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6-K 1 ea0204562-6k_neoconcept.htm REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 6-K

 

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16

UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the month of April, 2024

 

Commission File Number: 333-275242

 

Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Ltd
(Registrant’s Name)

 

10/F, Seaview Centre

No.139-141 Hoi Bun Road

Kwun Tong

Kowloon, Hong Kong

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

 

Form 20-F ☒     Form 40-F ☐

 

 

 


 

Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

 

On April 22, 2024, Neo-Concept International Group Ltd (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement, substantially in the form attached as Exhibit 1.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference, with Revere Securities LLC as underwriter named thereof, in connection with its initial public offering (“IPO”) of 2,320,000 ordinary shares, par value $0.0000625 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”) at a price of $4.00 per share. The Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-275242) for the IPO, originally filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on November 1, 2024 (as amended, the “Registration Statement”) was declared effective by the Commission on April 1, 2024.

 

Other Events.

 

In connection with the IPO, the Company adopted a code of business conduct and ethics, audit committee charter, compensation committee charter and nominating and corporate governance committee charter, attached as Exhibits 99.1, 99.2, 99.3 and 99.4 to the Registration Statement, respectively, as well as an insider trading policy, whistleblower policy and clawback policy, copies of which are attached as Exhibit 99.5, 99.6 and 99.7 hereto, respectively, and incorporated herein by reference.

 

On April 23, 2024, the Company issued a press release announcing the pricing of the IPO, and on April 25, 2024, the Company issued a press release announcing the closing of the IPO, copies of which are attached as Exhibit 99.8 and Exhibit 99.9 to this Current Report on Form 6-K.

  

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

The following exhibits are being filed herewith:

 

Exhibit No.   Description
1.1   Form of Underwriting Agreement
99.1*   Form of Code of Ethics
99.2*   Form of Charter of the Audit Committee
99.3*   Form of Charter of the Compensation Committee
99.4*   Form of Charter of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
99.5   Insider Trading Policy
99.6   Whistleblower Policy
99.7   Clawback Policy
99.8   Press Release, dated April 23, 2024
99.9   Press Release, dated April 25, 2024

 

* Filed Previously.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

  Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Ltd
     
Date: April 26, 2024 By: /s/ Eva Yuk Yin Siu
  Name:  Eva Yuk Yin Siu
  Title: Chief Executive Officer, Chairlady of the Board and Director

 

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EX-1.1 2 ea020456201ex1-1_neoconcept.htm FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Exhibit 1.1

 

NEO-CONCEPT INTERNATIONAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

April 22, 2024

 

Revere Securities LLC

650 Fifth Avenue, 35th Floor

New York, NY 10022

 

As Representative of the Underwriters

named on Schedule A hereto

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned, Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Limited, a Cayman Islands company (collectively with its subsidiaries and affiliates, including, without limitation, all entities disclosed or described in the Registration Statement (as hereinafter defined) as being subsidiaries or affiliates of the Company, the “Company”), hereby confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with the several underwriters (such underwriters, including the Representative (as defined below), the “Underwriters” and each an “Underwriter”) named in Schedule A hereto for which Revere Securities LLC is acting as the representative (in such capacity, the “Representative”) to issue and sell an aggregate of 2,320,000 ordinary shares (“Firm Shares”), par value US$0.0000625 per share (“Ordinary Shares”). The Company has also granted to the several Underwriters an option to purchase up to 348,000 additional Ordinary Shares, on the terms and for the purposes set forth in Section 2(c) hereof (the “Additional Shares”). The Firm Shares and any Additional Shares purchased pursuant to this Agreement are herein collectively referred to as the “Offered Securities.” The offering and sale of the Offered Securities contemplated by this Agreement is referred to herein as the “Offering.”

 

The Company confirms its agreement with the Underwriters as follows:

 

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties of the Company.

 

The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters as follows with the understanding that the same may be relied upon by the Underwriters in the Offering, as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date (as defined below) and each Option Closing Date (as defined below), if any:

 

(a) Filing of the Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-275242), which contains a form of prospectus to be used in connection with the Offering. Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto contained in the registration statement at the time such registration statement became effective, in the form in which it was declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Securities Act Regulations”), and including any required information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act, or pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act Regulations”), is called the “Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act is called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and from and after the date and time of filing of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. Such prospectus, in the form first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act after the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto, or, if no filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act is required, the form of final prospectus relating to the Offered Securities included in the Registration Statement at the effective date of the Registration Statement (“Effective Date”), is called the “Prospectus.” All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement (each, a “preliminary prospectus”), the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”). The preliminary prospectus that was included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below) is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus.” Any reference to the “most recent preliminary prospectus” shall be deemed to refer to the latest preliminary prospectus included in the registration statement. Any reference herein to any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any supplement or amendment to either thereof shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents incorporated by reference therein as of the date of such reference.

 

 


 

(b) “Applicable Time” means 4.00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the date of this Agreement.

 

(c) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations on April 1, 2024. The Company has complied, to the Commission’s satisfaction, with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information. No stop order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission.

 

Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus when filed complied or will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and, if filed by electronic transmission pursuant to EDGAR (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T under the Securities Act), was identical in content to the copy thereof delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Securities, other than with respect to any artwork and graphics that were not filed. Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, and any post-effective amendment to either the Registration Statement or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, at the time it became effective and at all subsequent times until the expiration of the prospectus delivery period required under Section 4(3) of the Securities Act, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date and at all subsequent times until the Underwriters have completed the Offering, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties set forth in the two immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment to either the Registration Statement or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or in the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriters furnished to the Company in writing expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished on behalf of any of the Underwriters consists of (i) the name of the Underwriters contained on the cover page of the Pricing Prospectus and Prospectus and (ii) the sub-sections titled “Electronic Offer, Sale, and Distribution” and “Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids” in each case under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus (the “Underwriter Information”). There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that have not been fairly and accurately described in all material respects or filed as required.

 

(d) Disclosure Package. The term “Disclosure Package” shall mean (i) the Pricing Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, (ii) each issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act (each, an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”), if any, identified in Schedule B hereto, (iii) the pricing terms set forth in Schedule C to this Agreement, and (iv) any other free writing prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package. As of the Applicable Time, the Disclosure Package did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

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(e) Company Not Ineligible Issuer. (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (ii) as of the date of the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company was not and is not an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act), without taking account any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible Issuer.

 

(f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus includes any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, including any document incorporated by reference therein that has not been superseded or modified. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(g) Offering Materials Furnished to the Underwriters. The Company has delivered to the Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement and of each consent and certificate of experts filed as a part thereof, and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, in such quantities and at such places as the Underwriters have reasonably requested in writing.

 

(h) Distribution of Offering Material by the Company. The Company has not distributed or authorized the distribution of, and will not distribute, prior to the completion of the Underwriters’ purchase of the Offered Securities, any offering material in connection with the Offering other than a preliminary prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Underwriters, and the Registration Statement.

 

(i) The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by, and is a valid and binding agreement of, the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification hereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement hereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.

 

(j) Authorization of the Offered Securities. The Offered Securities to be sold by the Company through the Underwriters have been duly and validly authorized by all required corporate action and have been reserved for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when so issued and delivered by the Company, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free and clear of all Liens (as defined in sub-section (r)) imposed by the Company. The Company has sufficient Ordinary Shares for the issuance of the maximum number of Offered Securities issuable pursuant to the Offering as described in the Prospectus.

 

(k) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. There are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any securities of the Company registered for sale under the Registration Statement and included in the Offering.

 

(l) No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package: (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, prospects or operations, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company (any such change, a “Material Adverse Change” and any resulting effect, a “Material Adverse Effect”); (ii) the Company has not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, not in the ordinary course of business nor entered into any material transaction or agreement not in the ordinary course of business; and (iii) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company in respect of its shares.

 

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(m) Independent Accountant. WWC, P.C. (the “Accountant”), which has expressed its opinions with respect to the audited financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) of the Company filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

 

(n) Preparation of the Financial Statements. Each of the historical financial statements of the Company, respectively, filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, presents fairly the information provided as of and at the dates and for the periods indicated. Such financial statements comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement. Each item of historical financial data relating to the operations, assets or liabilities of the Company set forth in summary form in each of the preliminary prospectuses and the Prospectus fairly presents such information on a basis consistent with that of the complete financial statements contained in the Registration Statement.

 

(o) Incorporation and Good Standing. The Company has been duly incorporated or formed and is validly existing and in good standing as a company limited by shares under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Change. As of the Closing Date, the Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity that is not otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.

 

(p) Capitalization and Other Share Capital Matters. The authorized, issued and outstanding share capital of the Company is as set forth in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (other than for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to employee benefit plans described in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or upon exercise of outstanding options or warrants described in the Disclosure Package and Prospectus, as the case may be). The Ordinary Shares conform, and, when issued and delivered as provided in this Agreement, the Offered Securities will conform, in all material respects to the description thereof contained in each of the Disclosure Package and Prospectus. All of the issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and have been issued in compliance with applicable laws. None of the outstanding Ordinary Shares were issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. There are no authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any shares of the Company other than those described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The description of the Company’s stock option and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus accurately and fairly presents the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights. No further approval from Nasdaq or authorization of any shareholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no shareholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s Ordinary Shares to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s shareholders.

 

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(q) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. The Company is not in violation of its certificate of incorporation or amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) (“Default”) under any indenture, mortgage, loan or credit agreement, note, contract, franchise, lease or other instrument to which it is a party or by which it may be bound (including, without limitation, any agreement or contract filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or to which any of the property or assets of the Company are subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”)), except for such Defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of the provisions of the memorandum and articles of association of the Company, as amended and restated, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or Default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument and (iii) will not result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to the Company, except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), to the extent such conflict, breach Default or violation could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency, is required for the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except the registration or qualification of the Offered Securities under the Securities Act and applicable state securities or blue sky laws and from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

 

(r) Subsidiaries. Each of the Company’s direct and indirect subsidiaries (each a “Subsidiary” and collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) has been identified on Schedule E hereto. Each of the Subsidiaries has been duly formed, is validly existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the United Kingdom (“UK”) or Hong Kong, as the case may be, and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has full power and authority (corporate or otherwise) to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Change on the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the equity interests of each Subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, are fully paid in accordance with its articles of association, memorandum of association or charter documents and non-assessable and are free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims (“Liens”). None of the outstanding share capital or equity interest in any Subsidiary was issued in violation of preemptive or similar rights of any security holder of such Subsidiary. All of the constitutive or organizational documents of each of the Subsidiaries comply with the requirements of applicable laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization and are in full force and effect. Apart from the Subsidiaries, the Company has no direct or indirect subsidiaries or any other company over which it has direct or indirect effective control. Other than the Subsidiaries, the Company does not directly or indirectly control any entity through contractual arrangements or otherwise such that the entity would be deemed a consolidated affiliated entity whose financial results would be consolidated under U.S. GAAP with the financial results of the Company on the consolidated financial statements of the Company, regardless of whether the Company directly or indirectly owns less than a majority of the equity interests of such person.

 

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(s) No Material Actions or Proceedings. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, demands, claims, suits, arbitrations, inquiries or proceedings (collectively, “Actions”) pending or threatened (i) against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, which have as the subject thereof any officer or director (in such capacities) of, or property owned or leased by, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, where in any such case (A) there is a reasonable possibility that such Action might be determined adversely to the Company and (B) any such Action, if so determined adversely, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change or adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no material labor dispute with the employees of the Company exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened or imminent. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are good. No executive officer, to the knowledge of the Company, is in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither the Company or any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has within the last 10 years been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company.

