Definitions. For the purposes hereof, in addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Note, (a) capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Purchase Agreement and (b) the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Alternate Consideration” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(e).
“Bankruptcy Event” means any of the following events: (a) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof commences a case or other proceeding under any bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment of debt, relief of debtors, dissolution, insolvency or liquidation or similar law of any jurisdiction relating to Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof, (b) there is commenced against Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof any such case or proceeding that is not dismissed within 60 days after commencement, (c) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof is adjudicated insolvent or bankrupt or any order of relief or other order approving any such case or proceeding is entered, (d) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof suffers any appointment of any custodian or the like for it or any substantial part of its property that is not discharged or stayed within 60 calendar days after such appointment, (e) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, (f) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof calls a meeting of its creditors with a view to arranging a composition, adjustment or restructuring of its debts or (g) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof, by any act or failure to act, expressly indicates its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any of the foregoing or takes any corporate or other action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing.
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“Base Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(b).
“Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(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 4(c)(v).
“Change of Control Transaction” means, other than by means of conversion or exercise of the Notes and the Securities issued together with the Notes, the occurrence after the date hereof of any of (a) an acquisition after the date hereof by an individual or legal entity or “group” (as described in Rule 13d-5(b)(1) promulgated under the Exchange Act) of effective control (whether through legal or beneficial ownership of capital stock of Borrower, by contract or otherwise) of in excess of 50% of the voting securities of Borrower, (b) Borrower merges into or consolidates with any other Person, or any Person merges into or consolidates with Borrower and, after giving effect to such transaction, the stockholders of Borrower immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of Borrower or the successor entity of such transaction, (c) Borrower sells or transfers all or substantially all of its assets to another Person and the stockholders of Borrower immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of the acquiring entity immediately after the transaction, (d) a replacement at one time or within a one year period of more than one-half of the members of the Board of Directors which is not approved by a majority of those individuals who are members of the Board of Directors on the Original Issue Date (or by those individuals who are serving as members of the Board of Directors on any date whose nomination to the Board of Directors was approved by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors who are members on the date hereof), or (e) the execution by Borrower of an agreement to which Borrower is a party or by which it is bound, providing for any of the events set forth in clauses (a) through (d) above.
“Closing Price” means on any particular date (a) the last reported closing bid price per share of Common Stock on such date on the Trading Market (as reported by Bloomberg L.P. at 4:15 p.m. (New York City time)), or (b) if there is no such price on such date, then the closing bid price on the Trading Market on the date nearest preceding such date (as reported by Bloomberg L.P. at 4:15 p.m. (New York City time)), or (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted on a Trading Market 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) if the shares of Common Stock are not then publicly traded the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holder and reasonably acceptable to Borrower, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by Borrower.
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“Conversion” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.
“Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).
“Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(b).
“Conversion Shares” means, collectively, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of this Note in accordance with the terms hereof.
“Event of Default” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(a).
“Fundamental Transaction” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(e).
“Interest Payment Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Lowest Closing Bid Price” means the lower of lowest closing bid price at which the Company’s Common Stock is traded on its Trading Market on the day prior to the Conversion Date.
“Mandatory Default Amount” means the greater of (i) the outstanding principal amount of this Note divided by the Conversion Price on the date the Mandatory Default Amount is either (A) demanded (if demand or notice is required to create an Event of Default) or otherwise due or (B) paid in full, whichever has a lower Conversion Price, (b) all other amounts, costs, expenses and liquidated damages due in respect of this Note.
“New York Courts” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9(d).
“Note Register” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(c).
“Notice of Conversion” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).
“Original Issue Date” means the date of the first issuance of the Notes, regardless of any transfers of any Note and regardless of the number of instruments which may be issued to evidence such Notes.
“Other Holders” means holders of Other Notes.
“Other Notes” means Notes nearly identical to this Note issued to Other Holders pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
“Purchase Agreement” means the Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2020 among Borrower and the Holders, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Share Delivery Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(c)(ii).
“Successor Entity” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(e).
“Threshold Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(b).
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“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, the OTC Bulletin Board, the OTCQB, or the OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Underlying Shares” means all of the Conversion Shares and all of the Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
“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 Board 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, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on the OTC Bulletin Board and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the OTCQX, OTCQB or OTC Pink Marketplace maintained by the OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock on the first such facility (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), 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 Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to Borrower, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by Borrower.
Section 2. Interest.
a) Interest in Cash. Holders shall be entitled to receive, and Borrower shall pay, cumulative interest on the outstanding principal amount of this Note compounded annually at the annual rate of three (3%) percent (all subject to increase as set forth in this Note), payable on the Maturity Date and on each Conversion Date, (with respect only to Note principal being converted) (each such date, an “Interest Payment Date”) (if any Interest Payment Date is not a Trading Day, the applicable payment shall be due on the next succeeding Trading Day) in cash only.
b) Payment Grace Period. The Borrower shall not have any grace period to pay any monetary amounts due under this Note except as specifically set forth herein.
c) Conversion Privileges. The Conversion Rights set forth in Section 4 shall remain in full force and effect immediately from the date hereof and until the Note is paid in full regardless of the occurrence of an Event of Default. This Note shall be payable in full on the Maturity Date, unless previously converted into Common Stock in accordance with Section 4 hereof.
d) Application of Payments. Interest on this Note shall be calculated on the basis of a 360-day year and the actual number of days elapsed. Payments made in connection with this Note shall be applied first to amounts due hereunder other than principal and interest, thereafter to interest and finally to principal.
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e) Pari Passu. Except as otherwise set forth herein, all payments made on this Note and the Other Notes and all actions taken by the Borrower with respect to this Note and the Other Notes, shall be made and taken pari passu with respect to this Note and the Other Notes.
f) Manner and Place of Payment. Principal and interest on this Note and other payments in connection with this Note shall be payable at the Holder’s offices as designated above in lawful money of the United States of America in immediately available funds without set-off, deduction or counterclaim. Upon assignment of the interest of Holder in this Note, Borrower shall instead make its payment pursuant to the assignee’s instructions upon receipt of written notice thereof. Except as set forth herein, this Note may not be prepaid or mandatorily converted without the consent of the Holder.
Section 3. Registration of Transfers and Exchanges.
a) Different Denominations. This Note is exchangeable for an equal aggregate principal amount of Notes of different authorized denominations, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same. No service charge will be payable for such registration of transfer or exchange.
b) Investment Representations. This Note has been issued subject to certain investment representations of the original Holder set forth in the Purchase Agreement and may be transferred or exchanged only in compliance with the Purchase Agreement and applicable federal and state securities laws and regulations.
c) Reliance on Note Register. Prior to due presentment for transfer to Borrower of this Note, Borrower and any agent of Borrower may treat the Person in whose name this Note is duly registered on the Note Register as the owner hereof for the purpose of receiving payment as herein provided and for all other purposes, whether or not this Note is overdue, and neither Borrower nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
Section 4. Conversion.
a) Conversion. At any time after the Original Issue Date (the “Initial Conversion Date”), until this Note is no longer outstanding, this Note shall be convertible, in whole or in part, into shares of Common Stock at the option of the Holder, at any time and from time to time (subject to the conversion limitations set forth in Section 4(d) hereof). The Holder shall effect conversions by delivering to Borrower a Notice of Conversion, the form of which is attached hereto as Annex A (each, a “Notice of Conversion”), specifying therein the principal amount of this Note to be converted and the date on which such conversion shall be effected (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 is deemed delivered hereunder. To effect conversions hereunder, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Note to Borrower unless the entire principal amount of this Note has been so converted. Conversions hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding principal amount of this Note in an amount equal to the applicable conversion. The Holder and Borrower shall maintain records showing the principal amount(s) converted and the date of such conversion(s). Borrower may deliver an objection to any Notice of Conversion within one (1) Business Day of delivery of such Notice of Conversion. In the event of any dispute or discrepancy, the records of the Holder shall be controlling and determinative in the absence of manifest error. The Holder, and any assignee by acceptance of this Note, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following conversion of a portion of this Note, the unpaid and unconverted principal amount of this Note may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
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b) Conversion Price. The conversion price for the principal in connection with voluntary conversions by the Holder shall be 25% of Lowest Closing Bid Price for the 20 Trading Days prior to the Conversion Date (the “Conversion Price”).
c) Mechanics of Conversion.
i. Conversion Shares Issuable Upon Conversion of Principal Amount. The number of Conversion Shares issuable upon a conversion hereunder shall be determined by the quotient obtained by dividing the outstanding principal amount of this Note to be converted by (y) the Conversion Price.
ii. Delivery of Certificate Upon Conversion. Not later than two (2) Trading Days after each Conversion Date (the “Share Delivery Date”), and provided there is a sale of such Conversion Shares either pursuant to Rule 144 or an effective Registration Statement, as the case may be, Borrower shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Holder a certificate or certificates representing the Conversion Shares which, on or after the earlier of (i) the six month anniversary of the Original Issue Date or (ii) the Effective Date, shall be free of restrictive legends and trading restrictions (other than those which may then be required by the Purchase Agreement) representing the number of Conversion Shares being acquired upon the conversion of this Note. On or after the earlier of (i) the six month anniversary of the Original Issue Date or (ii) the Effective Date, provided there is a sale of such Conversion Shares either pursuant to Rule 144 or an effective Registration Statement, as the case may be, Borrower shall use its best efforts to deliver any certificate or certificates required to be delivered by Borrower under this Section 4(c) electronically through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions.
iii. Failure to Deliver Certificates. If, in the case of any Notice of Conversion, such certificate or certificates 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 Borrower at any time on or before its receipt of such certificate or certificates, to rescind such Conversion, in which event Borrower shall promptly return to the Holder any original Note delivered to Borrower and the Holder shall promptly return to Borrower the Common Stock certificates issued to such Holder pursuant to the rescinded Conversion Notice.
iv. Obligation Absolute; Partial Liquidated Damages. Borrower’s obligations to issue and deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion of this Note in accordance with the terms hereof are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by the 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 the Holder or any other Person of any obligation to Borrower or any violation or alleged violation of law by the Holder or any other Person, and irrespective of any other circumstance which might otherwise limit such obligation of Borrower to the Holder in connection with the issuance of such Conversion Shares; provided, however, that such delivery shall not operate as a waiver by Borrower of any such action Borrower may have against the Holder. In the event the Holder of this Note shall elect to convert any or all of the outstanding principal amount hereof, Borrower may not refuse conversion based on any claim that the Holder or anyone associated or affiliated with the Holder has been engaged in any violation of law, agreement or for any other reason, unless an injunction from a court, on notice to Holder, restraining and or enjoining conversion of all or part of this Note shall have been sought and obtained, and Borrower posts a surety bond for the benefit of the Holder in the amount of 150% of the outstanding principal amount of this Note, which is subject to the injunction, which bond shall remain in effect until the completion of arbitration/litigation of the underlying dispute and the proceeds of which shall be payable to the Holder to the extent it obtains judgment. In the absence of such injunction, Borrower shall issue Conversion Shares or, if applicable, cash, upon a properly noticed conversion. If Borrower fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder such certificate or certificates pursuant to Section 4(c)(ii) by the Share Delivery Date, Borrower shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of principal amount being converted, $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth (5th) Trading Day after such liquidated damages being to accrue) for each Trading Day after such Share Delivery Date until such certificates are delivered or Holder rescinds such conversion. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue actual damages or declare an Event of Default pursuant to Section 8 hereof for Borrower’s failure to deliver Conversion Shares within the period specified herein and the 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 the Holder from seeking to enforce damages pursuant to any other Section hereof or under applicable law.
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v. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Certificates Upon Conversion. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if Borrower fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder such certificate or certificates by the Share Delivery Date pursuant to Section 4(c)(ii), and if after such Share Delivery Date the Holder is required by its brokerage firm to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise), or the Holder or Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Conversion Shares which the Holder was entitled to receive upon the conversion relating to such Share Delivery Date (a “Buy-In”), then Borrower shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder (in addition to any other remedies available to or elected by the Holder) the amount, if any, by which (x) the 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 the 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 the Holder, either reissue (if surrendered) this Note in a principal amount equal to the principal amount of the attempted conversion (in which case such conversion shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if Borrower had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 4(c)(ii). 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 conversion of this Note 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, Borrower shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide Borrower written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of Borrower, 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 Borrower’s failure to timely deliver certificates representing shares of Common Stock upon conversion of this Note as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
vi. Reservation of Shares Issuable Upon Conversion. Borrower 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 this Note 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 Notes), not less than one hundred (100%) percent of the 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 5) upon the conversion of the then outstanding principal amount of this Note at the Conversion Price (as adjusted from time to time), assuming such principal amount was not converted through the Maturity Date. Borrower covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
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vii. Fractional Shares. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the conversion of this Note. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such conversion, Borrower 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.
viii. Transfer Taxes and Expenses. The issuance of certificates for shares of the Common Stock on conversion of this Note shall be made without charge to the Holder hereof for any documentary stamp or similar taxes that may be payable in respect of the issue or delivery of such certificates, provided that, Borrower 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 certificate upon conversion in a name other than that of the Holder of this Note so converted and Borrower shall not be required to issue or deliver such certificates unless or until the Person or Persons requesting the issuance thereof shall have paid to Borrower the amount of such tax or shall have established to the satisfaction of Borrower that such tax has been paid. Borrower shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Conversion.
(d) Holder’s Conversion Limitations. (a) Borrower shall not effect any conversion of this Note, and a Holder shall not have the right to convert any portion of this Note, to the extent that after giving effect to the conversion set forth on the applicable Notice of Conversion, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any 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 conversion of this Note 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 principal amount of this Note beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of Borrower subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein (including, without limitation, any other Notes or the Warrants) beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 4(d), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 4(d) applies, the determination of whether this Note is convertible (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates) and of which principal amount of this Note is convertible shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Conversion shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Note may be converted (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates) and which principal amount of this Note is convertible, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation. To ensure compliance with this restriction, the Holder will be deemed to represent to Borrower each time it delivers a Notice of Conversion that such Notice of Conversion has not violated the restrictions set forth in this paragraph and Borrower 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 4(d), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as stated in the most recent of the following: (i) Borrower’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (ii) a more recent public announcement by Borrower, or (iii) a more recent written notice by Borrower or Borrower’s transfer agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, Borrower 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 Borrower, including this Note, 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 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 this Note held by the Holder. The Holder may decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation at any time and the Holder, upon not less than 61 days’ prior notice to Borrower, may increase the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 4(d), 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 Note held by the Holder and the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 4(d) shall continue to apply. Any such increase will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to Borrower. The Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 4(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 this Note.
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Section 5. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If Borrower, at any time while this Note 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 Common Stock Equivalents (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by Borrower upon conversion of the Notes), (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 Borrower, 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 Borrower) 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 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) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 5(a) above, if at any time Borrower grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to all of 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 conversion of this Note (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).
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c) Intentionally omitted.
d) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Note is outstanding, if Borrower 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 Note, 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 Note (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).
e) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Note is outstanding, (i) Borrower, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of Borrower with or into another Person, (ii) Borrower, 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 Borrower 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) Borrower, 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) Borrower, 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 Note, 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 4(d) and Section 4(e) on the conversion of this Note), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of Borrower, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Note is convertible immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 4(d) and Section 4(e) on the conversion of this Note). 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 (1) share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and Borrower 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 Note following such Fundamental Transaction. Borrower shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which Borrower is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of Borrower under this Note and the other Transaction Documents (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) in accordance with the provisions of this Section 5(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 Note, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Note a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Note 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 Note (without regard to any limitations on the conversion of this Note) 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 Note 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 Note and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of Borrower and shall assume all of the obligations of Borrower under this Note and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as Borrower herein.
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f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 5 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 5, 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 Borrower) issued and outstanding.
g) Notice to the Holder.
i. Adjustment to Conversion Price. Whenever the Conversion Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 5, Borrower 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) Borrower shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) Borrower shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) Borrower 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) the approval of any stockholders of Borrower shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which Borrower is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of Borrower, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property or (E) Borrower shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of Borrower, then, in each case, Borrower shall cause to be filed at each office or agency maintained for the purpose of conversion of this Note, and shall cause to be delivered to the Holder at its last address as it shall appear upon the Note Register, 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 Borrower or any of the Subsidiaries, Borrower shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to convert this Note 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.
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Section 6. Prepayment. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Borrower may not prepay or redeem this Note in whole or in part without the prior written consent of the Holder, and to the extent the Borrower agrees with Other Holders to prepay or redeem Other Notes in whole or in part, the Borrower shall offer such prepayment or redemption of this Note on a pro rata basis on the same terms and conditions as agreed upon by the Holder and all Other Holders for such Other Notes.
Section 7. Negative Covenants. Prior to the Maturity Date (notwithstanding any limitations on issuance of Common Stock), and for so long as an amount in excess of 25% of this Note remains outstanding, unless the Lead Investor shall have otherwise given prior written consent, Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of the Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly:
a) other than its existing indebtedness, enter into, create, incur, assume, guarantee or suffer to exist any indebtedness for borrowed money of any kind, including, but not limited to, a guarantee, on or with respect to any of its property or assets now owned or hereafter acquired or any interest therein or any income or profits therefrom, except for accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business;
b) other than Existing Liens, enter into, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Liens of any kind, on or with respect to any of its property or assets now owned or hereafter acquired or any interest therein or any income or profits therefrom;
c) amend its charter documents, including, without limitation, its certificate of incorporation and bylaws, in any manner that materially and adversely affects any rights of the Holder;
d) repay, repurchase or offer to repay, repurchase or otherwise acquire more than a de minimis number of shares of its Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents other than as to the Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares as permitted or required under the Transaction Documents;
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e) redeem, defease, repurchase, repay or make any payments in respect of, by the payment of cash or cash equivalents (in whole or in part, whether by way of open market purchases, tender offers, private transactions or otherwise), all or any portion of any Indebtedness (other than the Notes if on a pro-rata basis), whether by way of payment in respect of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on, such Indebtedness, the foregoing restriction shall also apply to Permitted Indebtedness from and after the occurrence of an Event of Default;
f) 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;
g) issue any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents except as permitted pursuant to the Purchase Agreement;
h) enter into any transaction with any Affiliate of Borrower which would be required to be disclosed in any public filing with the Commission, unless such transaction is made on an arm’s-length basis and expressly approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of Borrower (even if less than a quorum otherwise required for board approval); or
i) enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing.
Section 8. Events of Default.
a) “Event of Default” means, wherever used herein, any of the following events (whatever the reason for such event and whether such event shall be voluntary or involuntary or effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court, or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):
i. any default in the payment of (A) the principal amount of any Note or (B) liquidated damages and other amounts owing to a Holder on any Note, as and when the same shall become due and payable (whether on a Conversion Date or the Maturity Date or by acceleration or otherwise) which default, solely in the case of a default under clause (B) above, is not cured within 2 Trading Days after Borrower has become or should have become aware of such default;
ii. Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any other covenant or agreement contained in the Notes (other than a breach by Borrower of its obligations to deliver shares of Common Stock to the Holder upon conversion, which breach is addressed in clause (x) below) which failure is not cured, if possible to cure, within the earlier to occur of (A) 5 Trading Days after notice of such failure sent by the Holder or by any Other Holder to Borrower and (B) 10 Trading Days after Borrower has become or should have become aware of such failure;
iii. a default or event of default (subject to any grace or cure period provided in the applicable agreement, document or instrument) shall occur under (A) any of the Transaction Documents, including but not limited to failure to strictly comply with the provisions of the Warrants, or (B) any other material agreement, lease, document or instrument to which Borrower is obligated (and not covered by clause (vi) below);
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iv. any material representation or warranty made in this Note, any other Transaction Documents, any written statement pursuant hereto or thereto or any other report, financial statement or certificate made or delivered to the Holder or any Other Holder in connection therewith shall be untrue or incorrect in any material respect as of the date when made or deemed made;
v. Borrower shall be subject to a Bankruptcy Event;
vi. Borrower or any Subsidiary shall default on any of its obligations under any mortgage, credit agreement or other facility, indenture agreement, factoring agreement or other instrument under which there may be issued, or by which there may be secured or evidenced, any indebtedness for borrowed money or money due under any long term leasing or factoring arrangement that (a) involves an obligation greater than $250,000, whether such indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created, and (b) results in such indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise become due and payable;
vii. Borrower does not meet the current public information requirements under Rule 144;
viii. Borrower shall fail for any reason to deliver certificates to a Holder prior to the fifth Trading Day after a Conversion Date pursuant to Section 4(c) or Borrower shall provide at any time notice to the Holder, including by way of public announcement, of Borrower’s intention to not honor requests for conversions of any Notes in accordance with the terms hereof;
ix. Borrower shall have, any monetary judgment, writ or similar final process shall be entered or filed against Borrower, any subsidiary or any of their respective property or other assets for more than $250,000, and such judgment, writ or similar final process shall remain unvacated, unbonded or unstayed for a period of 90 calendar days;
x. any dissolution, liquidation or winding up by Borrower of a material Subsidiary of a substantial portion of their business;
xi. cessation of operations by Borrower or a material Subsidiary;
xii. An event resulting in the Common Stock no longer being listed or quoted on a Trading Market;
xiii. a Commission or judicial stop trade order or suspension from its Principal Trading Market;
xiv. a failure by Borrower to notify Holder of any material event of which Borrower is obligated to notify Holder pursuant to the terms of this Note or any other Transaction Document;
xv. a default by the Borrower of a material term, covenant, warranty or undertaking of any other agreement to which the Borrower and Holder are parties, or the occurrence of an event of default under any such other agreement to which Borrower and Holder are parties which is not cured after any required notice and/or cure period;
xvi. the occurrence of an Event of Default under any Other Note;
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xvii. the restatement after the date hereof of any financial statements filed by the Borrower with the Commission for any date or period from two years prior to the Original Issue Date and until this Note is no longer outstanding, if the result of such restatement would, by comparison to the unrestated financial statements, have constituted a Material Adverse Effect. For the avoidance of doubt, any restatement related to new accounting pronouncements shall not constitute a default under this Section; or
xviii. any provision of any Transaction Document shall at any time for any reason (other than pursuant to the express terms thereof) cease to be valid and binding on or enforceable against the parties thereto, or the validity or enforceability thereof shall be contested by any party thereto, or a proceeding shall be commenced by Borrower or any Subsidiary or any governmental authority having jurisdiction seeking to establish the invalidity or unenforceability thereof, or Borrower or any Subsidiary shall deny in writing that it has any liability or obligation purported to be created under any Transaction Document.
b) Remedies Upon Event of Default, Fundamental Transaction and Change of Control Transaction. If any Event of Default or a Fundamental Transaction the outstanding principal amount of this Note, liquidated damages and other amounts owing in respect thereof through the date of acceleration, shall become, at the Holder’s election, immediately due and payable in cash at the Mandatory Default Amount. Commencing on the Maturity Date and also five (5) days after the occurrence of any Event of Default interest on this Note shall accrue at an interest rate equal to the lesser of 15% per annum or the maximum rate permitted under applicable law. Upon the payment in full of the Mandatory Default Amount, the Holder shall promptly surrender this Note to or as directed by Borrower. In connection with such acceleration described herein, the Holder need not provide, and Borrower hereby waives, any presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, and the Holder may immediately and without expiration of any grace period enforce any and all of its rights and remedies hereunder and all other remedies available to it under applicable law. Such acceleration may be rescinded and annulled by Holder at any time prior to payment hereunder and the Holder shall have all rights as a holder of the Note until such time, if any, as the Holder receives full payment pursuant to this Section 8(b). No such rescission or annulment shall affect any subsequent Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 9. Miscellaneous.
a) Notices. All notices, demands, requests, consents, approvals, and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and, unless otherwise specified herein, shall be (i) personally served, (ii) deposited in the mail, registered or certified, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, (iii) delivered by reputable air courier service with charges prepaid, or (iv) transmitted by hand delivery, telegram, or facsimile, addressed as set forth below or to such other address as such party shall have specified most recently by written notice. Any notice or other communication required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be deemed effective (a) upon hand delivery or delivery by facsimile, with accurate confirmation generated by the transmitting facsimile machine, at the address or number designated below (if delivered on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received), or the first business day following such delivery (if delivered other than on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received) or (b) on the second business day following the date of mailing by express courier service, fully prepaid, addressed to such address, or upon actual receipt of such mailing, whichever shall first occur. The addresses for such communications shall be: (i) if to Borrower, to: Pacific Software, Inc., 2 Bloor St., Suite 3500, Toronto Ont., M4W 1A8, Canada, Attn: Harrysen Mittler, CEO, email: HarrysenMittler@gmail.com, with a copy by email only to (which shall not constitute notice): Andrew Coldicutt, Esq., email: Andrew@ColdicuttLaw.com, and (ii) if to the Holder, to: the address and fax number indicated on the front page of this Note, with an additional copy by fax only to (which shall not constitute notice): Grushko & Mittman, P.C., 515 Rockaway Avenue, Valley Stream, New York 11581, facsimile: (212) 697-3575.
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b) Absolute Obligation. Except as expressly provided herein, no provision of this Note shall alter or impair the obligation of Borrower, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of, liquidated damages and accrued interest, as applicable, on this Note at the time, place, and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed. This Note is a direct debt obligation of Borrower. This Note ranks pari passu with all Other Notes now or hereafter issued under the terms set forth herein.
c) Lost or Mutilated Note. If this Note shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, Borrower shall execute and deliver, in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of a mutilated Note, or in lieu of or in substitution for a lost, stolen or destroyed Note, a new Note for the principal amount of this Note so mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, but only upon receipt of evidence of such loss, theft or destruction of such Note, and of the ownership hereof, reasonably satisfactory to Borrower.
d) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Note 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 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 Note 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 Note or the transactions contemplated hereby. If any party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Note, 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. This Note shall be deemed an unconditional obligation of Borrower for the payment of money and, without limitation to any other remedies of Holder, may be enforced against Borrower by summary proceeding pursuant to New York Civil Procedure Law and Rules Section 3213 or any similar rule or statute in the jurisdiction where enforcement is sought. For purposes of such rule or statute, any other document or agreement to which Holder and Borrower are parties or which Borrower delivered to Holder, which may be convenient or necessary to determine Holder’s rights hereunder or Borrower’s obligations to Holder are deemed a part of this Note, whether or not such other document or agreement was delivered together herewith or was executed apart from this Note.
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e) Waiver. Any waiver by Borrower or the Holder of a breach of any provision of this Note 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 Note. The failure of Borrower or the Holder to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Note on one or more occasions shall not be considered a waiver or deprive that party of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any other term of this Note on any other occasion. Any waiver by Borrower or the Holder must be in writing.
f) Severability. If any provision of this Note is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the balance of this Note 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.
g) Usury. 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. Borrower covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it shall not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law or other law which would prohibit or forgive Borrower from paying all or any portion of the principal of or interest on this Note as contemplated herein, wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Note, and Borrower (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefits or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Holder, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such as though no such law has been enacted.
h) 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.
i) Headings. The headings contained herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Note and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
j) Amendment. Unless otherwise provided for hereunder, this Note may not be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived without the written consent of Borrower and the Holder.
k) Facsimile Signature. In the event that the Borrower’s signature is delivered by facsimile transmission, PDF, electronic signature or other similar electronic means, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the Borrower with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.
*********************
(Signature Pages Follow)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Borrower has caused this Note to be signed in its name by an authorized officer as of date written above.
| PACIFIC SOFTWARE, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Harrysen Mittler | |
| Name: Harrysen Mittler | ||
| Title: CEO | ||
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ANNEX A
NOTICE OF CONVERSION
The undersigned hereby elects to convert principal under the Convertible Note due September 24, 2021 of Pacific Software, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Borrower”), into shares of common stock (the “Common Stock”), of Borrower 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 reasonably requested by Borrower in accordance therewith. No fee will be charged to the holder for any conversion, except for such transfer taxes, if any.
By the delivery of this Notice of Conversion the undersigned represents and warrants to Borrower that its ownership of the Common Stock does not exceed the amounts specified under Section 4 of this Note, as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act.
The undersigned agrees to comply with the prospectus delivery requirements under the applicable securities laws in connection with any transfer of the aforesaid shares of Common Stock.
Conversion calculations:
| Date to Effect Conversion:______________________________________ | |
| Principal Amount of Note to be Converted: $_______________________ | |
| Number of shares of Common Stock to be issued: ___________________ | |
| Signature: _______________________ | |
| Name: _______________________ | |
| Address for Delivery of Common Stock Certificates: ________________ | |
| __________________________________________________________ | |
| __________________________________________________________ | |
| Or | |
| DWAC Instructions: __________________________________________ | |
| Broker No: _________________ | |
| Account No: ________________ |
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Exhibit 6.5
OPTION AGREEMENT
BY AND BETWEEN
PACIFIC SOFTWARE, INC.
AND
DIGI ASSETS, INC.
August 10, 2020
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | |
| Article I DEFINITIONS | 1 |
| Article II GRANT OF OPTION; OPTION FEE; PURCHASE PRICE | 2 |
| Section 2.1 Grant of Option | 2 |
| Section 2.2 Option Fee | 2 |
| Section 2.3 Purchase Price | 3 |
| Article III EXERCISE OF OPTION | 3 |
| Section 3.1 Exercise of Option; Closing | 3 |
| Section 3.2 Failure to Exercise Option | 3 |
| Article IV REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY | 4 |
| Section 4.1 Organization and Authority | 4 |
| Section 4.2 No Violation | 4 |
| Section 4.4 Finder’s Fees | 4 |
| Section 4.5 Litigation | 4 |
| Article V REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF BUYER | 5 |
| Section 5.1 Organization and Authority | 5 |
| Section 5.2 No Violation | 5 |
| Section 5.3 Finder’s Fees | 5 |
| Section 5.4 Litigation | 5 |
| Article VI ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS | 5 |
| Section 6.1 Further Actions; Filings | 5 |
| Section 6.2 Public Disclosure | 6 |
| Article VII MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS | 6 |
| Section 7.1 Time is of the Essence | 6 |
| Section 7.2 Assignment | 6 |
| Section 7.3 Notices | 7 |
| Section 7.4 Interpretation | 8 |
| Section 7.5 Counterparts | 8 |
OPTION AGREEMENT
THIS OPTION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of this 10th day of August, 2020, by and between DIGI ASSETS, INC., a Nevada corporation (“Buyer”), and PACIFIC SOFTWARE, INC., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”). (Buyer and the Company are sometimes referred to herein individually as a “Party”, and collectively as the “Parties”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company has agreed to grant an option to Buyer, and Buyer has agreed to acquire an option from the Company, for Buyer to purchase some or all of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets (as defined herein) from the Company, on the terms set forth in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants set forth in this Agreement and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and Buyer hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
In addition to the terms defined above in the introduction and Recitals to this Agreement, the following terms when used in this Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in this Article I:
“Affiliate” means, with respect to a particular Person, Persons controlling, controlled by, or under common control with that Person.
“Hypersoft Ventures Asset(s)” means (i) individually, all of the Company’s right, title and interest in and to 5,000,000 shares of Hypersoft Ventures currently held by the Company; (ii) a 15% royalty fee derived from future revenues of BOAPIN.com, (iii) $70,000 in accrued compensation will be paid to Buyer after Company receives the funding from the sale of the Hypersoft business, (iv) Current Liabilities including Accrued interest, Accrued compensation, Notes Payable in the amounts of $33,815, $42,000 and $8,294 respectively as of December 31, 2019, and (v) collectively, all of the Company’s right, title and interest in and to all of those assets and liabilities.
“Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or any federal legal holiday.
“Closing” means the “Closing” as such term is defined in the applicable Option Purchase Agreement.
“Company Disclosure Schedule” shall have the meaning set forth in Article IV.
“Company Shareholder Approval” has the meaning set forth in the applicable Option Purchase Agreement.
“Exercise Period” shall mean the period of time commencing on July 15, 2020 and ending on the Expiration Date.
“Expiration Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.
“Governmental Entity” means any government or subdivision thereof, domestic, foreign or supranational, any administrative, governmental or regulatory authority, agency, commission, tribunal or body, domestic, foreign or supranational, or any court or other judicial authority.
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“Lien” or “Liens” means any lien, security interest, pledge, charge, claim, mortgage, easement, restriction or any other encumbrance.
“Material Adverse Effect” shall mean, with respect to any Person, any effect that individually or taken together with other effects is materially adverse to (i) the financial condition, or business of such Person and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (provided, however, that, with respect to the representations and warranties made by the Company, a Material Adverse Effect shall mean any effect that individually or taken together with other effects is materially adverse to the financial condition of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets) or (ii) the ability of such Person to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided, however, in no event shall any of the following be deemed to constitute, nor shall any of the following be taken into account in determining whether there has been or will be, a Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company: (a) events, changes, conditions or effects disclosed in the Company Disclosure Schedule; (b) events, changes, conditions or effects consented to by Buyer; (c) events, changes, conditions or effects attributable to the acts or omissions of, or on behalf of, Buyer; (d) any change in any law affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any interpretation thereof; (e) changes in the market price or trading volume of Company’s Common Stock; or (f) events, changes, conditions or effects attributable to acts of war, terrorism or other conflicts.
“Option” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.
“Option Fee” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2.
“Option Purchase Agreement” means the form of Hypersoft Ventures Asset Assignment Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit B.
“Permitted Assignee” means any Company of Buyer or any other Person selected by Buyer.
“Permitted Liens” shall, with respect to any Hypersoft Ventures Asset, have the meaning defined in the relevant Option Purchase Agreement.
“Person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or unincorporated organization or association or other form of business enterprise or a Governmental Entity.
“Purchase Price” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3.
“Term” shall mean the period of time from the date of this Agreement until the Expiration Date (or, if earlier, with respect to any of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets for which the Option is exercised by Buyer pursuant to this Agreement, until the applicable Closing for such Hypersoft Ventures Assets).
ARTICLE II
GRANT OF OPTION; OPTION FEE; PURCHASE PRICE
Section 2.1 Grant of Option. Subject to the terms set forth in this Agreement, the Company hereby grants to Buyer, and Buyer hereby accepts from the Company, an exclusive option to purchase any or all of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets (the “Option”) on the terms set forth in this Agreement and in the applicable Option Purchase Agreement as provided in Section 3.1.
Section 2.2 Option Fee. The Company acknowledges its receipt from Buyer of the entering into the Stock Purchase Agreement with Pacific Asset Acquisition, Inc., and the Resignation of Harrysen Mittler and Peter Pizzino from their positions in the Company (the “Option Fee”) as payment in full for the Option. Buyer acknowledges and agrees that the Option Fee shall be non-refundable to Buyer except as provided herein. If Buyer does not exercise the Option with respect to any specific Hypersoft Ventures Asset(s) in accordance with Section 3.1, then the Option Fee allocated to such Hypersoft Ventures Asset(s) pursuant to Exhibit A attached hereto shall not be refunded to Buyer, and shall be retained by the Company, except that, (i) if the exercise of the Option with respect to any specific or all of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets is prohibited or enjoined by action of any Governmental Entity, or (ii) if the Buyer or its Permitted Assignee reasonably determines, after due diligence, that any of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets has such title defects that are both (A) not capable of being insured and (B) would be reasonably expected to materially affect the value of such Hypersoft Ventures Assets, then the Company promptly shall issue to the Buyer Two Million (2,000,000) shares of restricted Company common stock as compensation for the affected Hypersoft Ventures Assets.
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Section 2.3 Purchase Price. (a) The purchase price for all of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets shall be the retirement of Two Million (2,000,000.00) shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock of the Company that was issued to the Principals of Buyer effective as of September 2018, and the cancellation of the employment extension agreements in favor of the Principals of the Buyer in the Company (the “Purchase Price”). The Parties hereby agree that the Purchase Price shall be allocated among the Hypersoft Ventures Assets as set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto.
ARTICLE III
EXERCISE OF OPTION
Section 3.1 Exercise of Option; Closing. Buyer shall, from time to during the Exercise Period, exercise the Option with respect to any or all of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets, if at all, by (i) executing and delivering to the Company an original of this Option Purchase Agreement for the Hypersoft Ventures Assets, with no amendments, modifications or other changes to any terms therein (except that the economic terms in such Option Purchase Agreement shall be filled in using the information set forth on Exhibit A with respect to the applicable Hypersoft Ventures Assets that are the subject of such Option Purchase Agreement and (ii) attaching to such agreement Exhibit A and Exhibit B thereto (which Exhibit A and Exhibit B identifies which Hypersoft Ventures Assets are the subject of such applicable Option Purchase Agreement), no later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on September 15, 2020 (the “Expiration Date”). Any attempt by Buyer to exercise the Option prior to July 15, 2020 or after the Expiration Date, or by any means during the Exercise Period other than as set forth in this Section 3.1, shall be null and void and of no force or effect. If Buyer validly exercises the Option in accordance with this Section 3.1, then the Company shall countersign and deliver to Buyer an original of the Option Purchase Agreement and attaching to such agreement the schedules thereto (which schedules will identify any disclosures that are necessary to make the representations and warranties set forth in such Option Purchase Agreement with respect to the applicable Hypersoft Ventures Assets true and correct in all material respects) within five (5) Business Days after the Company’s receipt during the Exercise Period of the applicable Option Purchase Agreement. The date of the Closing under the Option Purchase Agreement executed pursuant to this Agreement shall be mutually determined by the parties, but in any event shall not be earlier than the date that all conditions to such Closing contained in the applicable Option Purchase Agreement have been satisfied.
Section 3.2 Failure to Exercise Option. Upon the expiration of the Term, (i) this Agreement shall terminate automatically and the Option shall be null and void and of no further force or effect without any further action by the Parties, (ii) the Company shall retain the Option Fee (subject to (A) the Option Fee being credited against the Purchase Price as set forth in Section 2.3 hereof, and (B) the Company’s obligation, if any, to refund the Option Fee as set forth in Section 2.2 of this Agreement) and (iii) the Company and Buyer shall have no further rights or obligations under this Agreement.
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ARTICLE IV
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
The Company hereby represents and warrants to Buyer as of the date of this Agreement that the statements contained in this Article IV are true and correct, subject to the exceptions set forth in the disclosure schedule delivered by the Company to Buyer concurrently with the execution of this Agreement dated as of the date of this Agreement and certified by a duly authorized officer of the Company (the “Company Disclosure Schedule”). The Company Disclosure Schedule shall be arranged according to specific sections in this Article IV and shall provide exceptions to, or otherwise qualify in reasonable detail, only the corresponding section in this Article IV and any other section in this Article IV where it is reasonably clear that the disclosure is intended to apply to such other section.
Section 4.1 Organization and Authority. The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in active status under the laws of the State of Nevada. The Company has the corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, other than, if applicable as provided in the applicable Option Purchase Agreement, the Company Shareholder Approval. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, other than, if applicable as provided in the applicable Option Purchase Agreement, the Company Shareholder Approval. This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Company, and, assuming this Agreement constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Buyer, this Agreement constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms (except in all cases as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditor’s rights generally and except that the availability of the equitable remedy of specific performance or injunctive relief is subject to the discretion of any court before which any proceeding may be brought).
Section 4.2 No Violation. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.2 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company nor the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby will (i) constitute a breach or violation of any provision of the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the Company, as amended, (ii) constitute a breach, violation or default (or any event which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default) under, or result in the termination of or permit any other party to terminate, require the consent from or the giving of notice to any other party to, or accelerate the performance required by, or result in the creation of any Lien (other than Permitted Liens) upon any of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets under, any note, bond, mortgage, indenture, deed of trust, license, lease, agreement or other instrument to which the Company, or by which it or any of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets, are bound, or (iii) subject to the receipt of the requisite consents, approvals, or authorizations of, or filings with Governmental Entities, conflict with or violate any order, judgment or decree, or any statute, ordinance, rule or regulation applicable to the Company, or by which it or any of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets may be bound or affected, other than, in the case of the foregoing clauses (ii) or (iii), conflicts, breaches, violations, defaults, terminations, accelerations, requirements for consent or notice or creation of Liens (other than Permitted Liens) which would not be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.
Section 4.3 Title to Hypersoft Ventures Assets. The Company has the power and the right to sell, assign and transfer (subject to the Company Shareholder Approval, if necessary) and the Company will sell and deliver to Buyer, and upon consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, Buyer will acquire good and marketable title to the Hypersoft Ventures Assets, free and clear of all Liens other than Permitted Liens.
Section 4.4 Finder’s Fees. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.4 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, no Person retained by the Company or its Affiliates is or will be entitled to any commission or finder’s or similar fee in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Any commission or finder’s or similar fee owing to the Person(s) named on said Schedule 4.4 shall be the obligation of the Company.
Section 4.5 Litigation. There is no suit, claim, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company which is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company or would reasonably be expected to prevent or delay the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Company is not a party to or bound by any outstanding order, writ, injunction or decree which is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company or would reasonably be expected to prevent or delay the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
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ARTICLE V
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF BUYER
Buyer hereby represents and warrants to the Company as of the date of this Agreement that the statements contained in this Article V are true and correct.
Section 5.1 Organization and Authority. Buyer is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Nevada. Buyer has the corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by Buyer and the consummation by Buyer of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of Buyer. This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by Buyer, and, assuming this Agreement constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Company, this Agreement constitutes a valid and binding agreement of Buyer, enforceable against Buyer in accordance with its terms (except in all cases as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditor’s rights generally and except that the availability of the equitable remedy of specific performance or injunctive relief is subject to the discretion of any court before which any proceeding may be brought).
Section 5.2 No Violation. Neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Buyer nor the consummation by Buyer of the transactions contemplated hereby will (i) constitute a breach or violation of any provision of its certificate of incorporation or bylaws, (ii) constitute a breach, violation or default (or any event which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default) under, or result in the termination of, or accelerate the performance required by, or result in the creation of any Lien upon any property or asset of Buyer under, any note, bond, mortgage, indenture, deed of trust, license, lease, agreement or other instrument to which any of them or any of their properties or assets, are bound, or (iii) subject to the receipt of the requisite consents, approvals, or authorizations of, or filings with Governmental Entities conflict with or violate any order, judgment or decree, any statute, ordinance, rule or regulation applicable to Buyer, or by which it or any of its properties or assets may be bound or affected, other than, in the case of the foregoing clauses (ii) or (iii), conflicts, breaches, violations, defaults, terminations, accelerations or creation of Liens which would not be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect on Buyer.
Section 5.3 Finder’s Fees. No Person retained by Buyer or its Affiliates is or will be entitled to any commission or finder’s or similar fee in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 5.4 Litigation. There is no suit, claim, proceeding or investigation pending or, to Buyer’s knowledge, threatened against Buyer which is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect on Buyer or would reasonably be expected to prevent or delay the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Buyer is not a party to or bound by any outstanding order, writ, injunction or decree which is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect on Buyer or would reasonably be expected to prevent or delay the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
ARTICLE VI
ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS
Section 6.1 Further Actions; Filings.
(a) Upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereof, each of the parties hereto shall use its reasonable best efforts to (i) take, or cause to be taken, all appropriate action and do, or cause to be done, all things necessary, proper or advisable under applicable law or otherwise to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (ii) obtain from Governmental Entities any consents, licenses, permits, waivers, approvals, authorizations or orders required to be obtained or made by Buyer or the Company or any of their subsidiaries in connection with the authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and (iii) respond to all inquiries and investigations, make all necessary filings, and thereafter make any other submissions, with respect to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement that are required under (A) applicable federal and state securities laws, if any, applicable to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and (B) any other applicable law. The parties hereto shall cooperate with each other in connection with the making of all such filings.
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(b) Buyer and the Company agree to use their reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all actions necessary to expeditiously consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including using reasonable best efforts to make all necessary government filings, respond to government requests for information, and obtain all necessary governmental, judicial or regulatory actions or non-actions, orders, waivers, consents, clearances, extensions and approvals. If suit or other action is threatened or instituted by any Governmental Entity or other entity challenging the validity or legality, or seeking to restrain the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the parties shall use reasonable best efforts to avoid, resist, resolve or, if necessary, defend such suit or action, and shall each bear its own costs incurred in connection with doing so.
(c) Each party shall promptly notify the other party in writing of any pending or, to the knowledge of such party, threatened inquiry, action, proceeding or investigation by any Governmental Entity or any other Person (i) challenging or seeking damages in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereunder or (ii) seeking to restrain or prohibit the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or otherwise limit the right of Buyer or its subsidiaries to own or operate all or any portion of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets of the Company.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, each party shall be responsible for the costs it and its officers, directors, employees, agents, advisors, representatives and Affiliates incur in connection with complying with the provisions of this Section 6.1 in connection with any such inquiry, action, proceeding or investigation initiated under any applicable antitrust law, rule or regulation.
Section 6.2 Public Disclosure. Unless otherwise permitted by this Agreement, during the Term, Buyer and the Company shall consult with each other before issuing any press release or otherwise making any public statement or making any other public (or non-confidential) disclosure (whether or not in response to an inquiry) regarding the terms of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither shall issue any such press release or make any such statement or disclosure without the prior approval of the other (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), except as may be required by or is advisable under law or pursuant to any listing agreement with any national securities exchange. Buyer and the Company agree that the initial press release with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby shall be in the form heretofore agreed by Buyer and the Company. Notwithstanding the prohibitions contained in this Section 6.2, Buyer may, without the prior approval of the Company, provide to any Person (the “Recipient”) such information related to the Hypersoft Ventures Assets as is necessary to permit such Person to determine whether it desires to assume Buyer’s option to purchase any of the Hypersoft Ventures Assets hereunder; provided, however, that Buyer may only provide such information if the Recipient enters into a commercially reasonable confidentiality agreement with the Company with respect to such information prior to disclosure of any such information to the Recipient by Buyer.
ARTICLE VII
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 7.1 Time is of the Essence. Time is of the essence as to all dates and deadlines set forth in this Agreement; provided, however, that notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if the time period for the performance of any covenant or obligation, satisfaction of any condition or delivery of any notice or item required under this Agreement shall expire on a day other than a Business Day, such time period shall be extended automatically to the next Business Day.
Section 7.2 Assignment. Buyer shall have the right to designate one or more Permitted Assignees to receive title to the applicable Hypersoft Ventures Assets by providing written notice to the Company at any time during the Term; provided, however, that (i) Buyer shall not be released from any of its liabilities and obligations under this Agreement (or under any Option Purchase Agreement) by reason of such designation or assignment, and (ii) such designation shall not be effective until Buyer has provided the Company with a fully executed copy of such designation or assignment and assumption instrument, which shall be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company.
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Section 7.3 Notices. All notices, demands, consents, or other communications that are required or permitted hereunder or that are given with respect to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be sufficient if personally delivered or sent by registered or certified mail, facsimile message, or Federal Express or other nationally recognized overnight delivery service. Any notice shall be deemed given upon the earlier of the date when received at, or the fifth day after the date when sent by registered or certified mail or the day after the date when sent by Federal Express or facsimile to, the address or facsimile number set forth below, unless such address or facsimile number is changed by written notice to the other parties in accordance with this Agreement:
| (a) | if to Buyer, to: |
|
Digi Assets, Inc. 2300 Yonge St., Suite 1600 Toronto, ON M4P 1E4 Canada |
with copies to:
|
Law Office of Andrew Coldicutt 1220 Rosecrans St., PMB 258 San Diego, CA 92106 Email: Andrew@ColdicuttLaw.com |
| (b) | if to the Company, to: |
|
Pacific Software, Inc. Toronto, ON M4W 1A8 Canada |
with copies to:
|
Law Office of Andrew Coldicutt 1220 Rosecrans St., PMB 258 San Diego, CA 92106 Email: Andrew@ColdicuttLaw.com |
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Section 7.4 Interpretation. When a reference is made in this Agreement to Exhibits or Schedules, such reference shall be to an Exhibit or Schedule to this Agreement unless otherwise indicated. The words “include,” “includes” and “including” when used herein shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the words “without limitation.” The phrase “made available” in this Agreement shall mean that the information referred to has been made available if requested by the party to whom such information is to be made available. The table of contents and headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
Section 7.5 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties and delivered to the other parties, it being understood that all parties need not sign the same counterpart. Any counterpart may be executed and delivered by facsimile signature and such facsimile signature shall be deemed an original.
Section 7.6 Entire Agreement; Nonassignability; Parties in Interest. This Agreement and the documents and instruments and other agreements specifically referred to herein or delivered pursuant hereto, including the Exhibits, the Schedules, including the Company Disclosure Schedule (a) constitute the entire agreement among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof; (b) are not intended to confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies hereunder; and (c) shall not be assigned by operation of law or otherwise except as otherwise specifically provided in this Agreement.
Section 7.7 Expenses. All costs and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of its advisers, accountants and legal counsel), shall be paid by the party incurring such expense.
Section 7.8 Recording Fees. Any fees or charges incurred in connection with the recording of this Option Agreement in the office of register of deeds for any county or other state governmental subdivision in which any Hypersoft Asset is located shall be split equally between the Buyer and the Company.
Section 7.9 Amendment. Any provision of this Agreement may be amended only by the written consent of the Company and Buyer. Any agreement on the part of a party to any amendment shall only be valid if set forth in an instrument in writing signed on behalf of such party.
Section 7.10 Severability. In the event that any provision of this Agreement, or the application thereof, becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect and the application of such provision to other Persons or circumstances will be interpreted so as reasonably to effect the intent of the parties hereto. The parties further agree to replace such void or unenforceable provision of this Agreement with a valid and enforceable provision that will achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other purposes of such void or unenforceable provision.