 

(t) Intellectual Property Rights. The Company owns, possesses or licenses, and otherwise has legally enforceable rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trade names, copyrights, domain names, licenses, approvals and trade secrets (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) necessary to conduct its business as now conducted or, otherwise, as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except to the extent such failure to own, possess or have other rights to use such Intellectual Property would not be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus: (i) the Company has not received any written notice of infringement or conflict with asserted Intellectual Property Rights of others; (ii) the Company is not a party to or bound by any options, licenses or agreements with respect to the Intellectual Property Rights of any other person or entity that are required to be set forth in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and are not described in all material respects; (iii) none of the technology employed by the Company has been obtained or is being used by the Company in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, in violation of the rights of any persons; and (iv) the Company is not subject to any judgment, order, writ, injunction or decree of any court or any governmental department, commission, board, bureau, agency or instrumentality, or any arbitrator, nor has it entered into nor is it a party to any agreement made in settlement of any pending or threatened litigation, which materially restricts or impairs its use of any Intellectual Property Rights.

 

(u) All Necessary Permits, etc. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries possesses such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits (“Licenses”) issued by the applicable regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct its business, and has made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate national, regional, local or other governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or assets or the conduct of their respective business as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where lack of the Licenses would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and has not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such Licenses and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Company has no reason to believe that such Licenses will not be renewed in the ordinary course of their respective business that, if determined adversely to the Company, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect. Such Licenses are valid and in full force and effect and contain no materially burdensome restrictions or conditions not described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.

 

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(v) Title to Properties. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has good and marketable title to all the properties and assets reflected as owned by it in the financial statements referred to in Section 1(n) above (or elsewhere in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus), in each case free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, lien, encumbrance, equity, adverse claim or other defect, except such as do not materially and adversely affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company. The real property, improvements, equipment and personal property held under lease by the Company are held under valid and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such real property, improvements, equipment or personal property by the Company.

 

(w) Tax Law Compliance. (i) The Company and its Subsidiaries have each filed all federal, state, local and foreign income tax returns required to be filed as of the date of this Agreement or have timely and properly filed requested extensions thereof and have paid all taxes required to be paid by them and, if due and payable, any related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them in all material respects; (ii) No tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that has had (nor does the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency which could reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its Subsidiaries and which could reasonably be expected to have) a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section 1(n) above in respect of all federal, state and foreign income and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company has not been finally determined; and (iv) All Hong Kong governmental tax credit, exemptions, waivers, financial subsidies, and other Hong Kong tax relief, concessions and preferential treatment enjoyed by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and the Prospectus are valid, binding and enforceable and do not violate any laws, regulations, rules, orders, decrees, guidelines, judicial interpretations, notices or other legislation of Hong Kong.

 

(x) Company Not an “Investment Company.” The Company is not, and after giving effect to payment for the Offered Securities and the application of the proceeds as contemplated under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).

 

(y) FINRA Affiliation. No officer, director or any beneficial owner of 10% or more of the Company’s unregistered securities has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any Participating Member (as defined under FINRA rules). The Company will advise the Representative and Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC if it learns that any officer, director or owner of 10% or more of the Company’s outstanding Ordinary Shares is or becomes an affiliate or registered person of a Participating Member.

 

(z) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to, or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.

 

(aa) Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related-party transactions, directly or indirectly, involving the Company or its Subsidiaries with any related person required to be described or filed in the Registration Statement, or described in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, that have not been as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Prospectus.

 

(bb) Disclosure Controls and Procedures. To the extent required, the Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act Regulations) designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of (a) any significant deficiency in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data or any material weaknesses in internal controls or (b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls.

 

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(cc) Company’s Accounting System. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company maintains a system of accounting controls designed to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

 

(dd) Money Laundering Law Compliance. The operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the United States Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company conducts business, and the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any competent governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to any Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(ee) OFAC. (i) Neither the Company, any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee or affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary, of any other person authorized to act on behalf of the Company, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is:

 

A. the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union (“EU”), His Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor

 

B. located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Burma/Myanmar, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria).

 

(ii) The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the Offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary or affiliated entity, joint venture partner or other Person:

 

A. to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or

 

B. in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the Offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).

 

(ff) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, employee or affiliate of the Company, any Subsidiary or any other person authorized to act on behalf of the Company has, directly or indirectly, taken any action that (i) would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”) or otherwise subject the Company to any damage or penalty in any civil, criminal or governmental litigation or proceeding; (ii) if done in the past, might reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or (iii) if continued in the future, might reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the assets, business, or operations of the Company. The foregoing includes, without limitation, giving or agreeing to give any money, gift or similar benefit (other than legal price concessions to customers in the ordinary course of business) to any customer, supplier, employee or agent of a customer or supplier, or official or employee of any governmental agency or instrumentality of any government (domestic or foreign) or any political party or candidate for office (domestic or foreign) or other person who was, is, or may be in a position to help or hinder the business of the Company (or assist it in connection with any actual or proposed transaction) that might subject the Company to any damage or penalty in any civil, criminal or governmental litigation or proceeding.

 

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(gg) Internal Control and Compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Company is in full compliance with any provision applicable to it of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including, without limitation, Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and all applicable rule of the listing exchanges. The Company maintains a system of internal controls, including, but not limited to, disclosure controls and procedures, internal controls over accounting matters and financial reporting, an internal audit function and legal and regulatory compliance controls that comply with all applicable laws and regulations including without limitation the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the rules and regulations of the Commission, and the rules of the listing exchanges.

 

(hh) Exchange Act Filing. A registration statement in respect of the Ordinary Shares has been filed on Form 8-A pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, which registration statement complies in all material respects with the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Ordinary Shares under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration.

 

(ii) Earning Statements. The Company will make generally available (which includes filings pursuant to the Exchange Act made publicly through the EDGAR system) to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than 16 months after the end of the Company’s current fiscal year, an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a 12-month period that shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations.

 

(jj) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act. Additionally, the Company shall report the use of proceeds from the issuance of the Firm Shares as may be required under Rule 463 under the Securities Act.

 

(kk) Valid Title. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has legal and valid title to all of its properties and assets, free and clear of all liens, charges, encumbrances, equities, claims, options and restrictions except such as do not materially and adversely affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by such entity; each lease agreement to which it is a party is duly executed and legally binding; its leasehold interests are set forth in and governed by the terms of any lease agreements, and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge such agreements are valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with their respective terms; and the Company does not own, operate, manage or have any other right or interest in any other material real property of any kind, except as described in the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package.

 

(ll) Foreign Tax Compliance. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no transaction, stamp, capital or other issuance, registration, transaction, transfer or withholding taxes or duties are payable in the UK, Hong Kong, the British Virgin Islands or the Cayman Islands to any PRC, UK, Hong Kong, British Virgin Islands or Cayman Islands taxing authority in connection with the issuance, sale and delivery of the Offered Securities, and the delivery of the Offered Securities to or for the account of the Underwriters.

 

(mm) Compliance with PRC Oversea Investment and Listing Rules and Regulations. Except as otherwise disclosed in Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable steps to cause the Company’s principal shareholders, directors and officers that is, or directly or indirectly controlled by, a PRC resident or citizen, to comply with any applicable rules and regulations of relevant PRC government agencies (including but not limited to the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) , and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”) relating to overseas investment by PRC residents and citizens (collectively, the “PRC Oversea Investment and Listing Rules and Regulations”), including, without limitation, taking reasonable steps to require each such person that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or citizen to complete any registration, to timely report material changes, and other procedures required under any applicable PRC Oversea Investment and Listing Rules and Regulations.

 

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(nn) D&O Questionnaires. To the Company’s knowledge, all information contained in the questionnaires (the “Questionnaires”) completed by each of the Company’s directors and officers prior to the Offering (the “Insiders”) as well as in the Lock-Up Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A provided to the Representative is true and correct in all respects and the Company has not become aware of any information which would cause the information disclosed in the Questionnaires completed by each Insider to become inaccurate and incorrect.

 

Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Representative or to counsel for the Representative shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters set forth therein. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 5 hereof, counsel to the Company, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.

 

(oo) Solvency. Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of each Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Offered Securities hereunder, the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, are sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). Except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from each Closing Date. The Registration Statement and the Prospectus set forth as of the date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means (x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.

 

(pp) Regulation M Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one authorized to act on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Offered Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Offered Securities, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation paid to the Underwriter in connection with the Offering.

 

(qq) EGC Status and Testing the Waters Communications. From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Test the Waters Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company”, as defined in Section 2(a) of the Act (“Emerging Growth Company”). “Testing the Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Act. The Company (a) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Underwriters with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (b) has not authorized anyone other than the Underwriters to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Underwriters have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications.

 

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(rr) Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or 25% or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.

 

(ss) U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon the Underwriters’ request.

 

(tt) Margin Securities. The Company owns no “margin securities” as that term is defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), and none of the proceeds of Offering will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin security, for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry any margin security or for any other purpose which might cause any of the Offered Securities to be considered a “purpose credit” within the meanings of Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.

 

(uu) Integration. Neither the Company, nor any of its affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause the Offering to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of the Securities Act that would require the registration of any such securities under the Securities Act.

 

(vv) No Fiduciary Duties. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters’ responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature and that none of the Underwriters or their affiliates or any selling agent shall be deemed to be acting in a fiduciary capacity, or otherwise owes any fiduciary duty to the Company or any of its affiliates in connection with the Offering and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company acknowledges that the Underwriters may have financial interests in the success of the Offering that are not limited to the difference between the price to the public and the purchase price paid to the Company by the Underwriters for the Offered Securities and the Underwriters have no obligation to disclose, or account to the Company for, any of such additional financial interests. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of fiduciary duty.

 

(ww) No Accounting Issues. The Company has not received any notice, oral or written, from its Board of Directors or Audit Committee stating that it is reviewing or investigating, and neither the Company’s independent auditors nor its internal auditors have recommended that the Board of Directors or Audit Committee review or investigate, (i) adding to, deleting, changing the application of, or changing the Company’s disclosure with respect to, any of the Company’s material accounting policies; or (ii) any matter which could result in a restatement of the Company’s financial statements for any annual or interim period during the current or prior two fiscal years.

 

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(xx) Forward-looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or shall be contain in any amendments and supplements thereof, has been made or reaffirmed, or will be made, without a reasonable basis, or has been disclosed or will be disclosed other than in good faith.

 

(yy) Insurance. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(zz) No Finder’s Fee. There are no contracts, agreements, or understandings between the Company or its Subsidiaries and any other person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or its Subsidiaries or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this Offering, or any other arrangements, agreements, understandings, payments, or issuance with respect to the Company, or its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, shareholders, partners, employees or related parties that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation as determined by FINRA.

 

(aaa) Operating and Other Data. All operating and other data pertaining to the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are true and accurate in all materials respects.

 

(bbb) Third-party Data. Any statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably and in good faith believes to be reliable and accurate, and such data agrees with the sources from which it is derived, and the Company has obtained the written consent for the use of such data from such sources to the extent required.

 

(ccc) Compliance with Environmental Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries are (a) in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (b) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (c) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except where such non-compliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals, or liability would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ddd) Compliance with Law, Constitutive Documents and Contracts. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is (a) in breach or violation of any provision of applicable law (including, but not limited to, any applicable law concerning information collection and user privacy protection) or (b) in breach or violation of its respective constitutive documents, or (c) in default under (nor has any event occurred that, with notice, lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) any agreement or other instrument that is binding upon the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, except in the cases of (a) and (c) above, where any such breach, violation or default would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(eee) No Unlawful Influence. The Company has not offered, or caused the Underwriters to offer, shares to any person or entity with the intention of unlawfully influencing: (a) a customer or supplier of the Company or any affiliate of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or such affiliate or (b) a journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or any such affiliate.

 

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(fff) The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 6 hereof, counsel to the Company, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.

 

SECTION 2. Firm Shares and Additional Shares.

 

(a) Purchase of Firm Shares. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the Underwriters an aggregate of 2,320,000 Ordinary Shares at a purchase price (net of discounts) of $3.72 per Share. The Underwriters agree to purchase from the Company the Firm Shares.

 

(b) Delivery of and Payment for Firm Shares. Delivery of and payment for the Firm Shares shall be made at 10:00 A.M., Eastern time, on the third (3rd) Business Day following the Applicable Time, or at such time as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriters and the Company, at the offices of the Representative’s counsel or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriters and the Company. The hour and date of delivery of and payment for the Firm Shares is called the “Closing Date.” The closing of the payment of the purchase price for is referred to herein as the “Closing.” Payment for the Firm Shares shall be made on the Closing Date by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds upon delivery to the Underwriters of certificates (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters) representing the Firm Shares (or if uncertificated through the full fast transfer facilities of the Depository Trust Company (the “DTC”)) for the account of the Underwriters. The Firm Shares shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as the Underwriters may request in writing at least two Business Days prior to the Closing Date. If certificated, the Company will permit the Underwriters to examine and package the Firm Shares for delivery at least one full Business Day prior to the Closing Date. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Firm Shares except upon tender of payment by the Underwriters for all the Firm Shares.

 

(c) Additional Shares. The Company hereby grants to the Underwriters an option (the “Over-allotment Option”) to purchase up to an additional 348,000 Ordinary Shares, in each case solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments of such securities, if any. The Over-allotment Option is, at the Underwriters’ sole discretion, for Additional Shares.

 

(d) Exercise of Over-allotment Option. The Over-allotment Option granted pursuant to Section 2(c) hereof may be exercised by the Representative within 45 days of the Closing Date. The purchase price to be paid per Additional Shares shall be equal to the price per Firm Share in Section 2(a). The Underwriters shall not be under any obligation to purchase any Additional Shares prior to the exercise of the Over-allotment Option. The Over-allotment Option granted hereby may be exercised by the giving of oral notice to the Company from the Underwriters, which shall be confirmed in writing via overnight mail or facsimile or other electronic transmission, setting forth the number of Additional Shares to be purchased and the date and time for delivery of and payment for the Additional Shares (the “Option Closing Date”), which shall not be later than five (5) full Business Days after the date of the notice or such other time as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Underwriters, at the offices of the Representative’s counsel or at such other place (including remotely by facsimile or other electronic transmission) as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Underwriters. If such delivery and payment for the Additional Shares does not occur on the Closing Date, the Option Closing Date will be as set forth in the notice. Upon exercise of the Over-allotment Option with respect to all or any portion of the Additional Shares, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, (i) the Company shall become obligated to sell to the Underwriters the number of Additional Shares specified in such notice and (ii) the Underwriters shall purchase that portion of the total number of Additional Shares.

 

(e) Delivery and Payment of Additional Shares. Payment for the Additional Shares shall be made on the Option Closing Date by wire transfer in Federal (same day) funds, upon delivery to the Underwriters of certificates (in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters) representing the Additional Shares (or through the facilities of DTC) for the account of the Underwriters. The Additional Shares shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Underwriters may request in writing at least two (2) full Business Days prior to the Option Closing Date. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Additional Shares except upon tender of payment by the Underwriters for applicable Additional Shares. The Option Closing Date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the Closing Date; and in the event that such time and date are simultaneous with the Closing Date, the term “Closing Date” shall refer to the time and date of delivery of the Firm Shares and Additional Shares.

 

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(f) Underwriting Discount. In consideration of the services to be provided for hereunder, the Underwriters shall receive a seven percent (7%) underwriting discount.

 

SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company.

 

The Company covenants and agrees with the Underwriters as follows:

 

(a) Underwriters’ Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements. During the period beginning at the Applicable Time and ending on the later of the Closing Date or such date as, in the opinion of Representative’s counsel, the Prospectus is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by the Underwriters or selected dealers, including under circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), prior to amending or supplementing the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any amendment or supplement through incorporation by reference of any report filed under the Exchange Act, the Company shall furnish to the Underwriters for review a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement, and the Company shall not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Underwriters reasonably objects.

 

(b) Securities Act Compliance. After the date of this Agreement, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company shall promptly advise the Underwriters in writing (i) of the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission, (ii) of the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, (iii) of the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or of any order or notice preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Offered Securities from any securities exchange upon which they are listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order or order or notice of prevention or suspension at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment, or will file a new registration statement and use its best efforts to have such new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rules 424(b) and 430A, as applicable, under the Securities Act, including with respect to the timely filing of documents thereunder and will confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) were received in a timely manner by the Commission.

 

(c) Exchange Act Compliance. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, to the extent the Company becomes subject to reporting obligation under the Exchange Act, the Company will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13, 14 or 15 of the Exchange Act in the manner and within the time periods required by the Exchange Act.

 

(d) Amendments and Supplements to the Registration Statement, Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. If, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event or development shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein in light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Underwriters it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or to file a new registration statement containing the Prospectus, in order to comply with law, including in connection with the delivery of the Prospectus, the Company agrees to (i) notify the Underwriters of any such event or condition (unless such event or condition was previously brought to the Company’s attention by the Underwriters during the Prospectus Delivery Period) and (ii) promptly prepare (subject to Section 3(a) and Section 3(f) hereof), file with the Commission (and use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or any new registration statement to be declared effective) and furnish at its own expense to the Underwriters and to dealers, amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any new registration statement, necessary in order to make the statements in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading or so that the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with law.

 

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(e) Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents that it has not made, and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Underwriters, it will not make, any offer relating to the Offered Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 under the Securities Act; provided that the prior written consent of the Underwriters hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of each free writing prospectuses listed on Schedule B hereto. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Underwriters is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.

 

(f) Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus. The Company agrees to furnish the Underwriters, without charge, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, as many copies of each of the preliminary prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package and any amendments and supplements thereto (including any documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein) as the Underwriters may reasonably request.

 

(g) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Offered Securities sold by it in the manner described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(h) Transfer Agent. The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Offered Securities.

 

(i) Internal Controls. The Company will maintain a system of internal accounting controls designed to provide reasonable assurances that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary in order to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The internal controls, upon consummation of the Offering, will be, overseen by the Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”) of the Board in accordance with the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”).

 

(j) Exchange Listing. The Ordinary Shares have been duly authorized for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, subject to official notice of issuance. The Company is in material compliance with the provisions of the rules and regulations promulgated by Nasdaq and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements (to the extent applicable to the Company as of the date hereof, the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date; and subject to all exemptions and exceptions from the requirements thereof as are set forth therein, to the extent applicable to the Company). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing and subject to the qualifications above: (i) all members of the Company’s board of directors who are required to be “independent” (as that term is defined under applicable laws, rules and regulations), including, without limitation, all members of each of the audit committee, compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee of the Company’s board of directors, meet the qualifications of independence as set forth under such laws, rules and regulations, (ii) the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors has at least one member who is an “audit committee financial expert” (as that term is defined under such laws, rules and regulations), and (iii) that, based on discussions with Nasdaq, the Company meets all requirements for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

 

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(k) Future Reports to the Underwriters. For one year after the date of this Agreement, the Company will furnish, if not otherwise available on EDGAR, to the Representative at 650 Fifth Avenue, 35th Floor, New York, NY 10022, Attention: Dajiang Guo, Senior Managing Director: (i) as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, copies of the Annual Report of the Company containing the balance sheet of the Company as of the close of such fiscal year and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended and the opinion thereon of the Company’s independent public or certified public accountants; (ii) as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, copies of each proxy statement, Annual Report on Form 20-F, quarterly financial statements using a Form 6-K or other report filed by the Company with the Commission; and (iii) as soon as available, copies of any report or communication of the Company mailed generally to holders of its shares.

 

(l) No Manipulation of Price. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.

 

(m) Existing Lock-Up Agreements. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no existing agreements between the Company and its security holders that prohibit the sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation of any of the Company’s securities. The Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon the securities of the Company that are bound by such “lock-up” agreements for the duration of the periods contemplated therein.

 

(n) Company Lock-up.

 

(i) The Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, for a period of six months from the Effective Date (the “Lock-Up Period”), (i) offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any Ordinary Shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares, or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Ordinary Shares or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Ordinary Shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, except to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement. The Company agrees not to accelerate the vesting of any option or warrant or the lapse of any repurchase right prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period.

 

(ii) The restrictions contained in Section 3(n)(i) hereof shall not apply to: (A) the Offered Securities, (B) any Ordinary Shares issued under Company Stock Plans or warrants issued by the Company, in each case, described as outstanding in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (C) any options and other awards granted under a Company Stock Plan or Ordinary Shares issued pursuant to an employee stock purchase plan, in each case, as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, and (D) Ordinary Shares or other securities issued in connection with a transaction with an unaffiliated third party that includes a bona fide commercial relationship (including joint ventures, marketing or distribution arrangements, collaboration agreements or intellectual property license agreements) or any acquisition of assets or acquisition of not less than a majority or controlling portion of the equity of another entity; provided that (x) the aggregate number of Ordinary Shares issued pursuant to clause (D) shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the total number of outstanding Ordinary Shares immediately following the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities pursuant hereto and (y) the recipient of any such Ordinary Shares or other securities issued or granted pursuant to clause (D) during the Lock-Up Period shall enter into an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto.

 

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(o) Restriction on Continuous Offerings. Notwithstanding the restrictions contained in Section 3(n), the Company, on behalf of itself and any successor entity, agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Underwriters, it will not, for a period of twelve months from the commencement of the Company’s first day of trading, directly or indirectly in any “at-the-market” or continuous equity transaction, offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of shares of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of the Company.

 

(p) Right of First Refusal. The Company and the Representative agree that for a period of twelve (12) months from the Closing Date, whether or not the engagement contemplated under this Agreement is terminated (other than termination for Cause, as defined below), the Company grants the Representative the right (provided the Offering is completed) to provide investment banking services to the Company on an exclusive basis in all matters for which investment banking services are sought by the Company (such right, the “Right of First Refusal”), which right is exercisable in the Representative’s sole discretion. For these purposes, investment banking services shall include, without limitation, (a) acting as lead or joint-lead manager for any underwritten public offering; (b) acting as lead or joint book-runner or lead or joint placement agent, initial purchaser in connection with any private offering of securities of the Company; and (c) acting as financial advisor in connection with any sale or other transfer by the Company, directly or indirectly, of a majority or controlling portion of its capital stock or assets to another entity, any purchase or other transfer by another entity, directly or indirectly, of a majority or controlling portion of the capital stock or assets of the Company, and any merger or consolidation of the Company with another entity. The Representative shall notify the Company of its intention to exercise the Right of First Refusal within 15 business days following notice in writing by the Company. Any decision by the Representative to act in any such capacity shall be contained in separate agreements, which agreements would contain, among other matters, provisions for customary fees for transactions of similar size and nature, as may be mutually agreed upon, and indemnification of the Representative and shall be subject to general market conditions. If the Representative declines to exercise the Right of First Refusal, the Company shall have the right to retain any other person or persons to provide such services on terms and conditions which are not more favorable to such other person or persons than the terms declined by the Representative. The Right of First Refusal granted hereunder may be terminated by the Company for “Cause,” which shall mean a material breach by the Representative of this Agreement. The services provided by the Representative is solely for the benefit of the Company and are not intended to confer any rights upon any persons or entities not a party hereto (including without limitation, securityholders, employees or creditors of the Company) as against the Representative or its directors, officers, agents and employees.

 

(q) Absence of Further Requirements. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing or registration with, any person (including any governmental or regulatory agency or body or any court) is required to be obtained or made by the Company for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and issuance and sale of the Offered Securities, except such as have been obtained, or made on or prior to the Closing Date, and are, or on the Closing Date will be, in full force and effect. No authorization, consent, approval, license, qualification or order of, or filing or registration with any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) in any foreign jurisdiction is required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with the Offering, issuance and sale of the Offered Securities under the laws and regulations of such jurisdiction except such as have been obtained or made.