Section 7.11 Remedies Cumulative. Except as otherwise provided herein, any and all remedies herein expressly conferred upon a party will be deemed cumulative with and not exclusive of any other remedy conferred hereby, or by law or equity upon such party, and the exercise by a party of any one remedy will not preclude the exercise of any other remedy.
Section 7.12 Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada without regard to principles of conflicts of law. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR OTHER PROCEEDING INSTITUTED BY OR AGAINST SUCH PARTY IN RESPECT OF ITS, HIS OR HER OBLIGATIONS HEREUNDER OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
Section 7.13 Rules of Construction. The parties hereto agree that they have been represented by counsel during the negotiation, preparation and execution of this Agreement and, therefore, waive the application of any law, regulation, holding or rule of construction providing that ambiguities in an agreement or other document will be construed against the party drafting such agreement or document.
Section 7.14 Further Assurances. Each of the parties to the Agreement shall use commercially reasonable efforts to effectuate the transactions contemplated hereby. Each party hereto, at the reasonable request of another party hereto, shall execute and deliver such other instruments and do and perform such other acts and things as may be necessary or desirable for effecting completely the consummation of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and Buyer each have caused this Option Agreement to be executed and delivered in their names by their respective duly authorized officers or representatives.
| COMPANY: | ||
| PACIFIC SOFTWARE, INC., | ||
| a Nevada corporation | ||
| By: | /s/ Harrysen Mittler | |
| Name: Harrysen Mittler | ||
| Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||
| BUYER: | ||
| DIGI ASSETS, INC., | ||
| a Nevada corporation | ||
| By: | /s/ Harrysen Mittler | |
| Name: Harrysen Mittler | ||
| Title: President, Director | ||
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Exhibit 6.6
NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THIS SECURITY IS CONVERTIBLE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO BORROWER. THIS SECURITY AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS SECURITY MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT WITH A REGISTERED BROKER-DEALER OR OTHER LOAN WITH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT IS AN “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” AS DEFINED IN RULE 501(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.
Original Issue Date: August 24, 2020
Principal Amount: $1,255,472
CONVERTIBLE NOTE
DUE AUGUST 24, 2021
THIS CONVERTIBLE NOTE is one of a series of duly authorized and validly issued notes of Pacific Software, Inc., a Nevada corporation, (the “Borrower”), having its principal place of business at 2 Bloor St. East, Suite 3500, Toronto, Canada, M4W 1A8, due August 24, 2021 (this note, the “Note” and, collectively with the other notes of such series, the “Notes”).
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, Borrower promises to pay to Southridge Fund Management Financial Services or its registered assigns (the “Holder”), maintaining an address at Executive Pavilion 90 Grove Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877 or shall have paid pursuant to the terms hereunder, the principal sum of dollars ($1,255,472) with interest as set forth below, on August 24, 2021 (the “Maturity Date”) or such earlier date as this Note is required or permitted to be repaid as provided hereunder, and to pay interest, if any, to the Holder on the aggregate unconverted and then outstanding principal amount of this Note in accordance with the provisions hereof.
This Note is subject to the following additional provisions:
Section 1. Definitions. For the purposes hereof, in addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Note, (a) capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Purchase Agreement and (b) the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Alternate Consideration” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(e).
“Bankruptcy Event” means any of the following events: (a) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof commences a case or other proceeding under any bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment of debt, relief of debtors, dissolution, insolvency or liquidation or similar law of any jurisdiction relating to Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof, (b) there is commenced against Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof any such case or proceeding that is not dismissed within 60 days after commencement, (c) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof is adjudicated insolvent or bankrupt or any order of relief or other order approving any such case or proceeding is entered, (d) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof suffers any appointment of any custodian or the like for it or any substantial part of its property that is not discharged or stayed within 60 calendar days after such appointment, (e) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, (f) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof calls a meeting of its creditors with a view to arranging a composition, adjustment or restructuring of its debts or (g) Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof, by any act or failure to act, expressly indicates its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any of the foregoing or takes any corporate or other action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing.
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“Base Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(b).
“Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(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 4(c)(v).
“Change of Control Transaction” means, other than by means of conversion or exercise of the Notes and the Securities issued together with the Notes, the occurrence after the date hereof of any of (a) an acquisition after the date hereof by an individual or legal entity or “group” (as described in Rule 13d-5(b)(1) promulgated under the Exchange Act) of effective control (whether through legal or beneficial ownership of capital stock of Borrower, by contract or otherwise) of in excess of 50% of the voting securities of Borrower, (b) Borrower merges into or consolidates with any other Person, or any Person merges into or consolidates with Borrower and, after giving effect to such transaction, the stockholders of Borrower immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of Borrower or the successor entity of such transaction, (c) Borrower sells or transfers all or substantially all of its assets to another Person and the stockholders of Borrower immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the aggregate voting power of the acquiring entity immediately after the transaction, (d) a replacement at one time or within a one year period of more than one-half of the members of the Board of Directors which is not approved by a majority of those individuals who are members of the Board of Directors on the Original Issue Date (or by those individuals who are serving as members of the Board of Directors on any date whose nomination to the Board of Directors was approved by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors who are members on the date hereof), or (e) the execution by Borrower of an agreement to which Borrower is a party or by which it is bound, providing for any of the events set forth in clauses (a) through (d) above.
“Closing Price” means on any particular date (a) the last reported closing bid price per share of Common Stock on such date on the Trading Market (as reported by Bloomberg L.P. at 4:15 p.m. (New York City time)), or (b) if there is no such price on such date, then the closing bid price on the Trading Market on the date nearest preceding such date (as reported by Bloomberg L.P. at 4:15 p.m. (New York City time)), or (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted on a Trading Market 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) if the shares of Common Stock are not then publicly traded the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holder and reasonably acceptable to Borrower, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by Borrower.
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“Conversion” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.
“Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).
“Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(b).
“Conversion Shares” means, collectively, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of this Note in accordance with the terms hereof.
“Event of Default” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(a).
“Fundamental Transaction” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(e).
“Interest Payment Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Lowest Closing Bid Price” means the lower of lowest closing bid price at which the Company’s Common Stock is traded on its Trading Market on the day prior to the Conversion Date.
“Mandatory Default Amount” means the greater of (i) the outstanding principal amount of this Note divided by the Conversion Price on the date the Mandatory Default Amount is either (A) demanded (if demand or notice is required to create an Event of Default) or otherwise due or (B) paid in full, whichever has a lower Conversion Price, (b) all other amounts, costs, expenses and liquidated damages due in respect of this Note.
“New York Courts” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9(d).
“Note Register” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(c).
“Notice of Conversion” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).
“Original Issue Date” means the date of the first issuance of the Notes, regardless of any transfers of any Note and regardless of the number of instruments which may be issued to evidence such Notes.
“Other Holders” means holders of Other Notes.
“Other Notes” means Notes nearly identical to this Note issued to Other Holders pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
“Purchase Agreement” means the Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of August 24, 2020 among Borrower and the Holders, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Share Delivery Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(c)(ii).
“Successor Entity” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(e).
“Threshold Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(b).
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“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, the OTC Bulletin Board, the OTCQB, or the OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Underlying Shares” means all of the Conversion Shares and all of the Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
“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 Board 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, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on the OTC Bulletin Board and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the OTCQX, OTCQB or OTC Pink Marketplace maintained by the OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock on the first such facility (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), 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 Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to Borrower, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by Borrower.
Section 2. Interest.
a) Interest in Cash. Holders shall be entitled to receive, and Borrower shall pay, cumulative interest on the outstanding principal amount of this Note compounded annually at the annual rate of three (3%) percent (all subject to increase as set forth in this Note), payable on the Maturity Date and on each Conversion Date, (with respect only to Note principal being converted) (each such date, an “Interest Payment Date”) (if any Interest Payment Date is not a Trading Day, the applicable payment shall be due on the next succeeding Trading Day) in cash only.
b) Payment Grace Period. The Borrower shall not have any grace period to pay any monetary amounts due under this Note except as specifically set forth herein.
c) Conversion Privileges. The Conversion Rights set forth in Section 4 shall remain in full force and effect immediately from the date hereof and until the Note is paid in full regardless of the occurrence of an Event of Default. This Note shall be payable in full on the Maturity Date, unless previously converted into Common Stock in accordance with Section 4 hereof.
d) Application of Payments. Interest on this Note shall be calculated on the basis of a 360-day year and the actual number of days elapsed. Payments made in connection with this Note shall be applied first to amounts due hereunder other than principal and interest, thereafter to interest and finally to principal.
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e) Pari Passu. Except as otherwise set forth herein, all payments made on this Note and the Other Notes and all actions taken by the Borrower with respect to this Note and the Other Notes, shall be made and taken pari passu with respect to this Note and the Other Notes.
f) Manner and Place of Payment. Principal and interest on this Note and other payments in connection with this Note shall be payable at the Holder’s offices as designated above in lawful money of the United States of America in immediately available funds without set-off, deduction or counterclaim. Upon assignment of the interest of Holder in this Note, Borrower shall instead make its payment pursuant to the assignee’s instructions upon receipt of written notice thereof. Except as set forth herein, this Note may not be prepaid or mandatorily converted without the consent of the Holder.
Section 3. Registration of Transfers and Exchanges.
a) Different Denominations. This Note is exchangeable for an equal aggregate principal amount of Notes of different authorized denominations, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same. No service charge will be payable for such registration of transfer or exchange.
b) Investment Representations. This Note has been issued subject to certain investment representations of the original Holder set forth in the Purchase Agreement and may be transferred or exchanged only in compliance with the Purchase Agreement and applicable federal and state securities laws and regulations.
c) Reliance on Note Register. Prior to due presentment for transfer to Borrower of this Note, Borrower and any agent of Borrower may treat the Person in whose name this Note is duly registered on the Note Register as the owner hereof for the purpose of receiving payment as herein provided and for all other purposes, whether or not this Note is overdue, and neither Borrower nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
Section 4. Conversion.
a) Conversion. At any time after the Original Issue Date (the “Initial Conversion Date”), until this Note is no longer outstanding, this Note shall be convertible, in whole or in part, into shares of Common Stock at the option of the Holder, at any time and from time to time (subject to the conversion limitations set forth in Section 4(d) hereof). The Holder shall effect conversions by delivering to Borrower a Notice of Conversion, the form of which is attached hereto as Annex A (each, a “Notice of Conversion”), specifying therein the principal amount of this Note to be converted and the date on which such conversion shall be effected (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 is deemed delivered hereunder. To effect conversions hereunder, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Note to Borrower unless the entire principal amount of this Note has been so converted. Conversions hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding principal amount of this Note in an amount equal to the applicable conversion. The Holder and Borrower shall maintain records showing the principal amount(s) converted and the date of such conversion(s). Borrower may deliver an objection to any Notice of Conversion within one (1) Business Day of delivery of such Notice of Conversion. In the event of any dispute or discrepancy, the records of the Holder shall be controlling and determinative in the absence of manifest error. The Holder, and any assignee by acceptance of this Note, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following conversion of a portion of this Note, the unpaid and unconverted principal amount of this Note may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
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b) Conversion Price. The conversion price for the principal in connection with voluntary conversions by the Holder shall be 25% of Lowest Closing Bid Price for the 20 Trading Days prior to the Conversion Date (the “Conversion Price”).
c) Mechanics of Conversion.
i. Conversion Shares Issuable Upon Conversion of Principal Amount. The number of Conversion Shares issuable upon a conversion hereunder shall be determined by the quotient obtained by dividing the outstanding principal amount of this Note to be converted by (y) the Conversion Price.
ii. Delivery of Certificate Upon Conversion. Not later than two (2) Trading Days after each Conversion Date (the “Share Delivery Date”), and provided there is a sale of such Conversion Shares either pursuant to Rule 144 or an effective Registration Statement, as the case may be, Borrower shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Holder a certificate or certificates representing the Conversion Shares which, on or after the earlier of (i) the six month anniversary of the Original Issue Date or (ii) the Effective Date, shall be free of restrictive legends and trading restrictions (other than those which may then be required by the Purchase Agreement) representing the number of Conversion Shares being acquired upon the conversion of this Note. On or after the earlier of (i) the six month anniversary of the Original Issue Date or (ii) the Effective Date, provided there is a sale of such Conversion Shares either pursuant to Rule 144 or an effective Registration Statement, as the case may be, Borrower shall use its best efforts to deliver any certificate or certificates required to be delivered by Borrower under this Section 4(c) electronically through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions.
iii. Failure to Deliver Certificates. If, in the case of any Notice of Conversion, such certificate or certificates 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 Borrower at any time on or before its receipt of such certificate or certificates, to rescind such Conversion, in which event Borrower shall promptly return to the Holder any original Note delivered to Borrower and the Holder shall promptly return to Borrower the Common Stock certificates issued to such Holder pursuant to the rescinded Conversion Notice.
iv. Obligation Absolute; Partial Liquidated Damages. Borrower’s obligations to issue and deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion of this Note in accordance with the terms hereof are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by the 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 the Holder or any other Person of any obligation to Borrower or any violation or alleged violation of law by the Holder or any other Person, and irrespective of any other circumstance which might otherwise limit such obligation of Borrower to the Holder in connection with the issuance of such Conversion Shares; provided, however, that such delivery shall not operate as a waiver by Borrower of any such action Borrower may have against the Holder. In the event the Holder of this Note shall elect to convert any or all of the outstanding principal amount hereof, Borrower may not refuse conversion based on any claim that the Holder or anyone associated or affiliated with the Holder has been engaged in any violation of law, agreement or for any other reason, unless an injunction from a court, on notice to Holder, restraining and or enjoining conversion of all or part of this Note shall have been sought and obtained, and Borrower posts a surety bond for the benefit of the Holder in the amount of 150% of the outstanding principal amount of this Note, which is subject to the injunction, which bond shall remain in effect until the completion of arbitration/litigation of the underlying dispute and the proceeds of which shall be payable to the Holder to the extent it obtains judgment. In the absence of such injunction, Borrower shall issue Conversion Shares or, if applicable, cash, upon a properly noticed conversion. If Borrower fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder such certificate or certificates pursuant to Section 4(c)(ii) by the Share Delivery Date, Borrower shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of principal amount being converted, $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth (5th) Trading Day after such liquidated damages being to accrue) for each Trading Day after such Share Delivery Date until such certificates are delivered or Holder rescinds such conversion. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue actual damages or declare an Event of Default pursuant to Section 8 hereof for Borrower’s failure to deliver Conversion Shares within the period specified herein and the 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 the Holder from seeking to enforce damages pursuant to any other Section hereof or under applicable law.
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v. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Certificates Upon Conversion. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if Borrower fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder such certificate or certificates by the Share Delivery Date pursuant to Section 4(c)(ii), and if after such Share Delivery Date the Holder is required by its brokerage firm to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise), or the Holder or Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Conversion Shares which the Holder was entitled to receive upon the conversion relating to such Share Delivery Date (a “Buy-In”), then Borrower shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder (in addition to any other remedies available to or elected by the Holder) the amount, if any, by which (x) the 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 the 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 the Holder, either reissue (if surrendered) this Note in a principal amount equal to the principal amount of the attempted conversion (in which case such conversion shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if Borrower had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 4(c)(ii). 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 conversion of this Note 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, Borrower shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide Borrower written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of Borrower, 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 Borrower’s failure to timely deliver certificates representing shares of Common Stock upon conversion of this Note as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
vi. Reservation of Shares Issuable Upon Conversion. Borrower 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 this Note 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 Notes), not less than one hundred (100%) percent of the 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 5) upon the conversion of the then outstanding principal amount of this Note at the Conversion Price (as adjusted from time to time), assuming such principal amount was not converted through the Maturity Date. Borrower covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
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vii. Fractional Shares. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the conversion of this Note. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such conversion, Borrower 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.
viii. Transfer Taxes and Expenses. The issuance of certificates for shares of the Common Stock on conversion of this Note shall be made without charge to the Holder hereof for any documentary stamp or similar taxes that may be payable in respect of the issue or delivery of such certificates, provided that, Borrower 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 certificate upon conversion in a name other than that of the Holder of this Note so converted and Borrower shall not be required to issue or deliver such certificates unless or until the Person or Persons requesting the issuance thereof shall have paid to Borrower the amount of such tax or shall have established to the satisfaction of Borrower that such tax has been paid. Borrower shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Conversion.
(d) Holder’s Conversion Limitations. (a) Borrower shall not effect any conversion of this Note, and a Holder shall not have the right to convert any portion of this Note, to the extent that after giving effect to the conversion set forth on the applicable Notice of Conversion, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any 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 conversion of this Note 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 principal amount of this Note beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of Borrower subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein (including, without limitation, any other Notes or the Warrants) beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 4(d), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 4(d) applies, the determination of whether this Note is convertible (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates) and of which principal amount of this Note is convertible shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Conversion shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Note may be converted (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates) and which principal amount of this Note is convertible, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation. To ensure compliance with this restriction, the Holder will be deemed to represent to Borrower each time it delivers a Notice of Conversion that such Notice of Conversion has not violated the restrictions set forth in this paragraph and Borrower 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 4(d), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as stated in the most recent of the following: (i) Borrower’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (ii) a more recent public announcement by Borrower, or (iii) a more recent written notice by Borrower or Borrower’s transfer agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, Borrower 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 Borrower, including this Note, 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 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 this Note held by the Holder. The Holder may decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation at any time and the Holder, upon not less than 61 days’ prior notice to Borrower, may increase the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 4(d), 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 Note held by the Holder and the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 4(d) shall continue to apply. Any such increase will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to Borrower. The Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 4(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 this Note.
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Section 5. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If Borrower, at any time while this Note 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 Common Stock Equivalents (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by Borrower upon conversion of the Notes), (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 Borrower, 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 Borrower) 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 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) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 5(a) above, if at any time Borrower grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to all of 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 conversion of this Note (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).
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c) Intentionally omitted.
d) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Note is outstanding, if Borrower 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 Note, 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 Note (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).
e) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Note is outstanding, (i) Borrower, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of Borrower with or into another Person, (ii) Borrower, 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 Borrower 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) Borrower, 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) Borrower, 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 Note, 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 4(d) and Section 4(e) on the conversion of this Note), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of Borrower, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Note is convertible immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 4(d) and Section 4(e) on the conversion of this Note). 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 (1) share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and Borrower 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 Note following such Fundamental Transaction. Borrower shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which Borrower is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of Borrower under this Note and the other Transaction Documents (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) in accordance with the provisions of this Section 5(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 Note, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Note a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Note 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 Note (without regard to any limitations on the conversion of this Note) 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 Note 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 Note and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of Borrower and shall assume all of the obligations of Borrower under this Note and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as Borrower herein.
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f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 5 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 5, 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 Borrower) issued and outstanding.
g) Notice to the Holder.
i. Adjustment to Conversion Price. Whenever the Conversion Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 5, Borrower 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) Borrower shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) Borrower shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) Borrower 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) the approval of any stockholders of Borrower shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which Borrower is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of Borrower, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property or (E) Borrower shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of Borrower, then, in each case, Borrower shall cause to be filed at each office or agency maintained for the purpose of conversion of this Note, and shall cause to be delivered to the Holder at its last address as it shall appear upon the Note Register, 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 Borrower or any of the Subsidiaries, Borrower shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to convert this Note 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.
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Section 6. Prepayment. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Borrower may not prepay or redeem this Note in whole or in part without the prior written consent of the Holder, and to the extent the Borrower agrees with Other Holders to prepay or redeem Other Notes in whole or in part, the Borrower shall offer such prepayment or redemption of this Note on a pro rata basis on the same terms and conditions as agreed upon by the Holder and all Other Holders for such Other Notes.
Section 7. Negative Covenants. Prior to the Maturity Date (notwithstanding any limitations on issuance of Common Stock), and for so long as an amount in excess of 25% of this Note remains outstanding, unless the Lead Investor shall have otherwise given prior written consent, Borrower shall not, and shall not permit any of the Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly:
a) other than its existing indebtedness, enter into, create, incur, assume, guarantee or suffer to exist any indebtedness for borrowed money of any kind, including, but not limited to, a guarantee, on or with respect to any of its property or assets now owned or hereafter acquired or any interest therein or any income or profits therefrom, except for accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business;
b) other than Existing Liens, enter into, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Liens of any kind, on or with respect to any of its property or assets now owned or hereafter acquired or any interest therein or any income or profits therefrom;
c) amend its charter documents, including, without limitation, its certificate of incorporation and bylaws, in any manner that materially and adversely affects any rights of the Holder;
d) repay, repurchase or offer to repay, repurchase or otherwise acquire more than a de minimis number of shares of its Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents other than as to the Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares as permitted or required under the Transaction Documents;
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e) redeem, defease, repurchase, repay or make any payments in respect of, by the payment of cash or cash equivalents (in whole or in part, whether by way of open market purchases, tender offers, private transactions or otherwise), all or any portion of any Indebtedness (other than the Notes if on a pro-rata basis), whether by way of payment in respect of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on, such Indebtedness, the foregoing restriction shall also apply to Permitted Indebtedness from and after the occurrence of an Event of Default;
f) 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;
g) issue any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents except as permitted pursuant to the Purchase Agreement;
h) enter into any transaction with any Affiliate of Borrower which would be required to be disclosed in any public filing with the Commission, unless such transaction is made on an arm’s-length basis and expressly approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of Borrower (even if less than a quorum otherwise required for board approval); or
i) enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing.
Section 8. Events of Default.
a) “Event of Default” means, wherever used herein, any of the following events (whatever the reason for such event and whether such event shall be voluntary or involuntary or effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court, or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):
i. any default in the payment of (A) the principal amount of any Note or (B) liquidated damages and other amounts owing to a Holder on any Note, as and when the same shall become due and payable (whether on a Conversion Date or the Maturity Date or by acceleration or otherwise) which default, solely in the case of a default under clause (B) above, is not cured within 2 Trading Days after Borrower has become or should have become aware of such default;
ii. Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any other covenant or agreement contained in the Notes (other than a breach by Borrower of its obligations to deliver shares of Common Stock to the Holder upon conversion, which breach is addressed in clause (x) below) which failure is not cured, if possible to cure, within the earlier to occur of (A) 5 Trading Days after notice of such failure sent by the Holder or by any Other Holder to Borrower and (B) 10 Trading Days after Borrower has become or should have become aware of such failure;
iii. a default or event of default (subject to any grace or cure period provided in the applicable agreement, document or instrument) shall occur under (A) any of the Transaction Documents, including but not limited to failure to strictly comply with the provisions of the Warrants, or (B) any other material agreement, lease, document or instrument to which Borrower is obligated (and not covered by clause (vi) below);
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iv. any material representation or warranty made in this Note, any other Transaction Documents, any written statement pursuant hereto or thereto or any other report, financial statement or certificate made or delivered to the Holder or any Other Holder in connection therewith shall be untrue or incorrect in any material respect as of the date when made or deemed made;
v. Borrower shall be subject to a Bankruptcy Event;
vi. Borrower or any Subsidiary shall default on any of its obligations under any mortgage, credit agreement or other facility, indenture agreement, factoring agreement or other instrument under which there may be issued, or by which there may be secured or evidenced, any indebtedness for borrowed money or money due under any long term leasing or factoring arrangement that (a) involves an obligation greater than $250,000, whether such indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created, and (b) results in such indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise become due and payable;
vii. Borrower does not meet the current public information requirements under Rule 144;
viii. Borrower shall fail for any reason to deliver certificates to a Holder prior to the fifth Trading Day after a Conversion Date pursuant to Section 4(c) or Borrower shall provide at any time notice to the Holder, including by way of public announcement, of Borrower’s intention to not honor requests for conversions of any Notes in accordance with the terms hereof;
ix. Borrower shall have, any monetary judgment, writ or similar final process shall be entered or filed against Borrower, any subsidiary or any of their respective property or other assets for more than $250,000, and such judgment, writ or similar final process shall remain unvacated, unbonded or unstayed for a period of 90 calendar days;
x. any dissolution, liquidation or winding up by Borrower of a material Subsidiary of a substantial portion of their business;
xi. cessation of operations by Borrower or a material Subsidiary;
xii. An event resulting in the Common Stock no longer being listed or quoted on a Trading Market;
xiii. a Commission or judicial stop trade order or suspension from its Principal Trading Market;
xiv. a failure by Borrower to notify Holder of any material event of which Borrower is obligated to notify Holder pursuant to the terms of this Note or any other Transaction Document;
xv. a default by the Borrower of a material term, covenant, warranty or undertaking of any other agreement to which the Borrower and Holder are parties, or the occurrence of an event of default under any such other agreement to which Borrower and Holder are parties which is not cured after any required notice and/or cure period;
xvi. the occurrence of an Event of Default under any Other Note;
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xvii. the restatement after the date hereof of any financial statements filed by the Borrower with the Commission for any date or period from two years prior to the Original Issue Date and until this Note is no longer outstanding, if the result of such restatement would, by comparison to the unrestated financial statements, have constituted a Material Adverse Effect. For the avoidance of doubt, any restatement related to new accounting pronouncements shall not constitute a default under this Section; or
xviii. any provision of any Transaction Document shall at any time for any reason (other than pursuant to the express terms thereof) cease to be valid and binding on or enforceable against the parties thereto, or the validity or enforceability thereof shall be contested by any party thereto, or a proceeding shall be commenced by Borrower or any Subsidiary or any governmental authority having jurisdiction seeking to establish the invalidity or unenforceability thereof, or Borrower or any Subsidiary shall deny in writing that it has any liability or obligation purported to be created under any Transaction Document.
b) Remedies Upon Event of Default, Fundamental Transaction and Change of Control Transaction. If any Event of Default or a Fundamental Transaction the outstanding principal amount of this Note, liquidated damages and other amounts owing in respect thereof through the date of acceleration, shall become, at the Holder’s election, immediately due and payable in cash at the Mandatory Default Amount. Commencing on the Maturity Date and also five (5) days after the occurrence of any Event of Default interest on this Note shall accrue at an interest rate equal to the lesser of 15% per annum or the maximum rate permitted under applicable law. Upon the payment in full of the Mandatory Default Amount, the Holder shall promptly surrender this Note to or as directed by Borrower. In connection with such acceleration described herein, the Holder need not provide, and Borrower hereby waives, any presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, and the Holder may immediately and without expiration of any grace period enforce any and all of its rights and remedies hereunder and all other remedies available to it under applicable law. Such acceleration may be rescinded and annulled by Holder at any time prior to payment hereunder and the Holder shall have all rights as a holder of the Note until such time, if any, as the Holder receives full payment pursuant to this Section 8(b). No such rescission or annulment shall affect any subsequent Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 9. Miscellaneous.
a) Notices. All notices, demands, requests, consents, approvals, and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and, unless otherwise specified herein, shall be (i) personally served, (ii) deposited in the mail, registered or certified, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, (iii) delivered by reputable air courier service with charges prepaid, or (iv) transmitted by hand delivery, telegram, or facsimile, addressed as set forth below or to such other address as such party shall have specified most recently by written notice. Any notice or other communication required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be deemed effective (a) upon hand delivery or delivery by facsimile, with accurate confirmation generated by the transmitting facsimile machine, at the address or number designated below (if delivered on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received), or the first business day following such delivery (if delivered other than on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received) or (b) on the second business day following the date of mailing by express courier service, fully prepaid, addressed to such address, or upon actual receipt of such mailing, whichever shall first occur. The addresses for such communications shall be: (i) if to Borrower, to: Pacific Software, Inc., 2 Bloor St., Suite 3500, Toronto Ont., M4W 1A8, Canada, Attn: Harrysen Mittler, CEO, email: HarrysenMittler@gmail.com, with a copy by email only to (which shall not constitute notice): Andrew Coldicutt, Esq., email: Andrew@ColdicuttLaw.com, and (ii) if to the Holder, to: the address and fax number indicated on the front page of this Note, with an additional copy by fax only to (which shall not constitute notice): Grushko & Mittman, P.C., 515 Rockaway Avenue, Valley Stream, New York 11581, facsimile: (212) 697-3575.
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b) Absolute Obligation. Except as expressly provided herein, no provision of this Note shall alter or impair the obligation of Borrower, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of, liquidated damages and accrued interest, as applicable, on this Note at the time, place, and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed. This Note is a direct debt obligation of Borrower. This Note ranks pari passu with all Other Notes now or hereafter issued under the terms set forth herein.
c) Lost or Mutilated Note. If this Note shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, Borrower shall execute and deliver, in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of a mutilated Note, or in lieu of or in substitution for a lost, stolen or destroyed Note, a new Note for the principal amount of this Note so mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, but only upon receipt of evidence of such loss, theft or destruction of such Note, and of the ownership hereof, reasonably satisfactory to Borrower.
d) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Note 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 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 Note 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 Note or the transactions contemplated hereby. If any party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Note, 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. This Note shall be deemed an unconditional obligation of Borrower for the payment of money and, without limitation to any other remedies of Holder, may be enforced against Borrower by summary proceeding pursuant to New York Civil Procedure Law and Rules Section 3213 or any similar rule or statute in the jurisdiction where enforcement is sought. For purposes of such rule or statute, any other document or agreement to which Holder and Borrower are parties or which Borrower delivered to Holder, which may be convenient or necessary to determine Holder’s rights hereunder or Borrower’s obligations to Holder are deemed a part of this Note, whether or not such other document or agreement was delivered together herewith or was executed apart from this Note.
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e) Waiver. Any waiver by Borrower or the Holder of a breach of any provision of this Note 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 Note. The failure of Borrower or the Holder to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Note on one or more occasions shall not be considered a waiver or deprive that party of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any other term of this Note on any other occasion. Any waiver by Borrower or the Holder must be in writing.
f) Severability. If any provision of this Note is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the balance of this Note 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.
g) Usury. 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. Borrower covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it shall not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law or other law which would prohibit or forgive Borrower from paying all or any portion of the principal of or interest on this Note as contemplated herein, wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Note, and Borrower (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefits or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Holder, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such as though no such law has been enacted.
h) 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.
i) Headings. The headings contained herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Note and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
j) Amendment. Unless otherwise provided for hereunder, this Note may not be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived without the written consent of Borrower and the Holder.
k) Facsimile Signature. In the event that the Borrower’s signature is delivered by facsimile transmission, PDF, electronic signature or other similar electronic means, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the Borrower with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.
*********************
(Signature Pages Follow)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Borrower has caused this Note to be signed in its name by an authorized officer as of date written above.
| PACIFIC SOFTWARE, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Harrysen Mittler | |
| Name: Harrysen Mittler | ||
| Title: CEO | ||
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ANNEX A
NOTICE OF CONVERSION
The undersigned hereby elects to convert principal under the Convertible Note due August 24, 2021 of Pacific Software, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Borrower”), into shares of common stock (the “Common Stock”), of Borrower 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 reasonably requested by Borrower in accordance therewith. No fee will be charged to the holder for any conversion, except for such transfer taxes, if any.
By the delivery of this Notice of Conversion the undersigned represents and warrants to Borrower that its ownership of the Common Stock does not exceed the amounts specified under Section 4 of this Note, as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act.
The undersigned agrees to comply with the prospectus delivery requirements under the applicable securities laws in connection with any transfer of the aforesaid shares of Common Stock.
Conversion calculations:
| Date to Effect Conversion:______________________________________ | |
| Principal Amount of Note to be Converted: $_______________________ | |
| Number of shares of Common Stock to be issued: ___________________ | |
| Signature: _______________________ | |
| Name: _______________________ | |
| Address for Delivery of Common Stock Certificates: ________________ | |
| __________________________________________________________ | |
| __________________________________________________________ | |
| Or | |
| DWAC Instructions: __________________________________________ | |
| Broker No: _________________ | |
| Account No: ________________ |
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Exhibit 6.7
WORLD
OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC.
FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
| November 11, 2014 | WEST HARTFORD WOB LLC | |
| AGREEMENT DATE | NAME OF FRANCHISEE | |
| STORE LOCATION: | ADDRESS OF FRANCHISEE: | |
73 Isham Road #B-30 |
505 South Flagler Drive, Suite 1010 | |
West Hartford Connecticut 06107 |
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 | |
THIS AGREEMENT REQUIRES CERTAIN DISPUTES TO BE SUBMITTED TO BINDING ARBITRATION.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | |||
| 1. | INTRODUCTION | 1 | |
| 1.1 | THE WORLD OF BEER® SYSTEM. | 1 | |
| 1.2 | ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 1 | |
| 1.3 | REPRESENTATIONS. | 2 | |
| 1.4 | NO WARRANTIES. | 2 | |
| 1.5 | BUSINESS ORGANIZATION | 3 | |
| 1.6 | OPERATING PRINCIPAL/MANAGEMENT OF BUSINESS. | 4 | |
| 2. | GRANT AND TERM | 4 | |
| 2.1 | TERM | 4 | |
| 2.2 | GRANT OF FRANCHISE | 4 | |
| 2.3 | YOUR SITE. | 5 | |
| 2.4 | PROTECTED TERRITORY. | 5 | |
| 2.5 | RIGHTS WE RESERVE. | 5 | |
| 3. | SUCCESSOR TERMS | 6 | |
| 3.1 | YOUR RIGHT TO ACQUIRE A SUCCESSOR FRANCHISE. | 6 | |
| 3.2 | GRANT OF A SUCCESSOR FRANCHISE. | 6 | |
| 3.3 | AGREEMENTS/RELEASES | 7 | |
| 3.4 | TRAINING AND REFRESHER PROGRAMS. | 8 | |
| 3.5 | FEES AND EXPENSES. | 8 | |
| 3.6 | SUBSEQUENT SUCCESSOR FRANCHISES | 8 | |
| 4, | SITE SELECTION AND DEVELOPMENT | 8 | |
| 4.1 | SITE SELECTION | 8 | |
| 4.2 | ACKNOWLEDGMENTS REGARDING SITE APPROVAL | 8 | |
| 4.3 | LEASE OF SITE | 9 | |
| 4.4 | OWNERSHIP AND FINANCING. | 10 | |
| 5. | WOB STORE DEVELOPMENT, DECOR AND OPERATING ASSETS | 11 | |
| 5.1 | WOB STORE DEVELOPMENT | 11 | |
| 5.2 | DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES. | 11 | |
| 5.3 | DECOR | 11 | |
| 5.4 | OPERATING ASSETS AND WOB STORE MATERIALS. | 11 | |
| 5.5 | CHANGES TO APPROVED SUPPLIERS | 12 | |
| 5.6 | PREFERRED VENDOR PROGRAMS. | 12 | |
| 5.7 | MUSIC AND OTHER AUDIO AND VISUAL ENTERTAINMENT | 13 | |
| 5.8 | WOB STORE OPENING | 13 | |
| 5.9 | TIME TO OPENING | 13 | |
| 6. | FEES | 13 | |
| 6.1 | FRANCHISE FEE. | 13 | |
| 6.2 | ROYALTY FEE, | 13 | |
| 6.3 | ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER AND PAYMENT PROCEDURE. | 14 | |
| 6.4 | DEFINITION OF "NET SALES." | 14 | |
| 6.5 | INTEREST ON LATE PAYMENTS | 14 | |
| 6.6 | LATE PAYMENT PENALTIES | 15 | |
| 6.7 | INSUFFICIENT FUNDS CHARGE | 15 | |
| 6.8 | APPLICATION OF PAYMENTS. | 15 | |
| 6.9 | PAYMENT OFFSETS | 15 | |
| 6.10 | DISCONTINUANCE OF SERVICE. | 15 | |
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| 7. | TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE | 15 | |
| 7.1 | INITIAL TRAINING. | 15 | |
| 7.2 | FAILURE TO COMPLETE INITIAL TRAINING | 15 | |
| 7.3 | OPENING ASSISTANCE. | 16 | |
| 7.4 | ONGOING ASSISTANCE, | 16 | |
| 7.5 | ADDITIONAL TRAINING. | 16 | |
| 7.6 | ANNUAL CONFERENCE | 16 | |
| 7.7 | GENERAL GUIDANCE | 17 | |
| 7.8 | YOUR CERTIFIED TRAINING PROGRAMS. | 17 | |
| 8. | MARKS | 17 | |
| 8.1 | OWNERSHIP AND GOODWILL OF MARKS | 17 | |
| 8.2 | LIMITATIONS ON YOUR USE OF MARKS. | 18 | |
| 8.3 | NOTIFICATION OF INFRINGEMENTS AND CLAIMS. | 18 | |
| 8.4 | DISCONTINUANCE OF USE OF MARKS. | 18 | |
| 8.5 | INDEMNIFICATION | 18 | |
| 8.6 | SIGNAGE | 19 | |
| 9. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION | 19 | |
| 9.1 | TYPES OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION, | 19 | |
| 9.2 | DISCLOSURE AND LIMITATIONS ON USE | 20 | |
| 9.3 | CONFIDENTIALITY OBLIGATIONS. | 20 | |
| 9.4 | EXCEPTIONS TO CONFIDENTIALITY. | 20 | |
| 10. | EXCLUSIVE RELATIONSHIP | 21 | |
| 11. | OPERATION AND SYSTEM STANDARDS | 21 | |
| 11.1 | CONFIDENTIAL OPERATIONS MANUAL | 21 | |
| 11.2 | COMPLIANCE WITH SYSTEM STANDARDS | 22 | |
| 11.3 | MODIFICATION OF SYSTEM STANDARDS. | 23 | |
| 11.4 | INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR UPKEEP. | 24 | |
| 11.5 | HOURS OF OPERATION. | 24 | |
| 11.6 | TRADE ACCOUNTS AND TAXES. | 24 | |
| 11.7 | PROPRIETARY PRODUCTS. | 24 | |
| 11.8 | APPROVED PRODUCTS | 24 | |
| 11.9 | PRICING. | 25 | |
| 11.10 | BEER AND WINE LICENSES AND BUSINESS LICENSES | 25 | |
| 11.11 | COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS | 25 | |
| 11.12 | MANAGEMENT, | 25 | |
| 11.13 | PERSONNEL. | 26 | |
| 11.14 | ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE AND/OR FOOD AGREEMENTS. | 26 | |
| 12. | POINT OF SALE SYSTEM AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY | 26 | |
| 13. | MARKETING AND PROMOTION | 27 | |
| 13.1 | GRAND OPENING | 27 | |
| 13.2 | ESTABLISHMENT OF MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT FUND | 28 | |
| 13.3 | USE OF THE FUNDS | 28 | |
| 13.4 | ACCOUNTING FOR THE FUNDS. | 29 | |
| 13.5 | MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT FUND LIMITATIONS. | 29 | |
| 13.6 | LOCAL ADVERTISING. | 29 | |
| 13.7 | COOPERATIVE ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION | 29 | |
| 13.8 | APPROVAL OF ADVERTISING. | 30 | |
| 13.9 | TELEPHONE DIRECTORY ADVERTISING, | 30 | |
| 13.10 | INTERNET MARKETING | 30 | |
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| 13.11 | SUPPLEMENTAL MARKETING. | 31 | |
| 14. | RECORDS, REPORTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | 31 | |
| 14.1 | ACCOUNTING SYSTEM | 31 | |
| 14.2 | ACCOUNTING, COMPUTERS AND RECORDS, | 31 | |
| 14.3 | REPORTS. | 31 | |
| 14.4 | ACCESS TO INFORMATION. | 32 | |
| 14.5 | COPIES OF REPORTS. | 32 | |
| 15. | INSPECTIONS AND AUDITS | 32 | |
| 15.1 | OUR RIGHT TO INSPECT THE WOB STORE | 32 | |
| 15.2 | OUR RIGHT TO AUDIT. | 33 | |
| 16. | INSURANCE | 33 | |
| 17. | ADVISORY COUNCIL | 34 | |
| 17.1 | OUR RIGHT TO CREATE ADVISORY COUNCIL | 34 | |
| 17.2 | YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN FRANCHISE ADVISORY COUNCIL. | 34 | |
| 18. | TRANSFER | 34 | |
| 18.1 | BY Us | 34 | |
| 18.2 | BY You | 34 | |
| 18.3 | CONDITIONS FOR APPROVAL OF TRANSFER | 35 | |
| 18.4 | TRANSFER TO A BUSINESS ENTITY | 36 | |
| 18.5 | TRANSFER UPON DEATH OR DISABILITY | 36 | |
| 18.6 | OPERATION UPON DEATH OR DISABILITY | 37 | |
| 18.7 | EFFECT OF CONSENT TO TRANSFER | 37 | |
| 18.8 | OUR RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL. | 37 | |
| 19. | TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT | 38 | |
| 19.1 | BY YOU | 38 | |
| 19.2 | BY US | 38 | |
| 20. | RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS UPON TERMINATION | 40 | |
| 20.1 | PAYMENT OF AMOUNTS OWED TO US | 40 | |
| 20.2 | MARKS | 40 | |
| 20.3 | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. | 41 | |
| 20.4 | COMPETITIVE RESTRICTIONS. | 41 | |
| 20.5 | OUR RIGHT TO PURCHASE | 42 | |
| 20.6 | CONTINUING OBLIGATIONS | 43 | |
| 21. | RELATIONSHIP OF THE PARTIES/INDEMNIFICATION | 43 | |
| 21.1 | INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS. | 43 | |
| 21.2 | No LIABILITY FOR ACTS OF OTHER PARTY | 44 | |
| 21.3 | TAXES. | 44 | |
| 21.4 | INDEMNIFICATION. | 44 | |
| 22. | ENFORCEMENT | 44 | |
| 22.1 | SEVERABILITY; SUBSTITUTION OF VALID PROVISIONS | 44 | |
| 22.2 | WAIVERS | 45 | |
| 22.3 | LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. | 45 | |
| 22.4 | APPROVAL AND CONSENTS. | 45 | |
| 22.5 | WAIVER OF PUNITIVE DAMAGES | 45 | |
| 22.6 | LIMITATIONS OF CLAIMS. | 45 | |
| 22.7 | GOVERNING LAW. | 45 | |
| 22.8 | JURISDICTION. | 46 | |
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| 22.9 | WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. | 46 | |
| 22.10 | CUMULATIVE REMEDIES. | 46 | |
| 22.11 | COSTS AND ATTORNEYS' FEES. | 46 | |
| 22.12 | BINDING EFFECT. | 46 | |
| 22.13 | ENTIRE AGREEMENT. | 46 | |
| 22.14 | No LIABILITY TO OTHERS; NO OTHER BENEFICIARIES. | 46 | |
| 22.15 | CONSTRUCTION. | 47 | |
| 22.16 | CERTAIN DEFINITIONS | 47 | |
| 22.17 | TIMING. | 47 | |
| 22.18 | PRIVATE DISPUTES | 47 | |
| 23. | DISPUTE RESOLUTION | 47 | |
| 23.1 | MEDIATION | 47 | |
| 23.2 | AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE | 48 | |
| 23.3 | PLACE AND PROCEDURE | 48 | |
| 23.4 | AWARDS AND DECISIONS | 48 | |
| 23.5 | SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE | 49 | |
| 23.6 | THIRD PARTIES | 49 | |
| 23.7 | SURVIVAL | 49 | |
| 24. | NOTICES AND PAYMENTS | 49 | |
EXHIBITS:
| Exhibit A | The Site | A-1 | |
| Exhibit B | Map or Description of Designated Area | B-1 | |
| Exhibit C | Map or Description of Protected Territory | C-1 | |
| Exhibit D | Index | D-1 |
iv
WORLD
OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC.
FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
THIS FRANCHISE AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") is effective as of November 11, 2014 (the "Agreement Date"). The parties to this Agreement are WORLD OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC., a Florida corporation, with its principal business address at 10910 Sheldon Road, Tampa, Florida 33626 (referred to in this Agreement as "Franchisor," "we," "us" or "our"), and WEST HARTFORD WOB, LLC, a Florida limited liability company, whose principal business address is 505 South Flagler Drive, Suite 1010, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 (referred to in this Agreement as "yon," "your" or "Franchisee").
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The WORLD OF BEER®, System. We and our affiliates have expended considerable time and effort in developing retail alcohol establishments that offer and sell bottled and canned imported and domestic beers, wines, cigars and certain other products we authorize from time to time for retail take out as well as serving draft, bottled and canned domestic and imported beers, wines, cigars and certain food products and other products we authorize from time to time for on-premises consumption in a distinctive and innovative store and pub enviromnent (“WOB Stores”). WOB Stores operate under the Marks (defined below) and under distinctive business formats, methods, procedures, designs, layouts, signs, equipment, menus, recipes, trade dress, standards and specifications, all of which we may improve, further develop or otherwise modify from time to time (collectively, the “System”).
We use, promote and license certain trademarks, service marks and other commercial symbols in the operation of WOB Stores, including the trade name, trademark and service mark “WORLD OF BEER®” and other associated logos, designs, artwork and trade dress, which have gained and continue to gain public acceptance and goodwill, and may create, use and license additional trademarks, service marks and commercial symbols in conjunction with the operation of WOB Stores (collectively, the “Marks”). We grant to persons who meet our qualifications and are willing to undertake the investment and effort, a franchise to own and operate a WOB Store offering the products (food and non-food) and services we authorize and approve and utilizing the System. You have applied for a franchise to own and operate a WOB Store.
1.2 Acknowledgments. You acknowledge and agree that:
(a) you have read this Agreement and our Franchise Disclosure Document;
(b) you understand and accept the terms, conditions and covenants contained in this Agreement as being reasonably necessary to maintain our high standards of quality and service and the uniformity of those standards at each WOB Store and to protect and preserve the goodwill of the Marks;
(c) you have conducted an independent investigation of the business venture contemplated by this Agreement and recognize that, like any other business, the nature of the business conducted by a WOB Store may evolve and change over time;
(d) an investment in a WOB Store involves business risks and that your business abilities and efforts are vital to the success of the venture;
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(e) any information you acquire from other WOB Store franchisees relating to their sales, profits or cash flows does not constitute information obtained from us, nor do we make any representation as to the accuracy of any such information;
(f) in all of their dealings with you, our officers, directors, employees and agents act only in a representative, and not in an individual, capacity. All business dealings between you and such persons as a result of this Agreement are solely between you and us;
(g) we have advised you to have this Agreement reviewed and explained to you by an attorney; and
(h) you have received our Franchise Disclosure Document at least 14 days before signing a binding agreement or before making any payment to us or our affiliate(s) relating to this Agreement.
1.3 Representations. As an inducement to our entry into this Agreement, you represent and warrant to us that:
(a) all statements you have made and all materials you have submitted to us in connection with your purchase of the franchise are accurate and complete and you have made no misrepresentations or material omissions in obtaining the franchise;
(b) you will at all times faithfully, honestly and diligently perform your obligations, continuously exert your best efforts to promote and enhance the business and not engage in any other business or activity that conflicts with your obligations to operate the business in compliance with this Agreement;
(c) you will comply with and/or assist us to the fullest extent possible in our efforts to comply with Executive Order 13224 issued by the President of the United States, the USA PATRIOT Act, and all other present and future federal, state and local laws, ordinances, regulations, policies, lists and any other requirements of any governmental authority addressing or in any way relating to terrorist acts and acts of war (the "Anti-Terrorism Laws"); and
(d) neither you nor any of your owners, employees, agents, or property or interests are subject to being "blocked" under any of the Anti-Terrorism Laws and that neither you nor they are otherwise in violation of any of the Anti-Terrorism Laws.
Our approval of your request to purchase this Franchise is made in reliance on all of your representations and warranties. Any violation of these representations and warranties, or any Anti-Terrorism Laws, by you or your owners, or your or your owners' agents or employees, or any "blocking" of your or their assets under the Anti-Terrorism Laws, will constitute grounds for immediate termination of this Agreement and any other agreements you have entered into with us or any of our affiliates.
1.4 No Warranties. We expressly disclaim the making of, and you acknowledge that you have not received or relied upon, any warranty or guaranty, express or implied, as to the revenues, sales, profits or success of the business venture contemplated by this Agreement or the extent to which we will continue to develop and expand the network of WOB Stores. You acknowledge and understand the following:
(a) any statement regarding the potential or probable revenues, sales or profits of the business venture, or of any of services, benefits or commitments we are to make available to you, are made solely in the Franchise Disclosure Document delivered to you prior to signing this Agreement;
2
(b) any statement regarding the potential or probable revenues, sales or profits of the business venture or statistical information regarding any existing WOB Store owned by us or our affiliates that is not contained in our Franchise Disclosure Document is unauthorized, unwarranted and unreliable and should be reported to us immediately; and
(c) you have not received or relied on any representations about us or our franchising program or policies made by us, or our officers, directors, employees or agents, that are contrary to the statements made in our Franchise Disclosure Document or to the terms of this Agreement. If there are any exceptions to any of the foregoing, you agree to: (i) immediately notify our President; and (ii) note such exceptions by attaching a statement of exceptions to this Agreement prior to signing it.
1.5 Business Organization. If you are, or at any time become, a business corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other legal entity ("Business Entity"), you agree and represent that:
(a) you have the authority to execute, deliver and perform your obligations under this Agreement and are duly organized or formed and validly existing in good standing under the laws of the state of your incorporation or formation;
(b) your organizational or governing documents will recite that the issuance and transfer of any ownership interests in you are restricted by the terms of this Agreement, and all certificates and other documents representing ownership interests in you will bear a legend referring to the restrictions of this Agreement;
(c) you will complete a "Principal Owner's Statement," which will completely and accurately describe all of your owners and their interests in you, and everyone who has voting or management rights and obligations. A copy of our current form of Principal Owner's Statement is attached to the Franchise Disclosure Document;
(d) you and your owners agree to revise the Principal Owner's Statement as may be necessary to reflect any ownership changes and to furnish such other information about your organization or formation as we may request;
(e) each of your owners during the term of this Agreement will sign and deliver to us our standard form of Principal Owner's Guaranty undertaking to be bound jointly and severally by all provisions of this Agreement and any other agreements between you and us. A copy of our current form of Principal Owner's Guaranty is attached to our Franchise Disclosure Document; and
(f) at our request, you will furnish true and correct copies of all documents and contracts governing the rights, obligations and powers of your owners and agents (like articles of incorporation or organization and partnership, operating or shareholder agreements).