 

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SECTION 4. Payment of Fees and Expenses. Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all of the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses (including, but not limited to, due diligence expenses, reasonable fees and expenses of its legal counsel, background check on the Company’s principals incurred by the Representative in an aggregate amount not to exceed $125,000 (inclusive of the Advance), provided that any expense over $2,500 shall require prior written or email approval of the Company, (ii) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Offered Securities (including all printing and engraving costs, if any), (iii) all fees and expenses of the clearing firm, registrar and transfer agent of the Offered Securities, (iv) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities, (v) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors, (vi) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, and (vii) all filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company, or the Representative, in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Offered Securities for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws, and, if requested by the Representative, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Representative of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions. The Company has advanced $49,000 to the Representative to cover its out-of-pocket expenses (the “Advance”). The Advance will be returned to the Company to the extent such out-of-pocket accountable expenses are not actually incurred in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g). The Company also agrees to pay to the Representative a non-accountable expense allowance of two percent (2%) of the gross proceeds of the Offering. In addition, the Company also agrees to pay the Representative advisory fees in the amount of $70,000, of which $35,000 have been paid as of the date of this Agreement, with the balance to be paid on the Closing Date.

 

SECTION 5. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Offered Securities as provided herein on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date shall be subject to (1) the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date as though then made; (2) the timely performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder; and (3) each of the following additional conditions:

 

(a) Accountant’s Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Representative shall have received from the Accountant, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Representative, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to the Representative, delivered according to Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

(b) Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order. During the period from and after the execution of this Agreement to and including the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as applicable:

 

(i) the Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the Commission (including the information required by Rule 430A under the Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall have filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing the information required by such Rule 430A, and such post-effective amendment shall have become effective; and

 

(ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, shall be in effect and no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission.

 

(c) No Material Adverse Change. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement to and including the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, in the reasonable judgment of the Representative there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change.

 

(d) CFO Certificate. On the Closing Date and/or the Option Closing Date, the Representative shall have received a written certificate executed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of such date, on behalf of the Company, with respect to certain financial data contained in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, providing “management comfort” with respect to such information, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters.

 

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(e) Officers’ Certificate. On the Closing Date and/or the Option Closing Date, the Representative shall have received a written certificate executed by the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of such date, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have reviewed the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and this Agreement, to the effect that:

 

(i) The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct, as if made on and as of such Closing Date, and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such Closing Date;

 

(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened under the Securities Act; no order having the effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Offered Securities or any other securities of the Company has been issued by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States; and

 

(iii) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has not been: (a) any Material Adverse Change; (b) any transaction that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, except transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business; (c) any obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary, except obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business; (d) any material change in the share capital (except changes thereto resulting from the exercise of outstanding options or warrants or conversion of outstanding indebtedness into Ordinary Shares of the Company) or outstanding indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary (except for the conversion of such indebtedness into Ordinary Shares of the Company); (e) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on Ordinary Shares of the Company; or (f) any loss or damage (whether or not insured) to the property of the Company or any Subsidiary which has been sustained or will have been sustained which has a Material Adverse Effect

 

(f) Secretary’s Certificate. On the Closing Date and/or the Option Closing Date, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the Secretary of the Company, dated such Closing Date, certifying: (i) that each of the Company’s certificate of incorporation and memorandum and articles of association to such certificate is true and complete, has not been modified and is in full force and effect; (ii) that each of the Subsidiaries articles of association, memorandum of association or charter documents attached to such certificate is true and complete, has not been modified and is in full force and effect; (iii) that the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors relating to the Offering attached to such certificate are in full force and effect and have not been modified; and (iv) the good standing of the Company and each of the Subsidiaries (except in such jurisdictions where the concept of good standing is not applicable). The documents referred to in such certificate shall be attached to such certificate.

 

(g) Bring-down Comfort Letter. On the Closing Date and/or the Option Closing Date, the Representative shall have received from the Accountant, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, to the effect that the Accountant reaffirms the statements made in the letter furnished by it pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 5, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date and/or the Option Closing Date.

 

(h) Lock-Up Agreements. On or prior to the date hereof, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto from each of the Company’s officers, directors, certain security holders of the Ordinary Shares or securities convertible into or exercisable for Ordinary Shares listed on Schedule D hereto (excluding any resale shares to be registered by any directors, officers, substantial shareholder(s) and/or affiliates of the Company (if any).

 

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(i) Exchange Listing. The Offered Securities to be delivered on the Closing Date and/or the Option Closing Date shall have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, subject to official notice of issuance.

 

(j) Company Counsel Opinions. On the Closing Date and/or the Option Closing Date, the Representative shall have received

 

(i) the favorable opinion of Loeb & Loeb LLP, U.S. counsel to the Company, including, without limitation, a negative assurance letter, addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative;

 

(ii) the favorable opinion of Appleby, Cayman Islands counsel to the Company, addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative; and

 

(iii) the favorable opinion of CFN Lawyers, Hong Kong counsel to the Company, addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative;

 

(iv) the favorable opinion of Bristows LLP, UK counsel to the Company, addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative

 

The Underwriters shall rely on the opinions of (i) the Company’s Cayman Islands counsel, Appleby, filed as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement, as to the due incorporation, validity of the Offered Securities and due authorization, execution and delivery of the Agreement and (ii) the Company’s Hong Kong counsel, CFN Lawyers, filed as Exhibit 8.2 to the Registration Statement.

 

(k) Additional Documents. On or before the Closing Date and/or the Option Closing Date, the Representative and counsel for the Representative shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.

 

If any condition specified in this Section 5 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by written notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the Closing Date and/or the Option Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 4 (with respect to the reimbursement of out-of-pocket accountable, bona fide expenses actually incurred by the Representative) and Section 7 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

SECTION 6. Effectiveness of this Agreement. This Agreement shall not become effective until the later of (i) the execution of this Agreement by the parties hereto and (ii) notification (including by way of oral notification from the reviewer at the Commission) by the Commission to the Company of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the Securities Act.

 

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SECTION 7. Indemnification.

 

(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters, their respective affiliates and each of their respective directors, officers, members, employees and agents and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriters within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act of or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively the “Underwriter Indemnified Parties,” and each a “Underwriter Indemnified Party”) from and against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (including in settlement of any litigation if such settlement is effected with the prior written consent of the Company) arising out of (i) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, including the information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness and at any subsequent time pursuant to Rules 430A and 430B of the Securities Act Regulations, or arise out of or are based upon the omission from the Registration Statement, or alleged omission to state therein, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (ii) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or in any other materials used in connection with the Offering, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and shall reimburse such Underwriter Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by it in connection with evaluating, investigating or defending against such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement in, or omission from any preliminary prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any other materials used in connection with the Offering made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information. The indemnification obligations under this Section 7(a) are not exclusive and will be in addition to any liability, which the Underwriters might otherwise have and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available at law or in equity to each Underwriter Indemnified Party.

 

(b) Indemnification by the Underwriters. The Underwriters shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company and the Company’s affiliates and each of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively the “Company Indemnified Parties” and each a “Company Indemnified Party”) from and against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (including in settlement of any litigation if such settlement is effected with the prior written consent of the Underwriters) arising out (i) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act Regulations, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, or (ii) the omission to state in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act Regulations, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, but in each case only to the extent that the untrue statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriters Information and shall reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as third party witness in connection with any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, investigation or proceeding, as such fees and expenses are incurred. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7(b), in no event shall any indemnity by the Underwriters under this Section 7(b) exceed the total discounts received by the Underwriters in connection with the Offering. The indemnification obligations under this Section 7(b) are not exclusive and will be in addition to any liability, which the Company might otherwise have and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available at law or in equity to each Company Indemnified Party.

 

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(c) Procedure. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 7 of notice of the commencement of any action, the indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 7, notify such indemnifying party in writing of the commencement of that action; provided, however, that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have under this Section 7 except to the extent it has been materially adversely prejudiced by such failure; and, provided, further, that the failure to notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 7. If any such action shall be brought against an indemnified party, and it shall notify the indemnifying party thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it wishes, jointly with any other similarly notified indemnifying party, to assume the defense of such action with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party (which counsel shall not, except with the written consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party). After notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense of such action, except as provided herein, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to the indemnified party under Section 7(a) or 7(b), as applicable, for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense of such action other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that any indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and to participate in the defense of such action but the fees and expenses of such counsel (other than reasonable costs of investigation) shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized in writing by the Company in the case of a claim for indemnification under Section 7(a), (ii) such indemnified party shall have been advised by its counsel that there may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, or (iii) the indemnifying party has failed to assume the defense of such action and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of the commencement of the action or the indemnifying party does not diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, in which case, if such indemnified party notifies the indemnifying party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of (or, in the case of a failure to diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, to continue to defend) such action on behalf of such indemnified party and the indemnifying party shall be responsible for legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense of such action; provided, however, that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one such action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time any such indemnified party (in addition to any local counsel), which firm shall be designated in writing by the Underwriters if the indemnified party under this Section 7 is an Underwriter Indemnified Party or by the Company if an indemnified party under this Section 7 is a Company Indemnified Party. Subject to this Section 7(c), the amount payable by an indemnifying party under Section 7 shall include, but not be limited to, (x) reasonable legal fees and expenses of counsel to the indemnified party and any other expenses in investigating, or preparing to defend or defending against, or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any action, investigation, proceeding or claim, and (y) all amounts paid in settlement of any of the foregoing. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of judgment with respect to any pending or threatened action or any claim whatsoever, in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 7 (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party. Subject to the provisions of the following sentence, no indemnifying party shall be liable for settlement of any pending or threatened action or any claim whatsoever that is effected without its written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), but if settled with its written consent, if its consent has been unreasonably withheld or delayed or if there be a judgment for the plaintiff in any such matter, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. In addition, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested that an indemnifying party reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated herein effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than forty-five (45) days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the request for reimbursement, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least thirty (30) days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

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(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 7(a) or Section 7(b), then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid, payable or otherwise incurred by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), as incurred, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified parry or parties on the other hand from the Offering, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) of this Section 7(d) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) of this Section 7(d) but also the relative fault of the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified party or parties on the other with respect to the statements, omissions, acts or failures to act which resulted in such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof) as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other with respect to such Offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total proceeds from the Offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts received by the Underwriters in connection with the Offering, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement, omission, act or failure to act; provided that the parties hereto agree that the written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters for use in any preliminary prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, consists solely of the Underwriters’ Information. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 7(d) be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding referred to above in this Section 7(d) shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 7(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7(d), the Underwriters shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the total discounts received in cash by the Underwriters in connection with the Offering less the amount of any damages that the Underwriters have otherwise paid or become liable to pay by reason of any untrue or alleged untrue statement, omission or alleged omission, act or alleged act or failure to act or alleged failure to act by the Underwriters. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

SECTION 8.Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the Closing Date, whether before or after notification by the Commission to the Company of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the Securities Act, this Agreement may be terminated by the Underwriters by written notice given to the Company if at any time (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by Nasdaq; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any U.S. federal or Cayman Islands authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions that, in the reasonable judgment of the Underwriters, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Offered Securities in the manner and on the terms described in the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities, (iv) if the Company shall have sustained a material loss by fire, flood, accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage or other calamity or malicious act which, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, will, in the Representative’s opinion, make it inadvisable to proceed with the delivery of the Offered Securities, (v) if the Company is in material breach of any of its representations, warranties or covenants hereunder, (vi) regulatory approval (including but not limited to NASDAQ approval) for the Offering is denied, conditioned or modified and as a result it makes it impracticable for the Representative to proceed with the Offering or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (vii) if the Representative shall have become aware after the date hereof of such a material adverse change in the conditions or prospects of the Company, or such adverse material change in general market conditions as in the Representative’s judgment would make it impracticable to proceed with the Offering or to enforce contracts made by the Underwriters for the sale of the Offered Securities. Any termination pursuant to this Section 8 shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company to any of the Underwriters, except that the Company shall be, subject to demand by the Underwriters, obligated to reimburse the Underwriters for only those out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of their counsel, and expenses associated with a due diligence report), actually incurred by the Underwriters in connection herewith as allowed under FINRA Rule 5110, less any amounts previously paid by the Company; provided, however, that all such expenses shall not exceed $125,000 in the aggregate, (b) the Underwriters to the Company, or (c) of any party hereto to any other party except that the provisions of Section 4 (with respect to the reimbursement of out-of-pocket accountable, bona fide expenses actually incurred by the Underwriters) and Section 7 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

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SECTION 9. No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility. The Company hereby acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting solely as underwriters in connection with the Offering. The Company further acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting pursuant to a contractual relationship created solely by this Agreement entered into on an arm’s-length basis and in no event do the parties intend that the Underwriters act or be responsible as a fiduciary to the Company, its management, shareholders, creditors or any other person in connection with any activity that the Underwriters may undertake or have undertaken in furtherance of the Offering, either before or after the date hereof. The Underwriters hereby expressly disclaim any fiduciary or similar obligations to the Company, either in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions, and the Company hereby confirms its understanding and agreement to that effect. The Company hereby further confirms its understanding that no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the Offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto, including, without limitation, any negotiation related to the pricing of the Offered Securities; and the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate in connection with this Agreement and the Offering. The Company and the Underwriters agree that they are each responsible for making their own independent judgments with respect to any such transactions, and that any opinions or views expressed by the Underwriters to the Company regarding such transactions, including but not limited to any opinions or views with respect to the price or market for the Company’s securities, do not constitute advice or recommendations to the Company. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of any fiduciary or similar duty to the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions.