3
1.6 Operating Principal/Management of Business. You acknowledge and agree that your personal participation and day-to-day involvement in the management and operation of the WOB Store is critical to its success and that we are granting this Franchise to you solely on the condition that you agree, and you therefore do agree, as follows:
(a) If you are, or at any time become, a Business Entity, you must designate as the “Operating Principal” an individual approved by us who must: (i) own and control, or have the right to own and control (subject to terms and conditions reasonably acceptable to us), not less than I0% of your equity interests; (ii) have the authority to bind you regarding all operational decisions with respect to your WOB Store; (iii) be actively employed on a full-time basis to manage the WOB Store’s operations; and (iv) have satisfactorily completed our initial training program and any other training programs we require from time to time.
(b) You (or your Operating Principal) must: (i) exert your full-time and best efforts to the development and operation of the WOB Store and other WOB Stores that you own (if any); and (ii) not engage in any other business or activity, directly or indirectly, that requires substantial management responsibility or time commitments or otherwise may conflict with your obligations hereunder.
(c) At all times, you (or your Operating Principal) must meet our initial and ongoing training and qualifications for WOB Store managers and participate personally on a daily basis in the direct operation of the WOB Store. In addition, at all times, the WOB Store must be managed by a general manager and one other management-level employee who both have satisfactorily completed our initial training program.
(d) If, at any time, your Operating Principal cannot fulfill its responsibilities under this Agreement, you must appoint a replacement from among your owners, subject to our approval, to serve as the replacement Operating Principal.
2. GRANT AND TERM
2.1 Term. The term of the Franchise and this Agreement begins on the Agreement Date and expires ten (10) years from the Agreement Date. This Agreement may be terminated before it expires in accordance with its terms.
2.2 Grant of Franchise. You have applied for a franchise to own and operate a WOB Store only at a location we have approved (the “Site”). Subject to the terms of and upon the conditions contained in this Agreement, we grant you a franchise (the “Franchise”) to: (a) operate a single WOB Store at the Site, and at no other location (temporary or permanent); (b) use the Marks solely in connection with operating the WOB Store; and (c) use the System in the operation of the WOB Store. We grant you the right to an exclusive territory as provided in Section 2.4 below. You agree to sell and offer for sale authorized products (food and non-food) and services only at the Site and to refrain from off-premises sales or catering unless expressly authorized by us in writing. You must follow all of our standards and specifications for extra-territorial activities which we may designate, change, alter or amend at any time upon notice to you.
At all times, you (if you are an individual) or your Operating Principal (if you are a Business Entity) must meet our qualifications for WOB store managers and participate personally on a daily basis in the direct operation of the WOB Store. In addition, at all times, the WOB Store must be managed by a general manager and one other management-level employee who have both satisfactorily completed our initial training program.
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2.3 Your Site. Within 90 days after signing this Agreement, you must locate premises that we (in our sole judgment) have approved and sign a lease or otherwise acquire the right to possess the Site on terms acceptable to us. Once approved, the Site for your WOB Store will be designated in Exhibit A. In the event the Site of the WOB Store has not yet been determined as of the date of this Agreement, then the geographical area in which the WOB Store is to be located will be within a defined area which is described or otherwise mapped out in Exhibit B ("Designated Area"). At such time as the location of the Site has been determined in accordance with Section 4.1, the address of the Site will be inserted in Exhibit A. You acknowledge and understand that the Designated Area is delineated for the sole purpose of site selection and does not confer any territorial exclusivity or protection.
2.4 Protected Territory. We will designate a geographic area as your exclusive area and it will be described in Exhibit C ("Protected Territory"). As long as you are in compliance with this Agreement, then during the term of this Agreement, we will not ourselves, nor grant a franchise to someone else to, open and operate a full-service WOB Store at a fixed or permanent location inside the Protected Territory.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, certain locations within and outside the Protected Territory are by their nature distinctive and separate in character from sites generally developed as WOB Stores. As a result, the following locations ("Special Locations") are excluded from the Protected Territory and we and our affiliates have the right, without granting any rights to you, to develop or franchise WOB Stores or other retail alcohol outlets using any part or all of the System and/or Marks at such locations: (1) military bases; (2) public transportation facilities (including airport terminals); (3) sports facilities (including race tracks); (4) student unions or other similar buildings on college or university campuses; (5) amusement and theme parks; (6) casinos; and (7) community and special events or similar venues.
2.5 Rights We Reserve. We reserve all rights that we have not expressly granted to you. We (and our affiliates) retain the right, in our sole discretion, to:
(a) establish and operate, and grant to others the right to establish and operate, businesses under the System and Marks at any location outside of the Protected Territory (even immediately outside the border of the Protected Territory), on such terms and conditions as we deem appropriate;
(b) establish and operate, and grant to others the right to establish and operate, businesses of any kind whatsoever under other systems and using other proprietary marks, both within and outside the Protected Territory, as we deem appropriate;
(c) establish and operate, and grant to others the right to establish and operate, businesses using the Marks at any location within or outside the Protected Territory, on such terms and conditions as we deem appropriate; provided, however, that such other businesses will not be substantially similar to the WOB Store if located within the Protected Territory;
(d) market and sell, within and outside of the Protected Territory, through alternative channels of distribution (like grocery stores, convenience stores, kiosks, mail order, Internet or other forms of e-commerce) or through special purpose sites (like airports, stadiums, theme parks, etc.), using the Marks or other proprietary marks, products and services authorized for sale at, or competitive with products and services authorized for sale by, WOB Stores, as long as such sales are not made from a full-service WOB Store located in the Protected Territory; and
(e) engage in any other activity, action or undertaking that we are not expressly prohibited from taking under this Agreement.
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3. SUCCESSOR TERMS
3.1 Your Right to Acquire a Successor Franchise. This Agreement expires ten (10) years from the Agreement Date. Upon expiration, if you (and each of your owners) have substantially complied with this Agreement during its term, and provided that:
(a) you maintain possession of the Site and agree to remodel and/or expand the WOB Store, add or replace improvements, equipment and signs and otherwise modify the WOB Store as we require to bring it into compliance with specifications and standards then applicable for WOB Stores, or
(b) if you are unable to maintain possession of the Site, or if in our judgment the WOB Store should be relocated, you secure substitute premises we approve, develop such premises in compliance with specifications and standards then applicable for WOB Stores and continue to operate the WOB Store at the Site until operations are transferred to the substitute premises,
then, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 3, you will have the right to acquire successor franchises to operate the store as a WOB Store (each a “Successor Franchise”), for three additional consecutive 5-year periods on the terms and conditions of the franchise agreement we are then using in granting Successor Franchises for WOB Stores (a “Successor Franchise Agreement”).
3.2 Grant of a Successor Franchise.
(a) Your Election: You agree to give us written notice of your election to acquire a Successor Franchise during the first 90 days of the 9th year of the term of this Agreement or during the first 90 days of the 4th year of the term of any Successor Franchise. We agree to give you written notice ("Response Notice"), not more than 90 days after we receive your notice, of our decision:
| (i) | to grant you a Successor Franchise; |
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| (ii) | to grant you a Successor Franchise on the condition that deficiencies of the WOB Store, or in your operation of the WOB Store, are corrected; or |
| (iii) | not to grant you a Successor Franchise based on our determination that you and your owners have not substantially complied with this Agreement during its term. |
(b) Response Notice: If applicable, our Response Notice will:
| (i) | describe the remodeling and/or expansion of the WOB Store and other improvements or modifications required to bring the WOB Store into compliance with then applicable specifications and standards for WOB Stores; and |
| (ii) | state the actions you have to take to correct operating deficiencies and the time period in which such deficiencies must be corrected. |
If we elect not to grant you a Successor Franchise, the Response Notice will describe the reasons for our decision. Your right to acquire a Successor Franchise is subject to your (and your owners') continued compliance with all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement through the date of its expiration, in addition to your (and their) compliance with the obligations described in the Response Notice.
(c) Deficiencies: If our Response Notice states that you must cure certain deficiencies of the WOB Store or its operation as a condition to the grant of a Successor Franchise, we will give you written notice of a decision not to grant a Successor Franchise unless you cure such deficiencies, not less than 90 days prior to the expiration of this Agreement. However, we will not be required to give you such notice if we decide not to grant you a Successor Franchise due to your breach of this Agreement during the 90-day period prior to its expiration. If we fail to give you:
| (i) | notice of deficiencies in the WOB Store, or in your operation of the WOB Store, within 90 days after we receive your timely election to acquire a Successor Franchise; or |
| (ii) | notice of our decision not to grant a Successor Franchise at least 90 days prior to the expiration of this Agreement, if such notice is required; |
then we may extend the term of this Agreement for such period of time as is necessary in order to provide you with either reasonable time to correct deficiencies or 90 days notice of our refusal to grant a Successor Franchise.
3.3 Agreements/Releases. If you satisfy all of the other conditions to the grant of a Successor Franchise, you and your owners agree to execute the form of franchise agreement and any ancillary agreements we are then customarily using in connection with the grant of Successor Franchises for WOB Stores. You and your owners further agree to execute general releases, in form satisfactory to us, of any and all claims against us and our shareholders, officers, directors, employees, agents, successors and assigns. Failure by you or your owners to sign such agreements and releases and deliver them to us for acceptance and execution within 60 days after their delivery to you will be deemed an election not to acquire a Successor Franchise.
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3.4 Training and Refresher Programs. Our grant of a Successor Franchise is also conditioned on the satisfactory completion by you, your owners and your managers of any new training and refresher programs as we may reasonably require. You are responsible for travel, living and compensation costs of attendees.
3.5 Fees and Expenses. Our grant of a Successor Franchise is contingent on your payment to us of a Successor Franchise fee of $5,000 ("Successor Franchise Fee"). We must receive the fee from you at the time you sign the Successor Franchise Agreement.
3.6 Subsequent Successor Franchises. The fees and other conditions for any later granting of subsequent Successor Franchises will be governed by the Successor Franchise Agreement (as described above).
4. SITE SELECTION AND DEVELOPMENT
4.1 Site Selection.
(a) Site: Without our prior written consent, you may not operate the WOB Store from any location other than the Site that we approve. The Site must meet our criteria, which we will provide to you, for demographic characteristics, traffic patterns, parking, character of neighborhood, competition from and proximity to other businesses and other WOB Stores, the nature of other businesses in proximity to the proposed site and other commercial characteristics and the size, appearance and other physical characteristics of the proposed site, and any other factors or characteristics we consider appropriate. Our criteria, and our evaluation of them, may vary periodically and from location to location. If you and we are unable to agree on a site for the WOB Store, or you have not obtained a fully signed lease agreement for the premises, within 90 days of the Agreement Date, we may terminate this Agreement. We will approve or disapprove a site that you propose within 10 days after we receive from you a complete site report and any other materials that we may reasonably request. If you have not heard from us within such 10-day period, the proposed site is deemed disapproved. No proposed site will be deemed approved by us until we provide to you Exhibit A with that site designated in it and Exhibit A is signed by both you and us.
(b) Relocation of the Store: You may not relocate the WOB Store without our prior written consent, which may be withheld or delayed, in our sole discretion. If we consent to the Store's relocation, you must (i) pay us a fee equal to 20% of our then-current Franchise Fee (as defined in Section 6.1) for expenses we incur in connection with the relocation of your WOB Store; and (ii) comply with our then-current standards for new WOB Stores as part of determining a new site for the Store. Any relocation of the Store will be at your sole expense. If we consent to the Store's relocation, you must reopen the WOB Store as soon as practicable, but in no event more than 90 days after the closing of the original Store. You are not permitted to relocate the WOB Store except pursuant to this Section.
4.2 Acknowledgments Regarding Site Approval. You acknowledge and agree that:
(a) our recommendation or approval of the Site, the Designated Area, or the Protected Territory does not imply, guaranty, assure, warrant or predict profitability or success, express or implied;
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(b) our recommendation or approval of the Site, the Designated Area, or the Protected Territory indicates only that we believe that the Site, the Designated Area and the Protected Territory fall within the acceptable demographic and other criteria for sites, designated areas and protected territories that we have established as of the time of such recommendation or approval by us;
(c) application of criteria that have appeared effective with respect to other sites and premises may not accurately reflect the potential for all sites and premises, and, after our approval of a site, demographic and/or other factors included in or excluded from our criteria could change to alter the potential of a site and premises; and
(d) the uncertainty and instability of such criteria are beyond our control, and we will not be responsible for the failure of a Site, Designated Area or Protected Territory to meet expectations as to potential revenue or operational criteria.
4.3 Lease of Site.
(a) Lease of Site: You agree to deliver copies of the proposed lease agreement and related documents to us prior to signing them. You agree not to sign any lease agreement or related documents (or any renewal of it) unless we have previously approved them. Our approval, which will not be unreasonably withheld, will be limited to ensuring that the lease is consistent with this Agreement. You agree to deliver a copy of the signed lease to us within 15 days after its execution along with the Lease Assignment (as defined below).
(b) Lease Assignment: When entering into such a lease, you and the lessor must sign our then-current form of Conditional Assignment of Lease Agreement (the "Lease Assignment"), a copy of which is attached to our Franchise Disclosure Document. You will give the lessor our form of the Lease Assignment when you begin discussions with the prospective lessor. You agree not to sign any lease or renewal of a lease unless you have also obtained the Lease Assignment signed by the lessor.
(c) Mandatory Lease Terms: We may require that the lease or any renewal contain certain provisions, including the following:
| (i) | a provision which expressly permits the lessor of the Site to provide us with all revenue and other information it may have related to the operation of your WOB Store as we may request; |
| (ii) | a provision which requires the lessor to contemporaneously provide us with copies of any written notice of default under the lease sent to you and which grants to us, at our option, the right (but not the obligation) to cure any default under the lease (should you fail to do so) within 15 days after the expiration of the period in which you may cure the default; |
| (iii) | a provision which evidences your right to display the Marks in accordance with the specifications required by the Manuals, subject only to the provisions of applicable law; |
| (iv) | a provision which requires that any lender or other person will not disturb your possession of the Site so long as the lease term continues and you are not in default (along with such documents as are necessary to ensure that such lenders and other persons are bound); |
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| (v) | a provision which expressly states that any default under the lease which is not cured within any applicable cure period also constitutes grounds for termination of this Agreement; |
| (vi) | a lease term which is at least equal to the initial term of this Agreement, either through an initial term of that length or rights, at your option, to renew the lease for the full term of this Agreement; and |
| (vii) | the premises must be operated as a WOB Store. |
(d) No Warranty: You acknowledge that our approval of the lease for the Site does not constitute a guarantee or warranty, express or implied, of the successful operation or profitability of a WOB Store operated at the Site. Such approval indicates only that we believe that the Site and the terms of the lease fall within the acceptable criteria we have established as of the time of our approval. You further acknowledge that we have advised you to have an attorney review and evaluate the lease.
4.4 Ownership and Financing. Instead of leasing a Site, you may propose to purchase, construct, own and operate a WOB Store on real property owned by you or through affiliates. You will meet certain conditions if you or your affiliates own a Site or at any time prior to acquisition, or subsequently, you or your affiliates propose to obtain any financing with respect to the Site or for your WOB Store or for any Operating Assets in which any of such items are pledged as collateral securing your performance. The form of any purchase contract with the seller of a Site and any related documents, and the form of any loan agreement with or mortgage in favor of any lender and any related documents, must be approved by us before you sign them. Our consent to them may be conditioned upon the inclusion of various terms and conditions, including the following:
(a) a provision which requires any lender or mortgagee concurrently to provide us with a copy of any written notice of deficiency or default under the terms of the loan or mortgage sent to you or your affiliates or the purchaser;
(b) a provision granting us, at our option, the right (but not the obligation) to cure any deficiency or default under the loan or mortgage (should you fail to do so) within 15 days after the expiration of a period in which you may cure such default or deficiency;
(c) a provision which expressly states that any default under the loan or mortgage, if not cured within the applicable time period, constitutes grounds for termination of this Agreement and any default under this Agreement, if not cured within the applicable time period, also constitutes a default under the loan or mortgage; and
(d) your delivery to us of an Agreement to Lease, in a form acceptable to us, which requires you, at our option, to lease the Site to us if the Franchise Agreement is terminated, assigned, or transferred.
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5. WOB STORE DEVELOPMENT, DECOR AND OPERATING ASSETS
5.1 WOB Store Development. You are responsible for developing the WOB Store. We will furnish you with access to prototype design plans, specifications, decor and layout (which include (a) plan; (b) building elevations; and (c) kitchen and bar plans) for a WOB Store, including requirements for design, color scheme, image, interior, layout, Operating Assets (which include kitchen equipment, bar equipment, fixtures, signs, and furnishings) and build out schedule for the WOB Store. You are obligated to have prepared all required construction plans and specifications to suit the shape and dimensions of the Site and to ensure that such plans and specifications comply with applicable ordinances, building codes and permit requirements and with lease requirements and restrictions. You agree to submit construction plans and specifications to us for approval before construction of the WOB Store is commenced and, at our request, submit all revised or "as built" plans and specifications during the course of such construction. We may require that an architect designated by us prepare the initial floor and concept plan, and/or oversee the finished plans before construction begins. At your request, to the extent we deem necessary, we will assist you in developing the WOB Store by recommending contractors and architects and otherwise furnishing information to assist you in developing the WOB Store in accordance with our specifications.
5.2 Development Expenses. You agree, at your own expense, to do the following with respect to developing the WOB Store at the Site:
(a) have complete and detailed construction drawings approved by an architect (both the drawings and your architect are subject to our approval);
(b) secure all financing required to develop and operate the WOB Store;
(c) obtain all building, utility, sign, health, sanitation, liquor, business and other permits and licenses required to construct and operate the WOB Store and pay all assessed impact fees;
(d) construct all required improvements to the Site and decorate the WOB Store in compliance with plans, specifications and schedule we have approved;
(e) purchase or lease and install all Operating Assets required for the WOB Store;
(f) purchase a pre-opening marketing kit that contains such items as we specify in the Manuals or otherwise in writing, including, but not limited to, an initial supply of business cards, logoed t-shirts and stickers, and a pop-up tent and table skirt for public relations and other events; and
(g) purchase an opening inventory of authorized and approved products, materials and supplies.
5.3 Decor. You agree that all decor of your WOB Store must be previously approved by us and must comply with our standards as described in the Manuals, which may be periodically revised. Your failure to maintain the WOB Store's decor in compliance with our System and the standards described in the Manuals constitutes a material breach of this Agreement.
5.4 Operating Assets and WOB Store Materials. You agree to acquire all services, supplies, materials, ingredients, food and beverage products, and media products and services (e.g. cable television, and satellite television) for use in connection with your WOB Store (collectively, the "WOB Store Materials") and all fixtures, furnishings, equipment, signs and electronic or computerized devices and services (including telecopiers, cash registers, computers, POS, e-mail, ISP, intranet and internet services, hardware and software) (the "Operating Assets") from suppliers we have previously approved. We will only approve suppliers whose WOB Store Materials and Operating Assets meet the quality standards that we establish from time to time. You agree to only place or display at the Site (interior and exterior) such signs, emblems, lettering, logos and display materials that we periodically approve. You are responsible for the payment of any applicable licensing fees relating to WOB Store Materials, including any applicable licensing fees related to the playing of sports videos, television, satellite or cable programming, pay-per-view events, or music (if any) in any format at the WOB Store (e.g. HBO, DSS, ASCAP, BMI or ESPN fees). We may require that you purchase or lease Operating Assets and WOB Store Materials through any form of a "business to business," e-commerce, Intranet or Internet supply network that we may designate, establish or participate in from time to time.
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5.5 Changes to Approved Suppliers. If you want to propose a new supplier of WOB Store Materials or Operating Assets, you agree to submit to us sufficient written information about the proposed new supplier to enable us to approve or reject either the supplier or the particular items. We will have 90 days from receipt of the information to approve or reject the proposed new supplier or items. If we have not responded to your request within this time period, the request is deemed disapproved. We may consider in providing such approval not just the quality standards of the products or services, but the proposed supplier's delivery capabilities, financing terms and ability to service our franchise system as a whole. We may terminate or withhold approval of any WOB Store Materials or Operating Assets, or any supplier of such item, that does not meet our quality standards by giving you written notice. If we do so, you agree to immediately stop purchasing from such supplier or using such WOB Store Materials or Operating Assets in your WOB Store, until we notify you that such supplier or such WOB Store Materials or Operating Assets meet our quality standards. At our request, you agree to submit to us sufficient information about a proposed supplier and samples of the proposed WOB Store Materials or Operating Assets for our examination so that we can determine whether they meet our quality standards. We also must have the right to require our representatives to be permitted to inspect the proposed supplier's facilities at your expense. We may charge a fee for evaluating alternative suppliers not to exceed the reasonable cost of the inspection plus the actual cost of laboratory fees, professional fees and travel and living expenses as well as any other fees we pay to third parties in furtherance of the evaluation.
5.6 Preferred Vendor Programs. In addition to our approval of Approved Suppliers, we may develop certain programs and terms under which we, our affiliates, certain franchisees or others receive certain negotiated benefits or terms from Approved Suppliers ("Preferred Vendor Programs"). You must follow all of our policies and procedures for participation in or termination of Preferred Vendor Programs ("Program Rules"). We can refuse or terminate your participation in Preferred Vendor Programs without terminating your Franchise Agreement. Our Program Rules may require you to agree to, and you must agree to, only place or display at the Store (interior and exterior) such signs, emblems, lettering, logos and display materials that we periodically approve in connection with Preferred Vendor Programs. We may, in connection with our Preferred Vendor Programs, designate one or more Approved Suppliers as an exclusive or the exclusive supplier or suppliers of types, models or brands of WOB Store Materials or Operating Assets or other business services that we approve for Stores as meeting our specifications and standards, and we may require such preferred vendors or other preferred vendors to pay to us or our affiliates, in a manner we designate, monies or provide other benefits as a condition of our designation of them as preferred vendors or permission for them to serve as an Approved Supplier (collectively, "Preferred Vendors"). We may require, and certain Approved Suppliers we designate as Preferred Vendors may require, that you agree to enter into certain agreements with them (subject to our approval) in connection with our designation of them as Preferred Vendors or Approved Suppliers or your participation in the Preferred Vendor Program (the "Preferred Vendor Agreements"). We may require that we be a party to such Preferred Vendor Agreements with Preferred Vendors. You acknowledge and agree that: (a) monies or other remuneration that we receive in connection with Preferred Vendor Programs or other benefits we receive from Preferred Vendors or Approved Suppliers is fair and appropriate compensation to us in connection with our active efforts to evaluate them as Preferred Vendors or Approved Suppliers, our ongoing efforts to monitor and evaluate whether they continue to meet our requirements for participation as Preferred Vendors or Approved Suppliers and our administration of Preferred Vendor Programs; and (b) such monies or remuneration are fully earned by us. We and our affiliates may retain all revenue and other remuneration we receive from Approved Suppliers or Preferred Vendors without restriction (unless the supplier or vendor requires otherwise). We, in our sole judgment, may concentrate purchases with one or more Approved Suppliers or Preferred Vendors to obtain lower prices, advertising support and/or services for the benefit of us, our affiliates and WOB Stores, or for any other reason that we deem appropriate, and establish supply facilities or servicing capabilities owned by us or our affiliates which we may designate as an Approved Supplier or Preferred Vendor. In such instances, we may limit the number of suppliers, Approved Suppliers or Preferred Vendors with whom you may deal, designate sources that you must use, and refuse any request by you for another approved supplier or preferred vendor of any applicable product or service.
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5.7 Music and Other Audio and Visual Entertainment. You acknowledge and agree that the provision of music and audio and visual entertainment to patrons of your Store is, or may become, an integral part of the System. Accordingly, you agree to play only the types of music and display only the types of visual entertainment, at the decibel levels and using such equipment and in the manners that we may periodically prescribe or approve. You must acquire or install any audio or visual equipment that we designate or require for use by your Store and you must subscribe to music and video services as we may periodically specify, whether as an Approved Supplier of Preferred Vendor, to enable you to broadcast videos, music, and other content as specified by us from time to time. We may prohibit you from displaying, exhibiting, broadcasting or providing any media we choose, regardless of content, including prohibiting use of political, religious or social content in such media.
5.8 WOB Store Opening. You agree not to open the WOB Store for business until:
(a) we approve the WOB Store as developed in accordance with our specifications and standards;
(b) pre-opening training of you and your personnel has been completed to our satisfaction at our corporate training facility;
(c) the Franchise Fee and all other amounts then due to us have been paid;
(d) you provide us a copy of your liquor license;
(e) we have been furnished with copies of all insurance policies required by this Agreement, or such other evidence of insurance coverage and payment of premiums as we request or accept; and
(f) we have received signed counterparts of all required documents pertaining to your acquisition of the Site.
5.9 Time to Opening. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable area development agreement (if any), you must open the WOB for business within the earlier to occur of: (a) 9 months after the Agreement Date; or (b) 6 months after the date that we approve the Site for your WOB Store, unless we otherwise agree in writing. Time is of the essence.
6. FEES
6.1 Franchise Fee. You agree to pay us a nonrecurring and nonrefundable initial franchise fee (the "Franchise Fee") in the amount of $50,000, payable on the Agreement Date. The Franchise Fee is nonrefundable and is fully earned by us when paid.
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6.2 Royalty Fee. You agree to pay us a monthly royalty fee ("Royalty") equal to 5% of Net Sales (as defined below). We must receive the Royalty on or before the Payment Day (as defined below) of each month for the immediately preceding calendar month. If the state or local government jurisdiction in which your WOB Store is located prohibits the payment of royalties or other percentage payments based on sales of alcohol and beverage products, then you will pay us a Royalty equal to $5,417 per month commencing with the first full calendar month after your Store opens for business.
6.3 Electronic Funds Transfer and Payment Procedure. We require you to pay all payments of the Royalties or any other amounts due us under this Agreement to us by electronic funds transfer. We will designate the day of each month as the payment day (the "Payment Day") for the Royalty payment or payment of other amounts due us under this Agreement. We may designate different Payment Days for different amounts due us under this Agreement (e.g. Royalty, Marketing Contributions (as defined in Section 13.2), etc.). You agree to comply with the procedures we specify in our Manuals and perform such acts and sign and deliver such documents as may be necessary to accomplish payment by this method. On the Payment Day, you will report to us by telephone or electronic means or on written form, as we direct, the WOB Store's true and correct Net Sales for the immediately preceding month. You will give us authorization, in a form that we designate, to initiate debit entries or credit correction entries to the WOB Store's bank operating account (the "Account") for payments of Royalties and other amounts due under this Agreement, including any applicable interest charges and late charges. You will make the funds available in the Account for withdrawal by electronic transfer no later than the Payment Day. The amount actually transferred from the Account to pay Royalties will be based on the WOB Store's Net Sales reported to us. If you have not reported the WOB Store's Net Sales to us for any reporting period, we will transfer from the Account an amount calculated in accordance with the WOB Store's Net Sales during the previous reporting period, and any amount so transferred will be adjusted appropriately upon our receipt of your report regarding Net Sales for the reporting period at issue. If we determine at any time that you have under-reported Net Sales or underpaid Royalties or other amounts due to us, we will be authorized to immediately initiate a transfer from the Account in the appropriate amount in accordance with the foregoing procedures, including applicable interest and late charges. Any overpayment will be credited to the Account through a credit, effective as of the first reporting date after you and we determine that such credit is due.
6.4 Definition of "Net Sales." As used in this Agreement, the term "Net Sales" means all revenue you derive from operating the WOB Store, including, but not limited to, all amounts you receive at or away from the Site from any activities or services whatsoever including any that are in any way associated with the Marks, and whether from cash, check, barter, debit or credit card, regardless of collection in the case of credit ("Gross Sales"); but excluding: (i) all federal, state or municipal sales, use or service taxes collected from customers and paid to the appropriate taxing authority; (ii) promotional discounts and coupons required by us; and (iii) customer refunds, adjustments, credits and allowances actually made by the WOB Store. We may periodically allow you and other franchisees to deduct a portion of complimentary sales, not to exceed 2% of Gross Sales, for purposes of calculating Royalties and Marketing Contributions. This deduction may only be taken for actual complimentary food, beverages or products provided to customers, and for no other reason. This deduction, and any other deduction we authorize, is only available to you as long as you timely and accurately report your Net Sales, including the percentage taken (and supporting documents) for authorized discounts and complimentary sales. We may discontinue this policy at any time for any reason whatsoever. All employee discounts and complimentary food, beverages or other products that you provide must otherwise be included in the definition of Net Sales at the full retail price charged by you to customers for such beverages or products. Net Sales also includes revenues from delivery service sales, retail, concessions, hotel room service, catering, special functions, etc. and sales of any products bearing or associated with the Marks.
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6.5 Interest on Late Payments. All amounts which you owe us will bear interest after their due date at the annual rate of eighteen 18% or the highest contract rate of interest permitted by law, whichever is less. You acknowledge that we do not agree to accept any payments after they are due nor commit to extend credit to, or otherwise finance your operation of, the WOB Store. Your failure to pay all amounts when due constitutes grounds for termination of this Agreement.
6.6 Late Payment Penalties. All Royalties, Marketing Contributions, amounts due for purchases by you from us, and any interest accrued thereon, and any other amounts which you owe us, or our affiliates, are subject to a late payment fee of 10% of the amount due. The late payment fee is due immediately on any delinquent payments. The provision in this Agreement concerning late payment fees survives termination or expiration of this Agreement and does not mean that we accept or condone late payments, nor does it indicate that we are willing to extend credit to, or otherwise finance the operation of, your WOB Store.
6.7 Insufficient Funds Charge. You agree to pay on demand a dishonored check charge of $150 for each dishonored check you tender to us, plus applicable bank service charges, if there are insufficient funds in your Account when we draft it for payment of fees or other amounts due us or our affiliates, or any other insufficient funds items you tender to us.
6.8 Application of Payments. Notwithstanding any designation you might make, we have sole discretion to apply any of your payments to any of your past due indebtedness to us. You acknowledge and agree that we have the right to set off any amounts you or your owners owe us against any amounts we might owe you or your owners.
6.9 Payment Offsets. We may setoff from any amounts that we may owe you any amount that you owe to us, or our affiliates, for any reason whatsoever, including, without limitation, Royalties, Marketing Contributions, late payment penalties and late payment interest, amounts owed to us or our affiliates for purchases or services or for any other reason. Thus, payments that we make to you may be reduced, in our discretion, by amounts that you owe to us or our affiliates from time to time. In particular, we may retain (or direct to our affiliates) any amounts that we have received for your account as a credit and payment against any amounts that you may owe to us, or our affiliates, at any time. We will notify you monthly if we do so.
6.10 Discontinuance of Service. If you do not timely pay amounts due us under this Agreement, we may discontinue any services to you, without limiting any of our other rights in this Agreement.
7. TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE
7.1 Initial Training. Before the WOB Store opens, we or our designee will furnish the initial training program ("Initial Training") to you (or, if you are a Business Entity, your Operating Principal) and up to 1 additional person. Successful completion of all training requirements described in this Section is a condition to the opening of the WOB Store. Although we, or our designee, will furnish the Initial Training to you (or your Operating Principal) and up to 1 other person at no additional fee or other charge, you will be responsible for all travel and living expenses incurred by such persons in connection with the training. You must pay us a fee in the amount of $7,500 for each replacement trainee trained by us, or our designee, or each person provided the Initial Training by us, or our designee, other than the initial trainees. Each Operating Principal and Operating Manager, including any replacement Operating Principal or Operating Manger, must satisfactorily complete our initial training program.
7.2 Failure to Complete Initial Training. If we determine, in our sole discretion, that you are unable to satisfactorily complete the Initial Training described above, we will have the right to terminate this Agreement. In the event you are a Business Entity and your designated Operating Principal fails to complete the Initial Training to our reasonable satisfaction, we will allow you to designate a substitute Operating Principal and such substitute Operating Principal must complete the Initial Training to our reasonable satisfaction. We may require you to pay our then-current rates for additional training, if any, for providing the substitute Operating Principal an initial training program.
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7.3 Opening Assistance. We will provide to you, at your Store, and at our expense, for a period of time ranging from 5 to 15 days, as determined by us in our sole discretion, 1 of our representatives for the purpose of providing general assistance and guidance in connection with opening and the day-to-day operations of the WOB Store (the "Opening On-Site Assistance"). Such assistance shall take place immediately prior to and after commencement of operation of the WOB Store or as otherwise agreed upon by you and us. Should you request additional assistance from us in order to facilitate the opening of the Store, and should we deem it necessary and appropriate to comply with such request (and subject, at all times, to the availability of our personnel), we will provide such additional on-site assistance at our then-current standard rates, plus expenses. If the initial week's sales volume and demands of the Store are determined to exceed the capabilities of the Operating Manager and employees, a member of our staff, or our designee, will be furnished to assist the operations of your WOB Store for such period of time as we determine appropriate, in our sole discretion. You must pay us our then-current standard rates, plus expenses, for this additional on-site training and support.
7.4 Ongoing Assistance. We may from time to time provide and, if we do, may require that you (or your Operating Principal) and/or your Operating Manager attend and successfully complete ongoing training programs and/or seminars. If we, in our sole discretion, decide to provide such programs and/or seminars during the term of this Agreement, you will not be required to attend more than 8 days of refresher/training programs or seminars per calendar year. All ongoing training programs and seminars provided under this Section will be made available at no cost to you (or your Operating Principal) and your Operating Manager. However, all expenses that you incur in attending such training programs and/or seminars, including, but not limited to, travel costs, room and board expenses, and employees' salaries, if applicable, will be your sole responsibility.
7.5 Additional Training. You must ensure that all managerial personnel and other employees are satisfactorily trained at your expense. We may require your management personnel and other employees to attend periodic or refresher training courses at such times and locations that we designate. You must pay to us or our designee our then-current training charges for each person who receives periodic or refresher training. You will be responsible for all travel and living expenses incurred by the trainees in connection with any periodic or refresher training.
7.6 Annual Conference. We may, in our sole discretion, hold a mandatory Annual Conference at our headquarters in Tampa, Florida or at another location that we determine, no more than once per calendar year, that will last approximately 3 days. We may also require you to attend up to 4 quarterly meetings per calendar year, that will last no more than 3 days each. We will determine the topics and agenda of the Annual Conference and quarterly meetings, which generally will include updating our franchisees on new developments affecting them and exchanging information between our franchisees and our personnel concerning the operations and programs of the franchise operation. We may require you (or your Operating Principal) and one or more of the operating managers of the Store to attend the Annual Conference (if any) and the quarterly meetings. You will be responsible for the travel and living expenses of such persons, and we may charge you a reasonable fee sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of such conferences.
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7.7 General Guidance. We will advise you from time to time regarding the operation of the WOB Store based on reports you submit to us or inspections we make. In addition, we will furnish guidance to you with respect to:
(a) standards, specifications and operating procedures and methods utilized by WOB Stores;
(b) purchasing required fixtures, furnishings, equipment, signs, products, materials and supplies;
(c) beer products, serving methods and speed of service standards, display methods and retail concepts for selling beer and related beverage products;
(d) recipes, menu items, food preparation methods, proper food handling procedures, and serving methods and speed of service standards;
(e) use of suppliers, approved products, volume buying;
(f) advertising and marketing programs;
(g) employee training;
(h) administrative, bookkeeping and accounting procedures; and
(i) industry standards.
Such guidance will, at our discretion, be furnished in our Manuals, bulletins or other written materials and/or during telephone consultations and/or consultations at our office or the WOB Store. At your reasonable request or as we consider appropriate, we will furnish additional guidance and assistance (subject, at all times, to the availability of our personnel), including on-site remedial training for your personnel at the Store. You agree to pay our then-current standard fee to cover expenses that we incur in connection with such additional training or guidance, including per diem charges and travel and living expenses for our personnel.
7.8 Your Certified Training Programs. We may, from time to time, require or permit you to implement, at your expense, programs for the training of some or all of your managers and other employees. Prior to training any of your managers or employees, your training programs must be certified by us as meeting our high standards. You will be required to obtain re-certification of your training programs from time to time, and we may withhold certification if we determine, in our sole discretion, that your training programs do not meet our high standards. You are responsible for the proper training of your employees. You agree not to employ (or to continue to employ) any person who fails or refuses to complete any training programs or who is unqualified to perform his or her duties in accordance with standards, policies and procedures established by us for the operation of WOB Stores. You agree to replace an employee if we determine that he or she is not qualified to serve at the WOB Store.
8. MARKS
8.1 Ownership and Goodwill of Marks. Your right to use the Marks is derived solely from this Agreement and limited to your operation of the WOB Store at the Site pursuant to and in compliance with this Agreement and all System Standards we prescribe from time to time during its term. Your unauthorized use of the Marks will be a breach of this Agreement and an infringement of our rights in and to the Marks. You acknowledge and agree that your usage of the Marks and any goodwill established by such use will be exclusively for our benefit and that this Agreement does not confer any goodwill or other interests in the Marks upon you (other than the right to operate the WOB Store in compliance with this Agreement). You agree that you will not directly or indirectly contest the validity of our ownership of the Marks. All provisions of this Agreement applicable to the Marks apply to any additional proprietary trade and service marks and commercial symbols we authorize you to use.
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8.2 Limitations on Your Use of Marks. You agree to use the Marks as the sole identification of the WOB Store, except that you agree to identify yourself as the independent owner in the manner we prescribe in the Manuals or otherwise. We will place a conspicuous notice at a place we designate in your WOB Store identifying you as its independent owner and operator. You agree not to remove, destroy, cover or alter that notice without our prior consent. If you do not do so, we may accomplish the notice or identification as we see fit, and you agree to reimburse us for doing so. You may not use any Mark as part of any corporate or legal business name or with any prefix, suffix or other modifying words, terms, designs or symbols (other than logos we license to you), or in any modified form, nor may you use any Mark in connection with the performance or sale of any unauthorized services or products or in any other manner we have not expressly authorized in writing. No Mark may be used in any advertising concerning the transfer, sale or other disposition of the WOB Store or an ownership interest in you. You agree to display the Marks prominently in the manner we prescribe at the WOB Store, on supplies or materials we designate and in connection with forms and advertising and marketing materials. You agree to give such notices of trade and service mark registrations as we specify and to obtain any fictitious or assumed name registrations required under applicable law.
8.3 Notification of Infringements and Claims. You agree to notify us immediately of any apparent infringement of or challenge to your use of any Mark, or of any claim by any person of any rights in any Mark, and you agree not to communicate with any person other than us, our attorneys and your attorneys in connection with any such infringement, challenge or claim. We have sole discretion to take such action as we deem appropriate and the right to control exclusively any litigation, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or U.S. Copyright Office proceeding or any other administrative proceeding arising out of any such infringement, challenge or claim or otherwise relating to any Mark. You agree to sign any and all instruments and documents, render such assistance and do such acts and things as, in the opinion of our attorneys, may be necessary or advisable to protect and maintain our interests in any litigation or U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Copyright Office, or other proceeding or otherwise to protect and maintain our interests in the Marks.
8.4 Discontinuance of Use of Marks. If it becomes advisable at any time, in our sole discretion, for us and/or you to modify or discontinue the use of any Mark and/or use one or more additional or substitute trade or service marks, including the complete replacement of any Mark and usage of other marks (due to merger, acquisition or otherwise), you agree to comply with our directions within a reasonable time after receiving notice. We will reimburse you for your reasonable direct expenses of changing the WOB Store's signs. However, we will not be obligated to reimburse you for any direct or indirect loss, including loss of revenue attributable to any modified or discontinued Mark or for any expenditures you make to promote a modified or substitute trademark or service mark.
8.5 Indemnification. We will indemnify you against and reimburse you for all damages for which you are held liable to third parties in any proceeding arising out of your authorized use of any of our Marks, pursuant to and in compliance with this Agreement, resulting from claims by third parties that your use of any of the Marks infringes their trademark rights, and for all costs you reasonably incur in the defense of any such claim in which you are named as a party, so long as you have timely notified us of the claim and have otherwise complied with the terms of this Agreement. We will not indemnify you against the consequences of your use of the Marks except in accordance with the requirements of this Agreement. You must provide written notice to us of any such claim within 10 days of your receipt of such notice and you must tender the defense of the claim to us. We will have the right to defend any such claim and if we do so, we will have no obligation to indemnify or reimburse you for any fees or disbursements of any attorney retained by you. If we elect to defend the claim, we will have the right to manage the defense of the claim including the right to compromise, settle or otherwise resolve the claim, and to determine whether to appeal a final determination of the claim.
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8.6 Manage. Signage will comply with all state and local laws and ordinances. You are also to limit your signage to "World of Beer®". The use of any other language is forbidden. If you employ any signage that does not comply with this Agreement, you will be in material breach of this Agreement. The signage must also incorporate the specific letter style and curvature associated with the World of Beer® logo. You must not use a sign that deviates from the standard logo unless and until you have submitted a request for such deviation to us in writing with drawings and we have approved such deviation.
9. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
9.1 Types of Confidential Information. We possess (and will continue to develop and acquire) certain confidential information (the "Confidential Information") relating to the development and operation of WOB Stores, which includes (without limitation):
(a) the System and the know-how related to its use;
(b) plans, specifications, size and physical characteristics of WOB Stores;
(c) site selection criteria, land use and zoning techniques and criteria;
(d) methods in obtaining licensing and meeting regulatory requirements;
(e) sources, design and methods of use of equipment, furniture, forms, materials, supplies, Websites, Internet or Intranet, "business to business" or "business to customer" networks or communities and other e-commerce methods of business;
(f) marketing, advertising and promotional programs for WOB Stores;
(g) staffing and delivery methods and techniques for personal services;
(h) the selection, testing and training of managers and other employees for WOB Stores;
(i) the recruitment, qualification and investigation methods to secure employment for employment candidates;
(j) any computer software and related passwords we make available or recommend for WOB Stores;
(k) methods, techniques, formats, specifications, procedures, information and systems related to and knowledge of and experience in the development, operation, advertising, marketing and franchising of WOB Stores;
(1) knowledge of specifications for and identities of and suppliers of certain products, materials, supplies, furniture, furnishings and equipment;
(m) serving methods, presentation methods, merchandising techniques and customer retention programs;
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(n) recipes, formulas, preparation methods and serving techniques for food products; and
(o) knowledge of operating results and financial performance of WOB Stores (other than those operated by you or your affiliates).
9.2 Disclosure and Limitations on Use. We will disclose much of the Confidential Information to you and personnel of the WOB Store by furnishing the Manuals to you and by providing training, guidance and assistance to you. In addition, in the course of the operation of your WOB Store, you or your employees may develop ideas, concepts, methods, techniques or improvements ("Improvements") relating to your WOB Store or the System, which you agree to disclose to us. We will be deemed to own the Improvements and may use them and authorize you and others to use them in the operation of WOB Stores or any other aspect of the System. Improvements will then also constitute Confidential Information.
9.3 Confidentiality Obligations. You agree that your relationship with us does not vest in you any interest in the Confidential Information other than the right to use it in the development and operation of your WOB Store in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, and that the use or duplication of the Confidential Information in any other business would constitute an unfair method of competition. You acknowledge and agree that the Confidential Information is proprietary, includes trade secrets belonging to us and our affiliates, and is disclosed to you or authorized for your use solely on the condition that you agree, and you therefore do agree, that you:
(a) will not use the Confidential Information in any other business or capacity;
(b) will maintain the absolute confidentiality of the Confidential Information during and after the term of this Agreement;
(c) will not make unauthorized copies of any portion of the Confidential Information disclosed via electronic medium, in written form or in other tangible form, including, for example, the Manuals; and
(d) will adopt and implement all reasonable procedures we may prescribe from time to time to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of the Confidential Information, including restrictions on disclosure to your employees and the use of nondisclosure and noncompetition agreements we may prescribe for employees or others who have access to the Confidential Information.
9.4 Exceptions to Confidentiality. The restrictions on your disclosure and use of the Confidential Information will not apply to the following:
(a) disclosure or use of information, processes, or techniques which are generally known and used in the alcohol retail establishment business (as long as the availability is not because of a disclosure by you), provided that you have first given us written notice of your intended disclosure and/or use; and
(b) disclosure of the Confidential Information in judicial or administrative proceedings when and only to the extent you are legally compelled to disclose it, provided that you have first given us the opportunity to obtain an appropriate protective order or other assurance satisfactory to us that the information required to be disclosed will be treated confidentially.
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10. EXCLUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
You acknowledge and agree that we would be unable to protect Confidential Information against unauthorized use or disclosure or to encourage a free exchange of ideas and information among WOB Stores if franchised owners of WOB Stores were permitted to hold interests in or perform services for a Competitive Business (as defined below). You also acknowledge that we have granted the Franchise to you in consideration of and reliance upon your agreement to deal exclusively with us. You agree that, during the term of this Agreement, neither you nor any of your owners will, directly or indirectly (e.g., through a spouse or child):
(a) have any direct or indirect interest as a disclosed or beneficial owner in a Competitive Business (as defined below), wherever located;
(b) perform services as a director, officer, manager, employee, consultant, representative, agent or otherwise for a Competitive Business, wherever located;
(c) recruit or hire any person who is our employee or the employee of any WOB Store owned by us, our affiliates or our franchisees without obtaining the prior written permission of that person's employer; or
(d) divert or attempt to divert any business or customer of the Store to any Competitive Business or otherwise take any action injurious or prejudicial to the goodwill associated with the Marks and the System.
The term "Competitive Business," as used in this Agreement, means any business or facility owning, operating or managing, or granting franchises or licenses to others to do so, any bar, pub, tavern, restaurant, food or alcoholic beverage service facility, or any retail establishment (like a liquor store or convenience store) that (a) features beer, wine, and related products as a primary menu item; (b) serves craft beer; or (c) has more than 6 beers on tap, other than a WOB Store operated under a franchise agreement with us. This Section does not prohibit you or your owners from having a direct or indirect interest as a disclosed or beneficial owner in a publicly held Competitive Business, as long as such securities represent less than 5% of the number of shares of that class of securities which are issued and outstanding.
11. OPERATION AND SYSTEM STANDARDS
11.1 Confidential Operations Manual. During the term of this Agreement, we will loan you one copy of our manuals (the "Manuals"), consisting of such materials (including, as applicable, audiotapes, videotapes, magnetic media, computer software and written materials or other formats) that we generally furnish to franchisees from time to time for use in operating a WOB Store. The Manuals may be provided to you in electronic form and by any means of e-commerce we designate. The Manuals contain mandatory and suggested specifications, standards, operating procedures and rules ("System Standards") that we prescribe from time to time for the operation of a WOB Store and information relating to your other obligations under this Agreement and related agreements. You agree to follow the System Standards and other standards, specifications and operating procedures we establish periodically for the System that are described in the Manuals. We also reserve the right to make the Manuals accessible to you on-line via computer systems or other electronic format (like Internet, Intranet, CD-Rom, Websites or e-mail). You also must comply with all updates and amendments to the System as described in newsletters or notices we distribute, including via computer systems (e.g., internet, CD or other media we select). Any form of the Manuals we make accessible to you on-line will be deemed our Confidential Information. You agree to maintain the Manuals as confidential and maintain the information in the Manuals as secret and confidential. The Manuals may be modified, updated and revised (in written or electronic format) by us from time to time to reflect changes in System Standards. You agree to keep your copy of the Manuals, if any, current and in a secure location at the WOB Store. In the event of a dispute relating to its contents, the master copy of the Manuals we maintain at our principal office will be controlling. However, in the event we utilize on-line Manuals, the most recent online Manuals will control any disputes between the on-line version and printed copies of the Manuals. You may not at any time copy, duplicate, record or otherwise reproduce any part of the Manuals. If your copy of the Manuals is lost, destroyed or significantly damaged, you agree to obtain a replacement copy at our then applicable charge (unless we have made on-line Manuals accessible to you, in which case you may utilize the on-line Manuals instead of purchasing replacement Manuals).