 

SECTION 10. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers, and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriters or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Securities sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

 

SECTION 11. Taxes.

 

(a) If any sum payable by the Company under this Agreement is subject to tax in the hands of an Underwriter or Representative (each a “Taxable Entity”) or taken into account as a receipt in computing the taxable income of that Taxable Entity (excluding net income taxes on underwriting commissions payable hereunder), the Company shall pay such additional amount as will ensure that the Taxable Entities shall be left with the sum it would have had in the absence of such tax.

 

(b) All sums payable by the Company under this Agreement shall be paid free and clear of and without deductions or withholdings of any present or future taxes or duties, unless the deduction or withholding is required by law, in which case the Company shall pay such additional amount as will result in the receipt by each Taxable Entity of the full amount that would have been received had no deduction or withholding been made.

 

(c) All sums payable to a Taxable Entity shall be considered exclusive of any value added or similar taxes. Where the Company is obliged to pay value added or similar tax on any amount payable hereunder to a Taxable Entity, the Company shall in addition to the sum payable hereunder pay an amount equal to any applicable value added or similar tax.

 

(d) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, if a Taxable Entity is required by any Hong Kong government authority to pay any taxes imposed by the Hong Kong government or any administrative subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein (“HK Taxes”) as a result of this Agreement, the Company will pay an additional amount to such Taxable Entity so that the full amount of such payments as agreed herein to be paid to such Taxable Entity is received by such Taxable Entity and will further, if requested by such Taxable Entity, use commercially reasonable efforts to give such assistance as such Taxable Entity may reasonably request to assist such Taxable Entity in discharging its obligations in respect of such HK Taxes, including by making filings and submissions on such basis and such terms as such Taxable Entity may reasonably request, promptly making available to such Taxable Entity notices received from any Hong Kong governmental authority and, subject to the receipt of funds from such Taxable Entity, by making payment of such funds on behalf of such Taxable Entity to the relevant Hong Kong government authority in settlement of such HK Taxes. In the event the Company must pay any such HK Taxes to a relevant taxing authority, the Company shall forward to such Taxable Entity an official receipt or a copy of the official receipt issued by the taxing authority or other document evidencing such payment.

 

24


 

SECTION 12. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or emailed to the parties hereto as follows:

 

If to the Underwriters:

 

Revere Securities LLC

650 Fifth Avenue, 35th Floor

New York, NY 10022

Attention: Dajiang Guo, Senior Managing Director

Email: dguo@reveresecurities.com

 

With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC

950 Third Avenue, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attn:       Ying Li, Esq.

 Guillaume de Sampigny, Esq.

Email:      yli@htflawyers.com

 gdesampigny@htflawyers.com

 

If to the Company:

 

Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Limited

10/F, Seaview Centre

No.139-141 Hoi Bun Road

Kwun Tong

Kowloon, Hong Kong

Attn: Patrick Kwok Fai Lau

Email: patrick.lau@neo-concept.com.hk

 

With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Loeb & Loeb LLP

2206-19 Jardine House

1 Connaught Place, Central

Hong Kong SAR

Attn: Lawrence S. Venick, Esq.

Email: lvenick@loeb.com

 

Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.

 

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SECTION 13. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 7, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Offered Securities as such merely by reason of such purchase.

 

SECTION 14. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

 

SECTION 15. Governing Law Provisions. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

SECTION 16. Consent to Jurisdiction. No legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (each, a “Related Proceeding”) may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts (collectively, the “Specified Courts”) shall have jurisdiction over the adjudication of any Related Proceeding, and the parties to this Agreement hereby irrevocably consent to the exclusive jurisdiction the Specified Courts and personal service of process with respect thereto. The parties to this Agreement hereby irrevocably waive any objection to the laying of venue of any Related Proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably waive and agree not to plead or claim in any Specified Court that any Related Proceeding brought in any Specified Court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

SECTION 17. General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the Offering, except for those specific provisions of the Engagement Letter between the Company and the Representative, dated as of October 4, 2023 (the “Engagement Letter”) that are not related to the Offering, each of which provisions shall remain in full force and effect for the term of the Engagement Letter. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification and contribution provisions of Section 7, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Section 7 hereto fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements thereto), as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

 

The respective indemnities, contribution agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of the Underwriters, the officers or employees of the Underwriters, any person controlling any of the Underwriters, the Company, the officers or employees of the Company, or any person controlling the Company, (ii) acceptance of the Offered Securities and payment for them as contemplated hereby and (iii) termination of this Agreement.

 

Except as otherwise provided, this Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of and shall be binding upon the Company, the Underwriters, the Underwriters’ officers and employees, any controlling persons referred to herein, the Company’s directors and the Company’s officers who sign the Registration Statement and their respective successors and assigns, all as and to the extent provided in this Agreement, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. The term “successors and assigns” shall not include a purchaser of any of the Offered Securities from the Underwriters merely because of such purchase.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

26


 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.

 

  Very truly yours,
   
  NEO-CONCEPT INTERNATIONAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED
     
  By:  
    Name: Eva Yuk Yin Siu
    Title: CEO and Director

 

The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Underwriters as of the date first above written.

 

For itself and on behalf of the several Underwriters listed on Schedule A hereto

 

REVERE SECURITIES LLC  
     
By:    
Name:  Dajiang Guo  
Title: CEO, Head of Investment Banking  

 

 


 

SCHEDULE A

 

    Firm Shares  
Underwriter   Number     Percentage  
Revere Securities LLC     1,740,000       75 %
R.F. Lafferty Co, Inc.     348,000       15 %
Dominari Securities LLC     232,000       10 %
Total     2,320,000       100 %

 

 


 

SCHEDULE B

 

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es)

 

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus filed with the Commission on February 14, 2024; Number of Firm Shares: 2,320,000

 

 


 

SCHEDULE C

 

Pricing Information

 

Number of Additional Shares: 348,000

Public Offering Price per one Share: $4.00

Underwriting Discount per one Share: $0.28

Proceeds to Company per one Share (before expenses): $3.72

 

 


 

SCHEDULE D

 

Lock-Up Parties

 

Name Title
Eva Yuk Yin Siu CEO, Director and Shareholder
Asset Empire International Limited Shareholder
Splendid Vibe Limited Shareholder
Neo-Concept (BVI) Limited Shareholder
Ample Excellence Limited Shareholder
VIAPC 1 Limited Shareholder
Man Chi Wai Officer and Director
Ultra Sky Group Holdings Limited Shareholder
Patrick Kwok Fai Lau Officer and Director
Mark Gary Singer Independent Director
To Wai Suen Independent Director
Josephine Yeung Yan Independent Director

 

 


 

SCHEDULE E

 

Subsidiaries

 

Name of Subsidiary   Jurisdiction of Incorporation or
Organization
Neo-Concept Apparel Group Limited   British Virgin Islands
Neo-Concept International Company Limited   Hong Kong
Neo-Concept (UK) Limited   The United Kingdom

 

 


 

EXHIBIT A

 

Form of Lock-Up Agreement

 

As attached.

 

 

 

 

 

EX-99.5 3 ea020456201ex99-5_neoconcept.htm INSIDER TRADING POLICY

Exhibit 99.5

 

Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Limited

 

Statement of Policy Concerning Trading in Company Securities It is the policy of Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Ltd and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) that it will, without exception, comply with all applicable laws and regulations in conducting its business.

 

Adopted April [*], 2024

 


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    Page No.
     
I Summary of Policy Concerning Trading in Company Securities 1
       
II The Use of Inside Information in Connection with Trading in Securities 1
       
  A General Rule 1
       
  B Who Does the Policy Apply To? 2
       
  C Other Companies’ Stock 3
       
  D Hedging and Derivatives 3
       
  E Pledging of Securities, Margin Accounts 3
       
  F General Guidelines 3
       
  G Applicability of U.S. Securities Laws to International Transactions 5
       
III Other Limitations on Securities Transactions 6
       
  A Public Resales – Rule 144 6
       
  B Private Resales 7
       
  C Restrictions on Purchases of Company Securities 7
       
  D Filing Requirements 7

 

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I. SUMMARY OF POLICY CONCERNING TRADING IN COMPANY SECURITIES

 

Each employee, each executive officer and each director is expected to abide by this policy. When carrying out Company business, employees, executive officers and directors must avoid any activity that violates applicable laws or regulations. In order to avoid even an appearance of impropriety, the Company’s directors, officers and certain other employees are subject to pre-approval requirements and other limitations on their ability to enter into transactions involving the Company’s securities. Although these limitations do not apply to transactions pursuant to written plans for trading securities that comply with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), the entry into, amendment or termination of any such written trading plan is subject to pre-approval requirements and other limitations.

 

II. THE USE OF INSIDE INFORMATION IN CONNECTION WITH TRADING IN SECURITIES

 

A. General Rule.

 

The U.S. securities laws regulate the sale and purchase of securities in the interest of protecting the investing public. U.S. securities laws give the Company, its officers and directors, and other employees the responsibility to ensure that information about the Company is not used unlawfully in the purchase and sale of securities.

 

All employees, executive officers and directors should pay particularly close attention to the laws against trading on “inside” information. These laws are based upon the belief that all persons trading in a company’s securities should have equal access to all “material” information about that company. Information is considered to be “material” if its disclosure would be reasonably likely to affect (1) an investor’s decision to buy or sell the securities of the company to which the information relates, or (2) the market price of that company’s securities. While it is not possible to identify in advance all information that will be deemed to be material, some examples of such information would include the following: earnings; financial results or projections; dividend actions; mergers and acquisitions; capital raising and borrowing activities; major dispositions; major new customers, projects or products; significant advances in product development; new technologies; major personnel changes in management or change in control; expansion into new markets; unusual gains or losses in major operations; major litigation or legal proceedings; granting of stock options; and major sales and marketing changes. When doubt exists, the information should be presumed to be material. If you are unsure whether information of which you are aware is inside information, you should consult with the Company’s Chief Financial Officer. No individuals other than specifically authorized personnel may release material information to the public or respond to inquiries from the media, analysts or others. If you are contacted by the media or by a research analyst seeking information about the Company and if you have not been expressly authorized by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer to provide information to the media or to analysts, you should refer the call to the Chief Financial Officer. On occasion, it may be necessary for legitimate business reasons to disclose inside information to outside persons. Such persons might include investment bankers, lawyers, auditors or other companies seeking to engage in a potential transaction with the Company. In such circumstances, the information should not be conveyed until an express understanding has been reached that such information is not to be used for trading purposes and may not be further disclosed other than for legitimate business reasons. For example, if an employee, an executive officer or a director of a company knows material non-public financial information, that employee, executive officer or director is prohibited from buying or selling shares in the company until the information has been disclosed to the public. This is because the employee, executive officer or director knows information that will probably cause the share price to change, and it would be unfair for the employee or director to have an advantage (knowledge that the share price will change) that the rest of the investing public does not have. In fact, it is more than unfair; it is considered to be fraudulent and illegal. Civil and criminal penalties for this kind of activity are severe.