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11.2 Compliance with System Standards. You acknowledge and agree that your operation and maintenance of the WOB Store in accordance with System Standards are essential to preserve the goodwill of the Marks and all WOB Stores. Therefore, at all times during the term of this Agreement, you agree to operate and maintain the WOB Store in strict accordance with each and every System Standard, as we periodically modify and supplement them during the term of this Agreement. System Standards may regulate any one or more of the following with respect to the WOB Store:
(a) design, layout, decor, appearance and lighting; periodic maintenance, cleaning and sanitation; periodic remodeling; replacement of obsolete or worn-out leasehold improvements, fixtures, furnishings, equipment and signs; televisions; music and other entertainment services; periodic painting; and use of interior and exterior signs, emblems, lettering and logos, and illumination;
(b) types, models and brands of required fixtures, furnishings, equipment, signs, software, materials and supplies;
(c) types, content, size, materials and standards for signage;
(d) required or authorized products and product categories including for all food and beverage items and portions devoted to each supplier of products (e.g., "taps" for beer);
(e) designated or approved suppliers (which may be limited to or include us) of fixtures, furnishings, equipment, signs, software, products, ingredients, materials and supplies, including for all food and beverage items;
(f) terms and conditions of the sale and delivery of, and terms and methods of payment for, products, materials, supplies and services, including direct labor, that you obtain from us, unaffiliated suppliers or others;
(g) sales, marketing, advertising and promotional programs and materials and media used in such programs;
(h) pricing methods and formats for all products (food and non-food) to be sold, including, for beverage products, pricing by case, 6-pack or single bottles, and the pricing for products (food and non-food) to be consumed on premises;
(i) policies for participation and delivery at your WOB Store of food products from restaurants and other food providers, and methods and programs for doing so (if any), as specified by us in the Manuals;
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(j) preparation of food products to serve at your WOB Store;
(k) use and display of the Marks;
(1) staffing levels for the WOB Store, and qualifications, training, dress and appearance of employees;
(m) participation in market research and testing and product and service development programs and customer satisfaction programs;
(n) acceptance of credit cards, corporate and other franchisee issued gift certificates, coupons, frequent diner programs, and payment systems and check verification services;
(o) bookkeeping, accounting, data processing and record keeping systems, including software, and forms; methods, formats, content and frequency of reports to us of sales, revenue, financial performance and condition; and furnishing tax returns and other operating and financial information to us;
(p) types, amounts, terms and conditions of insurance coverage required to be carried for the WOB Store and standards for underwriters of policies providing required insurance coverage; our protection and rights under such policies as an additional named insured; required or impermissible insurance contract provisions; assignment of policy rights to us; periodic verification of insurance coverage that must be furnished to us; our right to obtain insurance coverage for the WOB Store at your expense if you fail to obtain required coverage; our right to defend claims; and similar matters relating to insured and uninsured claims;
(q) complying with applicable laws; obtaining required licenses and permits; adhering to good business practices; observing high standards of honesty, integrity, fair dealing and ethical business conduct in all dealings with customers, suppliers and us and our affiliates; and notifying us if any action, suit or proceeding is commenced against you or the WOB Store;
(r) regulation of such other aspects of the operation and maintenance of the WOB Store that we determine from time to time to be useful to preserve or enhance the efficient operation, image or goodwill of the Marks and WOB Stores; and
(s) your use of, or mandatory or recommended participation in, any e-commerce, Intranet, Internet or Website communities, systems or processes, Website and compliance with any Internet, Intranet or e-commerce policies or procedures we may establish from time to time.
You agree that System Standards prescribed from time to time in the Manuals, or otherwise communicated to you in writing or other tangible form, constitute provisions of this Agreement as if fully set forth herein. All references to this Agreement include all System Standards as periodically modified.
11.3 Modification of System Standards. We may periodically modify System Standards, which may accommodate regional or local variations as we determine. Such modifications may obligate you to invest additional capital in the WOB Store ("Capital Modifications") and/or incur higher operating costs; provided, however, that such modifications will not: (i) occur within 12 months of signing this Agreement; (ii) alter your fundamental status and rights under this Agreement; nor (iii) require you to spend more than $150,000 on Capital Modifications during the term of this Agreement. You are obligated to comply with all modifications to System Standards within the time periods we specify. We agree to give you 90 days to comply with Capital Modifications we require.
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However, if a Capital Modification requires an expenditure of more than $20,000, we agree to give you 12 months from the date such request is made to comply with such Capital Modification. Capital Modifications are in addition to the costs you will incur to replace or refurbish your WOB Store, equipment and fixtures from time to time. Capital Modifications do not include any expenditures you must make, or choose to make, in order to comply with applicable laws, governmental rules or regulations.
11.4 Interior and Exterior Upkeep. You agree at all times to maintain the WOB Store's interior and exterior and the surrounding area in the highest degree of cleanliness, orderliness and sanitation and comply with the requirements regarding the upkeep of the WOB Store established in the Manuals and by federal, state and local laws.
11.5 Hours of Operation. You agree to operate the WOB Store between the hours that we designate, unless we have otherwise approved in advance in writing. Standard system-wide holidays allow for closing of the WOB Store on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, with other holiday closings at your discretion and subject to our approval.
11.6 Trade Accounts and Taxes. You agree to maintain your trade accounts in a current status and seek to resolve any disputes with trade suppliers promptly. You agree to timely pay all taxes incurred in connection with your WOB Store's operations. If you fail to maintain your trade accounts in a current status, timely pay such taxes or any other amounts owing to any third parties, or perform any non-monetary obligations to third parties, we may, but are not required to, pay any and all such amounts and perform such obligations on your behalf. If we elect to do so, then you agree to reimburse us for such amounts. You agree to repay us immediately upon receipt of our invoice. We may also set-off the amount of any such reimbursement obligations against all amounts which we may owe you.
11.7 Proprietary Products. You agree to purchase from us or approved manufacturers or suppliers all articles used in operating the WOB Store and bearing any of the Marks. Because of the importance of quality and uniformity of production and the significance of the Proprietary Products to the System, it is to the mutual benefit of the parties that we closely control the production and distribution of the Proprietary Products. These items may include employee clothing (such as ties, hats and aprons), glassware, beverage paraphernalia for retail sale to customers, stationary, forms, products and advertising materials (the "Proprietary Products"), at then prevailing prices, plus freight, taxes and delivery costs.
11.8 Approved Products. You agree not to sell any food or beverage products or other items at the WOB Store that we have not previously approved for sale. You agree not to, without our prior written consent, prepare, sell, dispense, give away or otherwise provide food or beverage products or other items except by means of retail sales or on-premises consumption, as provided in our Manuals. You must sell all the food and beverage products that are included on menus prescribed or approved by us, and no others. You will immediately implement changes to the products, food, service or other items requested by us. You agree to maintain an inventory of food and beverage products sufficient to meet the daily demands of the WOB Store for all items specified in the menus. You must strictly follow all of our recipes for all menu items as such recipes are specified from time to time in the Manuals or otherwise. Any and all recipe or menu changes submitted by you for inclusion, at our sole discretion, on the menus will become our property, and you agree to sign all documents necessary to convey all rights and title, including all rights in such recipe(s), to us. You will only sell the types and brands of food products we authorize from time to time, including food you prepare at your WOB Store or food from restaurants that deliver to customers at your WOB Store, as authorized by us from time to time. You also agree to participate in any programs we develop with participating restaurants for this purpose on the terms we develop from time to time. We reserve the right to discontinue or modify our policy of allowing restaurants to deliver food to customers at your WOB Store at any time, in our sole discretion.
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11.9 Pricing. We may from time to time establish maximum, minimum or other pricing requirements to the fullest extent allowed by law.
11.10 Beer and Wine Licenses and Business Licenses. You understand and acknowledge that this Agreement is expressly conditioned on your ability to secure and maintain, at your sole cost, any and all required state, county and/or local alcohol beverage license(s) required for the on-premises sale and consumption and retail sale of beer, wine, and other approved products (food and non-food) at the Store and any other business licenses required for the operation of the Store. If you fail to secure the required alcohol beverage license(s) by the date the Store is otherwise ready (and/or required) to open for business, then we may, in our sole discretion, terminate this Agreement upon 10 days prior written notice to you and, in such event, we will not be required to refund the all or any part of the Franchise Fee. After you have secured the required alcohol beverage license(s), you will thereafter comply with all applicable laws and regulations relating to the sale of alcoholic beverages at the Store. If the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages at the Store is suspended or prohibited for more than 10 consecutive days as a result of your failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations relating to the sale of alcoholic beverages at the Store, then we may, in our sole discretion, terminate this Agreement upon 10 days prior written notice to you and, in such event, we will not be required to refund all or any part of the Franchise Fee.
11.11 Compliance With Laws. You must operate the Store in full compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations, and agree to timely obtain and maintain in force any and all permits, certificates, or licenses necessary for the full and proper conduct of the Store, including, without limitation, business licenses, certificates of occupancy, liquor licenses, fictitious name registrations, sales tax permits, and fire permits. You shall be solely responsible for any fines, costs or penalties related to the foregoing matters. You must notify us in writing promptly (but in any event within 48 hours) after you receive notice of: (a) any violation, report, fine, test result or the like from any agency or governmental instrumentality; or (b) the commencement of any action, suit, or proceeding, or the issuance of any order, writ, injunction, award, or decree of any court, agency or other governmental instrumentality related to any of the matters referenced in this Section or which may adversely affect your operation of the WOB Store.
11.12 Management. You (or your Operating Principal) and one of your managerial employees that has satisfactorily completed our training program must assume responsibility for the WOB Store's day-to-day management and operation and supervision of the WOB Store's personnel. During all hours of operations, the WOB Store must be under the direct supervision of you (or your Operating Principal) and one other management-level employee, each of whom has satisfactorily completed our Initial Training program and meets our qualifications for a WOB Store manager. You (or your Operating Principal) and each of your managerial employees must sign our then-current form of Confidentiality Agreement, or other form satisfactory to us. If you (or your Operating Principal) will not be actively supervising and managing the WOB Store, then you must recruit, hire and maintain an "Operating Manager" who meets the following qualifications and conditions:
(a) The Operating Manager must own at least 10% of the economic ownership interest in the Business Entity or the WOB Store;
(b) The Operating Manager must have a sufficient amount of experience in managing and operating full-service retail alcohol establishments (in terms of duration, operational responsibilities, previous training, etc.) as a general manager or in a similar supervisory position to demonstrate to us that he or she is capable of managing a WOB Store on a full-time daily basis;
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(c) The Operating Manager must have management responsibility and authority over the day-to-day operations of the WOB Store;
(d) The Operating Manager must be actively employed by you or the Business Entity on a full-time basis to manage the WOB Store's operations;
(e) The Operating Manager must be bound by our then-current form of confidentiality and non-competition agreement (or other contract in form and substance satisfactory to us); and
(f) The Operating Manager must have satisfactorily completed our initial training program and any other training programs we require from time to time.
Although you control the terms and conditions of the Operating Manager's employment, the compensation programs and structure must be submitted to us for our prior review and approval.
11.13 Personnel. You agree to hire, train and supervise your WOB Store personnel in accordance with the specifications set forth in the Manuals. All personnel must meet every requirement imposed by applicable federal, state and local law and those required by us as a condition to their employment. You are solely responsible for all employment decisions with respect to your employees, including hiring, firing, compensation, training, supervision and discipline, regardless whether you receive advice from us on any of these subject. All persons you employ who have access to any of the Confidential Information must sign a nondisclosure and noncompetition agreement in a form satisfactory to us. You are liable to us for any unauthorized disclosure of such information by any of your owners, directors, employees, representatives or agents.
11.14 Alcoholic Beverage and/or Food Agreements. Continuously throughout the term of this Agreement, you agree to provide alcoholic beverage services consisting of beer and wine and food services we may designate only at the WOB Store in accordance with our System Standards and subject to all applicable laws, unless we waive this requirement in advance in writing. We have the right to approve the form of any agreements, and all modifications to them, between you and any person or entity providing alcoholic beverage services or food to you, and the quality and brands of beer, wine and other beverages or foods we have approved to be sold at the WOB Store.
12. POINT OF SALE SYSTEM AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
At your expense, you must purchase and use a computerized cash collection and data processing system (the "POS System") that meets the standards and specifications we prescribe from time to time in the Manuals or otherwise. You agree to enter all sales and other information that we require in the POS System. In addition to the POS System, you must use in developing and operating the WOB Store the computer hardware and operating and accounting software (and related training and periodic software support) (the "Computer System") that we specify. You must maintain the POS System and Computer System in good working order and connected to any telephone system or computer network that we require. We may require you to configure and connect the POS System and Computer System to our systems to provide us with continuous real-time access to all information stored on the POS and Computer System, at your expense. You must provide your own intemet service provider, with access via DSL or other technology we designate, and you are responsible for all ISP and other connectivity related fees and costs relating to your use of the POS System and Computer System.
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You must also, at your expense, apply for and maintain credit card, debit card or other non-cash payment systems that we periodically require. We may require you to maintain support service contracts and/or maintenance service contracts and implement and periodically make upgrades and changes to the POS System, Computer System, and credit card, debit card and other non-cash payment systems. We reserve the right to designate the vendor(s) for such support service contracts and maintenance service contracts (which may be us or our affiliates).
We may periodically require you, at your expense, to upgrade or update the POS System and/or Computer System to remain in compliance with the standards and specifications required by us from time to time. You agree to incur such costs in connection with obtaining the components comprising the POS System and Computer System (or additions or modifications), as long as the POS System and Computer System we specify for use is the same that we, or our affiliates, then currently use in WOB Stores that we, or they, own and operate. Within 30 days after you receive notice from us, you agree to obtain the components of the POS System and Computer System that we designate and require.
You must purchase and use any and all proprietary software programs which we have developed or may develop and/or designate for use for the System. We may require you to sign a software license agreement in a form that we prescribe and pay us a reasonable software licensing fee for such proprietary software. We may also charge you a reasonable systems fee (the "MIS Fees") for any modifications of and enhancements made to any proprietary software that we develop and license to you, and for other maintenance and support services that we, or our affiliates, furnish to you related to the POS System or Computer System, including access to and use of any WORLD OF BEER® intranet system that we establish. You must: (a) supply us with any and all codes, passwords and information necessary to access your POS System and Computer System, and may not change any of them without first notifying us; and (b) not load or utilize any software that we have not specified or approved for use.
13. MARKETING AND PROMOTION
Recognizing the value of marketing and the importance of the standardization of marketing and promotion to the furtherance of the goodwill and public image of WOB Stores, the Marks and the System, you agree as follows:
13.1 Grand Opening You, at your sole expense, must develop and implement a grand opening promotion approved by us to introduce the Store to the public during the period that is 30 days prior to and 60 days after the date that your Store opens for business (the "Grand Opening Advertising"). You are required to spend a minimum of $5,000 for the Grand Opening Advertising. To the extent we have developed or approved marketing or advertising programs and materials for the Store's grand opening, you must use such programs and materials. The Grand Opening Advertising is in addition to your other marketing and advertising requirements, and the amounts you expend under this Section 13.1 will not be credited against any of your other obligations under this Agreement. Grand Opening Advertisement payments are to be made to third parties, not to us.
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13.2 Establishment of Marketing and Development Fund. We have established a marketing and development fund (the "Marketing and Development Fund") for such advertising, marketing and public relations programs and materials on a system-wide basis we deem necessary or appropriate in our sole judgment. You agree to, upon notice from us, pay to us or our designee such amounts that we prescribe from time to time (the "Marketing Contributions"), 1.5% to 3% of Net Sales (or $375 per week if applicable law prohibits payments to us based on sales of alcohol and beverage products), payable in the same manner as the Royalty. In certain markets the amount of the Marketing Fund may vary as we determine based on numerous factors including the demographics of the market, competition, gross sales of WOB Stores in your market, and other factors we may determine from time to time. The Marketing and Development Fund will be operated by us or our designee in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the Marketing and Development Fund policies. We reserve the right to charge a separate fee for the development, hosting and maintenance of any Internet and Intranet websites. We reserve the right to defer or reduce Marketing Contributions of a WOB Store franchisee and, upon 30 days' prior written notice to you, to reduce or suspend contributions to and operations of the Marketing and Development Fund for one or more periods of any length and to terminate (and, if terminated, to reinstate) the Marketing and Development Fund. If the Marketing and Development Fund is terminated, all unspent monies on the date of termination will be distributed to our franchisees in proportion to their respective contributions to the Marketing and Development Fund during the preceding 12-month period. Our affiliates will contribute to the Marketing and Development Fund on the same basis as franchise owners for any WOB Store they own and operate. Even though you pay Marketing Contributions to us (or our designee), we (or our designee), by operation of the Marketing and Development Fund, are not your agents and do not owe fiduciary duties or other duties to you arising out of our (or our designee's) operation of the Marketing and Development Fund.
13.3 Use of the Funds. We, or our designee, will direct all programs financed by the Marketing and Development Fund, with sole control over the creative concepts, materials and endorsements, and the geographic, market, media placement and allocation and any Internet or Intranet websites, networks or communities we or it operate or participate in, or which requires your participation. You agree that the Marketing and Development Fund may be used to pay the costs of preparing or producing video, audio, Internet, Intranet, e-commerce, Website or written advertising materials; administering national or regional advertising programs, including, without limitation: purchasing direct mail or other media advertising; or employing or contracting with advertising, promotion or marketing agencies; supporting public relations; market research; other advertising, promotion or marketing activities; conducting product development; research; developing new purchasing and marketing programs, campaigns or networks (including via Internet, Intranet, Website(s) or other forms of e-commerce); all costs associated directly or indirectly with the operation, maintenance, hosting or development of websites bearing our Marks; or establishing Internet, Intranet, Website or other forms of e-commerce communities, networks, systems, methods, processes, databases or monitoring systems, which may include our establishing one or more Internet or Intranet Websites for purposes of: linking suppliers of products and services to our Website(s); our electronic monitoring of your performance under this Agreement; our sharing or selling information to third parties; our establishing business-to-business or business-to-customer e-commerce; promoting the development and growth of WORLD OF BEER® franchises or soliciting franchisees; or your reporting of Royalties, Net Sales or other information as we designate from time to time. The Marketing and Development Fund may be used and for defraying the reasonable salaries (whether individuals directly employed by us or our designee or under agreement with us or our designee), administrative hosting, development maintenance costs and overhead incurred by us our designees in connection with the Marketing and Development Fund. The Marketing and Development Fund may periodically furnish you with samples of advertising, marketing and promotional formats and materials at no cost. Multiple copies of such materials will be furnished to you at our direct cost of producing them, plus any related shipping, handling and storage charges.
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13.4 Accounting for the Funds. The Marketing and Development Fund will be accounted for separately from our other funds and will not be used to defray any of our general operating expenses, except for such reasonable salaries, administrative costs, travel expenses and overhead as we or our designee may incur in activities related to the administration of the Marketing and Development Fund and its programs, including, without limitation, conducting market surveys, preparing advertising, promotion and marketing materials and collecting and accounting for contributions to the Marketing and Development Fund. We or our designee may spend, on behalf of the Marketing and Development Fund, in any fiscal year an amount greater or less than the aggregate contribution of all WOB Stores to the Marketing and Development Fund in that year, and the Marketing and Development Fund may borrow from us or others to cover deficits or invest any surplus for future use. All interest earned on monies contributed to the Marketing and Development Fund will be used to pay advertising costs before other assets of the Marketing and Development Fund are expended. We or our designee will prepare a periodic statement of monies collected and costs incurred by the Marketing and Development Fund and furnish the statement to you upon written request. We or our designee have the right to cause the Marketing and Development Fund to be incorporated or operated through a separate entity at such time as we deem appropriate, and such successor entity will have all of the rights and duties specified in this Agreement.
13.5 Marketing and Development Fund Limitations. You acknowledge that the Marketing and Development Fund is intended to maximize recognition of the Marks and patronage of WOB Stores. Although we or our designee will endeavor to utilize the Marketing and Development Fund to develop advertising and marketing materials and programs and to place advertising that will benefit all WOB Stores, we or our designee undertake no obligation to ensure that expenditures by the Marketing and Development Fund in or affecting any geographic area are proportionate or equivalent to the contributions to the Marketing and Development Fund by WOB Stores operating in that geographic area or that any WOB Store will benefit directly or in proportion to its contribution to the Marketing and Development Fund from the development of advertising and marketing materials or the placement of advertising. Except as expressly provided in this Section, we or our designee assume no direct or indirect liability or obligation to you with respect to collecting amounts due to the Marketing and Development Fund.
13.6 Local Advertising. You agree that, in addition to the payment of the Marketing Fund Contributions and any amounts required for Grand Opening Advertising, you will spend a reasonable amount each calendar quarter for local market advertising ("Local Advertising"), but in no event less than 1.5% of Net Sales per calendar quarter. The amount of advertising funds expended by you for Local Advertising will be determined by you, subject to the foregoing minimum requirement. Local Advertising expenditures do not include incentive programs, including, without limitation, costs of honoring coupons, product costs involved in honoring sales promotions, salaries, contributions, donations, yellow pages advertising, and interior and exterior signage. You must obtain and maintain records demonstrating your Local Advertising efforts and associated spending and submit them to us upon request. Within 15 days after the end of each calendar quarter, you must submit written documentation to us (signed and certified by you or your Operating Principal) demonstrating that you have complied with the Local Advertising requirements. If you fail to make Local Advertising expenditures in accordance with this Section, we will have the right to spend an amount not to exceed 1.5% of Net Sales of the Store on Local Advertising on your behalf, and you must reimburse us for such expenses upon demand. Your failure to comply with this Section will be deemed a material breach of this Agreement.
13.7 Cooperative Advertising and Promotion. Although not obligated to do so, we may create a cooperative advertising program for the benefit of franchised and company-owned WOB Stores located within a particular region. We have the right to determine the composition of all geographic territories and market areas for the implementation of any cooperative advertising programs and to require that you participate in such cooperative advertising program when established. We have the right to collect and designate up to 50% of the Local Advertising expenditures for a cooperative advertising program. Your contributions to any cooperative advertising programs will be done proportionately and on a per-Store basis. We and our affiliates will make similar contributions for any WOB Stores that we or they own and operate in any region for which a cooperative advertising program has been established. If a cooperative advertising program is implemented on behalf of a particular region, we reserve the right to establish an advertising cooperative (the "Cooperative") for a particular region to enable the Cooperative to self-administer the cooperative advertising program, and you agree to participate in such Cooperative according to the Cooperative's then-current rules and procedures and to abide by the Cooperative's then-current decisions. We may, upon 30 days' written notice to you, suspend or terminate any Cooperative's programs or operations. Your failure to timely contribute the amounts for cooperative advertising programs as required by this Section constitutes a material breach of the provisions of this Agreement and we may offset any amounts we otherwise owe to you the amount of your cooperative advertising contributions and pay such contributions for you.
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13.8 Approval of Advertising. You agree that any advertising, promotion and marketing you conduct will be completely clear and conform to the highest standards of ethical marketing and the promotion policies which we prescribe from time to time. All advertising, promotion and marketing by you must be factually accurate and must not detrimentally affect the Marks or System, as determined in our sole discretion. Samples of all advertising, promotional and marketing materials which we have not prepared or previously approved must be submitted to us for approval before you use them. If you do not receive written disapproval within 30 days after our receipt of such materials, we will be deemed to have given the required approval. You must discontinue the use of any approved advertising within 5 days of your receipt of our request to do so. You may not use any advertising or promotional materials that we have disapproved. You may not enter into agreements with any advertising agencies, public relations firms, design firms or media properties, including radio, television, direct mail, Internet, newspaper or magazine, without our express written permission. You agree to reimburse us for any legal expenses that we incur in connection with our review of any proposed advertising, promotion or marketing materials for your Store. Such amounts are due upon receipt of our invoice. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any and all advertising, promotion and marketing for your Store complies in all respects with applicable laws, rules and regulations in your jurisdiction.
13.9 Telephone Directory Advertising. You must list and advertise the telephone number for the WOB Store in the "white pages" telephone directory and the classified or "yellow pages" telephone directory distributed in your local market area and in such directly heading or category as we specify ("Telephone Directory Advertising"). You must place the classified directory advertisement and listings together with other franchisees operating within the distribution area of the directories. If a joint listing is obtained, the cost of the advertisements and listings will be apportioned among WOB Stores which are placed together. Telephone Directory Advertising expenditures are in addition to the Local Advertising required in Section 13.6 and the Grand Opening Advertising required in Section 13.1.
13.10 Internet Marketing. We have established and maintain an Internet website at the uniform resource locator (“URL”) www.wobusa.com that provides information about the WORLD OF BEER® System and the services that we and our franchisees provide. We may (but are not required to) include at the WORLD OF BEER® website an interior page containing information about the WOB Store. If we include such information on the WORLD OF BEER® website, we may require you to prepare all or a portion of the page, at your expense, using a template that we provide. All such information will be subject to our approval prior to posting. We may require you to pay for website development and/or hosting services related to any Internet website(s) that we maintain, or permit you to maintain, related to your WORLD OF BEER® Store. We retain the sole right to market on the Internet, including all use of websites, domain names, URL’s, linking, meta-tags, marketing, auction sites, e-commerce and co-branding arrangements. You may be requested to provide us content for our Internet marketing and must follow our Intranet and Internet usage rules, policies and requirements, as set forth in the Manuals or otherwise. We retain the sole right to use the Marks on the Internet, including on websites, as domain names, directory addresses, search terms, meta-tags, and in connection with linking, marketing, co-branding and other arrangements. You may not establish a presence on, or market using, the Internet in connection with the WOB Store unless you have obtained our express prior written consent and subject to our specifications in connection with the same, due to our substantial interest in protecting the Marks, the System and the Confidential Information. In the event we approve an independent website for you or any other franchisee, we may require that such website be accessed only through our home page. You recognize and agree that we (or our affiliates) own all rights, title and interest in and to any and all websites, URLs, domain names, website addresses, e-mail addresses and any other means of electronic identification or origin we commission or utilize, or require or permit you to utilize, in connection with the WOB Store. You agree to sign and deliver to us our standard form of Conditional Assignment of Telephone Numbers and Listings and Internet Addresses attached as an exhibit to our Franchise Disclosure Document. We (or our affiliates) own all right, title and interest in and to information compiled from, derived from or obtained by us via your or our use of websites or our establishment of any Intranet, Internet or other forms of e-commerce networks or communities. You agree to establish, maintain and notify us of an active e-mail address at all times, and notify us of any change in e-mail address within 3 business days.
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We may maintain one or more social media sites (e.g., www.twitter.com, www.faccbook.com, or such other social media sites). You may not establish or maintain any social media sites utilizing any user names, or otherwise associating with the Marks, without our advance written consent. We may designate from time to time regional or territory-specific user names/handles to be maintained by you. You must adhere to the social media policies established from time to time by us and will require all of your employees to do so as well. Any and all menu items (food and non-food) and retail items posted in the WOB Store, on the internet, or on any social media sites, as authorized by us, must at all times be accurate and up-to-date.
13.11 Supplemental Marketing. You must participate in supplemental marketing programs, like limited time offers, gift cards, gift certificates, coupons, loyalty programs, and customer relationship management, as we may periodically require. You will be responsible for certain costs associated with these supplemental marketing programs.
14. RECORDS, REPORTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
14.1 Accounting System. You agree to establish and maintain at your own expense a bookkeeping, accounting and recordkeeping system conforming to the requirements and formats we prescribe from time to time. We may require you to use approved computer hardware, software and Websites in order to maintain certain sales data and other information we designate from time to time, including updating of Manuals and for communication purposes. You agree that we may have access to such sales data and other information through the computer system at all times.
14.2 Accounting, Computers and Records. It is your responsibility to obtain accounting services and any required hardware or software related to them. You will at all times maintain the records reasonably specified in the Manuals or otherwise, including, without limitation, sales, inventory and expense information. To the extent we require support for accounting software used by you, such support will only be provided with respect to the accounting software then used by us in the operation of our own (or our affiliates' own) WOB Stores.
14.3 Reports. You agree to furnish to us on such forms that we prescribe from time to time:
(a) following the Agreement Date, and weekly thereafter until your WOB Store opens, you will furnish us with a report of your progress in the development and opening of your WOB Store;
(b) at our request, within 5 days after their filing, copies of all sales tax and alcohol surtax returns for the WOB Store and copies of the canceled checks for the required sales taxes and alcohol surtaxes;
(c) on the Payment Day of each calendar month, a report on the WOB Store's Net Sales during the immediately preceding calendar month with the Royalty payment;
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(d) within 20 days after the end of each calendar month, a profit and loss statement for the WOB Store for the immediately preceding calendar month and year-to-date and a balance sheet as of the end of such month;
(e) no later than April 15th of each year, annual profit and loss and source and use of funds statements and a balance sheet for the WOB Store as of the end of such fiscal year; and
(f) within 10 days after our request, exact copies of federal and state income and other tax returns and such other forms, records, books and other information we may periodically require.
We may require that any of the reports described in this Section or any information you are required to provide us under this Agreement or our System Standards be provided to us in electronic format via a secure Website (Internet or Intranet) at times and in the manner we designate, from time to time. We may require you to adopt a calendar year end as your fiscal year end for reporting purposes.
14.4 Access to Information. You agree to verify and sign each report and financial statement in the manner we prescribe. We have the right to disclose data derived from such reports without identifying you or the location of the WOB Store. We also have the right to require you to have reviewed or audited financial statements prepared on an annual basis if we reasonably believe that the reports are incorrect. Moreover, we have the right as often as we deem appropriate (including on a daily basis) to access, electronically or otherwise, all computer registers and other computer systems that you are required to maintain in connection with the operation of the WOB Store and to retrieve electronically or otherwise, all information (including sales, product mix, or other information) relating to the WOB Store's operations.
14.5 Copies of Reports. You agree to furnish us with a copy of all sales, income and other tax returns relating to your WOB Store, at our request. You will also send us copies of any sales or other reports sent to any landlord or governmental agency, at our request.
15. INSPECTIONS AND AUDITS
15.1 Our Right to Inspect the WOB Store. To determine whether you and the WOB Store are complying with this Agreement and all System Standards, we and our designated agents have the right at any time during your regular business hours, and without prior notice to you, to:
(a) inspect the WOB Store;
(b) observe, photograph and videotape the operations of the WOB Store for such consecutive or intermittent periods as we deem necessary;
(c) remove samples of any products (food or non-food), ingredients, materials or supplies for testing and analysis;
(d) interview personnel and customers of the WOB Store; and
(e) inspect and copy any books, records and documents relating to your operation of the WOB Store.
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You agree to cooperate with us fully in connection with any such inspections, observations, photographing, videotaping, product removal, interviews and electronic (Internet or Intranet) record access. You agree to present to your customers such evaluation forms that we periodically prescribe and to participate and/or request your customers to participate in any surveys performed by us or on our behalf. You agree to correct or repair any unsatisfactory conditions we specify within 5 days.
15.2 Our Right to Audit. We have the right at any time during your business hours to inspect and audit, or cause to be inspected and audited, your (if you are a Business Entity) and the WOB Store's business, bookkeeping and accounting records, purchasing records, advertising and marketing records and expenditures, sales and income tax records and returns and other records. You agree to cooperate fully with our representatives and independent accountants we hire to conduct any such inspection or audit. If our inspection or audit is made necessary by your failure to furnish reports, supporting records or other information we require, or to furnish such items on a timely basis, or if the information is not accurate or if your Net Sales are understated by more than 2% for any reporting period, you agree to reimburse us for the cost of such inspection or audit, including, without limitation, the charges of attorneys and independent accountants and the travel expenses, room and board and compensation of our employees. You also must pay us any shortfall in the amounts you owe us, including late fees and interest, within 10 days of our notice. The foregoing remedies are in addition to our other remedies and rights under this Agreement and applicable law, which may include termination of this Agreement.
16. INSURANCE
You must procure, prior to opening the Store, and maintain in full force and effect during the term of this Agreement, at your expense, the following types of insurance (in addition to any insurance that may be required by applicable law, any lender or lessor): (a) comprehensive general liability insurance, including personal injury, products liability, liquor liability and fire damage coverage; (b) "all risk" property insurance, including fire and extended coverage insurance (including vandalism and malicious mischief insurance, and flood insurance) for the full cost of replacement of the Store and its contents; (c) worker's compensation insurance and employer's liability insurance as required by the state in which your Store is located; and (d) such other insurance policies, including business interruption insurance and automobile insurance, as we may determine from time to time. All insurance policies must: (i) be issued by carriers approved by us; (ii) contain such types and minimum amounts of coverage, exclusions and maximum deductibles as we prescribe from time to time; (iii) (except for worker's compensation insurance) name us, our affiliates, successors and assigns as additional insureds; (iv) provide for 30 days' prior written notice to us of any material modification, cancellation or expiration of such policy; and (v) include such other provisions as we may require from time to time.
At our request, you must furnish us with such evidence of coverage and payment of premiums as we require from time to time. If you fail or refuse to maintain any required insurance coverage, or to furnish satisfactory evidence thereof, we will have the right and authority (but not the obligation) to immediately procure such insurance coverage on your behalf and to charge the same to you, which charges, together with a reasonable fee for expenses incurred by us in connection with such procurement, will be payable by you immediately upon notice from us. You must cooperate with us in our effort to obtain such insurance policies.
Your obligation to maintain insurance coverage is not diminished in any manner by reason of any separate insurance we may chose to maintain, nor does it relieve you of your obligations under Section 21.4.
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17. ADVISORY COUNCIL
17.1 Our Right to Create Advisory Council. We reserve the right to create at any time in the future, if or when we deem appropriate, in our sole discretion, a franchise advisory council or such successor association as may be sanctioned by us to serve as an advisory council to us with respect to the advertising, marketing, operation, new product and service suggestions, and other matters relating to WOB Stores (the "Advisory Council"). If we establish an Advisory Council, we may seek the advice and counsel of the Advisory Council and its board of directors and committees. The Advisory Council's committees and their functions and membership will be subject to our written approval. Recognizing that the Advisory Council (if any) must function in a manner consistent with all WORLD OF BEER® franchises, we may require the governing rules of the Advisory Council to be consistent with this Agreement.
17.2 Your Membership in Franchise Advisory Council. If we create an Advisory Council, then, upon its creation, as long as your WOB Store continues to operate in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, you will be eligible for nomination to be a member with full voting rights and privileges in the Advisory Council. We reserve the right to approve the rules and bylaws of such Advisory Council.
18. TRANSFER
18.1 By Us. This Agreement is fully transferable by us, and inures to the benefit of any transferee or other legal successor to our interests, as long as such transferee or successor agrees to be bound by, and assumes all of our continuing obligations under, this Agreement.
18.2 By You. You understand and acknowledge that the rights and duties created by this Agreement are personal to you (or, if you are a Business Entity, to your owners) and that we have granted the Franchise to you in reliance upon our perceptions of your (or your owners') individual or collective character, skill, aptitude, attitude, business ability and financial capacity. Accordingly, neither this Agreement (or any interest in it) nor any ownership or other interest in you or the WOB Store may be transferred without our prior written approval. Any transfer without such approval constitutes a breach of this Agreement and is void and of no effect. As used in this Agreement, the term "transfer" includes your (or your owners') voluntary, involuntary, direct or indirect assignment, sale, gift or other disposition of any interest in: (a) you; (b) this Agreement; or (c) the WOB Store.
An assignment, sale, gift or other disposition includes the following events:
| (i) | transfer of ownership of capital stock or a partnership interest; |
| (ii) | merger or consolidation or issuance of additional securities or interests representing an ownership interest in you; |
| (iii) | any issuance or sale of your stock or any security convertible to your stock; |
| (iv) | transfer of an interest in you, this Agreement or the WOB Store in a divorce, insolvency or corporate or partnership dissolution proceeding or otherwise by operation of law; |
| (v) | transfer of an interest in you, this Agreement or the WOB Store, in the event of your death or the death of one of your owners, by will, declaration of or transfer in trust or under the laws of intestate succession; or |
| (vi) | pledge of this Agreement (to someone other than us) or of an ownership interest in you as security, foreclosure upon the WOB Store or your transfer, surrender or loss of possession, control or management of the WOB Store. |
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18.3 Conditions for Approval of Transfer. If you (and your owners) are in full compliance with this Agreement, then subject to the other provisions of this Section 18, we will approve a transfer that meets all the applicable requirements of this Section. The proposed transferee and its direct and indirect owners must be individuals of good character and otherwise meet our then applicable standards for WOB Store franchisees. A transfer of ownership, possession or control of the WOB Store may be made only in conjunction with a transfer of this Agreement. If the transfer is of this Agreement or a controlling interest in you, or is one of a series of transfers which in the aggregate constitute the transfer of this Agreement or a controlling interest in you, all of the following conditions must be met prior to or concurrently with the effective date of the transfer:
(a) the transferee has sufficient business experience, aptitude and financial resources to operate the WOB Store;
(b) you have paid all Royalties, Marketing and Development Fund contributions, amounts owed for purchases from us and all other amounts owed to us or to third-party creditors and have submitted all required reports and statements;
(c) the transferee (or its Operating Partner) and its managerial employee (if different from your manager) have agreed to complete our standard training program;
(d) the transferee has agreed to be bound by all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement
(e) you or the transferee pay us a transfer fee equal to 50% of the then-current Franchise Fee (the "Transfer Fee"), payable prior to consummation of the transfer. The Transfer Fee is used to defray expenses we incur in connection with the transfer and the costs of training up to 2 trainees of the transferee (one of whom must be a managerial employee responsible for WOB Store operations). We may provide training to other employees. If we do so, you or the transferee must pay us a fee not to exceed $7,500 per person trained by us (other than the 2 trainees described above). You must pay all travel and living expenses for you, other trainees and your employees to attend the training. This subsection will not apply if the proposed transfer is among your owners, but the transferee is required to reimburse us for any administrative costs we incur in connection with the transfer. If the proposed transfer is to an existing WORLD OF BEER® franchisee, the Transfer Fee is 10% of the then-current Franchise Fee, payable in the same manner described above;
(f) you (and your transferring owners) have executed a general release, in form satisfactory to us, of any and all claims against us and our shareholders, officers, directors, employees and agents;
(g) we have approved the material terms and conditions of such transfer and determined that the price and terms of payment will not adversely affect the transferee's operation of the WOB Store;
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(h) if you or your owners finance any part of the sale price of the transferred interest, you and/or your owners have agreed that all of the transferee's obligations pursuant to any promissory notes, agreements or security interests that you or your owners have reserved in the WOB Store are subordinate to the transferee's obligation to pay Royalties, Marketing and Development Fund contributions and other amounts due to us and otherwise to comply with this Agreement;
(i) you and your transferring owners have executed a non-competition covenant in favor of us and the transferee agreeing to be bound, commencing on the effective date of the transfer, by the post-term competitive restrictions otherwise contained in this Agreement; and
(j) you and your transferring owners have agreed that you and they will not directly or indirectly at any time or in any manner (except with respect to other WOB Stores you own and operate) identify yourself or themselves or any business as a current or former WOB Store, or as one of our licensees or franchisees, use any Mark, any colorable imitation of a Mark, or other indicia of a WOB Store in any manner or for any purpose or utilize for any purpose any trade name, trade or service mark or other commercial symbol that suggests or indicates a connection or association with us.
18.4 Transfer to a Business Entity. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if you are in full compliance with this Agreement, you may transfer this Agreement to a Business Entity that conducts no business other than the WOB Store and, if applicable, other WOB Store so long as you own, control and have the right to vote 51% or more of its issued and outstanding ownership interests (like stock or partnership interests) and you guarantee its performance under this Agreement. All other owners are subject to our approval. The organizational or governing documents of the Business Entity must recite that the issuance and transfer of any ownership interests in the Business Entity are restricted by the terms of this Agreement, are subject to our approval, and all certificates or other documents representing ownership interests in the Business Entity must bear a legend referring to the restrictions of this Agreement. As a condition of our approval of the issuance or transfer of ownership interests to any person other than you, we may require (in addition to the other requirements we have the right to impose) that the proposed owner execute an agreement, in a form provided or approved by us, agreeing to be bound jointly and severally by, to comply with, and to guarantee the performance of, all of the your obligations under this Agreement.
18.5 Transfer Upon Death or Disability. Upon your death or disability or, if you are a Business Entity, the death or disability of the owner of a controlling interest in you, your or such owner's executor, administrator, conservator, guardian or other personal representative must transfer your interest in this Agreement or such owner's interest in you to a third party. Such disposition of this Agreement or the interest in you (including, without limitation, transfer by bequest or inheritance) must be completed within a reasonable time, not to exceed 6 months from the date of death or disability, and will be subject to all of the terms and conditions applicable to transfers contained in Section 18. A failure to transfer your or such owner's interest within this period of time constitutes a breach of this Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, the term "disability" means a mental or physical disability, impairment or condition that is reasonably expected to prevent or actually does prevent you or an owner of a controlling interest in you from managing and operating the WOB Store.
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18.6 Operation Upon Death or Disability. If, upon your death or disability or the death or disability of the owner of a controlling interest in you, the WOB Store is not being managed by a trained manager, your or such owner's executor, administrator, conservator, guardian or other personal representative must within a reasonable time, not to exceed 15 days from the date of death or disability, appoint a manager to operate the WOB Store. Such manager will be required to complete training at your expense. Pending the appointment of a manager as provided above or if, in our judgment, the WOB Store is not being managed properly any time after your death or disability or after the death or disability of the owner of a controlling interest in you, we have the right, but not the obligation, to appoint a manager for the WOB Store. All funds from the operation of the WOB Store during the management by our appointed manager will be kept in a separate account, and all expenses of the WOB Store, including compensation, other costs and travel and living expenses of our manager, will be charged to this account. We also have the right to charge a reasonable management fee (in addition to the Royalty and Marketing and Development Fund contributions payable under this Agreement) during the period that our appointed manager manages the WOB Store. Operation of the WOB Store during any such period will be on your behalf, provided that we only have a duty to utilize our best efforts and will not be liable to you or your owners for any debts, losses or obligations incurred by the WOB Store or to any of your creditors for any products, materials, supplies or services the WOB Store purchases during any period it is managed by our appointed manager.
18.7 Effect of Consent to Transfer. Our consent to a transfer of this Agreement and the WOB Store or any interest in you does not constitute a representation as to the fairness of the terms of any contract between you and the transferee, a guarantee of the prospects of success of the WOB Store or transferee or a waiver of any claims we may have against you (or your owners) or of our right to demand the transferee's exact compliance wfith any of the terms or conditions of this Agreement.
18.8 Our Right of First Refusal. If you (or any of your owners) at any time determine to sell, assign or transfer for consideration an interest in this Agreement and the WOB Store or an ownership interest in you, you (or such owner) agree to obtain a bona fide, executed written offer and earnest money deposit (in the amount of 5% or more of the offering price) from a responsible and fully disclosed offeror (including lists of the owners of record and all beneficial owners of any corporate or limited liability company offeror and all general and limited partners of any partnership offeror) and immediately submit to us a true and complete copy of such offer, which includes details of the payment terms of the proposed sale and the sources and terms of any financing for the proposed purchase price. To be a valid, bona fide offer, the proposed purchase price must be denominated in a dollar amount. The offer must apply only to an interest in you or in this Agreement and the WOB Store and may not include an offer to purchase any of your (or your owners') other property or rights. However, if the offeror proposes to buy any other property or rights from you (or your owners) under a separate, contemporaneous offer, such separate, contemporaneous offer must be disclosed to us, and the price and terms of purchase offered to you (or your owners) for the interest in you or in this Agreement and the WOB Store must reflect the bona fide price offered and not reflect any value for any other property or rights.
We have the right, exercisable by written notice delivered to you or your selling owner(s) within 30 days from the date of the delivery to us of both an exact copy of such offer and all other information we request, to purchase such interest for the price and on the terms and conditions contained in such offer, provided that:
(a) we may substitute cash for any form of payment proposed in such offer (with a discounted amount if an interest rate will be charged on any deferred payments);
(b) our credit will be deemed equal to the credit of any proposed purchaser;
(c) we will have not less than 60 days after giving notice of our election to purchase to prepare for closing; and
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(d) we are entitled to receive, and you and your owners agree to make, all customary representations and warranties given by the seller of the assets of a business or the capital stock of an incorporated business, as applicable, including, without limitation, representations and warranties as to:
| (i) | ownership and condition of and title to stock or other forms of ownership interest and/or assets; |
| (ii) | liens and encumbrances relating to the stock or other ownership interest and/or assets; and |
| (iii) | validity of contracts and the liabilities, contingent or otherwise, of the corporation whose stock is being purchased. |
If we exercise our right of first refusal, you and your selling owner(s) agree that, for a period of 2 years commencing on the date of the closing, you and they will be bound by the post-term competitive restrictions otherwise described in this Agreement.
If we do not exercise our right of first refusal, you or your owners may complete the sale to such purchaser pursuant to and on the exact terms of such offer, subject to our approval of the transfer as otherwise provided in this Agreement, provided that, if the sale to such purchaser is not completed within 120 days after delivery of such offer to us, or if there is a material change in the terms of the sale (which you agree promptly to communicate to us), we will have an additional right of first refusal during the 30 day period following either the expiration of such 120 day period or notice to us of the material change(s) in the terms of the sale, either on the terms originally offered or the modified terms, at our option.
19. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT
19.1 By You. If you and your owners are in compliance with this Agreement and we materially fail to comply with this Agreement and do not correct or commence correction of such failure within 60 days after written notice of such material failure is delivered to us, you may terminate this Agreement effective 60 days after delivery to us of written notice of termination. Your termination of this Agreement for any other reason or without such notice will be deemed a termination without cause.
19.2 By Us. We have the right to terminate this Agreement effective upon delivery of written notice of termination to you, without opportunity to cure, if:
(a) you (or any of your owners or affiliates) have made any material misrepresentation or omission in connection with your purchase of the Franchise;
(b) you or the required number of your trainees fail to successfully complete Initial Training to our satisfaction or you have not fulfilled all of the conditions for management of the WOB Store;
(c) you fail to (i) obtain our approval of the Site within the required time period or (ii) open the Store for business within the required time period;
(d) you fail to secure the required alcohol beverage license(s) required to operate the Store and do not correct such failure within 10 days after written notice of such failure is delivered to you;
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(e) the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages at the Store is suspended or prohibited for more than 10 days as a result of your failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations relating to the sale of alcoholic beverages at the Store;
(f) the WOB Store is ordered closed by any governmental agency responsible for enforcing health and safety regulations;
(g) you abandon or fail to actively operate the WOB Store for 2 or more consecutive business days, unless the WOB Store has been closed for a purpose we have approved or because of casualty or government order;
(h) you surrender or transfer control of the operation of the WOB Store without our prior written consent;
(i) you (or any of your owners or affiliates) are or have been convicted by a trial court of, or plead or have pleaded no contest, or guilty, to, a felony or other serious crime or offense that is likely to adversely affect the reputation of the System and the goodwill associated with the Marks;
(j) you (or any of your owners or affiliates) engage in any dishonest or unethical conduct which may adversely affect the reputation of the. WOB Store, the reputation of any other WOB Store, or the reputation of the System and the goodwill associated with the Marks;
(k) you understate Net Sales by more than 2%, or our audits or investigations show that you understated Net Sales by more than 2%, 2 or more times during any 18-month period;
(1) you (or any of your owners or affiliates) make an unauthorized assignment of this Agreement or of an ownership interest in you or the WOB Store;
(m) in the event of your death or disability or the death or disability of the owner of a controlling interest in you, this Agreement or such owner's interest in you is not assigned as required under this Agreement;
(n) you lose the right to possession of the Site;
(o) you (or any of your owners or affiliates) make any unauthorized use of the Marks or unauthorized use or disclosure of any Confidential Information;
(p) you violate any health, safety or sanitation law, ordinance or regulation and do not begin to cure the noncompliance or violation immediately, and correct such noncompliance or violation within 5 days, after written notice is delivered to you, except we may require the immediate shut down of your WOB Store in the event we deem such violation to be a significant risk to the health and safety of the WOB Store's customers;
(q) you fail to make payments of any amounts due to us and do not correct such failure within 10 days after written notice of such failure is delivered to you;
(r) you fail to make payments of any amounts due to approved suppliers of products or services and do not correct such failure within 10 days after written notice of such failure is delivered to you by such supplier;
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(s) you fail to pay when due any federal or state income, service, sales or other taxes due on the operations of the WOB Store, unless you are in good faith contesting your liability for such taxes;
(t) you (or any of your owners or affiliates) fail to comply with any other provision of this Agreement or of any other franchise agreement with us, or any System Standard and do not correct such failure within 30 days after written notice of such failure to comply is delivered to you;
(u) you (or any of your owners or affiliates) fail on 2 or more separate occasions within any period of 12 consecutive months or on 3 occasions during the term of this Agreement to submit when due reports or other data, information or supporting records, to pay when due any amounts due to us or otherwise to comply with this Agreement, whether or not such failures to comply were corrected after wrifteu notice of such failure was delivered to you; or
(v) you make an assignment for the benefit of creditors or admit in writing your insolvency or inability to pay your debts generally as they become due; you consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee or liquidator of all or the substantial part of your property; the WOB Store is attached, seized, subjected to a writ or distress warrant or levied upon, unless such attachment, seizure, writ, warrant or levy is vacated within 30 days; or any order appointing a receiver, trustee or liquidator of you or the WOB Store is not vacated within 30 days following the entry of such order.
20. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS UPON TERMINATION
20.1 Payment of Amounts Owed To Us. You agree to pay us and our affiliates within 15 days after the effective date of termination or expiration of this Agreement, or on such later date that the amounts due to us are determined, such Royalties, percentage payments based on sales of alcohol and beverage products, amounts owed for purchases from us, interest due on any of the foregoing and all other amounts owed to us which are then unpaid.
20.2 Marks. Upon the termination or expiration of this Agreement:
(a) you may not directly or indirectly at any time or in any manner (except with respect to other WOB Stores you own and operate) identify yourself or any business as a current or former WOB Store, or as one of our licensees or franchisees, use any Mark, any colorable imitation of a Mark or other indicia of a WOB Store in any manner or for any purpose or utilize for any purpose any trade name, trade or service mark or other commercial symbol that indicates or suggests a connection or association with us;
(b) you agree to take such action as may be required to cancel all fictitious or assumed name or equivalent registrations relating to your use of any Mark;
(c) if we do not have or do not exercise an option to purchase the WOB Store, you agree to deliver to us within 30 days after, as applicable, the effective date of expiration of this Agreement or the Notification Date all signs, sign-faces, sign-cabinets, marketing materials, forms and other materials containing any Mark or otherwise identifying or relating to a WOB Store and allow us, without liability to you or third parties, to remove all such items from the WOB Store;
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(d) if we do not have or do not exercise an option to purchase the WOB Store, you agree that, after, as applicable, the effective date of expiration of this Agreement or the Notification Date, you will promptly and at your own expense make such alterations we specify to distinguish the WOB Store clearly from its former appearance and from other WOB Stores so as to prevent confusion by the public;
(e) if we do not have or do not exercise an option to purchase the WOB Store you agree that, after, as applicable, the effective date of expiration of this Agreement or the Notification Date, you will notify the telephone company and all telephone directory publishers of the termination or expiration of your right to use any telephone, telecopy or other numbers and any regular, classified or other telephone directory listings associated with any Mark, authorize the transfer of such numbers and directory listings to us or at our direction and/or instruct the telephone company to forward all calls made to your telephone numbers to numbers we specify; and
(f) you agree to furnish us, within 30 days after, as applicable, the effective date of expiration of this Agreement or the Notification Date, with evidence satisfactory to us of your compliance with the foregoing obligations.
20.3 Confidential Information. You agree that, upon termination or expiration of this Agreement, you will immediately cease to use any of our Confidential Information in any business or otherwise and return to us all copies of the Manuals and any other confidential materials that we have loaned to you.
20.4 Competitive Restrictions. Upon termination or expiration of this Agreement for any reason whatsoever (provided you have not acquired a Successor Franchise), you and your owners agree that, for a period of 2 years commencing on the effective date of termination or expiration, neither you nor any of your owners will, directly or indirectly (e.g. through a spouse or child):
(a) have any direct or indirect interest as a disclosed or beneficial owner in any Competitive Business located or operating in the Non-Compete Area (as defined below);
(b) perform services as a director, officer, manager, employee, consultant, representative, agent or otherwise for any Competitive Business located or operating in the Non-Compete Area;
(c) recruit or hire any person who is our employee or the employee of any WOB Store owned by us, our affiliates or our franchisees without obtaining the prior written permission of that person's employer; or
(d) divert or attempt to divert any business or customer of WOB Stores to any Competitive Business or otherwise take any action injurious or prejudicial to the goodwill associated with the Marks and the System.
For purposes of this Agreement, the "Non-Compete Area" is comprised of the geographic area located (i) within the Protected Territory; (ii) within a 10-mile radius of the WOB Store; and (iii) within a 10-mile radius of any WOB Store in operation or under construction on the effective date of the termination or expiration of this Agreement.
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If any person restricted by this Section refuses voluntarily to comply with the foregoing obligations, the 2 year period will be extended by the period of noncompliance. You and your owners expressly acknowledge that you possess skills and abilities of a general nature and have other opportunities for exploiting such skills. Consequently, enforcement of the covenants made in this Section will not deprive you of your personal goodwill or ability to earn a living.
20.5 Our Right to Purchase.
(a) Exercise of Option. If this Agreement ends for any reason, we have the option, exercisable by giving written notice to you within 60 days from the date of such termination, to purchase the WOB Store from you, including the leasehold rights to the Site. (The date on which we notify you whether or not we are exercising our option is referred to in this Agreement as the "Notification Date"). We have the unrestricted right to assign this option to purchase the WOB Store. We will be entitled to all customary warranties and representations in connection with our asset purchase, including, without limitation, representations and warranties as to ownership and condition of and title to assets; liens and encumbrances on assets; validity of contracts and agreements; and liabilities affecting the assets, contingent or otherwise.
(b) Leasehold Rights. You agree at our election:
| (i) | to assign your leasehold interest in the Site to us; |
| (ii) | to enter into a sublease for the remainder of the lease term on the same terms (including renewal options) as the prime lease; or |
| (iii) | to lease to us if you own the Site in accordance with the Agreement to Lease and our Standard Lease Agreement. |
(c) Purchase Price. The purchase price for the WOB Store will be its fair market value, determined in a manner consistent with reasonable depreciation of the WOB Store's equipment, signs, inventory, materials and supplies, provided that the WOB Store will be valued as an independent business and its value will not include any value for:
| (i) | the Franchise or any rights granted by this Agreement; |
| (ii) | the Marks; or |
| (iii) | participation in the network of WOB Stores. |
The WOB Store's fair market value will include the goodwill you developed in the market of the WOB Store that exists independent of the goodwill of the Marks and the System. The length of the remaining term of the lease for the Site will also be considered in determining the WOB Store's fair market value.
We may exclude from the assets purchased cash or its equivalent and any equipment, signs, inventory, materials and supplies that are not reasonably necessary (in function or quality) to the WOB Store's operation or that we have not approved as meeting standards for WOB Stores, and the purchase price will reflect such exclusions.
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(d) Appraisal. If we and you are unable to agree on the WOB Store's fair market value, its fair market value will be determined by 3 independent M.A.I. certified appraisers who collectively will conduct 1 appraisal. We will appoint one appraiser, you will appoint one appraiser and the two party-appointed appraisers will appoint the third appraiser. You and we agree to select our respective appraisers within 15 days after we notify you that we are exercising our option to purchase the WOB Store, and the two appraisers so chosen are obligated to appoint the third appraiser within 15 days after the date on which the last of the two party-appointed appraisers was appointed. You and we will bear the cost of our own appraisers and share equally the fees and expenses of the third appraiser chosen by the two party-appointed appraisers. The appraisers are obligated to complete their appraisal within 30 days after the third appraiser's appointment. At our option, you must deliver to us title and possession of the WOB Store and the Assets associated with it prior to the closing and prior to the completion of the appraisal process. If we decide to do so, the transfer will be complete at the time we exercise the option with the closing to consist solely of payment of the purchase price and delivery of signed documents.
The purchase price will be paid at the closing of the purchase, which will take place not later than 90 days after determination of the purchase price. We have the right to set off against the purchase price, and thereby reduce the purchase price by, any and all amounts you or your owners owe to us. At the closing, you agree to deliver instruments transferring to us:
| (i) | good and merchantable title to the assets purchased, free and clear of all liens and encumbrances (other than liens and security interests acceptable to us), with all sales and other transfer taxes paid by you; and |
| (ii) | all licenses and permits of the WOB Store which may be assigned or transferred; and |
| (iii) | the leasehold interest and improvements in the Site. |
If you cannot deliver clear title to all of the purchased assets, or if there are other unresolved issues, the closing of the sale will be accomplished through an escrow. You and your owners further agree to execute general releases, in form satisfactory to us, of any and all claims against us and our shareholders, officers, directors, employees, agents, successors and assigns.
20.6 Continuing Obligations. All of our and your (and your owners' and affiliates') obligations which expressly or by their nature survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect subsequent to and notwithstanding its expiration or termination and until they are satisfied in full or by their nature expire. Examples include indemnification, payment, identification and dispute resolution provisions.
21. RELATIONSHIP OF THE PARTIES/INDEMNIFICATION
21.1 Independent Contractors. You and we understand and agree that this Agreement does not create a fiduciary relationship between you and us, that we and you are and will be independent contractors and that nothing in this Agreement is intended to make either you or us a general or special agent, joint venturer, partner or employee of the other for any purpose. You agree to conspicuously identify yourself in all dealings with customers, suppliers, public officials, WOB Store personnel and others as the independent owner of the WOB Store under a franchise we have granted and to place such notices of independent ownership on such forms, business cards, stationery, advertising and other materials as we may require from time to time. If you do not do so, we may place the notices and accomplish the foregoing as we see fit, and you must reimburse us for doing so.
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21.2 No Liability for Acts of Other Party. You agree not to employ any of the Marks in signing any contract or applying for any license or permit, or in a manner that may result in our liability for any of your indebtedness or obligations, and you must not use the Marks in any way we have not expressly authorized. Neither we nor you will make any express or implied agreements, warranties, guarantees or representations or incur any debt in the name or on behalf of the other, represent that our respective relationship is other than franchisor and franchisee, or be obligated by or have any liability under any agreements or representations made by the other that are not expressly authorized in writing. We will not be obligated for any damages to any person or property directly or indirectly arising out of the WOB Store's operation or the business you conduct pursuant to this Agreement.
21.3 Taxes. We will have no liability for any sales, use, alcohol surcharge, service, occupation, excise, gross receipts, income, payroll, property or other taxes, whether levied upon you or the WOB Store, in connection with the business you conduct pursuant to this Agreement (except any taxes we are required by law to collect from you with respect to purchases from us). Payment of all such taxes are your sole responsibility.
21.4 Indemnification. You agree to indemnify, defend and hold us, our affiliates and our respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, successors and assigns (the "Indemnified Parties") harmless from and against, and to reimburse any one or more of the Indemnified Parties for, all claims, obligations and damages described in this Section, any and all taxes arising out of the operation of your WOB Store, and any and all claims and liabilities directly or indirectly arising out of the WOB Store's operation (even if our negligence is alleged, but not proven), your breach of this Agreement, or your use of the Marks in any manner not in accordance with this Agreement. For purposes of this indemnification, "claims" means and includes all obligations, damages (actual, consequential or otherwise) and costs reasonably incurred in the defense of any claim against any of the Indemnified Parties, including, without limitation, reasonable accountants', arbitrators', attorneys' and expert witness fees, costs of investigation and proof of facts, court costs, other expenses of litigation, arbitration or alternative dispute resolution and travel and living expenses. The Indemnified Party has the right to defend any such claim against them in such manner as they deem appropriate or desirable in their sole discretion. This indemnity will continue in full force and effect subsequent to and notwithstanding the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
Under no circumstances will we or any other Indemnified Party be required to seek recovery from any insurer or other third party, or otherwise to mitigate our, their or your losses and expenses, in order to maintain and recover fully a claim against you. You agree that a failure to pursue such recovery or mitigate a loss will in no way reduce or alter the amounts we or another Indemnified Party may recover from you.
22. ENFORCEMENT
22.1 Severability; Substitution of Valid Provisions. Except as otherwise stated in this Agreement, each term of this Agreement, and any portion of any term, are severable. The remainder of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect. To the extent that any provision restricting your competitive activities is deemed unenforceable, you and we agree that such provisions will be enforced to the fullest extent permissible under governing law. This Agreement will be deemed automatically modified to comply with such governing law if any applicable law requires: (a) a greater prior notice of the termination of or refusal to renew this Agreement; or (b) the taking of some other action not described in this Agreement; or (c) if any System Standard is invalid or unenforceable. We may modify such invalid or unenforceable provision to the extent required to be valid and enforceable. In such event, you will be bound by the modified provisions.
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22.2 Waivers. We will not be deemed to have waived our right to demand exact compliance with any of the terms of this Agreement, even if at any time: (a) we do not exercise a right or power available to us under this Agreement; (b) we do not insist on your strict compliance with the terms of this Agreement; (c) if there develops a custom or practice which is at variance with the terms of this Agreement; or (d) if we accept payments which are otherwise due to us under this Agreement. Similarly, our waiver of any particular breach or series of breaches under this Agreement or of any similar term in any other agreement between you and us or between us and any other franchise owner, will not affect our rights with respect to any later breach by you or anyone else.
22.3 Limitation of Liability. Neither of the parties will be liable for loss or damage or deemed to be in breach of this Agreement if failure to perform obligations results from:
(a) compliance with any law, ruling, order, regulation, requirement or instruction of any federal, state or municipal government or any department or agency thereof;
(b) acts of God, terror, war or similar events;
(c) acts or omissions of a similar event or cause. However, such delays or events do not excuse payments of amounts owed at any time.
22.4 Approval and Consents. Whenever this Agreement requires our advance approval, agreement or consent, you agree to make a timely written request for it. Our approval or consent will not be valid unless it is in writing. Except where expressly stated otherwise in this Agreement, we have the absolute right to refuse any request by you or to withhold our approval of any action or omission by you. If we provide to you any waiver, approval, consent, or suggestion, or if we neglect or delay our response or deny any request for any of those, we will not be deemed to have made any warranties or guarantees which you may rely on, and will not assume any liability or obligation to you.
22.5 Waiver of Punitive Damages. EXCEPT FOR YOUR OBLIGATIONS TO INDEMNIFY US AND CLAIMS FOR UNAUTHORIZED USE OF THE MARKS OR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION, YOU AND WE EACH WAIVE TO THE FULL EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW ANY RIGHT TO, OR CLAIM FOR, ANY PUNITIVE OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES AGAINST THE OTHER. YOU AND WE ALSO AGREE THAT, IN THE EVENT OF A DISPUTE BETWEEN YOU AND US, THE PARTY MAKING A CLAIM WILL BE LIMITED TO EQUITABLE RELIEF AND RECOVERY OF ANY ACTUAL DAMAGES IT SUSTAINS.
22.6 Limitations of Claims. ANY AND ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG YOU AND US MUST BE MADE BY WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE OTHER PARTY WITHIN 1 YEAR FROM THE OCCURRENCE OF THE FACTS GIVING RISE TO SUCH CLAIM (REGARDLESS OF WHEN IT BECOMES KNOWN), EXCEPT FOR CLAIMS ARISING FROM: (A) CLAIMS FOR INDEMNIFICATION; AND/OR (B) UNAUTHORIZED USE OF THE MARKS. HOWEVER, THIS PROVISION DOES NOT LIMIT THE RIGHT TO TERMINATE THIS AGREEMENT IN ANY WAY.
22.7 Governing Law. EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY PARTICULAR DISPUTE IS GOVERNED BY THE U.S. TRADEMARK ACT OF 1946 (LANHAM ACT, 15 U.S.C. §1051 AND THE SECTIONS FOLLOWING IT) OR OTHER FEDERAL LAW, THIS AGREEMENT AND THE FRANCHISE ARE GOVERNED BY FLORIDA LAW WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAWS PRINCIPLES AND EXCLUDING ANY LAW REGULATING THE SALE OF FRANCHISES OR GOVERNING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A FRANCHISOR AND FRANCHISEE, UNLESS THE JURISDICTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF SUCH LAWS ARE MET INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THIS SECTION. ALL MATTERS RELATING TO ARBITRATION ARE GOVERNED BY THE FEDERAL ARBITRATION ACT. References to any law or regulation also refer to any successor laws or regulations and any implementing regulations for any statute, as in effect at the relevant time. References to a governmental agency also refer to any successor regulatory body that succeeds to the function of such agency.
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22.8 Jurisdiction. YOU AND WE CONSENT, AND IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO, THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION AND VENUE OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA, AND WAIVE ANY OBJECTION TO THE JURISDICTION AND VENUE OF SUCH COURTS. THE EXCLUSIVE CHOICE OF JURISDICTION DOES NOT PRECLUDE THE BRINGING OF ANY ACTION BY THE PARTIES FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF ANY JUDGMENT OBTAINED IN ANY SUCH JURISDICTION, IN ANY OTHER APPROPRIATE JURISDICTION OR THE RIGHT OF THE PARTIES TO CONFIRM OR ENFORCE ANY ARBITRATION AWARD IN ANY APPROPRIATE JURISDICTION.
22.9 Waiver of Jury Trial. YOU AND WE EACH IRREVOCABLY WAIVE TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM, WHETHER AT LAW OR IN EQUITY, BROUGHT BY EITHER YOU OR US.
22.10 Cumulative Remedies. The rights and remedies provided in this Agreement are cumulative and neither you nor we will be prohibited from exercising any other right or remedy provided under this Agreement or permitted by law or equity.
22.11 Costs and Attorneys' Fees. If a claim for amounts owed by you to us or any of our affiliates is asserted in any legal or arbitration proceeding or if either you or we are required to enforce this Agreement in a judicial or arbitration proceeding, the party prevailing in such proceeding will be entitled to reimbursement of its costs and expenses, including reasonable accounting and attorneys fees. Attorneys' fees will include, without limitation, reasonable legal fees charged by attorneys, paralegal fees, and costs and disbursements, whether incurred prior to, or in preparation for, or contemplation of, the filing of written demand or claim, action, hearing, or proceeding to enforce the obligations of the parties under this Agreement.
22.12 Binding Effect. This Agreement is binding on and will inure to the benefit of our successors and assigns. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, this Agreement will also be binding on your successors and assigns, and your heirs, executors and administrators.
22.13 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, all exhibits to this Agreement and all ancillary agreements executed contemporaneously with this Agreement constitute the entire agreement between the parties with reference to the subject matter of this Agreement and supersede any and all prior negotiations, understandings, representations and agreements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement shall disclaim or require Franchisee to waive reliance on any representation that Franchisor made in the most recent disclosure document (including its exhibits and amendments) that Franchisor delivered to Franchisee or its representative, subject to any agreed-upon changes to the contract terms and conditions described in that disclosure document and reflected in this Agreement (including any riders or addenda signed at the same time as this Agreement). Except as expressly provided otherwise in this Agreement, this Agreement may be modified only by written agreement signed by both you and us.
22.14 No Liability to Others; No Other Beneficiaries. We will not, because of this Agreement or by virtue of any approvals, advice or services provided to you, be liable to any person or legal entity who is not a party to this Agreement. Except as specifically described in this Agreement, no other party has any rights because of this Agreement.
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22.15 Construction. The headings of the sections are for convenience only. If two or more persons are at any time franchise owners hereunder, whether or not as partners or joint venturers, their obligations and liabilities to us are joint and several. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original and together will constitute one and the same instrument. "A or B" means "A" or "B" or both.
22.16 Certain Definitions. The term "family member" refers to parents, spouses, off-spring and siblings, and the parents and siblings of spouses. The term "affiliate" means any Business Entity directly or indirectly owned or controlled by a person, under common control with a person or controlling a person. The terms "franchisee, franchise owner, you and your" are applicable to one or more persons or a Business Entity, as the case may be. The singular use of any pronoun also includes the plural and the masculine and neuter usages include the other and the feminine. The term "person" includes individuals, corporations, partnerships (general or limited), limited liability companies, and all artificial or legal entities. The term "section" refers to a section or subsection of this Agreement. The word "control" means the power to direct or cause the direction of management and policies. The word "owner" means any person holding a direct or indirect, legal or beneficial ownership interest or voting rights in another person (or a transferee of this Agreement or an interest in you), including any person who has a direct or indirect interest in you or this Agreement and any person who has any other legal or equitable interest, or the power to vest in himself any legal or equitable interest, in the revenue, profits, rights or assets.
22.17 Timing. Time is of the essence of this Agreement. It will be a material breach of this Agreement to fail to perform any obligation within the time required or permitted by this Agreement. In computing time periods from one date to a later date, the words "from" and "commencing on" (and the like) mean "from and including"; and the words "to," "until" and "ending on" (and the like) mean "to but excluding." Indications of time of day mean Tampa, Florida time.
22.18 Private Disputes. ANY DISPUTE AND ANY LITIGATION WILL BE CONDUCTED AND RESOLVED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS ONLY AND NOT A CLASS-WIDE, MULTIPLE PLAINTIFF OR SIMILAR BASIS. ANY SUCH PROCEEDING WILL NOT BE CONSOLIDATED WITH ANY OTHER PROCEEDING INVOLVING ANY OTHER PERSON, EXCEPT FOR DISPUTES INVOLVING AFFILIATES OF THE PARTIES.
23. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
23.1 Mediation. During the term of this Agreement, certain disputes may arise between you and us that may be resolvable through mediation. To facilitate such resolution, you and we agree each party must, before commencing any arbitration proceeding, submit the dispute to non-binding mediation at a mutually agreeable location (if you and we cannot agree on a location, the mediation will be conducted at our headquarters) to 1 mediator, appointed under the American Arbitration Association's Commercial Mediation Rules. The mediator will conduct the mediation in accordance with those rules. You and we agree that any statements made by either you or us in any such mediation proceedings will not be admissible in any subsequent arbitration or legal proceeding. Each party will bear its own costs and expenses of conducting the mediation and share equally the cost of any third parties who are required to participate. Nevertheless, both you and we have the right in a proper case to obtain temporary restraining orders and temporary or preliminary injunctive relief from a court of competent jurisdiction. However, the parties must immediately and contemporaneously submit the dispute for non-binding mediation. If the dispute between you and us cannot be resolved through mediation within 60 days following the appointment of the mediator, the parties must submit the dispute to arbitration subject to the following terms and conditions.
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23.2 Agreement to Arbitrate. EXCEPT FOR DISPUTES (AS DEFINED BELOW) RELATED TO OR BASED ON THE MARKS (WHICH AT OUR SOLE OPTION MAY BE SUBMITTED TO ANY COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION) AND EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY PROVIDED BY THIS AGREEMENT, ANY LITIGATION, CLAIM, DISPUTE, SUIT, ACTION, CONTROVERSY, PROCEEDING OR OTHERWISE ("DISPUTE") BETWEEN OR INVOLVING YOU AND US (AND/OR INVOLVING YOU AND/OR ANY CLAIM AGAINST OR INVOLVING ANY OF OUR OR OUR AFFILIATES' SHAREHOLDERS, DIRECTORS, PARTNERS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, ATTORNEYS, ACCOUNTANTS, AFFILIATES, GUARANTORS OR OTHERWISE), WHICH ARE NOT RESOLVED WITHIN 45 DAYS OF NOTICE FROM EITHER YOU OR WE TO THE OTHER, WILL BE SUBMITTED TO ARBITRATION TO THE PLACE OF BUSINESS OF THE AMERICAN ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION CLOSEST TO OUR HEADQUARTERS IN TAMPA, FLORIDA. THE ARBITRATION WILL BE CONDUCTED BY THE AMERICAN ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION PURSUANT TO ITS COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION RULES. ALL MATTERS RELATING TO ARBITRATION WILL BE GOVERNED BY THE FEDERAL ARBITRATION ACT (9 U.S.C. §§1, ET SEQ.) AND NOT BY ANY STATE ARBITRATION LAW. THE PARTIES TO ANY ARBITRATION WILL EXECUTE AN APPROPRIATE CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT, EXCEPTING ONLY SUCH DISCLOSURES AND FILINGS AS ARE REQUIRED BY LAW.
23.3 Place and Procedure. THE ARBITRATION PROCEEDINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED AT OUR HEADQUARTERS IN TAMPA, FLORIDA. ANY DISPUTE AND ANY ARBITRATION WILL BE CONDUCTED AND RESOLVED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS ONLY AND NOT A CLASS-WIDE, MULTIPLE PLAINTIFF OR SIMILAR BASIS. ANY SUCH ARBITRATION PROCEEDING WILL NOT BE CONSOLIDATED WITH ANY OTHER ARBITRATION PROCEEDING INVOLVING ANY OTHER PERSON, EXCEPT FOR DISPUTES INVOLVING AFFILIATES OF THE PARTIES TO SUCH ARBITRATION. THE PARTIES AGREE THAT, IN CONNECTION WITH ANY SUCH ARBITRATION PROCEEDING, EACH MUST SUBMIT OR FILE ANY CLAIM WHICH WOULD CONSTITUTE A COMPULSORY COUNTERCLAIM (AS DEFINED BY RULE 13 OF THE FEDERAL RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE) WITHIN THE SAME PROCEEDING AS THE DISPUTE TO WHICH IT RELATES. ANY SUCH DISPUTE WHICH IS NOT SUBMITTED OR FILED IN SUCH PROCEEDING WILL BE BARRED.
23.4 Awards and Decisions. THE PROCEEDINGS WILL BE HEARD BY A PANEL OF 3 ARBITRATORS. EACH PARTY WILL SELECT 1 ARBITRATOR, AND THE 2 ARBITRATORS WILL SELECT THE THIRD ONE. THE ARBITRATORS WILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO AWARD ANY RELIEF WHICH THEY DEEM PROPER IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING, FOR EXAMPLE, MONEY DAMAGES (WITH INTEREST ON UNPAID AMOUNTS FROM THEIR DUE DATE(S)), SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE, TEMPORARY AND/OR PERMANENT INJUNCTIVE RELIEF, AND REIMBURSEMENT OF ATTORNEYS' FEES AND RELATED COSTS TO THE PREVAILING PARTY. THE ARBITRATORS WILL NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO AWARD EXEMPLARY OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PERMITTED BY THIS AGREEMENT, NOR THE RIGHT TO DECLARE ANY MARK GENERIC OR OTHERWISE INVALID. YOU AND WE AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE PROVISIONS OF ANY LIMITATIONS OF THE TIME IN WHICH CLAIMS MUST BE BROUGHT UNDER APPLICABLE LAW OR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, WHICHEVER EXPIRES EARLIER. THE AWARD AND DECISION OF THE ARBITRATORS WILL BE CONCLUSIVE AND BINDING AND JUDGMENT ON THE AWARD MAY BE ENTERED IN ANY COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION. THE PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT ANY ARBITRATION AWARD MAY BE ENFORCED AGAINST EITHER OR BOTH OF THEM IN A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION AND EACH WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO CONTEST THE VALIDITY OR ENFORCEABILITY OF SUCH AWARD. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, THE PARTIES WILL BE ENTITLED IN ANY SUCH ARBITRATION PROCEEDING TO THE ENTRY OF AN ORDER BY A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION PURSUANT TO AN OPINION OF THE ARBITRATORS FOR SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE OF ANY OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS AGREEMENT. JUDGMENT UPON AN ARBITRATION AWARD MAY BE ENTERED IN ANY COURT HAVING JURISDICTION AND WILL BE BINDING, FINAL AND NON-APPEALABLE.
48
23.5 Specific Performance. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT WILL PREVENT YOU OR WE FROM OBTAINING TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDERS AND TEMPORARY OR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTIVE RELIEF FROM A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION. HOWEVER, YOU AND WE MUST CONTEMPORANEOUSLY SUBMIT A DISPUTE FOR ARBITRATION ON THE MERITS.
23.6 Third Parties. THE ARBITRATION PROVISIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT ARE INTENDED TO BENEFIT AND BIND CERTAIN THIRD PARTY NON-SIGNATORIES, AND ALL OF YOUR AND OUR OWNERS AND AFFILIATES.
23.7 Survival. THIS SECTION 23 CONTINUES IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT SUBSEQUENT TO AND NOTWITHSTANDING THE EXPIRATION OR TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY REASON.
24. NOTICES AND PAYMENTS.
All written notices and reports permitted or required under this Agreement or by the Manuals will be deemed delivered:
(a) 2 business days after being placed in the hands of a commercial airborne courier service for next business day delivery; or
(b) 3 business days after placement in the United States mail by certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid.
We may direct notices to your affiliates to you. All notices must be addressed to the parties as follows:
If to Us:
If to You: |
WORLD OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC. 10910 Sheldon Road Tampa, Florida 33626 Attention: President
WEST HARTFORD WOB, LLC 505 South Flagler Drive, Suite 1010 West Palm Beach, FL 33401 Attention: Glerm E. Straub or James D. Cecil |
Either you or we may change the address for delivery of all notices and reports and any such notice will be effective within 10 business days of any change in address. Any required payment or report not actually received by us during regular business hours on the date due (or postmarked by postal authorities at least 2 days prior to such date, or in which the receipt from the commercial courier service is not dated prior to 2 days prior to such date) will be deemed delinquent.
[Signatures on Following Page]
49
Intending to be bound, you and we sign and deliver this Agreement effective as of the Agreement Date, regardless of the actual date of signature.
| "US": | "YOU": | |||
| WORLD OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC., | WEST HARTFORD WOB, LLC, | |||
| a Florida corporation | a Florida limited liability company | |||
| By: | /s/ Benjamin P. Novello | By: | /s/ Glenn E. Straub | |
| Print Name: | Benjamin P. Novello | Print Name: | Glenn E. Straub | |
| Title: | Chief Development Officer | Title: | Managing Member | |
| Date: | 11/11/14 | Date: | 11/3/14 | |
| By: | /s/ James D. Cecil | |
| Print Name: | James D. Cecil | |
| Title: | Managing Member | |
| Date: | 11/3/14 |
[Signature Page to World of Beer Franchising, Inc. Franchise Agreement]
50
EXHIBIT A TO THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
THE SITE
73 ISHAM ROAD, #B-30 WEST HARTFORD, CT 06107
| WORLD OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC., | WEST HARTFORD WOB, LLC, | |||
| a Florida corporation | a Florida limited liability company | |||
| By: | /s/ Benjamin P. Novello | By: | /s/ Glenn E. Straub | |
| Print Name: | Benjamin P. Novello | Print Name: | Glenn E. Straub | |
| Title: | Chief Development Officer | Title: | Managing Member | |
| Date: | 11/11/14 | Date: | 11/3/14 | |
| By: | /s/ James D. Cecil | |
| Print Name: | James D. Cecil | |
| Title: | Managing Member | |
| Date: | 11/3/14 |
A-1
EXHIBIT B TO THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
MAP OR DESCRIPTION OF DESIGNATED AREA
NOT APPLICABLE
Check box ☐ if map is attached.
You acknowledge that the Designated Area is delineated solely for the purpose of establishing a geographic area within which you will secure an approved site for the WOB Store and for no other purpose. The Designated Area does not grant to you any promise of exclusivity or territorial protection.
| WORLD OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC., | WEST HARTFORD WOB, LLC, | |||
| a Florida corporation | a Florida limited liability company | |||
| By: | /s/ Benjamin P. Novello | By: | /s/ Glenn E. Straub | |
| Print Name: | Benjamin P. Novello | Print Name: | Glenn E. Straub | |
| Title: | Chief Development Officer | Title: | Managing Member | |
| Date: | 11/11/14 | Date: | 11/3/14 | |
| By: | /s/ James D. Cecil | |
| Print Name: | James D. Cecil | |
| Title: | Managing Member | |
| Date: | 11/3/14 |
B-1
EXHIBIT C TO THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
MAP OR DESCRIPTION OF PROTECTED TERRITORY
5-MILE RADIUS FROM THE SITE
Check box ☐ if map is attached.
| WORLD OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC., | WEST HARTFORD WOB, LLC, | |||
| a Florida corporation | a Florida limited liability company | |||
| By: | /s/ Benjamin P. Novello | By: | /s/ Glenn E. Straub | |
| Print Name: | Benjamin P. Novello | Print Name: | Glenn E. Straub | |
| Title: | Chief Development Officer | Title: | Managing Member | |
| Date: | 11/11/14 | Date: | 11/3/14 | |
| By: | /s/ James D. Cecil | |
| Print Name: | James D. Cecil | |
| Title: | Managing Member | |
| Date: | 11/3/14 |
C-1
EXHIBIT D TO THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
INDEX
This Index is intended as a general guideline to assist you in reading the Franchise Agreement. You must review the Franchise Agreement to get an exact definition of a term.
| Account | 14 | Notification Date | 41 | |
| Advisory Council | 33 | Opening On-Site Assistance | 15 | |
| affiliate | 46 | Operating Assets | 11 | |
| Agreement | 1 | Operating Manager | 24 | |
| Agreement Date | 1 | Operating Principal | 4 | |
| Annual Conference | 16 | our | 1 | |
| Anti-Terrorism Laws | 2 | owner | 46 | |
| Business Entity | 3 | Payment Day | 13 | |
| Capital Modifications | 23 | person | 46 | |
| claims | 43 | POS System | 25 | |
| Competitive Business | 20 | Preferred Vendor Agreements | 12 | |
| Computer System | 25 | Preferred Vendor Programs | 12 | |
| Confidential Information | 18 | Preferred Vendors | 12 | |
| control | 46 | Program Rules | 12 | |
| Cooperative | 29 | Proprietary Products | 24 | |
| Designated Area | 5 | Protected Territory | 5 | |
| disability | 35 | Response Notice | 6 | |
| DISPUTE | 47 | Royalty | 13 | |
| family member | 46 | section | 46 | |
| Franchise | 4 | Site | 4 | |
| Franchise Fee | 13 | Special Locations | 5 | |
| franchise owner | 46 | Successor Franchise | 6 | |
| franchisee | 46 | Successor Franchise Agreement | 6 | |
| Franchisee | 1 | Successor Franchise Fee | 7 | |
| Franchisor | 1 | System | 1 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | 26 | System Standards | 21 | |
| Gross Sales | 14 | Telephone Directory Advertising | 29 | |
| Improvements | 19 | transfer | 33 | |
| Indemnified Parties | 43 | Transfer Fee | 34 | |
| Initial Training | 15 | URL | 29 | |
| Lease Assignment | 9 | us | 1 | |
| Local Advertising | 28 | we | 1 | |
| Manuals | 21 | WOB Store Materials | 11 | |
| Marketing and Development Fund | 27 | WOB Stores | 1 | |
| Marketing Contributions | 27 | WORLD OF BEER® | 1 | |
| Marks | 1 | you | 1 | |
| MIS Fees | 26 | you and your | 46 | |
| Net Sales | 14 | your | 1 | |
| Non-Compete Area | 40 |
D-1
Exhibit 6.8
WORLD
OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC.
FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
| December 15, 2015 | CAMBRIDGE CRAFT, LLC | |
| AGREEMENT DATE | NAME OF FRANCHISE | |
| STORE LOCATION: | ADDRESS OF FRANCHISE: | |
| 100 Cambridgeside PL | 505 South Flagler Drive | |
| Cambridge, MA 02141 | Suite 1010 | |
| West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 | ||
THIS AGREEMENT REQUIRES CERTAIN DISPUTES TO BE SUBMITTED TO BINDING ARBITRATION.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | |||
| 1. | INTRODUCTION | 1 | |
| 1.1 | THE WORLD OF BEER® SYSTEM. | 1 | |
| 1.2 | ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 1 | |
| 1.3 | REPRESENTATIONS. | 2 | |
| 1.4 | NO WARRANTIES. | 2 | |
| 1.5 | BUSINESS ORGANIZATION | 3 | |
| 1.6 | OPERATING PRINCIPAL/MANAGEMENT OF BUSINESS. | 4 | |
| 2. | GRANT AND TERM | 4 | |
| 2.1 | TERM | 4 | |
| 2.2 | GRANT OF FRANCHISE | 4 | |
| 2.3 | YOUR SITE. | 5 | |
| 2.4 | PROTECTED TERRITORY. | 5 | |
| 2.5 | RIGHTS WE RESERVE. | 5 | |
| 3. | SUCCESSOR TERMS | 6 | |
| 3.1 | YOUR RIGHT TO ACQUIRE A SUCCESSOR FRANCHISE. | 6 | |
| 3.2 | GRANT OF A SUCCESSOR FRANCHISE. | 6 | |
| 3.3 | AGREEMENTS/RELEASES | 7 | |
| 3.4 | TRAINING AND REFRESHER PROGRAMS. | 8 | |
| 3.5 | FEES AND EXPENSES. | 8 | |
| 3.6 | SUBSEQUENT SUCCESSOR FRANCHISES | 8 | |
| 4, | SITE SELECTION AND DEVELOPMENT | 8 | |
| 4.1 | SITE SELECTION, | 8 | |
| 4.2 | ACKNOWLEDGMENTS REGARDING SITE APPROVAL | 8 | |
| 4.3 | LEASE OF SITE | 9 | |
| 4.4 | OWNERSHIP AND FINANCING. | 10 | |
| 5. | WOB STORE DEVELOPMENT, DECOR AND OPERATING ASSETS | 11 | |
| 5.1 | WOB TAVERN DEVELOPMENT | 11 | |
| 5.2 | DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES. | 11 | |
| 5.3 | DECOR | 11 | |
| 5.4 | OPERATING ASSETS AND WOB TAVERN MATERIALS. | 11 | |
| 5.5 | CHANGES TO APPROVED SUPPLIERS | 12 | |
| 5.6 | PREFERRED VENDOR PROGRAMS. | 12 | |
| 5.7 | MUSIC AND OTHER AUDIO AND VISUAL ENTERTAINMENT. | 13 | |
| 5.8 | WOB TAVERN OPENING. | 13 | |
| 5.9 | TIME TO OPENING. | 13 | |
| 6. | FEES | 13 | |
| 6.1 | FRANCHISE FEE. | 13 | |
| 6.2 | ROYALTY FEE, | 13 | |
| 6.3 | ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER AND PAYMENT PROCEDURE. | 14 | |
| 6.4 | DEFINITION OF "NET SALES." | 14 | |
| 6.5 | INTEREST ON LATE PAYMENTS | 14 | |
| 6.6 | LATE PAYMENT PENALTIES | 15 | |
| 6.7 | INSUFFICIENT FUNDS CHARGE, | 15 | |
| 6.8 | APPLICATION OF PAYMENTS. | 15 | |
| 6.9 | PAYMENT OFFSETS | 15 | |
| 6.10 | DISCONTINUANCE OF SERVICE. | 15 | |
i
| 7. | TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE | 15 | |
| 7.1 | INITIAL TRAINING. | 15 | |
| 7.2 | FAILURE TO COMPLETE INITIAL TRAINING | 15 | |
| 7.3 | OPENING ASSISTANCE. | 16 | |
| 7.4 | ONGOING ASSISTANCE, | 16 | |
| 7.5 | ADDITIONAL TRAINING. | 16 | |
| 7.6 | ANNUAL CONFERENCE | 16 | |
| 7.7 | GENERAL GUIDANCE | 17 | |
| 7.8 | YOUR CERTIFIED TRAINING PROGRAMS. | 17 | |
| 8. | MARKS | 17 | |
| 8.1 | OWNERSHIP AND GOODWILL OF MARKS | 17 | |
| 8.2 | LIMITATIONS ON YOUR USE OF MARKS. | 18 | |
| 8.3 | NOTIFICATION OF INFRINGEMENTS AND CLAIMS. | 18 | |
| 8.4 | DISCONTINUANCE OF USE OF MARKS. | 18 | |
| 8.5 | INDEMNIFICATION | 18 | |
| 8.6 | SIGNAGE | 19 | |
| 9. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION | 19 | |
| 9.1 | TYPES OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION, | 19 | |
| 9.2 | DISCLOSURE AND LIMITATIONS ON USE | 20 | |
| 9.3 | CONFIDENTIALITY OBLIGATIONS. | 20 | |
| 9.4 | EXCEPTIONS TO CONFIDENTIALITY. | 20 | |
| 10. | EXCLUSIVE RELATIONSHIP | 21 | |
| 11. | OPERATION AND SYSTEM STANDARDS | 21 | |
| 11.1 | CONFIDENTIAL OPERATIONS MANUAL | 21 | |
| 11.2 | COMPLIANCE WITH SYSTEM STANDARDS | 22 | |
| 11.3 | MODIFICATION OF SYSTEM STANDARDS. | 23 | |
| 11.4 | INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR UPKEEP. | 24 | |
| 11.5 | HOURS OF OPERATION. | 24 | |
| 11.6 | TRADE ACCOUNTS AND TAXES. | 24 | |
| 11.7 | PROPRIETARY PRODUCTS. | 24 | |
| 11.8 | APPROVED PRODUCTS | 24 | |
| 11.9 | PRICING. | 25 | |
| 11.10 | BEER AND WINE LICENSES AND BUSINESS LICENSES | 25 | |
| 11.11 | COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS | 25 | |
| 11.12 | MANAGEMENT, | 25 | |
| 11.13 | PERSONNEL. | 26 | |
| 11.14 | ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE AND/OR FOOD AGREEMENTS. | 26 | |
| 12. | POINT OF SALE SYSTEM AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY | 26 | |
| 13. | MARKETING AND PROMOTION | 27 | |
| 13.1 | GRAND OPENING | 27 | |
| 13.2 | ESTABLISHMENT OF MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT FUND | 28 | |
| 13.3 | USE OF THE FUNDS | 28 | |
| 13.4 | ACCOUNTING FOR THE FUNDS. | 29 | |
| 13.5 | MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT FUND LIMITATIONS. | 29 | |
| 13.6 | LOCAL ADVERTISING. | 29 | |
| 13.7 | COOPERATIVE ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION | 29 | |
| 13.8 | APPROVAL OF ADVERTISING. | 30 | |
| 13.9 | TELEPHONE DIRECTORY ADVERTISING, | 30 | |
| 13.10 | INTERNET MARKETING | 30 | |
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| 13.11 | SUPPLEMENTAL MARKETING. | 31 | |
| 14. | RECORDS, REPORTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | 31 | |
| 14.1 | ACCOUNTING SYSTEM | 31 | |
| 14.2 | ACCOUNTING, COMPUTERS AND RECORDS, | 31 | |
| 14.3 | REPORTS. | 31 | |
| 14.4 | ACCESS TO INFORMATION. | 32 | |
| 14.5 | COPIES OF REPORTS. | 32 | |
| 15. | INSPECTIONS AND AUDITS | 32 | |
| 15.1 | OUR RIGHT TO INSPECT THE WOB TAVERN | 32 | |
| 15.2 | OUR RIGHT TO AUDIT. | 33 | |
| 16. | INSURANCE | 33 | |
| 17. | ADVISORY COUNCIL | 34 | |
| 17.1 | OUR RIGHT TO CREATE ADVISORY COUNCIL | 34 | |
| 17.2 | YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN FRANCHISE ADVISORY COUNCIL. | 34 | |
| 18. | TRANSFER | 34 | |
| 18.1 | BY Us | 34 | |
| 18.2 | BY You | 34 | |
| 18.3 | CONDITIONS FOR APPROVAL OF TRANSFER | 35 | |
| 18.4 | TRANSFER TO A BUSINESS ENTITY | 36 | |
| 18.5 | TRANSFER UPON DEATH OR DISABILITY | 36 | |
| 18.6 | OPERATION UPON DEATH OR DISABILITY | 37 | |
| 18.7 | EFFECT OF CONSENT TO TRANSFER | 37 | |
| 18.8 | OUR RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL. | 37 | |
| 19. | TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT | 38 | |
| 19.1 | BY You | 38 | |
| 19.2 | BY US | 38 | |
| 20. | RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS UPON TERMINATION | 40 | |
| 20.1 | PAYMENT OF AMOUNTS OWED TO qs. | 40 | |
| 20.2 | MARKS | 40 | |
| 20.3 | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. | 41 | |
| 20.4 | COMPETITIVE RESTRICTIONS. | 41 | |
| 20.5 | OUR RIGHT TO PURCHASE | 42 | |
| 20.6 | CONTINUING OBLIGATIONS | 43 | |
| 21. | RELATIONSHIP OF THE PARTIES/INDEMNIFICATION | 43 | |
| 21.1 | INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS. | 43 | |
| 21.2 | No LIABILITY FOR ACTS OF OTHER PARTY | 44 | |
| 21.3 | TAXES. | 44 | |
| 21.4 | INDEMNIFICATION. | 44 | |
| 22. | ENFORCEMENT | 44 | |
| 22.1 | SEVERABILITY; SUBSTITUTION OF VALID PROVISIONS | 44 | |
| 22.2 | WAIVERS | 45 | |
| 22.3 | LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. | 45 | |
| 22.4 | APPROVAL AND CONSENTS. | 45 | |
| 22.5 | WAIVER OF PUNITIVE DAMAGES | 45 | |
| 22.6 | LIMITATIONS OF CLAIMS. | 45 | |
| 22.7 | GOVERNING LAW. | 45 | |
| 22.8 | JURISDICTION. | 46 | |
iii
| 22.9 | WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. | 46 | |
| 22.10 | CUMULATIVE REMEDIES. | 46 | |
| 22.11 | COSTS AND ATTORNEYS' FEES. | 46 | |
| 22.12 | BINDING EFFECT. | 46 | |
| 22.13 | ENTIRE AGREEMENT. | 46 | |
| 22.14 | No LIABILITY TO OTHERS; NO OTHER BENEFICIARIES. | 46 | |
| 22.15 | CONSTRUCTION. | 47 | |
| 22.16 | CERTAIN DEFINITIONS | 47 | |
| 22.17 | TIMING. | 47 | |
| 22.18 | PRIVATE DISPUTES | 47 | |
| 23. | DISPUTE RESOLUTION | 47 | |
| 23.1 | MEDIATION | 47 | |
| 23.2 | AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE | 48 | |
| 23.3 | PLACE AND PROCEDURE | 48 | |
| 23.4 | AWARDS AND DECISIONS | 48 | |
| 23.5 | SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE | 49 | |
| 23.6 | THIRD PARTIES | 49 | |
| 23.7 | SURVIVAL | 49 | |
| 24. | NOTICES AND PAYMENTS | 49 | |
EXHIBITS:
| Exhibit A | The Site | A-1 | |
| Exhibit B | Map or Description of Designated Area | B-1 | |
| Exhibit C | Map or Description of Protected Territory | C-1 | |
| Exhibit D | Index | D-1 |
iv
WORLD
OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC.
FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
THIS FRANCHISE AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") is effective as of December 15, 2015 (the "Agreement Date"). The parties to this Agreement are WORLD OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC., a Florida corporation, with its principal business address at 10910 Sheldon Road, Tampa, Florida 33626 (referred to in this Agreement as "Franchisor," "we," "us" or "our"), and CAMBRIDGE CRAFT, LLC, a Massachusetts limited liability company, whose principal business address is 505 South Flagler Drive, Suite 1010, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 (referred to in this Agreement as "you," "your" or "Franchisee").
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The WORLD OF BEER, System. We and our affiliates have expended considerable time and effort in developing retail alcohol establishments that offer and sell bottled and canned imported and domestic beers, wines, cigars and certain other products we authorize from time to time for retail take out as well as serving draft, bottled and canned domestic and imported beers, wines, cigars and certain food products and other products we authorize from time to time for on-premises consumption in a distinctive and innovative store and pub environment ("WOB Taverns" or "Taverns"). WOB Taverns operate under the Marks (defined below) and under distinctive business formats, methods, procedures, designs, layouts, signs, equipment, menus, recipes, trade dress, standards and specifications, all of which we may improve, further develop or otherwise modify from time to time (collectively, the "System").
We use, promote and license certain trademarks, service marks and other commercial symbols in the operation of WOB Taverns, including the trade name, trademark and service mark "WORLD OF BEER®" and other associated logos, designs, artwork and trade dress, which have gained and continue to gain public acceptance and goodwill, and may create, use and license additional trademarks, service marks and commercial symbols in conjunction with the operation of WOB Taverns (collectively, the "Marks"). We grant to persons who meet our qualifications and are willing to undertake the investment and effort, a franchise to own and operate a WOB Tavern offering the products (food and non-food) and services we authorize and approve and utilizing the System. You have applied for a franchise to own and operate a WOB Tavern.
1.2 Acknowledgments. You acknowledge and agree that:
(a) you have read this Agreement and our Franchise Disclosure Document;
(b) you understand and accept the terms, conditions and covenants contained in this Agreement as being reasonably necessary to maintain our high standards of quality and service and the uniformity of those standards at each Tavern and to protect and preserve the goodwill of the Marks;
(c) you have conducted an independent investigation of the business venture contemplated by this Agreement and recognize that, like any other business, the nature of the business conducted by a Tavern may evolve and change over time;
(d) an investment in a WOB Tavern involves business risks and that your business abilities and efforts are vital to the success of the venture;
1
(e) any information you acquire from other WOB Tavern franchisees relating to their sales, profits or cash flows does not constitute information obtained from us, nor do we make any representation as to the accuracy of any such information;
(f) in all of their dealings with you, our officers, directors, employees and agents act only in a representative, and not in an individual, capacity. All business dealings between you and such persons as a result of this Agreement are solely between you and us;
(g) we have advised you to have this Agreement reviewed and explained to you by an attorney; and
(h) you have received our Franchise Disclosure Document at least 14 days before signing a binding agreement or before making any payment to us or our affiliate(s) relating to this Agreement.
1.3 Representations. As an inducement to our entry into this Agreement, you represent and warrant to us that:
(a) all statements you have made and all materials you have submitted to us in connection with your purchase of the franchise are accurate and complete and you have made no misrepresentations or material omissions in obtaining the franchise;
(b) you will at all times faithfully, honestly and diligently perform your obligations, continuously exert your best efforts to promote and enhance the business and not engage in any other business or activity that conflicts with your obligations to operate the business in compliance with this Agreement;
(c) you will comply with and/or assist us to the fullest extent possible in our efforts to comply with Executive Order 13224 issued by the President of the United States, the USA PATRIOT Act, and all other present and future federal, state and local laws, ordinances, regulations, policies, lists and any other requirements of any governmental authority addressing or in any way relating to terrorist acts and acts of war (the "Anti-Terrorism Laws"); and
(d) neither you nor any of your owners, employees, agents, or property or interests are subject to being "blocked" under any of the Anti-Terrorism Laws and that neither you nor they are otherwise in violation of any of the Anti-Terrorism Laws.
Our approval of your request to purchase this Franchise is made in reliance on all of your representations and warranties. Any violation of these representations and warranties, or any Anti-Terrorism Laws, by you or your owners, or your or your owners' agents or employees, or any "blocking" of your or their assets under the Anti-Terrorism Laws, will constitute grounds for immediate termination of this Agreement and any other agreements you have entered into with us or any of our affiliates.
1.4 No Warranties. We expressly disclaim the making of, and you acknowledge that you have not received or relied upon, any warranty or guaranty, express or implied, as to the revenues, sales, profits or success of the business venture contemplated by this Agreement or the extent to which we will continue to develop and expand the network of WOB Taverns. You acknowledge and understand the following:
(a) any statement regarding the potential or probable revenues, sales or profits of the business venture, or of any of services, benefits or commitments we are to make available to you, are made solely in the Franchise Disclosure Document delivered to you prior to signing this Agreement;
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(b) any statement regarding the potential or probable revenues, sales or profits of the business venture or statistical information regarding any existing WOB Tavern owned by us or our affiliates that is not contained in our Franchise Disclosure Document is unauthorized, unwarranted and unreliable and should be reported to us immediately; and
(c) you have not received or relied on any representations about us or our franchising program or policies made by us, or our officers, directors, employees or agents, that are contrary to the statements made in our Franchise Disclosure Document or to the terms of this Agreement. If there are any exceptions to any of the foregoing, you agree to: (i) immediately notify our President; and (ii) note such exceptions by attaching a statement of exceptions to this Agreement prior to signing it.