 

1


 

The general rule can be stated as follows: It is a violation of federal securities laws for any person to buy or sell securities if he or she is in possession of material inside information. Information is material if there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making an investment decision. It is inside information if it has not been publicly disclosed in a manner making it available to investors generally on a broad-based non-exclusionary basis. Furthermore, it is illegal for any person in possession of material inside information to provide other people with such information or to recommend that they buy or sell the securities. (This is called “tipping”). In that case, they may both be held liable.

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the stock exchanges and plaintiffs’ lawyers focus on uncovering insider trading. A breach of the insider trading laws could expose the insider to criminal fines up to three times the profits earned and imprisonment up to ten years, in addition to civil penalties (up to three times of the profits earned), and injunctive actions. In addition, punitive damages may be imposed under applicable state laws. Securities laws also subject controlling persons to civil penalties for illegal insider trading by employees, including employees located outside the United States. Controlling persons include directors, officers, and supervisors. These persons may be subject to fines up to the greater of $1,000,000 or three times profit (or loss avoided) by the insider trader.

 

Inside information does not belong to the individual directors, officers or other employees who may handle it or otherwise become knowledgeable about it. It is an asset of the Company. For any person to use such information for personal benefit or to disclose it to others outside the Company violates the Company’s interests. More particularly, in connection with trading in the Company’s securities, it is a fraud against members of the investing public and against the Company.

 

All directors, executive officers and employees of the Company must observe these policies at all times. Your failure to do so will be grounds for internal disciplinary action, up to and including termination of your employment or directorship.

 

B. Who Does the Policy Apply To?

 

The prohibition against trading on inside information applies to directors, officers and all other employees, and to other people who gain access to that information. The prohibition applies to both domestic and international employees of the Company and its subsidiaries. Because of their access to confidential information on a regular basis, Company policy subjects its directors and certain employees (the “Window Group”) to additional restrictions on trading in Company securities. The restrictions for the Window Group are discussed in Section F below. In addition, directors and certain employees with inside knowledge of material information may be subject to ad hoc restrictions on trading from time to time.

 

2


 

C. Other Companies’ Stock.

 

Employees, executive officers and directors who learn material information about suppliers, customers, or competitors through their work at the Company, should keep it confidential and not buy or sell stock in such companies until the information becomes public. Employees, executive officers and directors should not give tips about such stock.

 

D. Hedging and Derivatives.

 

Employees, executive officers and directors are prohibited from engaging in any hedging transactions (including transactions involving options, puts, calls, prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars and exchange funds or other derivatives) that are designed to hedge or speculate on any change in the market value of the Company’s equity securities.

 

Trading in options or other derivatives is generally highly speculative and very risky. People who buy options are betting that the stock price will move rapidly. For that reason, when a person trades in options in his or her employer’s stock, it will arouse suspicion in the eyes of the SEC that the person was trading on the basis of inside information, particularly where the trading occurs before a company announcement or major event. It is difficult for an employee, executive officer or director to prove that he or she did not know about the announcement or event.

 

If the SEC or the Nasdaq were to notice active options trading by one or more employees, executive officers or directors of the Company prior to an announcement, they would investigate. Such an investigation could be embarrassing to the Company (as well as expensive), and could result in severe penalties and expense for the persons involved. For all of these reasons, the Company prohibits its employees, executive officers and directors from trading in options or other derivatives involving the Company’s stock. This policy does not pertain to employee stock options granted by the Company. Employee stock options cannot be traded.

 

E. Pledging of Securities, Margin Accounts.

 

Pledged securities may be sold by the pledgee without the pledgor’s consent under certain conditions. For example, securities held in a margin account may be sold by a broker without the customer’s consent if the customer fails to meet a margin call. Because such a sale may occur at a time when an employee, executive officer or a director has material inside information or is otherwise not permitted to trade in Company securities, the Company prohibits employees, executive officers and directors from pledging Company securities in any circumstance, including by purchasing Company securities on margin or holding Company securities in a margin account.

 

F. General Guidelines.

 

The following guidelines should be followed in order to ensure compliance with applicable antifraud laws and with the Company’s policies:

 

1. Nondisclosure. Material inside information must not be disclosed to anyone, except to persons within the Company whose positions require them to know it. Tipping refers to the transmission of inside information from an insider to another person. Sometimes this involves a deliberate conspiracy in which the tipper passes on information in exchange for a portion of the “tippee’s” illegal trading profits. Even if there is no expectation of profit, however, a tipper can have liability if he or she has reason to know that the information may be misused. Tipping inside information to another person is like putting your life in that person’s hands. So the safest choice is: Don’t tip.

 

3


 

2. Trading in Company Securities. No employee, executive officer or director should place a purchase or sale order, or recommend that another person place a purchase or sale order in the Company’s securities when he or she has knowledge of material information concerning the Company that has not been disclosed to the public. This includes orders for purchases and sales of stock and convertible securities, including engaging in any “short sales” of the Company’s securities. The exercise of employee stock options is not subject to this policy. However, stock that was acquired upon exercise of a stock option will be treated like any other stock, and may not be sold by an employee who is in possession of material inside information. Any employee, executive officer or director who possesses material inside information should wait until the start of the third business day after the information has been publicly released before trading.

 

3. Avoid Speculation. Investing in the Company’s common stock provides an opportunity to share in the future growth of the Company. But investment in the Company and sharing in the growth of the Company does not mean short range speculation based on fluctuations in the market. Such activities put the personal gain of the employee, executive officer or director in conflict with the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. Although this policy does not mean that employees, executive officers or directors may never sell shares, the Company encourages employees, executive officers and directors to avoid frequent trading in Company stock. Speculating in Company stock is not part of the Company culture.

 

4. Trading in Other Securities. No employee, executive officer or director should place a purchase or sale order, or recommend that another person place a purchase or sale order, in the securities of another corporation (such as a supplier, an acquisition target or a competitor), if the employee, executive officer or director learns in the course of his or her employment confidential information about the other corporation that is likely to affect the value of those securities. For example, it would be a violation of the securities laws if an employee, executive officer or director learned through Company sources that the Company intended to purchase assets from a company, and then placed an order to buy or sell stock in that other company because of the likely increase or decrease in the value of its securities.

 

5. Restrictions on the Window Group. The Window Group consists of (i) directors, executive officers and vice presidents of the Company and their assistants and household members, (ii) subset of employees in the financial reporting, business development or legal groups and (iii) such other persons as may be designated from time to time and informed of such status by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and general counsel or an officer with similar duties and responsibilities of the Company (the “General Counsel”). The Window Group is subject to the following restrictions on trading in Company securities:

 

  trading is permitted from the start of the third business day following the release of the Company’s interim and annual earnings until a) 60 days immediately preceding the publication date of the annual earnings; and b) 30 days immediately preceding the publication date of interim half-year earnings (the “Window”), subject to the restrictions below;
     
  all trades are subject to prior review;

 

4


 

  The Window Group must submit a request for approval in a form set forth in Annex B hereto from the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel before making any trade in Company Securities; requests for approval of trades by the Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel should be submitted to the Chief Executive Officer;
     
  no trading is permitted outside the Window except for reasons of exceptional personal hardship and subject to prior review by the Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel; provided that, if one of these individuals wishes to trade outside the Window, it shall be subject to prior review by the other; and
     
  individuals in the Window Group are also subject to the general restrictions on all employees.

 

Note that at times Chief Financial Officer and the General Counsel may determine that no trades may occur even during the Window when clearance is requested. No reasons may be provided and the closing of the Window itself may constitute material inside information that should not be communicated.

 

The foregoing Window Group restrictions do not apply to transactions pursuant to written plans for trading securities that comply with Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act (“10b5-1 Plans”) described in Annex A hereto. However, Window Group members may not enter into, amend or terminate a 10b5-1 Plan relating to Company securities without the prior approval of Chief Financial Officer and the General Counsel, which will only be given during a Window period.

 

The Company from time to time may also impose an ad hoc trading freeze on all officers, directors, and other members of the Window Group due to significant unannounced corporate developments. These trading freezes may vary in length.

 

Executive officers, directors or any other member of the Window Group must promptly report to the Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel any transaction in any of the Company’s securities by his or her or any of their respective assistants or family members other than transactions made pursuant to an approved 10b5-1 Plan (as defined below).

 

In summary, every employee of the Company is subject to trading restrictions when in possession of inside information regarding the Company. In addition, officers, directors, and other members of the Window Group are subject to paragraph 5 above restricting their trading to window periods and requiring pre-clearance.

 

You must promptly report to the chief financial officer and the general counsel any trading in the company’s securities by anyone or disclosure of inside information by COMPANY personnel that you have reason to believe may violate this Policy or the securities laws of the United States.

 

G. Applicability of U.S. Securities Laws to International Transactions.

 

All employees of the Company’ and its subsidiaries are subject to the restrictions on trading in Company securities and the securities of other companies. The U.S. securities laws may be applicable to the securities of the Company’s subsidiaries or affiliates, even if they are located outside the United States. Transactions involving securities of PRC, Hong Kong, Australia, Malaysia, the Middle East, or Singapore subsidiaries or affiliates should be carefully reviewed by counsel for compliance not only with applicable PRC, Hong Kong, Australia, Malaysia, the Middle East, or Singapore law but also for possible application of U.S. securities laws.

 

5


 

III. OTHER LIMITATIONS ON SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

 

A. Public Resales – Rule 144.

 

The U.S. Securities Act (the “Securities Act”) requires every person who offers or sells a security to register such transaction with the SEC unless an exemption from registration is available. Rule 144 under the Securities Act is the exemption typically relied upon for (i) public resales by any person of “restricted securities” (i.e., unregistered securities acquired in a private offering or sale) and (ii) public resales by directors, officers and other control persons of a company (known as “affiliates”) of any of the Company’s securities, whether restricted or unrestricted.

 

The exemption in Rule 144 may only be relied upon if certain conditions are met. These conditions vary based upon whether the Company has been subject to the SEC’s reporting requirements for 90 days (and is therefore a “reporting company” for purposes of the rule) and whether the person seeking to sell the securities is an affiliate or not.

 

1. Holding Period. Restricted securities issued by a reporting company (i.e., a company that has been subject to the SEC’s reporting requirements for at least 90 days) must be held and fully paid for a period of six months prior to their sale. Restricted securities issued by a non-reporting company are subject to a one-year holding period. The holding period requirement does not apply to securities held by affiliates that were acquired either in the open market or in a public offering of securities registered under the Securities Act. Generally, if the seller acquired the securities from someone other than the Company or an affiliate of the Company, the holding period of the person from whom the seller acquired such securities can be “tacked” to the seller’s holding period in determining if the holding period has been satisfied.

 

2. Current Public Information. Current information about the Company must be publicly available before the sale can be made. The Company’s periodic reports filed with the SEC ordinarily satisfy this requirement. If the seller is not an affiliate of the Company issuing the securities (and has not been an affiliate for at least three months) and one year has passed since the securities were acquired from the issuer or an affiliate of the issuer (whichever is later), the seller can sell the securities without regard to the current public information requirement.