1.5 Business Organization. If you are, or at any time become, a business corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other legal entity ("Business Entity"), you agree and represent that:
(a) you have the authority to execute, deliver and perform your obligations under this Agreement and are duly organized or formed and validly existing in good standing under the laws of the state of your incorporation or formation;
(b) your organizational or governing documents will recite that the issuance and transfer of any ownership interests in you are restricted by the terms of this Agreement, and all certificates and other documents representing ownership interests in you will bear a legend referring to the restrictions of this Agreement;
(c) you will complete a "Principal Owner's Statement," which will completely and accurately describe all of your owners and their interests in you, and everyone who has voting or management rights and obligations. A copy of our current form of Principal Owner's Statement is attached to the Franchise Disclosure Document;
(d) you and your owners agree to revise the Principal Owner's Statement as may be necessary to reflect any ownership changes and to furnish such other information about your organization or formation as we may request (no ownership changes may be made without our approval);
(e) each of your owners during the term of this Agreement will sign and deliver to us our standard form of Principal Owner's Guaranty undertaking to be bound jointly and severally by all provisions of this Agreement and any other agreements between you and us. A copy of our current form of Principal Owner's Guaranty is attached to our Franchise Disclosure Document; and
(f) at our request, you will furnish true and correct copies of all documents and contracts governing the rights, obligations and powers of your owners and agents (like articles of incorporation or organization and partnership, operating or shareholder agreements).
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1.6 Operating Principal/Management of Business. You acknowledge and agree that your personal participation and day-to-day involvement in the management and operation of the WOB Tavern is critical to its success and that we are granting this Franchise to you solely on the condition that you agree, and you therefore do agree, as follows:
(a) If you are, or at any time become, a Business Entity, you must designate as the "Operating Principal" an individual approved by us who must: (i) own and control, or have the right to own and control (subject to terms and conditions reasonably acceptable to us), not less than 10% of your equity interests; (ii) have the authority to bind you regarding all operational decisions with respect to your WOB Tavern; (iii) be actively employed on a full-time basis to manage the WOB Tavern's operations; and (iv) have satisfactorily completed our initial training program and any other training programs we require from time to time.
(b) You (or your Operating Principal) must: (1) exert your full-time and best efforts to the development and operation of the WOB Tavern and other WOB Taverns that you own (if any); and (ii) not engage in any other business or activity, directly or indirectly, that requires substantial management responsibility or time commitments or otherwise may conflict with your obligations hereunder.
(c) At all times, you (or your Operating Principal) must meet our initial and ongoing training and qualifications for WOB Tavern managers and participate personally on a daily basis in the direct operation of the WOB Tavern. In addition, at all times, the WOB Tavern must be managed by a general manager and one other management-level employee who both have satisfactorily completed our initial training program.
(d) If, at any time, your Operating Principal cannot fulfill its responsibilities under this Agreement, you must appoint a replacement from among your owners, subject to our approval, to serve as the replacement Operating Principal.
2. GRANT AND TERM
2.1 Term. The term of the Franchise and this Agreement begins on the Agreement Date and expires ten (10) years from the Agreement Date. This Agreement may be terminated before it expires in accordance with its terms.
2.2 Grant of Franchise. You have applied for a franchise to own and operate a WOB Tavern only at a location we have approved (the "Site"). Subject to the terms of and upon the conditions contained in this Agreement, we grant you a franchise (the "Franchise") to: (a) operate a single WOB Tavern at the Site, and at no other location (temporary or permanent); (b) use the Marks solely in connection with operating the WOB Tavern; and (c) use the System in the operation of the WOB Tavern. We grant you the right to an exclusive territory as provided in Section 2.4 below. You agree to sell and offer for sale authorized products (food and non-food) and services only at the Site and to refrain from off-premises sales or catering unless expressly authorized by us in writing. You must follow all of our standards and specifications for extra-territorial activities which we may designate, change, alter or amend at any time upon notice to you.
At all times, you (if you are an individual) or your Operating Principal (if you are a Business Entity) must meet our qualifications for WOB store managers and participate personally on a daily basis in the direct operation of the WOB Tavern: In addition, at all times, the WOB Tavern must be managed by a general manager and one other management-level employee who have both satisfactorily completed our initial training program.
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2.3 Your Site. Within 90 days after signing this Agreement, you must locate premises that we (in our sole judgment) have approved and sign a lease or otherwise acquire the right to possess the Site on terms acceptable to us. Once approved, the Site for your WOB Tavern will be designated in Exhibit A. In the event the Site of the WOB Tavern has not yet been determined as of the date of this Agreement, then the geographical area in which the WOB Tavern is to be located will be within a defined area which is described or otherwise mapped out in Exhibit B ("Designated Area"). At such time as the location of the Site has been determined in accordance with Section 4.1, the address of the Site will be inserted in Exhibit A. You acknowledge and understand that the Designated Area is delineated for the sole purpose of site selection and does not confer any territorial exclusivity or protection.
2.4 Protected Territory. We will designate a geographic area as your exclusive area and it will be described in Exhibit C ("Protected Territory"). As long as you are in compliance with this Agreement, then during the term of this Agreement, we will not ourselves, nor grant a franchise to someone else to, open and operate a full-service WOB Tavern at a fixed or permanent location inside the Protected Territory.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, certain locations within and outside the Protected Territory are by their nature distinctive and separate in character from sites generally developed as WOB Taverns. As a result, Special Locations (as defined in Section 2.5 below) are excluded from the Protected Territory and we and our affiliates have the right, without granting any rights to you, to develop or franchise WOB Taverns or other retail alcohol and/or food outlets using any part or all of the System and/or Marks at such locations.
2.5 Rights We Reserve. We reserve all rights that we have not expressly granted to you. We (and our affiliates) retain the right, in our sole discretion, to:
(a) establish and operate, and grant to others the right to establish and operate, businesses under the System and Marks at any location outside of the Protected Territory (even immediately outside the border of the Protected Territory), on such terms and conditions as we deem appropriate;
(b) establish and operate, and grant to others the right to establish and operate, businesses of any kind whatsoever under other systems and using other proprietary marks, both within and outside the Protected Territory, as we deem appropriate;
(c) establish and operate, and grant to others the right to establish and operate, businesses using the Marks at any location within or outside the Protected Territory, on such terms and conditions as we deem appropriate; provided, however, that such other businesses will not be substantially similar to the WOB Tavern if located within the Protected Territory;
(d) market, sell and provide the products and/or services authorized for sale by WOB Taverns under the Marks or other trade names, trademarks, service marks and commercial symbols through alternative channels (like mail order, kiosk, co-branded sites and sites located within other retail businesses, Intranet, Internet, websites, or other forms of e-commerce), including the sale and distribution of products in grocery and other retail stores, for distribution within and outside of your Protected Territory and pursuant to such terms and conditions as we consider appropriate;
(e) establish and operate, and license others to establish and operate, WOB Taverns identified in whole or in part by the name and mark WORLD OF BEER® and/or utilizing the System anywhere including the Protected Territory that are located in facilities like airports, train stations, bus stations, service plazas, stadiums, arenas, convention centers, military and governmental facilities, educational institutions and campuses, hospitals, recreational theme parks, business or industrial food service venues, venues in which food service is or may be provided by a master of concessioner or contract food service provider, warehouse clubs, Indian reservations, casinos, gas stations, convenience stores, hotels, parks and other seasonal facilities, or any similar institutional or captive market location not reasonably available to you ("Special Locations");
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(f) acquire the assets or ownership interests of one or more businesses providing products and services similar to those provided at WOB Taverns, and franchising, licensing or creating similar arrangements with respect to these businesses once acquired, wherever these businesses (or the franchisees or licensees of these businesses) are located or operating (including in your Protected Territory);
(g) be acquired (whether through acquisition of assets, ownership interests or otherwise, regardless of the form of transaction), by a business providing products and services similar to those provided at WOB Taverns, or by another business, even if such business operates, franchises and/or licenses Competitive Businesses in the Protected Territory; and
(h) engage in any other activity, action or undertaking that we are not expressly prohibited from taking under this Agreement.
3. SUCCESSOR TERMS
3.1 Your Right to Acquire a Successor Franchise. This Agreement expires ten (10) years from the Agreement Date. Upon expiration, if you (and each of your owners) have substantially complied with this Agreement during its term, and provided that:
(a) you maintain possession of the Site and agree to remodel and/or expand the WOB Tavern, add or replace improvements, equipment and signs and otherwise modify the WOB Tavern as we require to bring it into compliance with specifications and standards then applicable for WOB Taverns, or
(b) if you are unable to maintain possession of the Site, or if in our judgment the WOB Tavern should be relocated, you secure substitute premises we approve, develop such premises in compliance with specifications and standards then applicable for WOB Taverns and continue to operate the WOB Tavern at the Site until operations are transferred to the substitute premises,
then, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 3, you will have the right to acquire successor franchises to operate the store as a WOB Tavern (each a "Successor Franchise"), for three additional consecutive 5-year periods on the terms and conditions of the franchise agreement we are then using in granting Successor Franchises for WOB Taverns (a "Successor Franchise Agreement").
3.2 Grant of a Successor Franchise.
(a) Your Election: You agree to give us written notice of your election to acquire a Successor Franchise during the first 90 days of the 9th year of the term of this Agreement or during the first 90 days of the 4th year of the term of any Successor Franchise. We agree to give you written notice ("Response Notice"), not more than 90 days after we receive your notice, of our decision:
| (i) | to grant you a Successor Franchise; |
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| (ii) | to grant you a Successor Franchise on the condition that deficiencies of the WOB Tavern, or in your operation of the WOB Tavern, are corrected; or |
| (iii) | not to grant you a Successor Franchise based on our determination that you and your owners have not substantially complied with this Agreement during its term. |
(b) Response Notice: If applicable, our Response Notice will:
| (i) | describe the remodeling and/or expansion of the WOB Tavern and other improvements or modifications required to bring the WOB Tavern into compliance with then applicable specifications and standards for WOB Taverns; and |
| (ii) | state the actions you have to take to correct operating deficiencies and the time period in which such deficiencies must be corrected. |
If we elect not to grant you a Successor Franchise, the Response Notice will describe the reasons for our decision. Your right to acquire a Successor Franchise is subject to your (and your owners') continued compliance with all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement through the date of its expiration, in addition to your (and their) compliance with the obligations described in the Response Notice.
(c) Deficiencies: If our Response Notice states that you must cure certain deficiencies of the WOB Tavern or its operation as a condition to the grant of a Successor Franchise, we will give you written notice of a decision not to grant a Successor Franchise unless you cure such deficiencies, not less than 90 days prior to the expiration of this Agreement. However, we will not be required to give you such notice if we decide not to grant you a Successor Franchise due to your breach of this Agreement during the 90-day period prior to its expiration. If we fail to give you:
| (i) | notice of deficiencies in the WOB Tavern, or in your operation of the WOB Tavern, within 90 days after we receive your timely election to acquire a Successor Franchise; or |
| (ii) | notice of our decision not to grant a Successor Franchise at least 90 days prior to the expiration of this Agreement, if such notice is required; |
then we may extend the term of this Agreement for such period of time as is necessary in order to provide you with either reasonable time to correct deficiencies or 90 days notice of our refusal to grant a Successor Franchise.
3.3 Agreements/Releases. If you satisfy all of the other conditions to the grant of a Successor Franchise, you and your owners agree to execute the form of franchise agreement and any ancillary agreements we are then customarily using in connection with the grant of Successor Franchises for WOB Taverns. You and your owners further agree to execute general releases, in form satisfactory to us, of any and all claims against us and our shareholders, officers, directors, employees, agents, successors and assigns. Failure by you or your owners to sign such agreements and releases and deliver them to us for acceptance and execution within 60 days after their delivery to you will be deemed an election not to acquire a Successor Franchise.
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3.4 Training and Refresher Programs. Our grant of a Successor Franchise is also conditioned on the satisfactory completion by you, your owners and your managers of any new training and refresher programs as we may reasonably require. You are responsible for travel, living and compensation costs of attendees.
3.5 Fees and Expenses. Our grant of a Successor Franchise is contingent on your payment to us of a Successor Franchise fee of $5,000 ("Successor Franchise Fee"). We must receive the fee from you at the time you sign the Successor Franchise Agreement.
3.6 Subsequent Successor Franchises. The fees and other conditions for any later granting of subsequent Successor Franchises will be governed by the Successor Franchise Agreement (as described above).
4. SITE SELECTION AND DEVELOPMENT
4.1 Site Selection.
(a) Site: Without our prior written consent, you may not operate the WOB Tavern from any location other than the Site that we approve. The Site must meet our criteria, which we will provide to you, for demographic characteristics, traffic patterns, parking, character of neighborhood, competition from and proximity to other businesses and other WOB Taverns, the nature of other businesses in proximity to the proposed site and other commercial characteristics and the size, appearance and other physical characteristics of the proposed site, and any other factors or characteristics we consider appropriate. Our criteria, and our evaluation of them, may vary periodically and from location to location. If you and we are unable to agree on a site for the WOB Tavern, or you have not obtained a fully signed lease agreement for the premises, within 90 days of the Agreement Date, we may terminate this Agreement. We will approve or disapprove a site that you propose within 10 days after we receive from you a complete site report and any other materials that we may reasonably request. If you have not heard from us within such 10-day period, the proposed site is deemed disapproved. No proposed site will be deemed approved by us until we provide to you Exhibit A with that site designated in it and Exhibit A is signed by both you and us.
(b) Relocation of the Tavern: You may not relocate the WOB Tavern without our prior written consent, which may be withheld or delayed, in our sole discretion. If we consent to the Tavern's relocation, you must (i) pay us a fee equal to 20% of our then-current Franchise Fee (as defined in Section 6.1) for expenses we incur in connection with the relocation of your WOB Tavern; and (ii) comply with our then-current standards for new WOB Taverns as part of determining a new site for the Tavern. Any relocation of the Tavern will be at your sole expense. If we consent to the Tavern's relocation, you must reopen the WOB Tavern as soon as practicable, but in no event more than 90 days after the closing of the original Tavern. You are not permitted to relocate the WOB Tavern except pursuant to this Section.
4.2 Acknowledgments Regarding Site Approval. You acknowledge and agree that:
(a) our recommendation or approval of the Site, the Designated Area, or the Protected Territory does not imply, guaranty, assure, warrant or predict profitability or success, express or implied;
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(b) our recommendation or approval of the Site, the Designated Area, or the Protected Territory indicates only that we believe that the Site, the Designated Area and the Protected Territory fall within the acceptable demographic and other criteria for sites, designated areas and protected territories that we have established as of the time of such recommendation or approval by us;
(c) application of criteria that have appeared effective with respect to other sites and premises may not accurately reflect the potential for all sites and premises, and, after our approval of a site, demographic and/or other factors included in or excluded from our criteria could change to alter the potential of a site and premises; and
(d) the uncertainty and instability of such criteria are beyond our control, and we will not be responsible for the failure of a Site, Designated Area or Protected Territory to meet expectations as to potential revenue or operational criteria.
4.3 Lease of Site.
(a) Lease of Site: You agree to deliver copies of the proposed lease agreement and related documents to us prior to signing them. You agree not to sign any lease agreement or related documents (or any renewal of it) unless we have previously approved them. Our approval, which will not be unreasonably withheld, will be limited to ensuring that the lease is consistent with this Agreement. You agree to deliver a copy of the signed lease to us within 15 days after its execution along with the Lease Assignment (as defined below).
(b) Lease Assignment: When entering into such a lease, you and the lessor must sign our then-current form of Conditional Assignment of Lease Agreement (the "Lease Assignment"), a copy of which is attached to our Franchise Disclosure Document. You will give the lessor our form of the Lease Assignment when you begin discussions with the prospective lessor. You agree not to sign any lease or renewal of a lease unless you have also obtained the Lease Assignment signed by the lessor.
(c) Mandatory Lease Terms: We may require that the lease or any renewal contain certain provisions, including the following:
| (i) | a provision which expressly permits the lessor of the Site to provide us with all revenue and other information it may have related to the operation of your WOB Tavern as we may request; |
| (ii) | a provision which requires the lessor to contemporaneously provide us with copies of any written notice of default under the lease sent to you and which grants to us, at our option, the right (but not the obligation) to cure any default under the lease (should you fail to do so) within 15 days after the expiration of the period in which you may cure the default; |
| (iii) | a provision which evidences your right to display the Marks in accordance with the specifications required by the Manuals, subject only to the provisions of applicable law; |
| (iv) | a provision which requires that any lender or other person will not disturb your possession of the Site so long as the lease term continues and you are not in default (along with such documents as are necessary to ensure that such lenders and other persons are bound); |
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| (v) | a provision which expressly states that any default under the lease which is not cured within any applicable cure period also constitutes grounds for termination of this Agreement; |
| (vi) | a lease term which is at least equal to the initial term of this Agreement, either through an initial term of that length or rights, at your option, to renew the lease for the full term of this Agreement; and |
| (vii) | the premises must be operated as a WOB Tavern. |
(d) No Warranty: You acknowledge that our approval of the lease for the Site does not constitute a guarantee or warranty, express or implied, of the successful operation or profitability of a WOB Tavern operated at the Site. Such approval indicates only that we believe that the Site and the terms of the lease fall within the acceptable criteria we have established as of the time of our approval. You further acknowledge that we have advised you to have an attorney review and evaluate the lease.
4.4 Ownership and Financing. Instead of leasing a Site, you may propose to purchase, construct, own and operate a WOB Tavern on real property owned by you or through affiliates. You will meet certain conditions if you or your affiliates own a Site or at any time prior to acquisition, or subsequently, you or your affiliates propose to obtain any financing with respect to the Site or for your WOB Tavern or for any Operating Assets in which any of such items are pledged as collateral securing your performance. The form of any purchase contract with the seller of a Site and any related documents, and the form of any loan agreement with or mortgage in favor of any lender and any related documents, must be approved by us before you sign them. Our consent to them may be conditioned upon the inclusion of various terms and conditions, including the following:
(a) a provision which requires any lender or mortgagee concurrently to provide us with a copy of any written notice of deficiency or default under the terms of the loan or mortgage sent to you or your affiliates or the purchaser;
(b) a provision granting us, at our option, the right (but not the obligation) to cure any deficiency or default under the loan or mortgage (should you fail to do so) within 15 days after the expiration of a period in which you may cure such default or deficiency;
(c) a provision which expressly states that any default under the loan or mortgage, if not cured within the applicable time period, constitutes grounds for termination of this Agreement and any default under this Agreement, if not cured within the applicable time period, also constitutes a default under the loan or mortgage; and
(d) your delivery to us of an Agreement to Lease, in a form acceptable to us, which requires you, at our option, to lease the Site to us if the Franchise Agreement is terminated, assigned, or transferred.
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5. WOB STORE DEVELOPMENT, DECOR AND OPERATING ASSETS
5.1 WOB Tavern Development. You are responsible for developing the WOB Tavern. We will furnish you with access to prototype design plans, specifications, decor and layout (which include (a) plan; (b) building elevations; and (c) kitchen and bar plans) for a WOB Tavern, including requirements for design, color scheme, image, interior, layout, Operating Assets (which include kitchen equipment, bar equipment, fixtures, signs, and furnishings) and build out schedule for the WOB Tavern. You are obligated to have prepared all required construction plans and specifications to suit the shape and dimensions of the Site and to ensure that such plans and specifications comply with applicable ordinances, building codes and permit requirements and with lease requirements and restrictions. You agree to submit construction plans and specifications to us for approval before construction of the WOB Tavern is commenced and, at our request, submit all revised or "as built" plans and specifications during the course of such construction. We may require that an architect designated by us prepare the initial floor and concept plan, and/or oversee the finished plans before construction begins. At your request, to the extent we deem necessary, we will assist you in developing the WOB Tavern by recommending contractors and architects and otherwise furnishing information to assist you in developing the WOB Tavern in accordance with our specifications.
5.2 Development Expenses. You agree, at your own expense, to do the following with respect to developing the WOB Tavern at the Site:
(a) have complete and detailed construction drawings approved by an architect (both the drawings and your architect are subject to our approval);
(b) secure all financing required to develop and operate the WOB Tavern;
(c) obtain all building, utility, sign, health, sanitation, liquor, business and other permits and licenses required to construct and operate the WOB Tavern and pay all assessed impact fees;
(d) construct all required improvements to the Site and decorate the WOB Tavern in compliance with plans, specifications and schedule we have approved;
(e) purchase or lease and install all Operating Assets required for the WOB Tavern;
(f) purchase a pre-opening marketing kit that contains such items as we specify in the Manuals or otherwise in writing, including, but not limited to, an initial supply of business cards, logoed t-shirts and stickers, and a pop-up tent and table skirt for public relations and other events; and
(g) purchase an opening inventory of authorized and approved products, materials and supplies.
5.3 Decor. You agree that all decor of your WOB Tavern must be previously approved by us and must comply with our standards as described in the Manuals, which may be periodically revised. Your failure to maintain the WOB Tavern's decor in compliance with our System and the standards described in the Manuals constitutes a material breach of this Agreement.
5.4 Operating Assets and WOB Tavern Materials. You agree to acquire all services, supplies, materials, ingredients, food and beverage products, and media products and services (e.g. cable television, and satellite television) for use in connection with your WOB Tavern (collectively, the "WOB Tavern Materials") and all fixtures, furnishings, equipment, signs and electronic or computerized devices and services (including telecopiers, cash registers, computers, POS, e-mail, ISP, intranet and internet services, hardware and software) (the "Operating Assets") from suppliers we have previously approved. We will only approve suppliers whose WOB Tavern Materials and Operating Assets meet the quality standards that we establish from time to time. You agree to only place or display at the Site (interior and exterior) such signs, emblems, lettering, logos and display materials that we periodically approve. You are responsible for the payment of any applicable licensing fees relating to WOB Tavern Materials, including any applicable licensing fees related to the playing of sports videos, television, satellite or cable programming, pay-per-view events, or music (if any) in any format at the WOB Tavern (e.g. HBO, DSS, ASCAP, BMI or ESPN fees). We may require that you purchase or lease Operating Assets and WOB Tavern Materials through any form of a "business to business," e-commerce, Intranet or Internet supply network that we may designate, establish or participate in from time to time.
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5.5 Changes to Approved Suppliers. If you want to propose a new supplier of WOB Tavern Materials or Operating Assets, you agree to submit to us sufficient written information about the proposed new supplier to enable us to approve or reject either the supplier or the particular items. We will have 90 days from receipt of the information to approve or reject the proposed new supplier or items. If we have not responded to your request within this time period, the request is deemed disapproved. We may consider in providing such approval not just the quality standards of the products or services, but the proposed supplier's delivery capabilities, financing terms and ability to service our franchise system as a whole. We may terminate or withhold approval of any WOB Tavern Materials or Operating Assets, or any supplier of such item, that does not meet our quality standards by giving you written notice. If we do so, you agree to immediately stop purchasing from such supplier or using such WOB Tavern Materials or Operating Assets in your WOB Tavern, until we notify you that such supplier or such WOB Tavern Materials or Operating Assets meet our quality standards. At our request, you agree to submit to us sufficient information about a proposed supplier and samples of the proposed WOB Tavern Materials or Operating Assets for our examination so that we can determine whether they meet our quality standards. We also must have the right to require our representatives to be permitted to inspect the proposed supplier's facilities at your expense. We may charge a fee for evaluating alternative suppliers not to exceed the reasonable cost of the inspection plus the actual cost of laboratory fees, professional fees and travel and living expenses as well as any other fees we pay to third parties in furtherance of the evaluation.
5.6 Preferred Vendor Programs. In addition to our approval of Approved Suppliers, we may develop certain programs and terms under which we, our affiliates, certain franchisees or others receive certain negotiated benefits or terms from Approved Suppliers ("Preferred Vendor Programs"). You must follow all of our policies and procedures for participation in or termination of Preferred Vendor Programs ("Program Rules"). We can refuse or terminate your participation in Preferred Vendor Programs without terminating your Franchise Agreement. Our Program Rules may require you to agree to, and you must agree to, only place or display at the Tavern (interior and exterior) such signs, emblems, lettering, logos and display materials that we periodically approve in connection with Preferred Vendor Programs. We may, in connection with our Preferred Vendor Programs, designate one or more Approved Suppliers as an exclusive or the exclusive supplier or suppliers of types, models or brands of WOB Tavern Materials or Operating Assets or other business services that we approve for Taverns as meeting our specifications and standards, and we may require such preferred vendors or other preferred vendors to pay to us or our affiliates, in a manner we designate, monies or provide other benefits as a condition of our designation of them as preferred vendors or permission for them to serve as an Approved Supplier (collectively, "Preferred Vendors"). We may require, and certain Approved Suppliers we designate as Preferred Vendors may require, that you agree to enter into certain agreements with them (subject to our approval) in connection with our designation of them as Preferred Vendors or Approved Suppliers or your participation in the Preferred Vendor Program (the "Preferred Vendor Agreements"). We may require that we be a party to such Preferred Vendor Agreements with Preferred Vendors. You acknowledge and agree that: (a) monies or other remuneration that we receive in connection with Preferred Vendor Programs or other benefits we receive from Preferred Vendors or Approved Suppliers is fair and appropriate compensation to us in connection with our active efforts to evaluate them as Preferred Vendors or Approved Suppliers, our ongoing efforts to monitor and evaluate whether they continue to meet our requirements for participation as Preferred Vendors or Approved Suppliers and our administration of Preferred Vendor Programs; and (b) such monies or remuneration are fully earned by us. We and our affiliates may retain all revenue and other remuneration we receive from Approved Suppliers or Preferred Vendors without restriction (unless the supplier or vendor requires otherwise). We, in our sole judgment, may concentrate purchases with one or more Approved Suppliers or Preferred Vendors to obtain lower prices, advertising support and/or services for the benefit of us, our affiliates and WOB Taverns, or for any other reason that we deem appropriate, and establish supply facilities or servicing capabilities owned by us or our affiliates which we may designate as an Approved Supplier or Preferred Vendor. In such instances, we may limit the number of suppliers, Approved Suppliers or Preferred Vendors with whom you may deal, designate sources that you must use, and refuse any request by you for another approved supplier or preferred vendor of any applicable product or service.
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5.7 Music and Other Audio and Visual Entertainment. You acknowledge and agree that the provision of music and audio and visual entertainment to patrons of your Tavern is, or may become, an integral part of the System. Accordingly, you agree to play only the types of music and display only the types of visual entertainment, at the decibel levels and using such equipment and in the manners that we may periodically prescribe or approve. You must acquire or install any audio or visual equipment that we designate or require for use by your Tavern and you must subscribe to music and video services as we may periodically specify, whether as an Approved Supplier of Preferred Vendor, to enable you to broadcast videos, music, and other content as specified by us from time to time. We may prohibit you from displaying, exhibiting, broadcasting or providing any media we choose, regardless of content, including prohibiting use of political, religious or social content in such media.
5.8 WOB Tavern Opening. You agree not to open the WOB Tavern for business until:
(a) we approve the WOB Tavern as developed in accordance with our specifications and standards;
(b) pre-opening training of you and your personnel has been completed to our satisfaction at our corporate training facility;
(c) the Franchise Fee and all other amounts then due to us have been paid;
(d) you provide us a copy of your liquor license;
(e) we have been furnished with copies of all insurance policies required by this Agreement, or such other evidence of insurance coverage and payment of premiums as we request or accept; and
(f) we have received signed counterparts of all required documents pertaining to your acquisition of the Site.
5.9 Time to Opening. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable area development agreement (if any), you must open the WOB for business within the earlier to occur of: (a) 9 months after the Agreement Date; or (b) 6 months after the date that we approve the Site for your WOB Tavern, unless we otherwise agree in writing. Time is of the essence.
6. FEES
6.1 Franchise Fee. You agree to pay us a nonrecurring and nonrefundable initial franchise fee (the "Franchise Fee") in the amount of $50,000, payable on the Agreement Date. The Franchise Fee is nonrefundable and is fully earned by us when paid.
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6.2 Royalty Fee. You agree to pay us a monthly royalty fee ("Royalty") equal to 5% of Net Sales (as defined below). We must receive the Royalty on or before the Payment Day (as defined below) of each month for the immediately preceding calendar month. If the state or local government jurisdiction in which your WOB Tavern is located prohibits the payment of royalties or other percentage payments based on sales of alcohol and beverage products, then you will pay us a Royalty equal to $5,417 per month commencing with the first full calendar month after your Tavern opens for business.
6.3 Electronic Funds Transfer and Payment Procedure. We require you to pay all payments of the Royalties or any other amounts due us under this Agreement to us by electronic funds transfer. We will designate the day of each month as the payment day (the "Payment Day") for the Royalty payment or payment of other amounts due us under this Agreement. We may designate different Payment Days for different amounts due us under this Agreement (e.g. Royalty, Marketing Contributions (as defined in Section 13.2), etc.). You agree to comply with the procedures we specify in our Manuals and perform such acts and sign and deliver such documents as may be necessary to accomplish payment by this method. On the Payment Day, you will report to us by telephone or electronic means or on written form, as we direct, the WOB Tavern's true and correct Net Sales for the immediately preceding month. You will give us authorization, in a form that we designate, to initiate debit entries or credit correction entries to the WOB Tavern's bank operating account (the "Account") for payments of Royalties and other amounts due under this Agreement, including any applicable interest charges and late charges. You will make the funds available in the Account for withdrawal by electronic transfer no later than the Payment Day. The amount actually transferred from the Account to pay Royalties will be based on the WOB Tavern's Net Sales reported to us. If you have not reported the WOB Tavern's Net Sales to us for any reporting period, we will transfer from the Account an amount calculated in accordance with the WOB Tavern's Net Sales during the previous reporting period, and any amount so transferred will be adjusted appropriately upon our receipt of your report regarding Net Sales for the reporting period at issue. If we determine at any time that you have under-reported Net Sales or underpaid Royalties or other amounts due to us, we will be authorized to immediately initiate a transfer from the Account in the appropriate amount in accordance with the foregoing procedures, including applicable interest and late charges. Any over payment will be credited to the Account through a credit, effective as of the first reporting date after you and we determine that such credit is due.
6.4 Definition of "Net Sales." As used in this Agreement, the term "Net Sales" means all revenue you derive from operating the WOB Tavern, including, but not limited to, all amounts you receive at or away from the Site from any activities or services whatsoever including any that are in any way associated with the Marks, and whether from cash, check, barter, debit or credit card, regardless of collection in the case of credit ("Gross Sales"); but excluding: (i) all federal, state or municipal sales, use or service taxes collected from customers and paid to the appropriate taxing authority; (ii) promotional discounts and coupons required by us; and (iii) customer refunds, adjustments, credits and allowances actually made by the WOB Tavern. We may periodically allow you and other franchisees to deduct a portion of complimentary sales, not to exceed 2% of Gross Sales, for purposes of calculating Royalties and Marketing Contributions. This deduction may only be taken for actual complimentary food, beverages or products provided to customers, and for no other reason. This deduction, and any other deduction we authorize, is only available to you as long as you timely and accurately report your Net Sales, including the percentage taken (and supporting documents) for authorized discounts and complimentary sales. We may discontinue this policy at any time for any reason whatsoever. All employee discounts and complimentary food, beverages or other products that you provide must otherwise be included in the definition of Net Sales at the full retail price charged by you to customers for such beverages or products. Net Sales also includes revenues from delivery service sales, retail, concessions, hotel room service, catering, special functions, etc. and sales of any products bearing or associated with the Marks.
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6.5 Interest on Late Payments. All amounts which you owe us will bear interest after their due date at the annual rate of eighteen 18% or the highest contract rate of interest permitted by law, whichever is less. You acknowledge that we do not agree to accept any payments after they are due nor commit to extend credit to, or otherwise finance your operation of, the WOB Tavern. Your failure to pay all amounts when due constitutes grounds for termination of this Agreement.
6.6 Late Payment Penalties. All Royalties, Marketing Contributions, amounts due for purchases by you from us, and any interest accrued thereon, and any other amounts which you owe us, or our affiliates, are subject to a late payment fee of 10% of the amount due. The late payment fee is due immediately on any delinquent payments. The provision in this Agreement concerning late payment fees survives termination or expiration of this Agreement and does not mean that we accept or condone late payments, nor does it indicate that we are willing to extend credit to, or otherwise finance the operation of, your WOB Tavern.
6.7 Insufficient Funds Charge. You agree to pay on demand a dishonored check charge of $150 for each dishonored check you tender to us, plus applicable bank service charges, if there are insufficient funds in your Account when we draft it for payment of fees or other amounts due us or our affiliates, or any other insufficient funds items you tender to us.
6.8 Application of Payments. Notwithstanding any designation you might make, we have sole discretion to apply any of your payments to any of your past due indebtedness to us. You acknowledge and agree that we have the right to set off any amounts you or your owners owe us against any amounts we might owe you or your owners.
6.9 Payment Offsets. We may setoff from any amounts that we may owe you any amount that you owe to us, or our affiliates, for any reason whatsoever, including, without limitation, Royalties, Marketing Contributions, late payment penalties and late payment interest, amounts owed to us or our affiliates for purchases or services or for any other reason. Thus, payments that we make to you may be reduced, in our discretion, by amounts that you owe to us or our affiliates from time to time. In particular, we may retain (or direct to our affiliates) any amounts that we have received for your account as a credit and payment against any amounts that you may owe to us, or our affiliates, at any time. We will notify you monthly if we do so.
6.10 Discontinuance of Service. If you do not timely pay amounts due us under this Agreement, we may discontinue any services to you, without limiting any of our other rights in this Agreement.
7. TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE
7.1 Initial Training. Before the WOB Tavern opens, we or our designee will furnish the initial training program ("Initial Training") to you (or, if you are a Business Entity, your Operating Principal) and up to 1 additional person. Successful completion of all training requirements described in this Section is a condition to the opening of the WOB Tavern. Although we, or our designee, will furnish the Initial Training to you (or your Operating Principal) and up to 1 other person at no additional fee or other charge, you will be responsible for all travel and living expenses incurred by such persons in connection with the training. You must pay us a fee in the amount of $7,500 for each replacement trainee trained by us, or our designee, or each person provided the Initial Training by us, or our designee, other than the initial trainees. Each Operating Principal and Operating Manager, including any replacement Operating Principal or Operating Manger, must satisfactorily complete our initial training program.
7.2 Failure to Complete Initial Training. If we determine, in our sole discretion, that you are unable to satisfactorily complete the Initial Training described above, we will have the right to terminate this Agreement. In the event you are a Business Entity and your designated Operating Principal fails to complete the Initial Training to our reasonable satisfaction, we will allow you to designate a substitute Operating Principal and such substitute Operating Principal must complete the Initial Training to our reasonable satisfaction. We may require you to pay our then-current rates for additional training, if any, for providing the substitute Operating Principal an initial training program.
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7.3 Opening Assistance. We will provide to you, at your Tavern, and at our expense, for a period of time ranging from 5 to 15 days, as determined by us in our sole discretion, 1 of our representatives for the purpose of providing general assistance and guidance in connection with opening and the day-to-day operations of the WOB Tavern (the "Opening On-Site Assistance"). Such assistance shall take place immediately prior to and after commencement of operation of the WOB Tavern or as otherwise agreed upon by you and us. Should you request additional assistance from us in order to facilitate the opening of the Tavern, and should we deem it necessary and appropriate to comply with such request (and subject, at all times, to the availability of our personnel), we will provide such additional on-site assistance at our then-current standard rates, plus expenses. If the initial week's sales volume and demands of the Tavern are determined to exceed the capabilities of the Operating Manager and employees, a member of our staff, or our designee, will be furnished to assist the operations of your WOB Tavern for such period of time as we determine appropriate, in our sole discretion. You must pay us our then-current standard rates, plus expenses, for this additional on-site training and support.
7.4 Ongoing Assistance. We may from time to time provide and, if we do, may require that you (or your Operating Principal) and/or your Operating Manager attend and successfully complete ongoing training programs and/or seminars. If we, in our sole discretion, decide to provide such programs and/or seminars during the term of this Agreement, you will not be required to attend more than 8 days of refresher/training programs or seminars per calendar year. All ongoing training programs and seminars provided under this Section will be made available at no cost to you (or your Operating Principal) and your Operating Manager. However, all expenses that you incur in attending such training programs and/or seminars, including, but not limited to, travel costs, room and board expenses, and employees' salaries, if applicable, will be your sole responsibility.
7.5 Additional Training. You must ensure that all managerial personnel and other employees are satisfactorily trained at your expense. We may require your management personnel and other employees to attend periodic or refresher training courses at such times and locations that we designate. You must pay to us or our designee our then-current training charges for each person who receives periodic or refresher training. You will be responsible for all travel and living expenses incurred by the trainees in connection with any periodic or refresher training.
7.6 Annual Conference. We may, in our sole discretion, hold a mandatory Annual Conference at our headquarters in Tampa, Florida or at another location that we determine, no more than once per calendar year, that will last approximately 3 days. We may also require you to attend up to 4 quarterly meetings per calendar year, that will last no more than 3 days each. We will determine the topics and agenda of the Annual Conference and quarterly meetings, which generally will include updating our franchisees on new developments affecting them and exchanging information between our franchisees and our personnel concerning the operations and programs of the franchise operation. We may require you (or your Operating Principal) and one or more of the operating managers of the Tavern to attend the Annual Conference (if any) and the quarterly meetings. You will be responsible for the travel and living expenses of such persons, and we may charge you a reasonable fee sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of such conferences.
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7.7 General Guidance. We will advise you from time to time regarding the operation of the WOB Tavern based on reports you submit to us or inspections we make. In addition, we will furnish guidance to you with respect to:
(a) standards, specifications and operating procedures and methods utilized by WOB Taverns;
(b) purchasing required fixtures, furnishings, equipment, signs, products, materials and supplies;
(c) beer products, serving methods and speed of service standards, display methods and retail concepts for selling beer and related beverage products;
(d) recipes, menu items, food preparation methods, proper food handling procedures, and serving methods and speed of service standards;
(e) use of suppliers, approved products, volume buying;
(f) advertising and marketing programs;
(g) employee training;
(h) administrative, bookkeeping and accounting procedures; and
(i) industry standards.
Such guidance will, at our discretion, be furnished in our Manuals, bulletins or other written materials and/or during telephone consultations and/or consultations at our office or the WOB Tavern. At your reasonable request or as we consider appropriate, we will furnish additional guidance and assistance (subject, at all times, to the availability of our personnel), including on-site remedial training for your personnel at the Tavern. You agree to pay our then-current standard fee to cover expenses that we incur in connection with such additional training or guidance, including per diem charges and travel and living expenses for our personnel.
7.8 Your Certified Training Programs. We may, from time to time, require or permit you to implement, at your expense, programs for the training of some or all of your managers and other employees. Prior to training any of your managers or employees, your training programs must be certified by us as meeting our high standards. You will be required to obtain re-certification of your training programs from time to time, and we may withhold certification if we determine, in our sole discretion, that your training programs do not meet our high standards. You are responsible for the proper training of your employees. You agree not to employ (or to continue to employ) any person who fails or refuses to complete any training programs or who is unqualified to perform his or her duties in accordance with standards, policies and procedures established by us for the operation of WOB Taverns. You agree to replace an employee if we determine that he or she is not qualified to serve at the WOB Tavern.
8. MARKS
8.1 Ownership and Goodwill of Marks. Your right to use the Marks is derived solely from this Agreement and limited to your operation of the WOB Tavern at the Site pursuant to and in compliance with this Agreement and all System Standards we prescribe from time to time during its term. Your unauthorized use of the Marks will be a breach of this Agreement and an infringement of our rights in and to the Marks. You acknowledge and agree that your usage of the Marks and any goodwill established by such use will be exclusively for our benefit and that this Agreement does not confer any goodwill or other interests in the Marks upon you (other than the right to operate the WOB Tavern in compliance with this Agreement). You agree that you will not directly or indirectly contest the validity of our ownership of the Marks. All provisions of this Agreement applicable to the Marks apply to any additional proprietary trade and service marks and commercial symbols we authorize you to use.
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8.2 Limitations on Your Use of Marks. You agree to use the Marks as the sole identification of the WOB Tavern, except that you agree to identify yourself as the independent owner in the manner we prescribe in the Manuals or otherwise. We will place a conspicuous notice at a place we designate in your WOB Tavern identifying you as its independent owner and operator. You agree not to remove, destroy, cover or alter that notice without our prior consent. If you do not do so, we may accomplish the notice or identification as we see fit, and you agree to reimburse us for doing so. You may not use any Mark as part of any corporate or legal business name or with any prefix, suffix or other modifying words, terms, designs or symbols (other than logos we license to you), or in any modified form, nor may you use any Mark in connection with the performance or sale of any unauthorized services or products or in any other manner we have not expressly authorized in writing. No Mark may be used in any advertising concerning the transfer, sale or other disposition of the WOB Tavern or an ownership interest in you. You agree to display the Marks prominently in the manner we prescribe at the WOB Tavern, on supplies or materials we designate and in connection with forms and advertising and marketing materials. You agree to give such notices of trade and service mark registrations as we specify and to obtain any fictitious or assumed name registrations required under applicable law.
8.3 Notification of Infringements and Claims. You agree to notify us immediately of any apparent infringement of or challenge to your use of any Mark, or of any claim by any person of any rights in any Mark, and you agree not to communicate with any person other than us, our attorneys and your attorneys in connection with any such infringement, challenge or claim. We have sole discretion to take such action as we deem appropriate and the right to control exclusively any litigation, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or U.S. Copyright Office proceeding or any other administrative proceeding arising out of any such infringement, challenge or claim or otherwise relating to any Mark. You agree to sign any and all instruments and documents, render such assistance and do such acts and things as, in the opinion of our attorneys, may be necessary or advisable to protect and maintain our interests in any litigation or U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Copyright Office, or other proceeding or otherwise to protect and maintain our interests in the Marks.
8.4 Discontinuance of Use of Marks. If it becomes advisable at any time, in our sole discretion, for us and/or you to modify or discontinue the use of any Mark and/or use one or more additional or substitute trade or service marks, including the complete replacement of any Mark and usage of other marks (due to merger, acquisition or otherwise), you agree to comply with our directions within a reasonable time after receiving notice. We will reimburse you for your reasonable direct expenses of changing the WOB Tavern's signs. However, we will not be obligated to reimburse you for any direct or indirect loss, including loss of revenue attributable to any modified or discontinued Mark or for any expenditures you make to promote a modified or substitute trademark or service mark.
8.5 Indemnification. We will indemnify you against and reimburse you for all damages for which you are held liable to third parties in any proceeding arising out of your authorized use of any of our Marks, pursuant to and in compliance with this Agreement, resulting from claims by third parties that your use of any of the Marks infringes their trademark rights, and for all costs you reasonably incur in the defense of any such claim in which you are named as a party, so long as you have timely notified us of the claim and have otherwise complied with the terms of this Agreement. We will not indemnify you against the consequences of your use of the Marks except in accordance with the requirements of this Agreement. You must provide written notice to us of any such claim within 10 days of your receipt of such notice and you must tender the defense of the claim to us. We will have the right to defend any such claim and if we do so, we will have no obligation to indemnify or reimburse you for any fees or disbursements of any attorney retained by you. If we elect to defend the claim, we will have the right to manage the defense of the claim including the right to compromise, settle or otherwise resolve the claim, and to determine whether to appeal a final determination of the claim.
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8.6 Manage. Signage will comply with all state and local laws and ordinances. You are also to limit your signage to "World of Beer®". The use of any other language is forbidden. If you employ any signage that does not comply with this Agreement, you will be in material breach of this Agreement. The signage must also incorporate the specific letter style and curvature associated with the World of Beer® logo. You must not use a sign that deviates from the standard logo unless and until you have submitted a request for such deviation to us in writing with drawings and we have approved such deviation.
9. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
9.1 Types of Confidential Information. We possess (and will continue to develop and acquire) certain confidential information (the "Confidential Information") relating to the development and operation of WOB Taverns, which includes (without limitation):
(a) the System and the know-how related to its use;
(b) plans, specifications, size and physical characteristics of WOB Taverns;
(c) site selection criteria, land use and zoning techniques and criteria;
(d) methods in obtaining licensing and meeting regulatory requirements;
(e) sources, design and methods of use of equipment, furniture, forms, materials, supplies, Websites, Internet or Intranet, "business to business" or "business to customer" networks or communities and other e-commerce methods of business;
(f) marketing, advertising and promotional programs for WOB Taverns;
(g) staffing and delivery methods and techniques for personal services;
(h) the selection, testing and training of managers and other employees for WOB Taverns;
(i) the recruitment, qualification and investigation methods to secure employment for employment candidates;
(j) any computer software and related passwords we make available or recommend for WOB Taverns;
(k) methods, techniques, formats, specifications, procedures, information and systems related to and knowledge of and experience in the development, operation, advertising, marketing and franchising of WOB Taverns;
(1) knowledge of specifications for and identities of and suppliers of certain products, materials, supplies, furniture, furnishings and equipment;
(m) serving methods, presentation methods, merchandising techniques and customer retention programs;
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(n) recipes, formulas, preparation methods and serving techniques for food products; and
(o) knowledge of operating results and financial performance of WOB Taverns (other than those operated by you or your affiliates).
9.2 Disclosure and Limitations on Use. We will disclose much of the Confidential Information to you and personnel of the WOB Tavern by furnishing the Manuals to you and by providing training, guidance and assistance to you. In addition, in the course of the operation of your WOB Tavern, you or your employees may develop ideas, concepts, methods, techniques or improvements ("Improvements") relating to your WOB Tavern or the System, which you agree to disclose to us. We will be deemed to own the Improvements and may use them and authorize you and others to use them in the operation of WOB Taverns or any other aspect of the System. Improvements will then also constitute Confidential Information.
9.3 Confidentiality Obligations. You agree that your relationship with us does not vest in you any interest in the Confidential Information other than the right to use it in the development and operation of your WOB Tavern in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, and that the use or duplication of the Confidential Information in any other business would constitute an unfair method of competition. You acknowledge and agree that the Confidential Information is proprietary, includes trade secrets belonging to us and our affiliates, and is disclosed to you or authorized for your use solely on the condition that you agree, and you therefore do agree, that you:
(a) will not use the Confidential Information in any other business or capacity;
(b) will maintain the absolute confidentiality of the Confidential Information during and after the term of this Agreement;
(c) will not make unauthorized copies of any portion of the Confidential Information disclosed via electronic medium, in written form or in other tangible form, including, for example, the Manuals; and
(d) will adopt and implement all reasonable procedures we may prescribe from time to time to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of the Confidential Information, including restrictions on disclosure to your employees and the use of nondisclosure and noncompetition agreements we may prescribe for employees or others who have access to the Confidential Information.
9.4 Exceptions to Confidentiality. The restrictions on your disclosure and use of the Confidential Information will not apply to the following:
(a) disclosure or use of information, processes, or techniques which are generally known and used in the alcohol retail establishment business (as long as the availability is not because of a disclosure by you), provided that you have first given us written notice of your intended disclosure and/or use; and
(b) disclosure of the Confidential Information in judicial or administrative proceedings when and only to the extent you are legally compelled to disclose it, provided that you have first given us the opportunity to obtain an appropriate protective order or other assurance satisfactory to us that the information required to be disclosed will be treated confidentially.
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10. EXCLUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
You acknowledge and agree that we would be unable to protect Confidential Information against unauthorized use or disclosure or to encourage a free exchange of ideas and information among WOB Taverns if franchised owners of WOB Taverns were permitted to hold interests in or perform services for a Competitive Business (as defined below). You also acknowledge that we have granted the Franchise to you in consideration of and reliance upon your agreement to deal exclusively with us. You agree that, during the term of this Agreement, neither you nor any of your owners will, directly or indirectly (e.g., through a spouse or child):
(a) have any direct or indirect interest as a disclosed or beneficial owner in a Competitive Business (as defined below), wherever located;
(b) perform services as a director, officer, manager, employee, consultant, representative, agent or otherwise for a Competitive Business, wherever located;
(c) recruit or hire any person who is our employee or the employee of any WOB Tavern owned by us, our affiliates or our franchisees without obtaining the prior written permission of that person's employer; or
(d) divert or attempt to divert any business or customer of the Tavern to any Competitive Business or otherwise take any action injurious or prejudicial to the goodwill associated with the Marks and the System.
The term "Competitive Business," as used in this Agreement, means any business or facility owning, operating or managing, or granting franchises or licenses to others to do so, any bar, pub, tavern, restaurant, food or alcoholic beverage service facility, or any retail establishment (like a liquor store or convenience store) that (a) features beer, wine, and related products as a primary menu item; (b) serves craft beer; or (c) has more than 6 beers on tap, other than a WOB Tavern operated under a franchise agreement with us. This Section does not prohibit you or your owners from having a direct or indirect interest as a disclosed or beneficial owner in a publicly held Competitive Business, as long as such securities represent less than 5% of the number of shares of that class of securities which are issued and outstanding.
11. OPERATION AND SYSTEM STANDARDS
11.1 Confidential Operations Manual. During the term of this Agreement, we will loan you one copy of our manuals (the "Manuals"), consisting of such materials (including, as applicable, audiotapes, videotapes, magnetic media, computer software and written materials or other formats) that we generally furnish to franchisees from time to time for use in operating a WOB Tavern. The Manuals may be provided to you in electronic form and by any means of e-commerce we designate. The Manuals contain mandatory and suggested specifications, standards, operating procedures and rules ("System Standards") that we prescribe from time to time for the operation of a WOB Tavern and information relating to your other obligations under this Agreement and related agreements. You agree to follow the System Standards and other standards, specifications and operating procedures we establish periodically for the System that are described in the Manuals. We also reserve the right to make the Manuals accessible to you on-line via computer systems or other electronic format (like Internet, Intranet, CD-Rom, Websites or e-mail). You also must comply with all updates and amendments to the System as described in newsletters or notices we distribute, including via computer systems (e.g., internet, CD or other media we select). Any form of the Manuals we make accessible to you on-line will be deemed our Confidential Information. You agree to maintain the Manuals as confidential and maintain the information in the Manuals as secret and confidential. The Manuals may be modified, updated and revised (in written or electronic format) by us from time to time to reflect changes in System Standards. You agree to keep your copy of the Manuals, if any, current and in a secure location at the WOB Tavern. In the event of a dispute relating to its contents, the master copy of the Manuals we maintain at our principal office will be controlling. However, in the event we utilize on-line Manuals, the most recent online Manuals will control any disputes between the on-line version and printed copies of the Manuals. You may not at any time copy, duplicate, record or otherwise reproduce any part of the Manuals. If your copy of the Manuals is lost, destroyed or significantly damaged, you agree to obtain a replacement copy at our then applicable charge (unless we have made on-line Manuals accessible to you, in which case you may utilize the on-line Manuals instead of purchasing replacement Manuals).
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11.2 Compliance with System Standards. You acknowledge and agree that your operation and maintenance of the WOB Tavern in accordance with System Standards are essential to preserve the goodwill of the Marks and all WOB Taverns. Therefore, at all times during the term of this Agreement, you agree to operate and maintain the WOB Tavern in strict accordance with each and every System Standard, as we periodically modify and supplement them during the term of this Agreement. System Standards may regulate any one or more of the following with respect to the WOB Tavern:
(a) design, layout, decor, appearance and lighting; periodic maintenance, cleaning and sanitation; periodic remodeling; replacement of obsolete or worn-out leasehold improvements, fixtures, furnishings, equipment and signs; televisions; music and other entertainment services; periodic painting; and use of interior and exterior signs, emblems, lettering and logos, and illumination;
(b) types, models and brands of required fixtures, furnishings, equipment, signs, software, materials and supplies;
(c) types, content, size, materials and standards for signage;
(d) required or authorized products and product categories including for all food and beverage items and portions devoted to each supplier of products (e.g., "taps" for beer);
(e) designated or approved suppliers (which may be limited to or include us) of fixtures, furnishings, equipment, signs, software, products, ingredients, materials and supplies, including for all food and beverage items;
(f) terms and conditions of the sale and delivery of, and terms and methods of payment for, products, materials, supplies and services, including direct labor, that you obtain from us, unaffiliated suppliers or others;
(g) sales, marketing, advertising and promotional programs and materials and media used in such programs;
(h) pricing methods and formats for all products (food and non-food) to be sold, including, for beverage products, pricing by case, 6-pack or single bottles, and the pricing for products (food and non-food) to be consumed on premises;
(i) policies for participation and delivery at your WOB Tavern of food products from restaurants and other food providers, and methods and programs for doing so (if any), as specified by us in the Manuals;
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(j) preparation of food products to serve at your WOB Tavern;
(k) use and display of the Marks;
(1) staffing levels for the WOB Tavern, and qualifications, training, dress and appearance of employees;
(m) participation in market research and testing and product and service development programs and customer satisfaction programs;
(n) acceptance of credit cards, corporate and other franchisee issued gift certificates, coupons, frequent diner programs, and payment systems and check verification services;
(o) bookkeeping, accounting, data processing and record keeping systems, including software, and forms; methods, formats, content and frequency of reports to us of sales, revenue, financial performance and condition; and furnishing tax returns and other operating and financial information to us;
(p) types, amounts, terms and conditions of insurance coverage required to be carried for the WOB Tavern and standards for underwriters of policies providing required insurance coverage; our protection and rights under such policies as an additional named insured; required or impermissible insurance contract provisions; assignment of policy rights to us; periodic verification of insurance coverage that must be furnished to us; our right to obtain insurance coverage for the WOB Tavern at your expense if you fail to obtain required coverage; our right to defend claims; and similar matters relating to insured and uninsured claims;
(q) complying with applicable laws; obtaining required licenses and permits; adhering to good business practices; observing high standards of honesty, integrity, fair dealing and ethical business conduct in all dealings with customers, suppliers and us and our affiliates; and notifying us if any action, suit or proceeding is commenced against you or the WOB Tavern;
(r) regulation of such other aspects of the operation and maintenance of the WOB Tavern that we determine from time to time to be useful to preserve or enhance the efficient operation, image or goodwill of the Marks and WOB Taverns; and
(s) your use of, or mandatory or recommended participation in, any e-commerce, Intranet, Internet or Website communities, systems or processes, Website and compliance with any Internet, Intranet or e-commerce policies or procedures we may establish from time to time.
You agree that System Standards prescribed from time to time in the Manuals, or otherwise communicated to you in writing or other tangible form, constitute provisions of this Agreement as if fully set forth herein. All references to this Agreement include all System Standards as periodically modified.
11.3 Modification of System Standards. We may periodically modify System Standards, which may accommodate regional or local variations as we determine. Such modifications may obligate you to invest additional capital in the WOB Tavern ("Capital Modifications") and/or incur higher operating costs; provided, however, that such modifications will not: (i) occur within 12 months of signing this Agreement; (ii) alter your fundamental status and rights under this Agreement; nor (iii) require you to spend more than $150,000 on Capital Modifications during the term of this Agreement. You are obligated to comply with all modifications to System Standards within the time periods we specify. We agree to give you 90 days to comply with Capital Modifications we require.
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However, if a Capital Modification requires an expenditure of more than $20,000, we agree to give you 12 months from the date such request is made to comply with such Capital Modification. Capital Modifications are in addition to the costs you will incur to replace or refurbish your WOB Tavern, equipment and fixtures from time to time. Capital Modifications do not include any expenditures you must make, or choose to make, in order to comply with applicable laws, governmental rules or regulations.
11.4 Interior and Exterior Upkeep. You agree at all times to maintain the WOB Tavern's interior and exterior and the surrounding area in the highest degree of cleanliness, orderliness and sanitation and comply with the requirements regarding the upkeep of the WOB Tavern established in the Manuals and by federal, state and local laws.
11.5 Hours of Operation. You agree to operate the WOB Tavern between the hours that we designate, unless we have otherwise approved in advance in writing. Standard system-wide holidays allow for closing of the WOB Tavern on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, with other holiday closings at your discretion and subject to our approval.
11.6 Trade Accounts and Taxes. You agree to maintain your trade accounts in a current status and seek to resolve any disputes with trade suppliers promptly. You agree to timely pay all taxes incurred in connection with your WOB Tavern's operations. If you fail to maintain your trade accounts in a current status, timely pay such taxes or any other amounts owing to any third parties, or perform any non-monetary obligations to third parties, we may, but are not required to, pay any and all such amounts and perform such obligations on your behalf. If we elect to do so, then you agree to reimburse us for such amounts. You agree to repay us immediately upon receipt of our invoice. We may also set-off the amount of any such reimbursement obligations against all amounts which we may owe you.
11.7 Proprietary Products. You agree to purchase from us or approved manufacturers or suppliers all articles used in operating the WOB Tavern and bearing any of the Marks. Because of the importance of quality and uniformity of production and the significance of the Proprietary Products to the System, it is to the mutual benefit of the parties that we closely control the production and distribution of the Proprietary Products. These items may include employee clothing (such as ties, hats and aprons), glassware, beverage paraphernalia for retail sale to customers, stationary, forms, products and advertising materials (the "Proprietary Products"), at then prevailing prices, plus freight, taxes and delivery costs.
11.8 Approved Products. You agree not to sell any food or beverage products or other items at the WOB Tavern that we have not previously approved for sale. You agree not to, without our prior written consent, prepare, sell, dispense, give away or otherwise provide food or beverage products or other items except by means of retail sales or on-premises consumption, as provided in our Manuals. You must sell all the food and beverage products that are included on menus prescribed or approved by us, and no others. You will immediately implement changes to the products, food, service or other items requested by us. You agree to maintain an inventory of food and beverage products sufficient to meet the daily demands of the WOB Tavern for all items specified in the menus. You must strictly follow all of our recipes for all menu items as such recipes are specified from time to time in the Manuals or otherwise. Any and all recipe or menu changes submitted by you for inclusion, at our sole discretion, on the menus will become our property, and you agree to sign all documents necessary to convey all rights and title, including all rights in such recipe(s), to us. You will only sell the types and brands of food products we authorize from time to time, including food you prepare at your WOB Tavern or food from restaurants that deliver to customers at your WOB Tavern, as authorized by us from time to time. You also agree to participate in any programs we develop with participating restaurants for this purpose on the terms we develop from time to time. We reserve the right to discontinue or modify our policy of allowing restaurants to deliver food to customers at your WOB Tavern at any time, in our sole discretion.
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11.9 Pricing. We may from time to time establish maximum, minimum or other pricing requirements to the fullest extent allowed by law.
11.10 Beer and Wine Licenses and Business Licenses. You understand and acknowledge that this Agreement is expressly conditioned on your ability to secure and maintain, at your sole cost, any and all required state, county and/or local alcohol beverage license(s) required for the on-premises sale and consumption and retail sale of beer, wine, and other approved products (food and non-food) at the Tavern and any other business licenses required for the operation of the Tavern. If you fail to secure the required alcohol beverage license(s) by the date the Tavern is otherwise ready (and/or required) to open for business, then we may, in our sole discretion, terminate this Agreement upon 10 days prior written notice to you and, in such event, we will not be required to refund the all or any part of the Franchise Fee. After you have secured the required alcohol beverage license(s), you will thereafter comply with all applicable laws and regulations relating to the sale of alcoholic beverages at the Tavern. If the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages at the Tavern is suspended or prohibited for more than 10 consecutive days as a result of your failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations relating to the sale of alcoholic beverages at the Tavern, then we may, in our sole discretion, terminate this Agreement upon 10 days prior written notice to you and, in such event, we will not be required to refund all or any part of the Franchise Fee.
11.11 Compliance With Laws. You must operate the Tavern in full compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations, and agree to timely obtain and maintain in force any and all permits, certificates, or licenses necessary for the full and proper conduct of the Tavern, including, without limitation, business licenses, certificates of occupancy, liquor licenses, fictitious name registrations, sales tax permits, and fire permits. You shall be solely responsible for any fines, costs or penalties related to the foregoing matters. You must notify us in writing promptly (but in any event within 48 hours) after you receive notice of: (a) any violation, report, fine, test result or the like from any agency or governmental instrumentality; or (b) the commencement of any action, suit, or proceeding, or the issuance of any order, writ, injunction, award, or decree of any court, agency or other governmental instrumentality related to any of the matters referenced in this Section or which may adversely affect your operation of the WOB Tavern.
11.12 Management. You (or your Operating Principal) and one of your managerial employees that has satisfactorily completed our training program must assume responsibility for the WOB Tavern's day-to-day management and operation and supervision of the WOB Tavern's personnel. During all hours of operations, the WOB Tavern must be under the direct supervision of you (or your Operating Principal) and one other management-level employee, each of whom has satisfactorily completed our Initial Training program and meets our qualifications for a WOB Tavern manager. You (or your Operating Principal) and each of your managerial employees must sign our then-current form of Confidentiality Agreement, or other form satisfactory to us. If you (or your Operating Principal) will not be actively supervising and managing the WOB Tavern, then you must recruit, hire and maintain an "Operating Manager" who meets the following qualifications and conditions:
(a) The Operating Manager must own at least 10% of the economic ownership interest in the Business Entity or the WOB Tavern;
(b) The Operating Manager must have a sufficient amount of experience in managing and operating full-service retail alcohol establishments (in terms of duration, operational responsibilities, previous training, etc.) as a general manager or in a similar supervisory position to demonstrate to us that he or she is capable of managing a WOB Tavern on a full-time daily basis;
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(c) The Operating Manager must have management responsibility and authority over the day-to-day operations of the WOB Tavern;
(d) The Operating Manager must be actively employed by you or the Business Entity on a full-time basis to manage the WOB Tavern's operations;
(e) The Operating Manager must be bound by our then-current form of confidentiality and non-competition agreement (or other contract in form and substance satisfactory to us); and
(f) The Operating Manager must have satisfactorily completed our initial training program and any other training programs we require from time to time.
Although you control the terms and conditions of the Operating Manager's employment, the compensation programs and structure must be submitted to us for our prior review and approval.
11.13 Personnel. You agree to hire, train and supervise your WOB Tavern personnel in accordance with the specifications set forth in the Manuals. All personnel must meet every requirement imposed by applicable federal, state and local law and those required by us as a condition to their employment. You are solely responsible for all employment decisions with respect to your employees, including hiring, firing, compensation, training, supervision and discipline, regardless whether you receive advice from us on any of these subject. All persons you employ who have access to any of the Confidential Information must sign a nondisclosure and noncompetition agreement in a form satisfactory to us. You are liable to us for any unauthorized disclosure of such information by any of your owners, directors, employees, representatives or agents.
11.14 Alcoholic Beverage and/or Food Agreements. Continuously throughout the term of this Agreement, you agree to provide alcoholic beverage services consisting of beer and wine and food services we may designate only at the WOB Tavern in accordance with our System Standards and subject to all applicable laws, unless we waive this requirement in advance in writing. We have the right to approve the form of any agreements, and all modifications to them, between you and any person or entity providing alcoholic beverage services or food to you, and the quality and brands of beer, wine and other beverages or foods we have approved to be sold at the WOB Tavern.
12. POINT OF SALE SYSTEM AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
At your expense, you must purchase and use a computerized cash collection and data processing system (the "POS System") that meets the standards and specifications we prescribe from time to time in the Manuals or otherwise. You agree to enter all sales and other information that we require in the POS System. In addition to the POS System, you must use in developing and operating the WOB Tavern the computer hardware and operating and accounting software (and related training and periodic software support) (the "Computer System") that we specify. You must maintain the POS System and Computer System in good working order and connected to any telephone system or computer network that we require. We may require you to configure and connect the POS System and Computer System to our systems to provide us with continuous real-time access to all information stored on the POS and Computer System, at your expense. You must provide your own intemet service provider, with access via DSL or other technology we designate, and you are responsible for all ISP and other connectivity related fees and costs relating to your use of the POS System and Computer System.
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You must also, at your expense, apply for and maintain credit card, debit card or other non-cash payment systems that we periodically require. We may require you to maintain support service contracts and/or maintenance service contracts and implement and periodically make upgrades and changes to the POS System, Computer System, and credit card, debit card and other non-cash payment systems. We reserve the right to designate the vendor(s) for such support service contracts and maintenance service contracts (which may be us or our affiliates).
We may periodically require you, at your expense, to upgrade or update the POS System and/or Computer System to remain in compliance with the standards and specifications required by us from time to time. You agree to incur such costs in connection with obtaining the components comprising the POS System and Computer System (or additions or modifications), as long as the POS System and Computer System we specify for use is the same that we, or our affiliates, then currently use in WOB Taverns that we, or they, own and operate. Within 30 days after you receive notice from us, you agree to obtain the components of the POS System and Computer System that we designate and require.
You must purchase and use any and all proprietary software programs which we have developed or may develop and/or designate for use for the System. We may require you to sign a software license agreement in a form that we prescribe and pay us a reasonable software licensing fee for such proprietary software. We may also charge you a reasonable systems fee (the "MIS Fees") for any modifications of and enhancements made to any proprietary software that we develop and license to you, and for other maintenance and support services that we, or our affiliates, furnish to you related to the POS System or Computer System, including access to and use of any WORLD OF BEER® intranet system that we establish. You must: (a) supply us with any and all codes, passwords and information necessary to access your POS System and Computer System, and may not change any of them without first notifying us; and (b) not load or utilize any software that we have not specified or approved for use.
13. MARKETING AND PROMOTION
Recognizing the value of marketing and the importance of the standardization of marketing and promotion to the furtherance of the goodwill and public image of WOB Taverns, the Marks and the System, you agree as follows:
13.1 Grand Opening You, at your sole expense, must develop and implement a grand opening promotion approved by us to introduce the Tavern to the public during the period that is 30 days prior to and 60 days after the date that your Tavern opens for business (the "Grand Opening Advertising"). You are required to spend a minimum of $5,000 for the Grand Opening Advertising. To the extent we have developed or approved marketing or advertising programs and materials for the Tavern's grand opening, you must use such programs and materials. The Grand Opening Advertising is in addition to your other marketing and advertising requirements, and the amounts you expend under this Section 13.1 will not be credited against any of your other obligations under this Agreement. Grand Opening Advertisement payments are to be made to third parties, not to us.
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13.2 Establishment of Marketing and Development Fund. We have established a marketing and development fund (the "Marketing and Development Fund") for such advertising, marketing and public relations programs and materials on a system-wide basis we deem necessary or appropriate in our sole judgment. You agree to, upon notice from us, pay to us or our designee such amounts that we prescribe from time to time (the "Marketing Contributions"), 1.5% to 3% of Net Sales (or $375 per week if applicable law prohibits payments to us based on sales of alcohol and beverage products), payable in the same manner as the Royalty. In certain markets the amount of the Marketing Fund may vary as we determine based on numerous factors including the demographics of the market, competition, gross sales of WOB Taverns in your market, and other factors we may determine from time to time. The Marketing and Development Fund will be operated by us or our designee in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the Marketing and Development Fund policies. We reserve the right to charge a separate fee for the development, hosting and maintenance of any Internet and Intranet websites. We reserve the right to defer or reduce Marketing Contributions of a WOB Tavern franchisee and, upon 30 days' prior written notice to you, to reduce or suspend contributions to and operations of the Marketing and Development Fund for one or more periods of any length and to terminate (and, if terminated, to reinstate) the Marketing and Development Fund. If the Marketing and Development Fund is terminated, all unspent monies on the date of termination will be distributed to our franchisees in proportion to their respective contributions to the Marketing and Development Fund during the preceding 12-month period. Our affiliates will contribute to the Marketing and Development Fund on the same basis as franchise owners for any WOB Tavern they own and operate. Even though you pay Marketing Contributions to us (or our designee), we (or our designee), by operation of the Marketing and Development Fund, are not your agents and do not owe fiduciary duties or other duties to you arising out of our (or our designee's) operation of the Marketing and Development Fund.
13.3 Use of the Funds. We, or our designee, will direct all programs financed by the Marketing and Development Fund, with sole control over the creative concepts, materials and endorsements, and the geographic, market, media placement and allocation and any Internet or Intranet websites, networks or communities we or it operate or participate in, or which requires your participation. You agree that the Marketing and Development Fund may be used to pay the costs of preparing or producing video, audio, Internet, Intranet, e-commerce, Website or written advertising materials; administering national or regional advertising programs, including, without limitation: purchasing direct mail or other media advertising; or employing or contracting with advertising, promotion or marketing agencies; supporting public relations; market research; other advertising, promotion or marketing activities; conducting product development; research; developing new purchasing and marketing programs, campaigns or networks (including via Internet, Intranet, Website(s) or other forms of e-commerce); all costs associated directly or indirectly with the operation, maintenance, hosting or development of websites bearing our Marks; or establishing Internet, Intranet, Website or other forms of e-commerce communities, networks, systems, methods, processes, databases or monitoring systems, which may include our establishing one or more Internet or Intranet Websites for purposes of: linking suppliers of products and services to our Website(s); our electronic monitoring of your performance under this Agreement; our sharing or selling information to third parties; our establishing business-to-business or business-to-customer e-commerce; promoting the development and growth of WORLD OF BEER® franchises or soliciting franchisees; or your reporting of Royalties, Net Sales or other information as we designate from time to time. The Marketing and Development Fund may be used and for defraying the reasonable salaries (whether individuals directly employed by us or our designee or under agreement with us or our designee), administrative hosting, development maintenance costs and overhead incurred by us our designees in connection with the Marketing and Development Fund. The Marketing and Development Fund may periodically furnish you with samples of advertising, marketing and promotional formats and materials at no cost. Multiple copies of such materials will be furnished to you at our direct cost of producing them, plus any related shipping, handling and storage charges.
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13.4 Accounting for the Funds. The Marketing and Development Fund will be accounted for separately from our other funds and will not be used to defray any of our general operating expenses, except for such reasonable salaries, administrative costs, travel expenses and overhead as we or our designee may incur in activities related to the administration of the Marketing and Development Fund and its programs, including, without limitation, conducting market surveys, preparing advertising, promotion and marketing materials and collecting and accounting for contributions to the Marketing and Development Fund. We or our designee may spend, on behalf of the Marketing and Development Fund, in any fiscal year an amount greater or less than the aggregate contribution of all WOB Taverns to the Marketing and Development Fund in that year, and the Marketing and Development Fund may borrow from us or others to cover deficits or invest any surplus for future use. All interest earned on monies contributed to the Marketing and Development Fund will be used to pay advertising costs before other assets of the Marketing and Development Fund are expended. We or our designee will prepare a periodic statement of monies collected and costs incurred by the Marketing and Development Fund and furnish the statement to you upon written request. We or our designee have the right to cause the Marketing and Development Fund to be incorporated or operated through a separate entity at such time as we deem appropriate, and such successor entity will have all of the rights and duties specified in this Agreement.
13.5 Marketing and Development Fund Limitations. You acknowledge that the Marketing and Development Fund is intended to maximize recognition of the Marks and patronage of WOB Taverns. Although we or our designee will endeavor to utilize the Marketing and Development Fund to develop advertising and marketing materials and programs and to place advertising that will benefit all WOB Taverns, we or our designee undertake no obligation to ensure that expenditures by the Marketing and Development Fund in or affecting any geographic area are proportionate or equivalent to the contributions to the Marketing and Development Fund by WOB Taverns operating in that geographic area or that any WOB Tavern will benefit directly or in proportion to its contribution to the Marketing and Development Fund from the development of advertising and marketing materials or the placement of advertising. Except as expressly provided in this Section, we or our designee assume no direct or indirect liability or obligation to you with respect to collecting amounts due to the Marketing and Development Fund.
13.6 Local Advertising. You agree that, in addition to the payment of the Marketing Fund Contributions and any amounts required for Grand Opening Advertising, you will spend a reasonable amount each calendar quarter for local market advertising ("Local Advertising"), but in no event less than 1.5% of Net Sales per calendar quarter. The amount of advertising funds expended by you for Local Advertising will be determined by you, subject to the foregoing minimum requirement. Local Advertising expenditures do not include incentive programs, including, without limitation, costs of honoring coupons, product costs involved in honoring sales promotions, salaries, contributions, donations, yellow pages advertising, and interior and exterior signage. You must obtain and maintain records demonstrating your Local Advertising efforts and associated spending and submit them to us upon request. Within 15 days after the end of each calendar quarter, you must submit written documentation to us (signed and certified by you or your Operating Principal) demonstrating that you have complied with the Local Advertising requirements. If you fail to make Local Advertising expenditures in accordance with this Section, we will have the right to spend an amount not to exceed 1.5% of Net Sales of the Tavern on Local Advertising on your behalf, and you must reimburse us for such expenses upon demand. Your failure to comply with this Section will be deemed a material breach of this Agreement.
13.7 Cooperative Advertising and Promotion. Although not obligated to do so, we may create a cooperative advertising program for the benefit of franchised and company-owned WOB Taverns located within a particular region. We have the right to determine the composition of all geographic territories and market areas for the implementation of any cooperative advertising programs and to require that you participate in such cooperative advertising program when established. We have the right to collect and designate up to 50% of the Local Advertising expenditures for a cooperative advertising program. Your contributions to any cooperative advertising programs will be done proportionately and on a per-Tavern basis. We and our affiliates will make similar contributions for any WOB Taverns that we or they own and operate in any region for which a cooperative advertising program has been established. If a cooperative advertising program is implemented on behalf of a particular region, we reserve the right to establish an advertising cooperative (the "Cooperative") for a particular region to enable the Cooperative to self-administer the cooperative advertising program, and you agree to participate in such Cooperative according to the Cooperative's then-current rules and procedures and to abide by the Cooperative's then-current decisions. We may, upon 30 days' written notice to you, suspend or terminate any Cooperative's programs or operations. Your failure to timely contribute the amounts for cooperative advertising programs as required by this Section constitutes a material breach of the provisions of this Agreement and we may offset any amounts we otherwise owe to you the amount of your cooperative advertising contributions and pay such contributions for you.
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13.8 Approval of Advertising. You agree that any advertising, promotion and marketing you conduct will be completely clear and conform to the highest standards of ethical marketing and the promotion policies which we prescribe from time to time. All advertising, promotion and marketing by you must be factually accurate and must not detrimentally affect the Marks or System, as determined in our sole discretion. Samples of all advertising, promotional and marketing materials which we have not prepared or previously approved must be submitted to us for approval before you use them. If you do not receive written disapproval within 30 days after our receipt of such materials, we will be deemed to have given the required approval. You must discontinue the use of any approved advertising within 5 days of your receipt of our request to do so. You may not use any advertising or promotional materials that we have disapproved. You may not enter into agreements with any advertising agencies, public relations firms, design firms or media properties, including radio, television, direct mail, Internet, newspaper or magazine, without our express written permission. You agree to reimburse us for any legal expenses that we incur in connection with our review of any proposed advertising, promotion or marketing materials for your Tavern. Such amounts are due upon receipt of our invoice. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any and all advertising, promotion and marketing for your Tavern complies in all respects with applicable laws, rules and regulations in your jurisdiction.
13.9 Telephone Directory Advertising. You must list and advertise the telephone number for the WOB Tavern in the "white pages" telephone directory and the classified or "yellow pages" telephone directory distributed in your local market area and in such directly heading or category as we specify ("Telephone Directory Advertising"). You must place the classified directory advertisement and listings together with other franchisees operating within the distribution area of the directories. If a joint listing is obtained, the cost of the advertisements and listings will be apportioned among WOB Taverns which are placed together. Telephone Directory Advertising expenditures are in addition to the Local Advertising required in Section 13.6 and the Grand Opening Advertising required in Section 13.1.
13.10 Internet Marketing. We have established and maintain an Internet website at the uniform resource locator ("URL") www.wobusa.com that provides information about the WORLD OF BEER® System and the services that we and our franchisees provide. We may (but are not required to) include at the WORLD OF BEER® website an interior page containing information about the WOB Tavern. If we include such information on the WORLD OF BEER® website, we may require you to prepare all or a portion of the page, at your expense, using a template that we provide. All such information will be subject to our approval prior to posting. We may require you to pay for website development arid/or hosting services related to any Internet website(s) that we maintain, or permit you to maintain, related to your WOB Tavern. We retain the sole right to market on the Internet, including all use of websites, domain names, URL's, linking, meta-tags, marketing, auction sites, e-commerce and co-branding arrangements. You may be requested to provide us content for our Internet marketing and must follow our Intranet and Internet usage rules, policies and requirements, as set forth in the Manuals or otherwise. We retain the sole right to use the Marks on the Internet, including on websites, as domain names, directory addresses, search terms, meta-tags, and in connection with linking, marketing, co-branding and other arrangements. You may not establish a presence on, or market using, the Internet in connection with the WOB Tavern unless you have obtained our express prior Written consent and subject to our specifications in connection with the same, due to our substantial interest in protecting the Marks, the System and the Confidential Information. In the event we approve an independent website for you or any other franchisee, we may require that such website be accessed only through our home page. You recognize and agree that we (or our affiliates) own all rights, title and interest in and to any and all websites, URLs, domain names, website addresses, e-mail addresses and any other means of electronic identification or origin we commission or utilize, or require or permit you to utilize, in connection with the WOB Tavern. You agree to sign and deliver to us our standard form of Conditional Assignment of Telephone Numbers and Listings and Internet Addresses attached as an exhibit to our Franchise Disclosure Document. We (or our affiliates) own all right, title and interest in and to information compiled from, derived from or obtained by us via your or our use of websites or our establishment of any Intranet, Internet or other forms of e-commerce networks or communities. You agree to establish, maintain and notify us of an active e-mail address at all times, and notify us of any change in e-mail address within 3 business days.
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We may maintain one or more social media sites (e.g., www.twitter.com, www.faccbook.com, or such other social media sites). You may not establish or maintain any social media sites utilizing any user names, or otherwise associating with the Marks, without our advance written consent. We may designate from time to time regional or territory-specific user names/handles to be maintained by you. You must adhere to the social media policies established from time to time by us and will require all of your employees to do so as well. Any and all menu items (food and non-food) and retail items posted in the WOB Tavern, on the internet, or on any social media sites, as authorized by us, must at all times be accurate and up-to-date.
13.11 Supplemental Marketing. You must participate in supplemental marketing programs, like limited time offers, gift cards, gift certificates, coupons, loyalty programs, and customer relationship management, as we may periodically require. You will be responsible for certain costs associated with these supplemental marketing programs.
14. RECORDS, REPORTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
14.1 Accounting System. You agree to establish and maintain at your own expense a bookkeeping, accounting and recordkeeping system conforming to the requirements and formats we prescribe from time to time. We may require you to use approved computer hardware, software and Websites in order to maintain certain sales data and other information we designate from time to time, including updating of Manuals and for communication purposes. You agree that we may have access to such sales data and other information through the computer system at all times.
14.2 Accounting, Computers and Records. It is your responsibility to obtain accounting services and any required hardware or software related to them. You will at all times maintain the records reasonably specified in the Manuals or otherwise, including, without limitation, sales, inventory and expense information. To the extent we require support for accounting software used by you, such support will only be provided with respect to the accounting software then used by us in the operation of our own (or our affiliates' own) WOB Taverns.
14.3 Reports. You agree to furnish to us on such forms that we prescribe from time to time:
(a) following the Agreement Date, and weekly thereafter until your WOB Tavern opens, you will furnish us with a report of your progress in the development and opening of your WOB Tavern;
(b) at our request, within 5 days after their filing, copies of all sales tax and alcohol surtax returns for the WOB Tavern and copies of the canceled checks for the required sales taxes and alcohol surtaxes;
(c) on the Payment Day of each calendar month, a report on the WOB Tavern's Net Sales during the immediately preceding calendar month with the Royalty payment;
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(d) within 20 days after the end of each calendar month, a profit and loss statement for the WOB Tavern for the immediately preceding calendar month and year-to-date and a balance sheet as of the end of such month;
(e) no later than April 15th of each year, annual profit and loss and source and use of funds statements and a balance sheet for the WOB Tavern as of the end of such fiscal year; and
(f) within 10 days after our request, exact copies of federal and state income and other tax returns and such other forms, records, books and other information we may periodically require.
We may require that any of the reports described in this Section or any information you are required to provide us under this Agreement or our System Standards be provided to us in electronic format via a secure Website (Internet or Intranet) at times and in the manner we designate, from time to time. We may require you to adopt a calendar year end as your fiscal year end for reporting purposes. If any of the reports or other information required to be provided to us in accordance with this Section or any other provision of this Agreement are not received by us by the required deadline, we may charge you a late submission fee equal to $150 for each week (or portion thereof) that such report (or other information) remains outstanding. Assessment of a late submission fee will not constitute a waiver of any rights or remedies available to us.
14.4 Access to Information. You agree to verify and sign each report and financial statement in the manner we prescribe. We have the right to disclose data derived from such reports without identifying you or the location of the WOB Tavern. We also have the right to require you to have reviewed or audited financial statements prepared on an annual basis if we reasonably believe that the reports are incorrect. Moreover, we have the right as often as we deem appropriate (including on a daily basis) to access, electronically or otherwise, all computer registers and other computer systems that you are required to maintain in connection with the operation of the WOB Tavern and to retrieve electronically or otherwise, all information (including sales, product mix, or other information) relating to the WOB Tavern's operations.
14.5 Copies of Reports. You agree to furnish us with a copy of all sales, income and other tax returns relating to your WOB Tavern, at our request. You will also send us copies of any sales or other reports sent to any landlord or governmental agency, at our request.
15. INSPECTIONS AND AUDITS
15.1 Our Right to Inspect the WOB Tavern. To determine whether you and the WOB Tavern are complying with this Agreement and all System Standards, we and our designated agents have the right at any time during your regular business hours, and without prior notice to you, to:
(a) inspect the WOB Tavern;
(b) observe, photograph and videotape the operations of the WOB Tavern for such consecutive or intermittent periods as we deem necessary;
(c) remove samples of any products (food or non-food), ingredients, materials or supplies for testing and analysis;
(d) interview personnel and customers of the WOB Tavern; and
(e) inspect and copy any books, records and documents relating to your operation of the WOB Tavern.
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You agree to cooperate with us fully in connection with any such inspections, observations, photographing, videotaping, product removal, interviews and electronic (Internet or Intranet) record access. You agree to present to your customers such evaluation forms that we periodically prescribe and to participate and/or request your customers to participate in any surveys performed by us or on our behalf. You agree to correct or repair any unsatisfactory conditions we specify within 5 days.
15.2 Our Right to Audit. We have the right at any time during your business hours to inspect and audit, or cause to be inspected and audited, your (if you are a Business Entity) and the WOB Tavern's business, bookkeeping and accounting records, purchasing records, advertising and marketing records and expenditures, sales and income tax records and returns and other records. You agree to cooperate fully with our representatives and independent accountants we hire to conduct any such inspection or audit. If our inspection or audit is made necessary by your failure to furnish reports, supporting records or other information we require, or to furnish such items on a timely basis, or if the information is not accurate or if your Net Sales are understated by more than 2% for any reporting period, you agree to reimburse us for the cost of such inspection or audit, including, without limitation, the charges of attorneys and independent accountants and the travel expenses, room and board and compensation of our employees. You also must pay us any shortfall in the amounts you owe us, including late fees and interest, within 10 days of our notice. The foregoing remedies are in addition to our other remedies and rights under this Agreement and applicable law, which may include termination of this Agreement.
16. INSURANCE
You must procure, prior to opening the Tavern, and maintain in full force and effect during the term of this Agreement, at your expense, the following types of insurance (in addition to any insurance that may be required by applicable law, any lender or lessor): (a) comprehensive general liability insurance, including personal injury, products liability, liquor liability and fire damage coverage; (b) "all risk" property insurance, including fire and extended coverage insurance (including vandalism and malicious mischief insurance, and flood insurance) for the full cost of replacement of the Tavern and its contents; (c) worker's compensation insurance and employer's liability insurance as required by the state in which your Tavern is located; and (d) such other insurance policies, including business interruption insurance and automobile insurance, as we may determine from time to time. All insurance policies must: (i) be issued by carriers approved by us; (ii) contain such types and minimum amounts of coverage, exclusions and maximum deductibles as we prescribe from time to time; (iii) (except for worker's compensation insurance) name us, our affiliates, successors and assigns as additional insureds; (iv) provide for 30 days' prior written notice to us of any material modification, cancellation or expiration of such policy; and (v) include such other provisions as we may require from time to time.
At our request, you must furnish us with such evidence of coverage and payment of premiums as we require from time to time. If you fail or refuse to maintain any required insurance coverage, or to furnish satisfactory evidence thereof, we will have the right and authority (but not the obligation) to immediately procure such insurance coverage on your behalf and to charge the same to you, which charges, together with a reasonable fee for expenses incurred by us in connection with such procurement, will be payable by you immediately upon notice from us. You must cooperate with us in our effort to obtain such insurance policies.
Your obligation to maintain insurance coverage is not diminished in any manner by reason of any separate insurance we may chose to maintain, nor does it relieve you of your obligations under Section 21.4.
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17. ADVISORY COUNCIL
17.1 Our Right to Create Advisory Council. We reserve the right to create at any time in the future, if or when we deem appropriate, in our sole discretion, a franchise advisory council or such successor association as may be sanctioned by us to serve as an advisory council to us with respect to the advertising, marketing, operation, new product and service suggestions, and other matters relating to WOB Taverns (the "Advisory Council"). If we establish an Advisory Council, we may seek the advice and counsel of the Advisory Council and its board of directors and committees. The Advisory Council's committees and their functions and membership will be subject to our written approval. Recognizing that the Advisory Council (if any) must function in a manner consistent with all WORLD OF BEER® franchises, we may require the governing rules of the Advisory Council to be consistent with this Agreement.
17.2 Your Membership in Franchise Advisory Council. If we create an Advisory Council, then, upon its creation, as long as your WOB Tavern continues to operate in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, you will be eligible for nomination to be a member with full voting rights and privileges in the Advisory Council. We reserve the right to approve the rules and bylaws of such Advisory Council.
18. TRANSFER
18.1 By Us. This Agreement is fully transferable by us, and inures to the benefit of any transferee or other legal successor to our interests, as long as such transferee or successor agrees to be bound by, and assumes all of our continuing obligations under, this Agreement.
18.2 By You. You understand and acknowledge that the rights and duties created by this Agreement are personal to you (or, if you are a Business Entity, to your owners) and that we have granted the Franchise to you in reliance upon our perceptions of your (or your owners') individual or collective character, skill, aptitude, attitude, business ability and financial capacity. Accordingly, neither this Agreement (or any interest in it) nor any ownership or other interest in you or the WOB Tavern may be transferred without our prior written approval. Any transfer without such approval constitutes a breach of this Agreement and is void and of no effect. As used in this Agreement, the term "transfer" includes your (or your owners') voluntary, involuntary, direct or indirect assignment, sale, gift or other disposition of any interest in: (a) you; (b) this Agreement; or (c) the WOB Tavern.
An assignment, sale, gift or other disposition includes the following events:
| (i) | transfer of ownership of capital stock or a partnership interest; |
| (ii) | merger or consolidation or issuance of additional securities or interests representing an ownership interest in you; |
| (iii) | any issuance or sale of your stock or any security convertible to your stock; |
| (iv) | transfer of an interest in you, this Agreement or the WOB Tavern in a divorce, insolvency or corporate or partnership dissolution proceeding or otherwise by operation of law; |
| (v) | transfer of an interest in you, this Agreement or the WOB Tavern, in the event of your death or the death of one of your owners, by will, declaration of or transfer in trust or under the laws of intestate succession; or |
| (vi) | pledge of this Agreement (to someone other than us) or of an ownership interest in you as security, foreclosure upon the WOB Tavern or your transfer, surrender or loss of possession, control or management of the WOB Tavern. |
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18.3 Conditions for Approval of Transfer. If you (and your owners) are in full compliance with this Agreement, then subject to the other provisions of this Section 18, we will approve a transfer that meets all the applicable requirements of this Section. The proposed transferee and its direct and indirect owners must be individuals of good character and otherwise meet our then applicable standards for WOB Tavern franchisees. A transfer of ownership, possession or control of the WOB Tavern may be made only in conjunction with a transfer of this Agreement. If the transfer is of this Agreement or a controlling interest in you, or is one of a series of transfers which in the aggregate constitute the transfer of this Agreement or a controlling interest in you, all of the following conditions must be met prior to or concurrently with the effective date of the transfer:
(a) the transferee has sufficient business experience, aptitude and financial resources to operate the WOB Tavern;
(b) you have paid all Royalties, Marketing and Development Fund contributions, amounts owed for purchases from us and all other amounts owed to us or to third-party creditors and have submitted all required reports and statements;
(c) the transferee (or its Operating Partner) and its managerial employee (if different from your manager) have agreed to complete our standard training program;
(d) the transferee has agreed to be bound by all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement
(e) you or the transferee pay us a transfer fee equal to 50% of the then-current Franchise Fee (the "Transfer Fee"), payable prior to consummation of the transfer. The Transfer Fee is used to defray expenses we incur in connection with the transfer and the costs of training up to 2 trainees of the transferee (one of whom must be a managerial employee responsible for WOB Tavern operations). We may provide training to other employees. If we do so, you or the transferee must pay us a fee not to exceed $7,500 per person trained by us (other than the 2 trainees described above). You must pay all travel and living expenses for you, other trainees and your employees to attend the training. This subsection will not apply if the proposed transfer is among your owners, but the transferee is required to reimburse us for any administrative costs we incur in connection with the transfer. If the proposed transfer is to an existing WORLD OF BEER® franchisee, the Transfer Fee is 10% of the then-current Franchise Fee, payable in the same manner described above;
(f) you (and your transferring owners) have executed a general release, in form satisfactory to us, of any and all claims against us and our shareholders, officers, directors, employees and agents;
(g) we have approved the material terms and conditions of such transfer and determined that the price and terms of payment will not adversely affect the transferee's operation of the WOB Tavern;
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(h) if you or your owners finance any part of the sale price of the transferred interest, you and/or your owners have agreed that all of the transferee's obligations pursuant to any promissory notes, agreements or security interests that you or your owners have reserved in the WOB Tavern are subordinate to the transferee's obligation to pay Royalties, Marketing and Development Fund contributions and other amounts due to us and otherwise to comply with this Agreement;
(i) you and your transferring owners have executed a non-competition covenant in favor of us and the transferee agreeing to be bound, commencing on the effective date of the transfer, by the post-term competitive restrictions otherwise contained in this Agreement; and
(j) you and your transferring owners have agreed that you and they will not directly or indirectly at any time or in any manner (except with respect to other WOB Taverns you own and operate) identify yourself or themselves or any business as a current or former WOB Tavern, or as one of our licensees or franchisees, use any Mark, any colorable imitation of a Mark, or other indicia of a WOB Tavern in any manner or for any purpose or utilize for any purpose any trade name, trade or service mark or other commercial symbol that suggests or indicates a connection or association with us.
18.4 Transfer to a Business Entity. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if you are in full compliance with this Agreement, you may transfer this Agreement to a Business Entity that conducts no business other than the WOB Tavern and, if applicable, other WOB Tavern so long as you own, control and have the right to vote 51% or more of its issued and outstanding ownership interests (like stock or partnership interests) and you guarantee its performance under this Agreement. All other owners are subject to our approval. The organizational or governing documents of the Business Entity must recite that the issuance and transfer of any ownership interests in the Business Entity are restricted by the terms of this Agreement, are subject to our approval, and all certificates or other documents representing ownership interests in the Business Entity must bear a legend referring to the restrictions of this Agreement. As a condition of our approval of the issuance or transfer of ownership interests to any person other than you, we may require (in addition to the other requirements we have the right to impose) that the proposed owner execute an agreement, in a form provided or approved by us, agreeing to be bound jointly and severally by, to comply with, and to guarantee the performance of, all of the your obligations under this Agreement.
18.5 Transfer Upon Death or Disability. Upon your death or disability or, if you are a Business Entity, the death or disability of the owner of a controlling interest in you, your or such owner's executor, administrator, conservator, guardian or other personal representative must transfer your interest in this Agreement or such owner's interest in you to a third party. Such disposition of this Agreement or the interest in you (including, without limitation, transfer by bequest or inheritance) must be completed within a reasonable time, not to exceed 6 months from the date of death or disability, and will be subject to all of the terms and conditions applicable to transfers contained in Section 18. A failure to transfer your or such owner's interest within this period of time constitutes a breach of this Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, the term "disability" means a mental or physical disability, impairment or condition that is reasonably expected to prevent or actually does prevent you or an owner of a controlling interest in you from managing and operating the WOB Tavern.
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18.6 Operation Upon Death or Disability. If, upon your death or disability or the death or disability of the owner of a controlling interest in you, the WOB Tavern is not being managed by a trained manager, your or such owner's executor, administrator, conservator, guardian or other personal representative must within a reasonable time, not to exceed 15 days from the date of death or disability, appoint a manager to operate the WOB Tavern. Such manager will be required to complete training at your expense. Pending the appointment of a manager as provided above or if, in our judgment, the WOB Tavern is not being managed properly any time after your death or disability or after the death or disability of the owner of a controlling interest in you, we have the right, but not the obligation, to appoint a manager for the WOB Tavern. All funds from the operation of the WOB Tavern during the management by our appointed manager will be kept in a separate account, and all expenses of the WOB Tavern, including compensation, other costs and travel and living expenses of our manager, will be charged to this account. We also have the right to charge a reasonable management fee (in addition to the Royalty and Marketing and Development Fund contributions payable under this Agreement) during the period that our appointed manager manages the WOB Tavern. Operation of the WOB Tavern during any such period will be on your behalf, provided that we only have a duty to utilize our best efforts and will not be liable to you or your owners for any debts, losses or obligations incurred by the WOB Tavern or to any of your creditors for any products, materials, supplies or services the WOB Tavern purchases during any period it is managed by our appointed manager.
18.7 Effect of Consent to Transfer. Our consent to a transfer of this Agreement and the WOB Tavern or any interest in you does not constitute a representation as to the fairness of the terms of any contract between you and the transferee, a guarantee of the prospects of success of the WOB Tavern or transferee or a waiver of any claims we may have against you (or your owners) or of our right to demand the transferee's exact compliance wfith any of the terms or conditions of this Agreement.
18.8 Our Right of First Refusal. If you (or any of your owners) at any time determine to sell, assign or transfer for consideration an interest in this Agreement and the WOB Tavern or an ownership interest in you, you (or such owner) agree to obtain a bona fide, executed written offer and earnest money deposit (in the amount of 5% or more of the offering price) from a responsible and fully disclosed offeror (including lists of the owners of record and all beneficial owners of any corporate or limited liability company offeror and all general and limited partners of any partnership offeror) and immediately submit to us a true and complete copy of such offer, which includes details of the payment terms of the proposed sale and the sources and terms of any financing for the proposed purchase price. To be a valid, bona fide offer, the proposed purchase price must be denominated in a dollar amount. The offer must apply only to an interest in you or in this Agreement and the WOB Tavern and may not include an offer to purchase any of your (or your owners') other property or rights. However, if the offeror proposes to buy any other property or rights from you (or your owners) under a separate, contemporaneous offer, such separate, contemporaneous offer must be disclosed to us, and the price and terms of purchase offered to you (or your owners) for the interest in you or in this Agreement and the WOB Tavern must reflect the bona fide price offered and not reflect any value for any other property or rights.
We have the right, exercisable by written notice delivered to you or your selling owner(s) within 30 days from the date of the delivery to us of both an exact copy of such offer and all other information we request, to purchase such interest for the price and on the terms and conditions contained in such offer, provided that:
(a) we may substitute cash for any form of payment proposed in such offer (with a discounted amount if an interest rate will be charged on any deferred payments);
(b) our credit will be deemed equal to the credit of any proposed purchaser;
(c) we will have not less than 60 days after giving notice of our election to purchase to prepare for closing; and
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(d) we are entitled to receive, and you and your owners agree to make, all customary representations and warranties given by the seller of the assets of a business or the capital stock of an incorporated business, as applicable, including, without limitation, representations and warranties as to:
| (i) | ownership and condition of and title to stock or other forms of ownership interest and/or assets; |
| (ii) | liens and encumbrances relating to the stock or other ownership interest and/or assets; and |
| (iii) | validity of contracts and the liabilities, contingent or otherwise, of the corporation whose stock is being purchased. |
If we exercise our right of first refusal, you and your selling owner(s) agree that, for a period of 2 years commencing on the date of the closing, you and they will be bound by the post-term competitive restrictions otherwise described in this Agreement.
If we do not exercise our right of first refusal, you or your owners may complete the sale to such purchaser pursuant to and on the exact terms of such offer, subject to our approval of the transfer as otherwise provided in this Agreement, provided that, if the sale to such purchaser is not completed within 120 days after delivery of such offer to us, or if there is a material change in the terms of the sale (which you agree promptly to communicate to us), we will have an additional right of first refusal during the 30 day period following either the expiration of such 120 day period or notice to us of the material change(s) in the terms of the sale, either on the terms originally offered or the modified terms, at our option.
19. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT
19.1 By You. If you and your owners are in compliance with this Agreement and we materially fail to comply with this Agreement and do not correct or commence correction of such failure within 60 days after written notice of such material failure is delivered to us, you may terminate this Agreement effective 60 days after delivery to us of written notice of termination. Your termination of this Agreement for any other reason or without such notice will be deemed a termination without cause.