 

Rule 144 also imposes the following additional conditions on sales by persons who are “affiliates.” A person or entity is considered an “affiliate,” and therefore subject to these additional conditions, if it is currently an affiliate or has been an affiliate within the previous three months:

 

3. Volume Limitations. The amount of debt securities which can be sold by an affiliate during any three-month period cannot exceed 10% of a tranche (or class when the securities are non-participatory preferred stock), together with all sales of securities of the same tranche sold for the account of the affiliate. The amount of equity securities that can be sold by an affiliate during any three-month period cannot exceed the greater of (i) one percent of the outstanding shares of the class or (ii) the average weekly reported trading volume for shares of the class during the four calendar weeks preceding the time the order to sell is received by the broker or executed directly with a market maker.

 

6


 

4. Manner of Sale. Equity securities held by affiliates must be sold in unsolicited brokers’ transactions, directly to a market-maker or in riskless principal transactions.

 

5. Notice of Sale. An affiliate seller must file a notice of the proposed sale with the SEC at the time the order to sell is placed with the broker, unless the amount to be sold neither exceeds 5,000 shares nor involves sale proceeds greater than $50,000. See “Filing Requirements”.

 

Bona fide gifts are not deemed to involve sales of shares for purposes of Rule 144, so they can be made at any time without limitation on the amount of the gift. Donees who receive restricted securities from an affiliate generally will be subject to the same restrictions under Rule 144 that would have applied to the donor, depending on the circumstances.

 

B. Private Resales.

 

Directors and officers also may sell securities in a private transaction without registration. Although there is no statutory provision or SEC rule expressly dealing with private sales, the general view is that such sales can safely be made by affiliates if the party acquiring the securities understands he is acquiring restricted securities that must be held for at least six months (if issued by a reporting company that meets the current public information requirements) or one-year (if issued by a non-reporting company) before the securities will be eligible for resale to the public under Rule 144. Private resales raise certain documentation and other issues and must be reviewed in advance by the Company’s General Counsel.

 

C. Restrictions on Purchases of Company Securities.

 

In order to prevent market manipulation, the SEC adopted Regulation M under the U.S. Exchange Act. Regulation M generally restricts the Company or any of its affiliates from buying Company stock, including as part of a share buyback program, in the open market during certain periods while a distribution, such as a public offering, is taking place. You should consult with the Company’s General Counsel, if you desire to make purchases of Company stock during any period that the Company is making conducting an offering or buying shares from the public.

 

D. Filing Requirements.

 

1. Schedule 13D and 13G. Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act requires the filing of a statement on Schedule 13D (or on Schedule 13G, in certain limited circumstances) by any person or group which acquires beneficial ownership of more than five percent of a class of equity securities registered under the Exchange Act. The threshold for reporting is met if the stock owned, when coupled with the amount of stock subject to options exercisable within 60 days, exceeds the five percent limit.

 

A report on Schedule 13D is required to be filed with the SEC and submitted to the Company within ten days after the reporting threshold is reached. If a material change occurs in the facts set forth in the Schedule 13D, such as an increase or decrease of one percent or more in the percentage of stock beneficially owned, an amendment disclosing the change must be filed promptly. A decrease in beneficial ownership to less than five percent is per se material and must be reported.

 

A limited category of persons (such as banks, broker-dealers and insurance companies) may file on Schedule 13G, which is a much abbreviated version of Schedule 13D, as long as the securities were acquired in the ordinary course of business and not with the purpose or effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer. A report on Schedule 13G is required to be filed with the SEC and submitted to the Company within 45 days after the end of the calendar year in which the reporting threshold is reached.

 

A person is deemed the beneficial owner of securities for purposes of Section 13(d) if such person has or shares voting power (i.e., the power to vote or direct the voting of the securities) or dispositive power (i.e., the power to sell or direct the sale of the securities). A person filing a Schedule 13D or 13G may disclaim beneficial ownership of any securities attributed to him or her if he or she believes there is a reasonable basis for doing so.

 

2. Form 144. As described above under the discussion of Rule 144, an affiliate seller relying on Rule 144 must file a notice of proposed sale with the SEC at the time the order to sell is placed with the broker unless the amount to be sold during any three-month period neither exceeds 5,000 shares nor involves sale proceeds greater than $50,000.

 

7


 

Annex A

 

Overview of 10b5-1 Plans

 

Under Rule 10b5-1, large stockholders, directors, officers and other insiders who regularly possess material nonpublic information (MNPI) but who nonetheless wish to buy or sell stock may establish an affirmative defense to an illegal insider trading charge by adopting a written plan to buy or sell at a time when they are not in possession of MNPI. A 10b5-1 plan typically takes the form of a contract between the insider and his or her broker.

 

The plan must be entered into at a time when the insider has no MNPI about the company or its securities (even if no trades will occur until after the release of the MNPI). The plan must:

 

1. specify the amount, price (which may include a limit price) and specific dates of purchases or sales; or

 

2. include a formula or similar method for determining amount, price and date; or

 

3. give the broker the exclusive right to determine whether, how and when to make purchases and sales, as long as the broker does so without being aware of MNPI at the time the trades are made.

 

Under the first two alternatives, the 10b5-1 plan cannot give the broker any discretion as to trade dates. As a result, a plan that requests the broker to sell 1,000 shares per week would have to meet the requirements under the third alternative. On the other hand, under the second alternative, the date may be specified by indicating that trades should be made on any date on which the limit price is hit. The affirmative defense is only available if the trade is in fact made pursuant to the preset terms of the10b5-1 plan (unless the terms are revised at a time when the insider is not aware of any MNPI and could therefore enter into a new plan). Trades are deemed not to have been made pursuant to the plan if the insider later enters into or alters a corresponding or hedging transaction or position with respect to the securities covered by the plan (although hedging transactions could be part of the plan itself).

 

Guidelines for 10b5-1 Plans

 

When can a plan be adopted or amended? Because Rule 10b5-1 prohibits an insider from adopting or amending a plan while in possession of MNPI, allegations of insider trading despite the existence of a 10b5-1 plan are likely to focus on what was known at the time of plan adoption or amendment. It is recommended that companies permit an executive to adopt or amend a 10b5-1 plan only when the executive can otherwise buy or sell securities under the company’s insider trading policy, such as during an open window immediately after the announcement of quarterly earnings.

 

Should a plan impose a waiting period before trading can begin? Because an insider cannot have MNPI when a plan is adopted or amended, Rule 10b5-1 does not require the plan to include a waiting period before trading can begin. And importantly, including a waiting period (even a lengthy delay) will not correct the fatal flaw of adopting or amending a plan while in possession of MNPI. Many companies, however, require 10b5-1 plans to include a waiting period as a matter of risk management, in order to decrease the likelihood of the scrutiny that can occur when an executive’s trading activity suddenly commences before material news is announced. Practice varies as to length (anywhere from 10 days to the next open window), although the rationale for including a waiting period is usually stronger when the period is long enough to be able to say that any information currently in the insider’s possession should either be stale or public by the time trading commences. This has no bearing on the effectiveness of a 10b5-1 plan, but a longer delay can, as a matter of optics, help an insider demonstrate that he or she was not motivated to make trades by nonpublic information available at the time of plan adoption or amendment.

 

8


 

Should adoption of a plan be announced publicly? Generally speaking, there is no requirement to publicly disclose the adoption, amendment or termination of a 10b5-1 plan, although in some cases public announcement may be advisable due to the identity of the insider, the magnitude of the plan, or other special factors. That said, announcing the adoption of a 10b5-1 plan may be a useful way to head off future public relations issues, since announcing a plan’s adoption prepares the market and should help investors understand the reasons for insider sales when trades are later reported. If a company decides to announce the adoption of a 10b5-1 plan, we do not generally recommend disclosing plan details, other than, perhaps, the aggregate number of shares involved; this is to diminish the ability of market professionals to front-run the insider’s transactions. It is unusual to announce the suspension or termination of a plan.

 

What else should we consider when amending or modifying a plan? As noted above, an insider may only modify or amend a 10b5-1 plan when he or she is not in possession of MNPI. Even if an insider is not in possession of MNPI at the time of amendment, a pattern of amending or modifying one’s plan raises the question of whether the insider is using the plan as a legitimate tool to diversify his or her risk exposure and monetize assets, or as a way to opportunistically step in and out of the market. Because Rule 10b5-1 provides an affirmative defense but not a safe harbor, insiders and their companies should be aware that the effectiveness of the affirmative defense could be diminished by a pattern of plan amendments and modifications.

 

Can a plan be terminated or suspended? Unlike amending a plan, a 10b5-1 plan may legally be terminated before its predetermined end date even though the insider is in possession of MNPI (although some brokers’ forms prohibit this as a contractual matter). Because plan sales shortly before the announcement of bad news can generate unwanted attention, an insider may decide to terminate a plan in the face of an impending negative announcement, even though as a technical matter the affirmative defense would be expected to cover the sales. On the other hand, terminating a selling plan before an impending positive announcement may raise the suspicion that the insider is using Rule 10b5-1 as a way to opportunistically time the market, thereby risking the likelihood that his or her future use of the affirmative defense will be successful.

 

It is generally suggested that plan terminations initiated by an insider take place during an open window, absent special circumstances and approval by the general counsel. It may also make sense for the general counsel to have the ability, but not the responsibility, to terminate the plan. Plans should also allow for mandatory suspension if legally required, for example due to Regulation M or tax reasons.

 

How long should a plan last? In order to minimize the need for early termination, the term of the plan should be carefully weighed at the outset. An optimal plan term will be long enough to distance the insider, and any current knowledge that he or she may have, from a particular trade but short enough that it will not require termination should the insider’s financial planning strategies change. A short “one-off” 10b5-1 plan can appear to be timed to take advantage of MNPI. On the other hand, the longer the plan term, the greater the likelihood that it will need to be modified or terminated. Most plans tend to have a term of six months to two years.

 

Should the company pre-clear or review an executive’s plan? It is generally recommended that the company pre-clear or review a proposed 10b5-1 plan, which may provide assurance that the plan complies with best practices. Certain companies disallow the third type of plan (one that gives the broker the right to determine whether, how and when to make purchases) in order to avoid the evidentiary difficulty associated with proving that the executive did not communicate with the broker with respect to trades under the plan. While this is not required, this is a prudent option to consider.

 

In addition to requiring a 10b-5 plan to be pre-approved by the Company, other limits that are sometimes considered are whether to set a maximum percentage of holdings that can be subject to a 10b5-1 plan, and rules for setting price floors.

 

9


 

Annex B

 

Request for Approval to Trade in the Securities of Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Ltd

 

To: Chief Financial Officer / General Counsel

 

From:    

 

Print Name

 

I hereby request approval for myself (or a member of my immediate family or household or a family member whose transactions regarding securities of Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Ltd are directed by me or are subject to my influence or control) to execute the following transaction relating to the securities of Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Ltd

 

Type of transaction (check one):

 

☐ PURCHASE

 

☐ SALE

 

☐ EXERCISE OPTION (AND SELL SHARES)

 

☐ OTHER

 

Securities involved in transaction:    
     

 

Number of securities:    
     

 

Other (please explain):    
     

 

Name of beneficial owner if other than yourself:    
     

 

Relationship of beneficial owner to yourself:    
     

 

Signature:     Date:    

 

This Authorization is valid until the earlier of thirty (30) calendar days after the date of this Approval or until the commencement of a “blackout” period.

 

Approved by:    
     
Name:    

 

Date:      Time:    

  

10

 

EX-99.6 4 ea020456201ex99-6_neoconcept.htm WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY

Exhibit 99.6

 

NEO-CONCEPT INTERNATIONAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED

 

WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY

 

As adopted April [*], 2023

 

Procedures for the Submission of Complaints or Concerns Regarding Financial Statement Disclosures, Accounting, Internal Accounting Controls, Auditing Matters, or Violations of the Company’s Code of Ethics or Corporate Code of Business Conduct

 

Section 301 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires the Board of Directors of NEO-CONCEPT INTERNATIONAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED (the “Company”) to establish procedures for: (a) the receipt, retention, and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters; and (b) the submission by employee, vendor or customers of the Company and others, on a confidential and anonymous basis, of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.