19.2 By Us. We have the right to terminate this Agreement effective upon delivery of written notice of termination to you, without opportunity to cure, if:
(a) you (or any of your owners or affiliates) have made any material misrepresentation or omission in connection with your purchase of the Franchise;
(b) you or the required number of your trainees fail to successfully complete Initial Training to our satisfaction or you have not fulfilled all of the conditions for management of the WOB Tavern;
(c) you fail to (i) obtain our approval of the Site within the required time period or (ii) open the Tavern for business within the required time period;
(d) you fail to secure the required alcohol beverage license(s) required to operate the Tavern and do not correct such failure within 10 days after written notice of such failure is delivered to you;
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(e) the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages at the Tavern is suspended or prohibited for more than 10 days as a result of your failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations relating to the sale of alcoholic beverages at the Tavern;
(f) the WOB Tavern is ordered closed by any governmental agency responsible for enforcing health and safety regulations;
(g) you abandon or fail to actively operate the WOB Tavern for 2 or more consecutive business days, unless the WOB Tavern has been closed for a purpose we have approved or because of casualty or government order;
(h) you surrender or transfer control of the operation of the WOB Tavern without our prior written consent;
(i) you (or any of your owners or affiliates) are or have been convicted by a trial court of, or plead or have pleaded no contest, or guilty, to, a felony or other serious crime or offense that is likely to adversely affect the reputation of the System and the goodwill associated with the Marks;
(j) you (or any of your owners or affiliates) engage in any dishonest or unethical conduct which may adversely affect the reputation of the. WOB Tavern, the reputation of any other WOB Tavern, or the reputation of the System and the goodwill associated with the Marks;
(k) you understate Net Sales by more than 2%, or our audits or investigations show that you understated Net Sales by more than 2%, 2 or more times during any 18-month period;
(1) you (or any of your owners or affiliates) make an unauthorized assignment of this Agreement or of an ownership interest in you or the WOB Tavern;
(m) in the event of your death or disability or the death or disability of the owner of a controlling interest in you, this Agreement or such owner's interest in you is not assigned as required under this Agreement;
(n) you lose the right to possession of the Site;
(o) you (or any of your owners or affiliates) make any unauthorized use of the Marks or unauthorized use or disclosure of any Confidential Information;
(p) you violate any health, safety or sanitation law, ordinance or regulation and do not begin to cure the noncompliance or violation immediately, and correct such noncompliance or violation within 5 days, after written notice is delivered to you, except we may require the immediate shut down of your WOB Tavern in the event we deem such violation to be a significant risk to the health and safety of the WOB Tavern's customers;
(q) you fail to make payments of any amounts due to us and do not correct such failure within 10 days after written notice of such failure is delivered to you;
(r) you fail to make payments of any amounts due to approved suppliers of products or services and do not correct such failure within 10 days after written notice of such failure is delivered to you by such supplier;
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(s) you fail to pay when due any federal or state income, service, sales or other taxes due on the operations of the WOB Tavern, unless you are in good faith contesting your liability for such taxes;
(t) you (or any of your owners or affiliates) fail to comply with any other provision of this Agreement or of any other franchise agreement with us, or any System Standard and do not correct such failure within 30 days after written notice of such failure to comply is delivered to you;
(u) you (or any of your owners or affiliates) fail on 2 or more separate occasions within any period of 12 consecutive months or on 3 occasions during the term of this Agreement to submit when due reports or other data, information or supporting records, to pay when due any amounts due to us or otherwise to comply with this Agreement, whether or not such failures to comply were corrected after wrifteu notice of such failure was delivered to you; or
(v) you make an assignment for the benefit of creditors or admit in writing your insolvency or inability to pay your debts generally as they become due; you consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee or liquidator of all or the substantial part of your property; the WOB Tavern is attached, seized, subjected to a writ or distress warrant or levied upon, unless such attachment, seizure, writ, warrant or levy is vacated within 30 days; or any order appointing a receiver, trustee or liquidator of you or the WOB Tavern is not vacated within 30 days following the entry of such order.
20. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS UPON TERMINATION
20.1 Payment of Amounts Owed To Us. You agree to pay us and our affiliates within 15 days after the effective date of termination or expiration of this Agreement, or on such later date that the amounts due to us are determined, such Royalties, percentage payments based on sales of alcohol and beverage products, amounts owed for purchases from us, interest due on any of the foregoing and all other amounts owed to us which are then unpaid.
20.2 Marks. Upon the termination or expiration of this Agreement:
(a) you may not directly or indirectly at any time or in any manner (except with respect to other WOB Taverns you own and operate) identify yourself or any business as a current or former WOB Tavern, or as one of our licensees or franchisees, use any Mark, any colorable imitation of a Mark or other indicia of a WOB Tavern in any manner or for any purpose or utilize for any purpose any trade name, trade or service mark or other commercial symbol that indicates or suggests a connection or association with us;
(b) you agree to take such action as may be required to cancel all fictitious or assumed name or equivalent registrations relating to your use of any Mark;
(c) if we do not have or do not exercise an option to purchase the WOB Tavern, you agree to deliver to us within 30 days after, as applicable, the effective date of expiration of this Agreement or the Notification Date all signs, sign-faces, sign-cabinets, marketing materials, forms and other materials containing any Mark or otherwise identifying or relating to a WOB Tavern and allow us, without liability to you or third parties, to remove all such items from the WOB Tavern;
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(d) if we do not have or do not exercise an option to purchase the WOB Tavern, you agree that, after, as applicable, the effective date of expiration of this Agreement or the Notification Date, you will promptly and at your own expense make such alterations we specify to distinguish the WOB Tavern clearly from its former appearance and from other WOB Taverns so as to prevent confusion by the public;
(e) if we do not have or do not exercise an option to purchase the WOB Tavern you agree that, after, as applicable, the effective date of expiration of this Agreement or the Notification Date, you will notify the telephone company and all telephone directory publishers of the termination or expiration of your right to use any telephone, telecopy or other numbers and any regular, classified or other telephone directory listings associated with any Mark, authorize the transfer of such numbers and directory listings to us or at our direction and/or instruct the telephone company to forward all calls made to your telephone numbers to numbers we specify; and
(f) you agree to furnish us, within 30 days after, as applicable, the effective date of expiration of this Agreement or the Notification Date, with evidence satisfactory to us of your compliance with the foregoing obligations.
20.3 Confidential Information. You agree that, upon termination or expiration of this Agreement, you will immediately cease to use any of our Confidential Information in any business or otherwise and return to us all copies of the Manuals and any other confidential materials that we have loaned to you.
20.4 Competitive Restrictions. Upon termination or expiration of this Agreement for any reason whatsoever (provided you have not acquired a Successor Franchise), you and your owners agree that, for a period of 2 years commencing on the effective date of termination or expiration, neither you nor any of your owners will, directly or indirectly (e.g. through a spouse or child):
(a) have any direct or indirect interest as a disclosed or beneficial owner in any Competitive Business located or operating in the Non-Compete Area (as defined below);
(b) perform services as a director, officer, manager, employee, consultant, representative, agent or otherwise for any Competitive Business located or operating in the Non-Compete Area;
(c) recruit or hire any person who is our employee or the employee of any WOB Tavern owned by us, our affiliates or our franchisees without obtaining the prior written permission of that person's employer; or
(d) divert or attempt to divert any business or customer of WOB Taverns to any Competitive Business or otherwise take any action injurious or prejudicial to the goodwill associated with the Marks and the System.
For purposes of this Agreement, the "Non-Compete Area" is comprised of the geographic area located (i) within the Protected Territory; (ii) within a 10-mile radius of the WOB Tavern; and (iii) within a 10-mile radius of any WOB Tavern in operation or under construction on the effective date of the termination or expiration of this Agreement.
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If any person restricted by this Section refuses voluntarily to comply with the foregoing obligations, the 2 year period will be extended by the period of noncompliance. You and your owners expressly acknowledge that you possess skills and abilities of a general nature and have other opportunities for exploiting such skills. Consequently, enforcement of the covenants made in this Section will not deprive you of your personal goodwill or ability to earn a living.
20.5 Our Right to Purchase.
(a) Exercise of Option. If this Agreement ends for any reason, we have the option, exercisable by giving written notice to you within 60 days from the date of such termination, to purchase the WOB Tavern from you, including the leasehold rights to the Site. (The date on which we notify you whether or not we are exercising our option is referred to in this Agreement as the "Notification Date"). We have the unrestricted right to assign this option to purchase the WOB Tavern. We will be entitled to all customary warranties and representations in connection with our asset purchase, including, without limitation, representations and warranties as to ownership and condition of and title to assets; liens and encumbrances on assets; validity of contracts and agreements; and liabilities affecting the assets, contingent or otherwise.
(b) Leasehold Rights. You agree at our election:
| (i) | to assign your leasehold interest in the Site to us; |
| (ii) | to enter into a sublease for the remainder of the lease term on the same terms (including renewal options) as the prime lease; or |
| (iii) | to lease to us if you own the Site in accordance with the Agreement to Lease and our Standard Lease Agreement. |
(c) Purchase Price. The purchase price for the WOB Tavern will be its fair market value, determined in a manner consistent with reasonable depreciation of the WOB Tavern's equipment, signs, inventory, materials and supplies, provided that the WOB Tavern will be valued as an independent business and its value will not include any value for:
| (i) | the Franchise or any rights granted by this Agreement; |
| (ii) | the Marks; or |
| (iii) | participation in the network of WOB Taverns. |
The WOB Tavern's fair market value will include the goodwill you developed in the market of the WOB Tavern that exists independent of the goodwill of the Marks and the System. The length of the remaining term of the lease for the Site will also be considered in determining the WOB Tavern's fair market value.
We may exclude from the assets purchased cash or its equivalent and any equipment, signs, inventory, materials and supplies that are not reasonably necessary (in function or quality) to the WOB Tavern's operation or that we have not approved as meeting standards for WOB Taverns, and the purchase price will reflect such exclusions.
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(d) Appraisal. If we and you are unable to agree on the WOB Tavern's fair market value, its fair market value will be determined by 3 independent M.A.I. certified appraisers who collectively will conduct 1 appraisal. We will appoint one appraiser, you will appoint one appraiser and the two party-appointed appraisers will appoint the third appraiser. You and we agree to select our respective appraisers within 15 days after we notify you that we are exercising our option to purchase the WOB Tavern, and the two appraisers so chosen are obligated to appoint the third appraiser within 15 days after the date on which the last of the two party-appointed appraisers was appointed. You and we will bear the cost of our own appraisers and share equally the fees and expenses of the third appraiser chosen by the two party-appointed appraisers. The appraisers are obligated to complete their appraisal within 30 days after the third appraiser's appointment. At our option, you must deliver to us title and possession of the WOB Tavern and the Assets associated with it prior to the closing and prior to the completion of the appraisal process. If we decide to do so, the transfer will be complete at the time we exercise the option with the closing to consist solely of payment of the purchase price and delivery of signed documents.
The purchase price will be paid at the closing of the purchase, which will take place not later than 90 days after determination of the purchase price. We have the right to set off against the purchase price, and thereby reduce the purchase price by, any and all amounts you or your owners owe to us. At the closing, you agree to deliver instruments transferring to us:
| (i) | good and merchantable title to the assets purchased, free and clear of all liens and encumbrances (other than liens and security interests acceptable to us), with all sales and other transfer taxes paid by you; and |
| (ii) | all licenses and permits of the WOB Tavern which may be assigned or transferred; and |
| (iii) | the leasehold interest and improvements in the Site. |
If you cannot deliver clear title to all of the purchased assets, or if there are other unresolved issues, the closing of the sale will be accomplished through an escrow. You and your owners further agree to execute general releases, in form satisfactory to us, of any and all claims against us and our shareholders, officers, directors, employees, agents, successors and assigns.
20.6 Continuing Obligations. All of our and your (and your owners' and affiliates') obligations which expressly or by their nature survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect subsequent to and notwithstanding its expiration or termination and until they are satisfied in full or by their nature expire. Examples include indemnification, payment, identification and dispute resolution provisions.
21. RELATIONSHIP OF THE PARTIES/INDEMNIFICATION
21.1 Independent Contractors. You and we understand and agree that this Agreement does not create a fiduciary relationship between you and us, that we and you are and will be independent contractors and that nothing in this Agreement is intended to make either you or us a general or special agent, joint venturer, partner or employee of the other for any purpose. You agree to conspicuously identify yourself in all dealings with customers, suppliers, public officials, WOB Tavern personnel and others as the independent owner of the WOB Tavern under a franchise we have granted and to place such notices of independent ownership on such forms, business cards, stationery, advertising and other materials as we may require from time to time. If you do not do so, we may place the notices and accomplish the foregoing as we see fit, and you must reimburse us for doing so.
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21.2 No Liability for Acts of Other Party. You agree not to employ any of the Marks in signing any contract or applying for any license or permit, or in a manner that may result in our liability for any of your indebtedness or obligations, and you must not use the Marks in any way we have not expressly authorized. Neither we nor you will make any express or implied agreements, warranties, guarantees or representations or incur any debt in the name or on behalf of the other, represent that our respective relationship is other than franchisor and franchisee, or be obligated by or have any liability under any agreements or representations made by the other that are not expressly authorized in writing. We will not be obligated for any damages to any person or property directly or indirectly arising out of the WOB Tavern's operation or the business you conduct pursuant to this Agreement.
21.3 Taxes. We will have no liability for any sales, use, alcohol surcharge, service, occupation, excise, gross receipts, income, payroll, property or other taxes, whether levied upon you or the WOB Tavern, in connection with the business you conduct pursuant to this Agreement (except any taxes we are required by law to collect from you with respect to purchases from us). Payment of all such taxes are your sole responsibility.
21.4 Indemnification. You agree to indemnify, defend and hold us, our affiliates and our respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, successors and assigns (the "Indemnified Parties") harmless from and against, and to reimburse any one or more of the Indemnified Parties for, all claims, obligations and damages described in this Section, any and all taxes arising out of the operation of your WOB Tavern, and any and all claims and liabilities directly or indirectly arising out of the WOB Tavern's operation (even if our negligence is alleged, but not proven), your breach of this Agreement, or your use of the Marks in any manner not in accordance with this Agreement. For purposes of this indemnification, "claims" means and includes all obligations, damages (actual, consequential or otherwise) and costs reasonably incurred in the defense of any claim against any of the Indemnified Parties, including, without limitation, reasonable accountants', arbitrators', attorneys' and expert witness fees, costs of investigation and proof of facts, court costs, other expenses of litigation, arbitration or alternative dispute resolution and travel and living expenses. The Indemnified Party has the right to defend any such claim against them in such manner as they deem appropriate or desirable in their sole discretion. This indemnity will continue in full force and effect subsequent to and notwithstanding the expiration or termination of this Agreement.
Under no circumstances will we or any other Indemnified Party be required to seek recovery from any insurer or other third party, or otherwise to mitigate our, their or your losses and expenses, in order to maintain and recover fully a claim against you. You agree that a failure to pursue such recovery or mitigate a loss will in no way reduce or alter the amounts we or another Indemnified Party may recover from you.
22. ENFORCEMENT
22.1 Severability; Substitution of Valid Provisions. Except as otherwise stated in this Agreement, each term of this Agreement, and any portion of any term, are severable. The remainder of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect. To the extent that any provision restricting your competitive activities is deemed unenforceable, you and we agree that such provisions will be enforced to the fullest extent permissible under governing law. This Agreement will be deemed automatically modified to comply with such governing law if any applicable law requires: (a) a greater prior notice of the termination of or refusal to renew this Agreement; or (b) the taking of some other action not described in this Agreement; or (c) if any System Standard is invalid or unenforceable. We may modify such invalid or unenforceable provision to the extent required to be valid and enforceable. In such event, you will be bound by the modified provisions.
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22.2 Waivers. We will not be deemed to have waived our right to demand exact compliance with any of the terms of this Agreement, even if at any time: (a) we do not exercise a right or power available to us under this Agreement; (b) we do not insist on your strict compliance with the terms of this Agreement; (c) if there develops a custom or practice which is at variance with the terms of this Agreement; or (d) if we accept payments which are otherwise due to us under this Agreement. Similarly, our waiver of any particular breach or series of breaches under this Agreement or of any similar term in any other agreement between you and us or between us and any other franchise owner, will not affect our rights with respect to any later breach by you or anyone else.
22.3 Limitation of Liability. Neither of the parties will be liable for loss or damage or deemed to be in breach of this Agreement if failure to perform obligations results from:
(a) compliance with any law, ruling, order, regulation, requirement or instruction of any federal, state or municipal government or any department or agency thereof;
(b) acts of God, terror, war or similar events;
(c) acts or omissions of a similar event or cause. However, such delays or events do not excuse payments of amounts owed at any time.
22.4 Approval and Consents. Whenever this Agreement requires our advance approval, agreement or consent, you agree to make a timely written request for it. Our approval or consent will not be valid unless it is in writing. Except where expressly stated otherwise in this Agreement, we have the absolute right to refuse any request by you or to withhold our approval of any action or omission by you. If we provide to you any waiver, approval, consent, or suggestion, or if we neglect or delay our response or deny any request for any of those, we will not be deemed to have made any warranties or guarantees which you may rely on, and will not assume any liability or obligation to you.
22.5 Waiver of Punitive Damages. EXCEPT FOR YOUR OBLIGATIONS TO INDEMNIFY US AND CLAIMS FOR UNAUTHORIZED USE OF THE MARKS OR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION, YOU AND WE EACH WAIVE TO THE FULL EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW ANY RIGHT TO, OR CLAIM FOR, ANY PUNITIVE OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES AGAINST THE OTHER. YOU AND WE ALSO AGREE THAT, IN THE EVENT OF A DISPUTE BETWEEN YOU AND US, THE PARTY MAKING A CLAIM WILL BE LIMITED TO EQUITABLE RELIEF AND RECOVERY OF ANY ACTUAL DAMAGES IT SUSTAINS.
22.6 Limitations of Claims. ANY AND ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG YOU AND US MUST BE MADE BY WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE OTHER PARTY WITHIN 1 YEAR FROM THE OCCURRENCE OF THE FACTS GIVING RISE TO SUCH CLAIM (REGARDLESS OF WHEN IT BECOMES KNOWN), EXCEPT FOR CLAIMS ARISING FROM: (A) CLAIMS FOR INDEMNIFICATION; AND/OR (B) UNAUTHORIZED USE OF THE MARKS. HOWEVER, THIS PROVISION DOES NOT LIMIT THE RIGHT TO TERMINATE THIS AGREEMENT IN ANY WAY.
22.7 Governing Law. EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY PARTICULAR DISPUTE IS GOVERNED BY THE U.S. TRADEMARK ACT OF 1946 (LANHAM ACT, 15 U.S.C. §1051 AND THE SECTIONS FOLLOWING IT) OR OTHER FEDERAL LAW, THIS AGREEMENT AND THE FRANCHISE ARE GOVERNED BY FLORIDA LAW WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAWS PRINCIPLES AND EXCLUDING ANY LAW REGULATING THE SALE OF FRANCHISES OR GOVERNING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A FRANCHISOR AND FRANCHISEE, UNLESS THE JURISDICTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF SUCH LAWS ARE MET INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THIS SECTION. ALL MATTERS RELATING TO ARBITRATION ARE GOVERNED BY THE FEDERAL ARBITRATION ACT. References to any law or regulation also refer to any successor laws or regulations and any implementing regulations for any statute, as in effect at the relevant time. References to a governmental agency also refer to any successor regulatory body that succeeds to the function of such agency.
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22.8 Jurisdiction. YOU AND WE CONSENT, AND IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO, THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION AND VENUE OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA, AND WAIVE ANY OBJECTION TO THE JURISDICTION AND VENUE OF SUCH COURTS. THE EXCLUSIVE CHOICE OF JURISDICTION DOES NOT PRECLUDE THE BRINGING OF ANY ACTION BY THE PARTIES FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF ANY JUDGMENT OBTAINED IN ANY SUCH JURISDICTION, IN ANY OTHER APPROPRIATE JURISDICTION OR THE RIGHT OF THE PARTIES TO CONFIRM OR ENFORCE ANY ARBITRATION AWARD IN ANY APPROPRIATE JURISDICTION.
22.9 Waiver of Jury Trial. YOU AND WE EACH IRREVOCABLY WAIVE TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM, WHETHER AT LAW OR IN EQUITY, BROUGHT BY EITHER YOU OR US.
22.10 Cumulative Remedies. The rights and remedies provided in this Agreement are cumulative and neither you nor we will be prohibited from exercising any other right or remedy provided under this Agreement or permitted by law or equity.
22.11 Costs and Attorneys' Fees. If a claim for amounts owed by you to us or any of our affiliates is asserted in any legal or arbitration proceeding or if either you or we are required to enforce this Agreement in a judicial or arbitration proceeding, the party prevailing in such proceeding will be entitled to reimbursement of its costs and expenses, including reasonable accounting and attorneys fees. Attorneys' fees will include, without limitation, reasonable legal fees charged by attorneys, paralegal fees, and costs and disbursements, whether incurred prior to, or in preparation for, or contemplation of, the filing of written demand or claim, action, hearing, or proceeding to enforce the obligations of the parties under this Agreement.
22.12 Binding Effect. This Agreement is binding on and will inure to the benefit of our successors and assigns. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, this Agreement will also be binding on your successors and assigns, and your heirs, executors and administrators.
22.13 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, all exhibits to this Agreement and all ancillary agreements executed contemporaneously with this Agreement constitute the entire agreement between the parties with reference to the subject matter of this Agreement and supersede any and all prior negotiations, understandings, representations and agreements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement shall disclaim or require Franchisee to waive reliance on any representation that Franchisor made in the most recent disclosure document (including its exhibits and amendments) that Franchisor delivered to Franchisee or its representative, subject to any agreed-upon changes to the contract terms and conditions described in that disclosure document and reflected in this Agreement (including any riders or addenda signed at the same time as this Agreement). Except as expressly provided otherwise in this Agreement, this Agreement may be modified only by written agreement signed by both you and us.
22.14 No Liability to Others; No Other Beneficiaries. We will not, because of this Agreement or by virtue of any approvals, advice or services provided to you, be liable to any person or legal entity who is not a party to this Agreement. Except as specifically described in this Agreement, no other party has any rights because of this Agreement.
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22.15 Construction. The headings of the sections are for convenience only. If two or more persons are at any time franchise owners hereunder, whether or not as partners or joint venturers, their obligations and liabilities to us are joint and several. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original and together will constitute one and the same instrument. "A or B" means "A" or "B" or both.
22.16 Certain Definitions. The term "family member" refers to parents, spouses, off-spring and siblings, and the parents and siblings of spouses. The term "affiliate" means any Business Entity directly or indirectly owned or controlled by a person, under common control with a person or controlling a person. The terms "franchisee, franchise owner, you and your" are applicable to one or more persons or a Business Entity, as the case may be. The singular use of any pronoun also includes the plural and the masculine and neuter usages include the other and the feminine. The term "person" includes individuals, corporations, partnerships (general or limited), limited liability companies, and all artificial or legal entities. The term "section" refers to a section or subsection of this Agreement. The word "control" means the power to direct or cause the direction of management and policies. The word "owner" means any person holding a direct or indirect, legal or beneficial ownership interest or voting rights in another person (or a transferee of this Agreement or an interest in you), including any person who has a direct or indirect interest in you or this Agreement and any person who has any other legal or equitable interest, or the power to vest in himself any legal or equitable interest, in the revenue, profits, rights or assets.
22.17 Timing. Time is of the essence of this Agreement. It will be a material breach of this Agreement to fail to perform any obligation within the time required or permitted by this Agreement. In computing time periods from one date to a later date, the words "from" and "commencing on" (and the like) mean "from and including"; and the words "to," "until" and "ending on" (and the like) mean "to but excluding." Indications of time of day mean Tampa, Florida time.
22.18 Private Disputes. ANY DISPUTE AND ANY LITIGATION WILL BE CONDUCTED AND RESOLVED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS ONLY AND NOT A CLASS-WIDE, MULTIPLE PLAINTIFF OR SIMILAR BASIS. ANY SUCH PROCEEDING WILL NOT BE CONSOLIDATED WITH ANY OTHER PROCEEDING INVOLVING ANY OTHER PERSON, EXCEPT FOR DISPUTES INVOLVING AFFILIATES OF THE PARTIES.
23. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
23.1 Mediation. During the term of this Agreement, certain disputes may arise between you and us that may be resolvable through mediation. To facilitate such resolution, you and we agree each party must, before commencing any arbitration proceeding, submit the dispute to non-binding mediation at a mutually agreeable location (if you and we cannot agree on a location, the mediation will be conducted at our headquarters) to 1 mediator, appointed under the American Arbitration Association's Commercial Mediation Rules. The mediator will conduct the mediation in accordance with those rules. You and we agree that any statements made by either you or us in any such mediation proceedings will not be admissible in any subsequent arbitration or legal proceeding. Each party will bear its own costs and expenses of conducting the mediation and share equally the cost of any third parties who are required to participate. Nevertheless, both you and we have the right in a proper case to obtain temporary restraining orders and temporary or preliminary injunctive relief from a court of competent jurisdiction. However, the parties must immediately and contemporaneously submit the dispute for non-binding mediation. If the dispute between you and us cannot be resolved through mediation within 60 days following the appointment of the mediator, the parties must submit the dispute to arbitration subject to the following terms and conditions.
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23.2 Agreement to Arbitrate. EXCEPT FOR DISPUTES (AS DEFINED BELOW) RELATED TO OR BASED ON THE MARKS (WHICH AT OUR SOLE OPTION MAY BE SUBMITTED TO ANY COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION) AND EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY PROVIDED BY THIS AGREEMENT, ANY LITIGATION, CLAIM, DISPUTE, SUIT, ACTION, CONTROVERSY, PROCEEDING OR OTHERWISE ("DISPUTE") BETWEEN OR INVOLVING YOU AND US (AND/OR INVOLVING YOU AND/OR ANY CLAIM AGAINST OR INVOLVING ANY OF OUR OR OUR AFFILIATES' SHAREHOLDERS, DIRECTORS, PARTNERS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, ATTORNEYS, ACCOUNTANTS, AFFILIATES, GUARANTORS OR OTHERWISE), WHICH ARE NOT RESOLVED WITHIN 45 DAYS OF NOTICE FROM EITHER YOU OR WE TO THE OTHER, WILL BE SUBMITTED TO ARBITRATION TO THE PLACE OF BUSINESS OF THE AMERICAN ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION CLOSEST TO OUR HEADQUARTERS IN TAMPA, FLORIDA. THE ARBITRATION WILL BE CONDUCTED BY THE AMERICAN ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION PURSUANT TO ITS COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION RULES. ALL MATTERS RELATING TO ARBITRATION WILL BE GOVERNED BY THE FEDERAL ARBITRATION ACT (9 U.S.C. §§1, ET SEQ.) AND NOT BY ANY STATE ARBITRATION LAW. THE PARTIES TO ANY ARBITRATION WILL EXECUTE AN APPROPRIATE CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT, EXCEPTING ONLY SUCH DISCLOSURES AND FILINGS AS ARE REQUIRED BY LAW.
23.3 Place and Procedure. THE ARBITRATION PROCEEDINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED AT OUR HEADQUARTERS IN TAMPA, FLORIDA. ANY DISPUTE AND ANY ARBITRATION WILL BE CONDUCTED AND RESOLVED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS ONLY AND NOT A CLASS-WIDE, MULTIPLE PLAINTIFF OR SIMILAR BASIS. ANY SUCH ARBITRATION PROCEEDING WILL NOT BE CONSOLIDATED WITH ANY OTHER ARBITRATION PROCEEDING INVOLVING ANY OTHER PERSON, EXCEPT FOR DISPUTES INVOLVING AFFILIATES OF THE PARTIES TO SUCH ARBITRATION. THE PARTIES AGREE THAT, IN CONNECTION WITH ANY SUCH ARBITRATION PROCEEDING, EACH MUST SUBMIT OR FILE ANY CLAIM WHICH WOULD CONSTITUTE A COMPULSORY COUNTERCLAIM (AS DEFINED BY RULE 13 OF THE FEDERAL RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE) WITHIN THE SAME PROCEEDING AS THE DISPUTE TO WHICH IT RELATES. ANY SUCH DISPUTE WHICH IS NOT SUBMITTED OR FILED IN SUCH PROCEEDING WILL BE BARRED.
23.4 Awards and Decisions. THE PROCEEDINGS WILL BE HEARD BY A PANEL OF 3 ARBITRATORS. EACH PARTY WILL SELECT 1 ARBITRATOR, AND THE 2 ARBITRATORS WILL SELECT THE THIRD ONE. THE ARBITRATORS WILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO AWARD ANY RELIEF WHICH THEY DEEM PROPER IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING, FOR EXAMPLE, MONEY DAMAGES (WITH INTEREST ON UNPAID AMOUNTS FROM THEIR DUE DATE(S)), SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE, TEMPORARY AND/OR PERMANENT INJUNCTIVE RELIEF, AND REIMBURSEMENT OF ATTORNEYS' FEES AND RELATED COSTS TO THE PREVAILING PARTY. THE ARBITRATORS WILL NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO AWARD EXEMPLARY OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PERMITTED BY THIS AGREEMENT, NOR THE RIGHT TO DECLARE ANY MARK GENERIC OR OTHERWISE INVALID. YOU AND WE AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE PROVISIONS OF ANY LIMITATIONS OF THE TIME IN WHICH CLAIMS MUST BE BROUGHT UNDER APPLICABLE LAW OR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, WHICHEVER EXPIRES EARLIER. THE AWARD AND DECISION OF THE ARBITRATORS WILL BE CONCLUSIVE AND BINDING AND JUDGMENT ON THE AWARD MAY BE ENTERED IN ANY COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION. THE PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT ANY ARBITRATION AWARD MAY BE ENFORCED AGAINST EITHER OR BOTH OF THEM IN A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION AND EACH WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO CONTEST THE VALIDITY OR ENFORCEABILITY OF SUCH AWARD. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, THE PARTIES WILL BE ENTITLED IN ANY SUCH ARBITRATION PROCEEDING TO THE ENTRY OF AN ORDER BY A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION PURSUANT TO AN OPINION OF THE ARBITRATORS FOR SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE OF ANY OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS AGREEMENT. JUDGMENT UPON AN ARBITRATION AWARD MAY BE ENTERED IN ANY COURT HAVING JURISDICTION AND WILL BE BINDING, FINAL AND NON-APPEALABLE.
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23.5 Specific Performance. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT WILL PREVENT YOU OR WE FROM OBTAINING TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDERS AND TEMPORARY OR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTIVE RELIEF FROM A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION. HOWEVER, YOU AND WE MUST CONTEMPORANEOUSLY SUBMIT A DISPUTE FOR ARBITRATION ON THE MERITS.
23.6 Third Parties. THE ARBITRATION PROVISIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT ARE INTENDED TO BENEFIT AND BIND CERTAIN THIRD PARTY NON-SIGNATORIES, AND ALL OF YOUR AND OUR OWNERS AND AFFILIATES.
23.7 Survival. THIS SECTION 23 CONTINUES IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT SUBSEQUENT TO AND NOTWITHSTANDING THE EXPIRATION OR TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY REASON.
24. NOTICES AND PAYMENTS.
All written notices and reports permitted or required under this Agreement or by the Manuals will be deemed delivered:
(a) 2 business days after being placed in the hands of a commercial airborne courier service for next business day delivery; or
(b) 3 business days after placement in the United States mail by certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid.
We may direct notices to your affiliates to you. All notices must be addressed to the parties as follows:
If to Us:
If to You: |
WORLD OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC. 10910 Sheldon Road Tampa, Florida 33626 Attention: President
CAMBRIDGE CRAFT, LLC 505 South Flagler Drive, Suite 1010 West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 Attention: Glenn E. Straub or James D. Cecil |
Either you or we may change the address for delivery of all notices and reports and any such notice will be effective within 10 business days of any change in address. Any required payment or report not actually received by us during regular business hours on the date due (or postmarked by postal authorities at least 2 days prior to such date, or in which the receipt from the commercial courier service is not dated prior to 2 days prior to such date) will be deemed delinquent.
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Intending to be bound, you and we sign and deliver this Agreement effective as of the Agreement Date, regardless of the actual date of signature.
| "US": | "YOU": | |||
| WORLD OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC., | CAMBRIDGE CRAFT, LLC, | |||
| a Florida corporation | a Massachusetts limited liability company | |||
| By: | /s/ Benjamin P. Novello | By: | /s/ Glenn E. Straub | |
| Print Name: | Benjamin P. Novello | Print Name: | Glenn E. Straub | |
| Title: | Chief Development Officer | Title: | Manager | |
| Date: | 12/15/15 | Date: | 11/27/15 | |
| By: | /s/ James D. Cecil | |
| Print Name: | James D. Cecil | |
| Title: | Manager | |
| Date: | 11/27/15 |
[Signature Page to World of Beer Franchising, Inc. Franchise Agreement]
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EXHIBIT A TO THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
THE SITE
100
Cambridgeside PI
Cambridge, MA 02141
| "US": | "YOU": | |||
| WORLD OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC., | CAMBRIDGE CRAFT, LLC, | |||
| a Florida corporation | a Massachusetts limited liability company | |||
| By: | /s/ Benjamin P. Novello | By: | /s/ Glenn E. Straub | |
| Print Name: | Benjamin P. Novello | Print Name: | Glenn E. Straub | |
| Title: | Chief Development Officer | Title: | Manager | |
| Date: | 12/15/15 | Date: | 11/27/15 | |
| By: | /s/ James D. Cecil | |
| Print Name: | James D. Cecil | |
| Title: | Manager | |
| Date: | 11/27/15 |
A-1
EXHIBIT B TO THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
MAP OR DESCRIPTION OF DESIGNATED AREA
NOT APPLICABLE
Check box ☐ if map is attached.
You acknowledge that the Designated Area is delineated solely for the purpose of establishing a geographic area within which you will secure an approved site for the WOB Tavern and for no other purpose. The Designated Area does not grant to you any promise of exclusivity or territorial protection.
| "US": | "YOU": | |||
| WORLD OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC., | CAMBRIDGE CRAFT, LLC, | |||
| a Florida corporation | a Massachusetts limited liability company | |||
| By: | /s/ Benjamin P. Novello | By: | /s/ Glenn E. Straub | |
| Print Name: | Benjamin P. Novello | Print Name: | Glenn E. Straub | |
| Title: | Chief Development Officer | Title: | Manager | |
| Date: | 12/15/15 | Date: | 11/27/15 | |
| By: | /s/ James D. Cecil | |
| Print Name: | James D. Cecil | |
| Title: | Manager | |
| Date: | 11/27/15 |
B-1
EXHIBIT C TO THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
MAP OR DESCRIPTION OF PROTECTED TERRITORY
The City of Cambridge, City of Somerville, and neighborhood of Boston known as Charlestown ("Radius Area")
Check box ☐ if map is attached.
| "US": | "YOU": | |||
| WORLD OF BEER FRANCHISING, INC., | CAMBRIDGE CRAFT, LLC, | |||
| a Florida corporation | a Massachusetts limited liability company | |||
| By: | /s/ Benjamin P. Novello | By: | /s/ Glenn E. Straub | |
| Print Name: | Benjamin P. Novello | Print Name: | Glenn E. Straub | |
| Title: | Chief Development Officer | Title: | Manager | |
| Date: | 12/15/15 | Date: | 11/27/15 | |
| By: | /s/ James D. Cecil | |
| Print Name: | James D. Cecil | |
| Title: | Manager | |
| Date: | 11/27/15 |
C-1
EXHIBIT D TO THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
INDEX
This Index is intended as a general guideline to assist you in reading the Franchise Agreement. You must review the Franchise Agreement to get an exact definition of a term.
| Account | 14 | Notification Date | 41 | |
| Advisory Council | 33 | Opening On-Site Assistance | 15 | |
| affiliate | 46 | Operating Assets | 11 | |
| Agreement | 1 | Operating Manager | 24 | |
| Agreement Date | 1 | Operating Principal | 4 | |
| Annual Conference | 16 | our | 1 | |
| Anti-Terrorism Laws | 2 | owner | 46 | |
| Business Entity | 3 | Payment Day | 13 | |
| Capital Modifications | 23 | person | 46 | |
| claims | 43 | POS System | 25 | |
| Competitive Business | 20 | Preferred Vendor Agreements | 12 | |
| Computer System | 25 | Preferred Vendor Programs | 12 | |
| Confidential Information | 18 | Preferred Vendors | 12 | |
| control | 46 | Program Rules | 12 | |
| Cooperative | 29 | Proprietary Products | 24 | |
| Designated Area | 5 | Protected Territory | 5 | |
| disability | 35 | Response Notice | 6 | |
| DISPUTE | 47 | Royalty | 13 | |
| family member | 46 | section | 46 | |
| Franchise | 4 | Site | 4 | |
| Franchise Fee | 13 | Special Locations | 5 | |
| franchise owner | 46 | Successor Franchise | 6 | |
| franchisee | 46 | Successor Franchise Agreement | 6 | |
| Franchisee | 1 | Successor Franchise Fee | 7 | |
| Franchisor | 1 | System | 1 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | 26 | System Standards | 21 | |
| Gross Sales | 14 | Telephone Directory Advertising | 29 | |
| Improvements | 19 | transfer | 33 | |
| Indemnified Parties | 43 | Transfer Fee | 34 | |
| Initial Training | 15 | URL | 29 | |
| Lease Assignment | 9 | us | 1 | |
| Local Advertising | 28 | we | 1 | |
| Manuals | 21 | WOB Tavern Materials | 11 | |
| Marketing and Development Fund | 27 | WOB Taverns | 1 | |
| Marketing Contributions | 27 | WORLD OF BEER® | 1 | |
| Marks | 1 | you | 1 | |
| MIS Fees | 26 | you and your | 46 | |
| Net Sales | 14 | your | 1 | |
| Non-Compete Area | 40 |
D-1
Exhibit 6.9
ASSIGNMENT AND AGREEMENT
This ASSIGNMENT AND AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of September 17, 2020 by and among Tarpon Bay Partners LLC, as collateral agent (“Collateral Agent”), and the parties identified on Schedule A hereto (“Secured Creditors”), and Pacific Asset Acquisitions, Inc., a Nevada corporation (“PAA”).
WHEREAS, Secured Creditors entered into that certain subscription agreements with Harrison Vickers and Waterman Inc., a Nevada corporation (“Parent”), pursuant to which, among other things, Parent issued to Secured Creditors secured convertible notes a portion of which are identified on Schedule A (the notes on Schedule are referred to as the “Foreclosing Notes”);
WHEREAS, Attitude Beer Holding Co., a Delaware Corporation (“ABH”) (Parent and ABH collectively the “Debtors”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent and guaranteed the Notes;
WHEREAS, in connection with the Foreclosing Notes, Secured Creditors and Collateral Agent entered into that certain Security Agreements dated as of December 24, 2014 (the “Security Agreement”), pursuant to which Secured Creditors obtained a validly perfected, fully enforceable security interest in the collateral referenced therein;
WHEREAS, Parent defaulted upon the Foreclosing Notes and Secured Creditors, Debtors, Collateral Agent and PAA intend to enter into an Agreement to Accept Collateral in Satisfaction of Obligations (the “Satisfaction Agreement”), pursuant to which ABH will transfer to PAA the assets identified on Schedule B (the “Foreclosed Collateral”) in full satisfaction of Parent’s obligations under the Foreclosing Notes, notwithstanding that the amount of principal, interest and other amounts due under the Foreclosing Notes greatly exceeds the value of the Foreclosed Collateral; and
WHEREAS, in connection with the Satisfaction Agreement, Secured Creditors wish to assign their respective interests in the Foreclosing Notes and the Foreclosed Collateral to PAA, as described herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Assignment to PAA. Secured Creditors hereby contribute, convey, transfer and assign to PAA, and PAA hereby accepts, all of Secured Creditors' rights under the Foreclosing Notes, the Security Agreement and the Foreclosed Collateral in exchange for equity interests in PAA.
2. Perfection; Collateral Agent. Secured Creditors hereby direct Collateral Agent, and Collateral Agent agrees, to make all filings and take all actions necessary or advisable to record and perfect the assignment described in Section 1 and to otherwise give effect to this Agreement. Collateral Agent (a) consents to the assignment described in Section 1 and (b) assigns to PAA all of the Collateral Agent's rights under the Security Agreement. Collateral Agent hereby acknowledges and agrees to the provisions of this Section 2 by signing below.
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3. Initial Securities Interests in PAA. In connection with the assignment described in Section 1, Secured Creditors shall be entitled to the following common stock of PAA:
| Secured Creditors | Shares of PAA Common Stock | |||
| Alpha Capital Anstalt | 64,330 | |||
| Tarpon Bay Partners LLC | 32,399 | |||
| EMA Financial, LLC | 3,271 | |||
| Total | 100,000 | |||
4. Effect of Termination of Satisfaction Agreement. If the Satisfaction Agreement is terminated pursuant to its terms, then this Agreement shall be terminated and be deemed to have no force or effect, in which case, without limiting the foregoing, (i) Secured Creditors shall retain their interests in the Foreclosing Notes, the Security Agreement and the Foreclosed Collateral, (ii) the assignment described herein shall be deemed never to have occurred, (iii) Secured Creditors shall not be entitled to any common stock of PAA as a result of the terms of this Agreement, and (iv) the common stock will be cancelled.
5. Representations and Warranties of Secured Creditors. Each Secured Creditor hereby represents and warrants to each of the other Secured Creditors and to PAA as follows:
5.1 Private Placement.
(a) Secured Creditor understands that the issuance of common stock of PAA (the “Securities”) is intended to be exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “1933 Act”) and (ii) there is no existing public or other market for the Securities and there can be no assurance that Secured Creditor will ever be able to sell or dispose of such Securities.
(b) The Securities to be acquired by Secured Creditor pursuant to this Agreement is being acquired for Secured Creditor's own account. Secured Creditor is an “accredited investor,” as such term is defined in Regulation D under the 1933 Act. Secured Creditor is not a broker-dealer subject to Regulation T of the Federal Reserve Board.
(c) Secured Creditor has sufficient knowledge and experience in financial and business matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of its investment in the Securities and is capable of bearing the economic risks of such investment, including a complete loss of its investment in the Securities.
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(d) Secured Creditor has been given the opportunity to ask questions of, and receive answers from, the other Secured Creditors and PAA concerning the terms and conditions of the Securities and other related matters. Secured Creditor further represents and warrants to PAA that PAA has made available to Secured Creditor or its agents all documents and information relating to the Securities. In evaluating its investment in the Securities, Secured Creditor has not relied upon any representations or other information (whether oral or written) made by or on behalf of PAA.
5.2 Authority; No Other Action. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement are within the powers of Secured Creditor (corporate or otherwise) and have been duly authorized on its part by all requisite action (corporate or otherwise). No action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by Secured Creditor. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Secured Creditor and constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of Secured Creditor, enforceable against Secured Creditor in accordance with its terms.
6. Indemnification. Each Secured Creditor shall indemnify and hold harmless each of the other Secured Creditors and PAA, and each of their respective affiliates, in respect of any and all debts, obligations and other liabilities (whether absolute, accrued, contingent, fixed or otherwise, or whether known or unknown, or due or to become due or otherwise), monetary damages, fines, fees, penalties, interest obligations, deficiencies, diminutions in value of assets, losses and expenses (including amounts paid in settlement, court costs, costs of investigators, reasonable fees and expenses of attorneys, accountants, financial advisors and other experts, and other expenses of litigation) incurred or suffered by each of the other Secured Creditors, PAA or any of their respective affiliates resulting from, relating to, constituting or arising out of a breach of the representations and warranties made by such Secured Creditor in this Agreement.
7. Miscellaneous.
7.1 Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations hereunder may be assigned by any party without the prior written consent of the Parties. A change in control of a party or a transfer of all or substantially all a party's assets shall constitute an assignment for such purposes. Without limiting the foregoing, this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns.
7.2 This Agreement is governed by and is to be construed and enforced as though made and to be fully performed in the State of New York, without regard to conflicts of law rules. Any and all disputes are to be resolved in the courts of the state of New York located in New York County.
7.3 This Agreement may not be amended, modified or supplemented in any manner, whether by course of conduct or otherwise, except by an instrument in writing signed on behalf of each party and otherwise as expressly set forth herein.
7.4 No failure or delay of any party in exercising any right or remedy hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof. Any agreement on the part of any party to any waiver shall be valid only if set forth in a written instrument executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer on behalf of such party.
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7.5 This Agreement shall not be construed so as to confer any right or benefit upon any person or entity other than the parties to this Agreement and their respective permitted successors and assigns.
7.6 In case one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement are for any reason held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect under any law in any jurisdiction, the invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability will not affect any other provisions of this Agreement, which will be construed as if contained in this Agreement, and each illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision will be construed as broadly as may be possible so that the original intent of the parties is given effect to the greatest extent possible.
7.7 This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
[Signature Page Follows.]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in their respective names and by their duly authorized officers, as of the date first written above.
SECURED CREDITORS
| Alpha Capital Anstalt | Tarpon Bay Partners LLC | |||
| By: | /s/ Konrad Ackermann | By: | /s/ Steve Hicks | |
| Name: | Konrad Ackermann | Name: | Steve Hicks | |
| Title: | Director | Title: | Manager | |
EMA Financial, LLC
| By: | /s/ Felicia Preston | ||
| Name: | Felicia Preston | ||
| Title: | Manager | ||
PAA
Pacific Asset Acquisitions, Inc.
| By: | /s/ Steve Hicks | ||
| Name: | Steve Hicks | ||
| Title: | CEO | ||
COLLATERAL AGENT
Tarpon Bay Partners LLC
| /s/ Steve Hicks | |
| By: Steve Hicks | |
| Its: Manager |
Agreed and Acknowledged
DEBTORS
| Harrison Vickers and Waterman Inc. | Attitude Beer Holding Co. | |||
| By: | /s/ Christopher Harrison | By: | /s/ Christopher Harrison | |
| Name: | Christopher Harrison | Name: | Christopher Harrison | |
| Title: | CEO | Title: | CEO | |
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Schedule A
| Foreclosing Notes | ||||||||||
| Secured Creditor | Date | Original Principl Amount | Principal and Interest being cancelled | |||||||
| Alpha Capital Anstalt (“Alpha”) | 4/21/2015 | $ | 1,619,375.00 | $ | 2,750,069.00 | |||||
| Alpha | 1/26/2016 | $ | 343,745.00 | $ | 539,429.00 | |||||
| Alpha | 2/29/2016 | $ | 200,000.00 | $ | 310,766.00 | |||||
| Alpha | 4/1/2016 | $ | 300,000.00 | $ | 259,536.00 | |||||
| Tarpon Bay Partners LLC (“Tarpon”) | 4/21/2015 | $ | 554,972.00 | $ | 942,163.00 | |||||
| Tarpon | 4/1/2016 | $ | 212,500.00 | $ | 327,062.00 | |||||
| Tarpon | 5/9/2016 | $ | 100,000.00 | $ | 152,164.00 | |||||
| Tarpon | 5/20/2016 | $ | 100,000.00 | $ | 151,658.00 | |||||
| Tarpon | 7/7/2016 | $ | 100,000.00 | $ | 149,587.00 | |||||
| Tarpon | 11/9/2015 | $ | 110,000.00 | $ | 151,168.00 | |||||
| Tarpon | 10/14/2015 | $ | 78,000.00 | $ | 70,198.00 | |||||
| EMA Financial LLC | 5/6/2016 | $ | 200,000.00 | $ | 196,200.00 | |||||
| Total | $ | 6,000,000.00 | ||||||||
Schedule B
| 1. | 51% Membership Interest in West Hartford WOB LLC; and |
| 2. | 51% Membership Interest in Cambridge Craft LLC. |
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Exhibit 12.1
LAW OFFICE OF ANDREW COLDICUTT
1220 Rosecrans Street, PMB 258
San Diego, CA 92106
p. 619.228.4970
e. Info@ColdicuttLaw.com
Date:January 22, 2021
Board of Directors
Pacific Software, Inc.
600 North Ave, #304
Wakefield, MA 01880
Dear Sirs or Madams:
I have acted, at your request, as special counsel to Pacific Software, Inc., a Nevada corporation, (“Pacific Software, Inc.,”) for the purpose of rendering an opinion as to the legality of 7,500,000 shares of Pacific Software, Inc., common stock, par value $0.001 per share to be offered and distributed by Pacific Software, Inc., and the 2,000,000 common stock shares, par value $0.001 per share to be offered and distributed by the Selling Shareholders, (the “Shares”), pursuant to an Offering Statement to be filed under Regulation A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, by Pacific Software, Inc., with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on Form 1-A, for the purpose of registering the offer and sale of the Shares (“Offering Statement”).
For the purpose of rendering my opinion herein, I have reviewed statutes of the State of Nevada, to the extent I deem relevant to the matter opined upon herein, certified or purported true copies of the Articles of Incorporation of Pacific Software, Inc., and all amendments thereto, the By-Laws of Pacific Software, Inc., selected proceedings of the board of directors of Pacific Software, Inc., authorizing the issuance of the Shares, certificates of officers of Pacific Software, Inc., and of public officials, and such other documents of Pacific Software, Inc., and of public officials as I have deemed necessary and relevant to the matter opined upon herein. I have assumed, with respect to persons other than directors and officers of Pacific Software, Inc., the due and proper election or appointment of all persons signing and purporting to sign the documents in their respective capacities, as stated therein, the genuineness of all signatures, the conformity to authentic original documents of the copies of all such documents submitted to me as certified, conformed and photocopied, including the quoted, extracted, excerpted and reprocessed text of such documents.
Based upon the review described above, it is my opinion that the Shares are duly authorized and when, as and if issued and delivered by Pacific Software, Inc., against payment therefore, as described in the offering statement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
I have not been engaged to examine, nor have I examined, the Offering Statement for the purpose of determining the accuracy or completeness of the information included therein or the compliance and conformity thereof with the rules and regulations of the SEC or the requirements of Form 1-A, and I express no opinion with respect thereto. My forgoing opinion is strictly limited to matters of Nevada corporation law; and I do not express an opinion on the federal law of the United States of America or the law of any state or jurisdiction therein other than Nevada, as specified herein.
I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 12.1 to the Offering Statement and to the reference to my firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Offering Circular constituting a part of the Offering Statement. We assume no obligation to update or supplement any of the opinion set forth herein to reflect any changes of law or fact that may occur following the date hereof.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Andrew Coldicutt
Andrew Coldicutt, Esq.
Law Office of Andrew Coldicutt, 1220 Rosecrans Street, PMB 258 San Diego, CA 92106 | 1/1 |