 

In accordance with Section 301, the Company has adopted the following procedures:

 

I. The Company shall promptly forward to the Designee any complaints that it has received regarding financial statement disclosures, accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters.

 

II. Any employee, vendor or customer of the Company may submit, on a confidential, anonymous basis if the employee, vendor or customer so desires, any concerns regarding financial statement disclosures, accounting, internal accounting controls, auditing matters or violations of the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. All such concerns shall be set forth in writing and forwarded in a sealed envelope to the Designee “To be opened by the Designee only. Being submitted pursuant to the “whistleblower policy” adopted by the Company.” If an employee, vendor or customer would like to discuss any matter with the Designee, the employee, vendor or customer should indicate this in the submission and include a telephone number at which he or she might be contacted if the Designee deems it appropriate. Any such envelopes received by the Company’s General Counsel shall be forwarded promptly and unopened to the Designee. The Designee shall be the Chairperson of the audit committee.

 

III. Following the receipt of any complaints submitted hereunder, the Designee will investigate each matter so reported and take corrective and disciplinary actions, if appropriate, which may include, alone or in combination, a warning or letter or reprimand, demotion, loss of merit increase, bonus or stock options, suspension without pay or termination of employment.

 

IV. The Designee may enlist employee, vendor or customers of the Company and/or outside legal, accounting or other advisors, as appropriate, to conduct any investigation of complaints regarding financial statement disclosures, accounting, internal accounting controls, auditing matters or violation of the Company’s investigation, the Designee shall use reasonable efforts to protect the confidentiality and anonymity of the complaint.

  

V. The Company does not permit retaliation of any kind against employees for complaints submitted hereunder that are made in good faith.

 

EX-99.7 5 ea020456201ex99-7_neoconcept.htm CLAWBACK POLICY

Exhibit 99.7

 

NEO-CONCEPT INTERNATIONAL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED

 

(“the Company”)

 

CLAWBACK POLICY

Introduction

 

The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) believes that it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to create and maintain a culture that emphasizes integrity and accountability and that reinforces the Company’s pay-for-performance compensation philosophy. The Board has therefore adopted this policy which provides for the recoupment of certain executive compensation in the event of an accounting restatement resulting from material noncompliance with financial reporting requirements under the federal securities laws (the “Policy”). This Policy is designed to comply with Section 10D of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).

 

Administration

 

This Policy shall be administered by the Board or, if so designated by the Board, the Compensation Committee, in which case references herein to the Board shall be deemed references to the Compensation Committee. Any determinations made by the Board shall be final and binding on all affected individuals.

 

Covered Executives

 

This Policy applies to the Company’s current and former executive officers, as determined by the Board in accordance with Section 10D of the Exchange Act and the listing standards of the national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed, and such other senior executives/employees who may from time to time be deemed subject to the Policy by the Board (“Covered Executives”).

 

Recoupment; Accounting Restatement

 

In the event the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement of its financial statements due to the Company’s material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws, the Board will require reimbursement or forfeiture of any excess Incentive Compensation received by any Covered Executive during the three completed fiscal years immediately preceding the date on which the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement.

 

Incentive Compensation

 

For purposes of this Policy, Incentive Compensation means any of the following; provided that, such compensation is granted, earned, or vested based wholly or in part on the attainment of a financial reporting measure:

 

Annual bonuses and other short- and long-term cash incentives.

 

Stock options.

 

Stock appreciation rights.

 

Restricted stock.

 

 


 

Restricted stock units.

 

Performance shares.

 

Performance units.

 

Financial reporting measures include:

 

Company stock price.

 

Total shareholder return.

 

Revenues.

 

Net income.

 

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA).

 

Funds from operations.

 

Liquidity measures such as working capital or operating cash flow.

 

Return measures such as return on invested capital or return on assets.

 

Earnings measures such as earnings per share.

 

Excess Incentive Compensation: Amount Subject to Recovery

 

The amount to be recovered will be the excess of the Incentive Compensation paid to the Covered Executive based on the erroneous data over the Incentive Compensation that would have been paid to the Covered Executive had it been based on the restated results, as determined by the Board.

 

If the Board cannot determine the amount of excess Incentive Compensation received by the Covered Executive directly from the information in the accounting restatement, then it will make its determination based on a reasonable estimate of the effect of the accounting restatement.

 

Method of Recoupment

 

The Board will determine, in its sole discretion, the method for recouping Incentive Compensation hereunder which may include, without limitation:

 

(a) requiring reimbursement of cash Incentive Compensation previously paid;

 

(b) seeking recovery of any gain realized on the vesting, exercise, settlement, sale, transfer, or other disposition of any equity-based awards;

       

(c) offsetting the recouped amount from any compensation otherwise owed by the Company to the Covered Executive;

 

(d) cancelling outstanding vested or unvested equity awards; and/or

 

(e) taking any other remedial and recovery action permitted by law, as determined by the Board.

 

No Indemnification

 

The Company shall not indemnify any Covered Executives against the loss of any incorrectly awarded Incentive Compensation.

 

2


 

Interpretation

 

The Board is authorized to interpret and construe this Policy and to make all determinations necessary, appropriate, or advisable for the administration of this Policy. It is intended that this Policy be interpreted in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act and any applicable rules or standards adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed.

 

Effective Date

 

This Policy shall be effective as of the date it is adopted by the Board (the “Effective Date”) and shall apply to Incentive Compensation that is approved, awarded or granted to Covered Executives on or after that date.

 

Amendment; Termination

 

The Board may amend this Policy from time to time in its discretion and shall amend this Policy as it deems necessary to reflect final regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 10D of the Exchange Act and to comply with any rules or standards adopted by a national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed. The Board may terminate this Policy at any time.

 

Other Recoupment Rights

 

The Board intends that this Policy will be applied to the fullest extent of the law. The Board may require that any employment agreement, equity award agreement, or similar agreement entered into on or after the Effective Date shall, as a condition to the grant of any benefit thereunder, require a Covered Executive to agree to abide by the terms of this Policy. Any right of recoupment under this Policy is in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other remedies or rights of recoupment that may be available to the Company pursuant to the terms of any similar policy in any employment agreement, equity award agreement, or similar agreement and any other legal remedies available to the Company.

 

Impracticability

 

The Board shall recover any excess Incentive Compensation in accordance with this Policy unless such recovery would be impracticable, as determined by the Board in accordance with Rule 10D-1 of the Exchange Act and the listing standards of the national securities exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed.

 

Successors

 

This Policy shall be binding and enforceable against all Covered Executives and their beneficiaries, heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives.

 

3

 

EX-99.8 6 ea020456201ex99-8_neoconcept.htm PRESS RELEASE, DATED APRIL 23, 2024

Exhibit 99.8

 

Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Limited Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering and Listing on Nasdaq

 

NEW YORK, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: NCI) (the “Company”), a one-stop apparel solution services provider, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering (the “Offering”) of 2,320,000 ordinary shares (the “Ordinary Shares”) on April 22, 2024, at a price of $4.00 per Ordinary Share. The Ordinary Shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on April 23, 2024 under the symbol “NCI.”

 

The Offering is expected to close on April 25, 2024, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The Company intends to use the net proceeds for developing new products with sustainable materials and processes, for broadening its customer base, for potential acquisition of companies and/or formation of joint ventures, and to fund the working capital of its existing operations and for other general corporate purposes.

 

In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 348,000 Ordinary Shares of the Company, at the Offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

Revere Securities LLC and R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc. are JointBook-Running Managers, withDominari Securities LLC acting as Co-manager, for the Offering (the “Underwriters”).

 

Loeb & Loeb LLP is acting as U.S. legal counsel to the Company and Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC is acting as legal counsel to the Underwriters for the Offering.

 

The Offering is being conducted pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-275242) previously filed with, and subsequently declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 1, 2024. The Offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus and other documents the Company has filed or will file with the SEC for more information about the Company and the Offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, electronic copies of the prospectus relating to the Offering may be obtained from Revere Securities LLC, 560 Lexington Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10022, by phone at +212-688-2350 or by email at contact@reveresecurities.com.

 

This press release has been prepared for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, and no sale of these securities may be made in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

Certain statements contained in this press release are “forward-looking statements” made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current expectations or beliefs concerning future events and actual events may differ materially from current expectations. Any such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including the strength of the economy, changes to the market for securities, political or financial instability and other factors which are set forth in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-275242), as amended, and in all filings with the SEC made by the Company subsequent to the filing thereof. The Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 


 

About Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Limited

 

Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Limited is a one-stop apparel solution services provider. It offers a full suite of services in the apparel supply chain, including market trend analysis, product design and development, raw material sourcing, production and quality control, and logistics management serving customers located in the European and North American markets.

 

It is committed to reducing its environmental impact through recycling, clean processes, traceable sourcing and other eco-friendly practices. It also pushes for sustainable solutions to fulfil its customers’ needs throughout garment production.

 

Contacts

 

Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Limited Investor Relations Contact:

 

10/F, Seaview Centre
No.139-141 Hoi Bun Road
Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
(+852) 2798-8639
Email: ir@neo-ig.com

 

Underwriter Inquiries:

 

Revere Securities LLC
Syndicate Department
560 Lexington Ave, 16th Floor,
New York, NY10022
(+212) 688-2350
contact@reveresecurities.com

 

R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc.
40 Wall Street, 29th Floor
New York, NY 10005
(212) 293-9090
offerings@rflafferty.com

 

 

EX-99.9 7 ea020456201ex99-9_neoconcept.htm PRESS RELEASE, DATED APRIL 25, 2024

Exhibit 99.9

 

Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Limited Announced Closing of Initial Public Offering

 

Hong Kong, April 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: NCI) (the “Company” or “Neo-Concept”), a one-stop apparel solution services provider which offers a full suite of services in the apparel supply chain, today announced the closing of its initial public offering (the “Offering”) of 2,320,000 ordinary shares at a price of $4.00 per share.

 

The aggregate gross proceeds from the Offering were $9.3 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and other related expenses. The ordinary shares began trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market on April 23, 2024 under the ticker symbol “NCI.”

 

The Offering was conducted on a firm commitment basis. Revere Securities LLC and R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc. are Joint Book-Running Managers, with Dominari Securities LLC acting as Co-manager, for the Offering (the “Underwriters”). Loeb & Loeb LLP acted as counsel to the Company and Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC acted as counsel to the Underwriters.

 

A registration statement on Form F-1 relating to the Offering has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) (File Number: 333-275242) and was declared effective by the SEC on April 1, 2024. The Offering was made only by means of a prospectus. A final prospectus relating to the Offering was filed with the SEC on April 24, 2024 and may be obtained from Revere Securities LLC, 560 Lexington Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10022, by phone at +212-688-2350 or by email at contact@reveresecurities.com. In addition, a copy of the final prospectus relating to the Offering may be obtained via the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company’s securities, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of any of the Company’s securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

 

About Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Limited

 

Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Limited is a one-stop apparel solution services provider. It offers a full suite of services in the apparel supply chain, including market trend analysis, product design and development, raw material sourcing, production and quality control, and logistics management serving customers located in the European and North American markets.

 

It is committed to reducing its environmental impact through recycling, clean processes, traceable sourcing and other eco-friendly practices. It also pushes for sustainable solutions to fulfil its customers’ needs throughout garment production. For more information, visit the Company’s website at http://www.neo-ig.com.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov.

 

For more information, please contact:

 

Neo-Concept International Group Holdings Limited

 

Phone: +852 2798 8639

 

Email: ir@neo-ig.com