Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-201341
The information in this preliminary prospectus supplement is not complete and may be changed. This preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of an effective registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are not an offer to sell these securities, and we are not soliciting an offer to buy these securities, in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT | SUBJECT TO COMPLETION | DATED APRIL 3, 2015 | ||
(To the Prospectus dated April 2, 2015) |
Professional Diversity Network, Inc. is offering shares of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share, pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol IPDN. The last reported sale price of our common stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market on April 2, 2015 was $4.84 per share.
As of March 10, 2015, the aggregate market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates was approximately $25,742,959, based on (i) 12,928,072 shares of outstanding common stock, of which approximately 8,331,115 shares are held by affiliates, and (ii) a per share price of $5.60, based on the closing sale price of our common stock on March 10, 2015. We have not offered or sold any securities pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3 during the 12 calendar months prior to and including the date of this prospectus supplement.
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See Risk Factors beginning on page S-9 of this prospectus supplement and on page 7 of the accompanying prospectus for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our common stock.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Per Share | Total | |||||||
Public offering price | $ | $ | ||||||
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) | $ | $ | ||||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us | $ | $ |
(1) | See Underwriting for a description of compensation payable to the underwriters. |
We have granted a 45-day option to the representative of the underwriters, exercisable from time to time, to purchase up to additional shares of common stock solely to cover over-allotments, if any.
The underwriters expect to deliver our shares to purchasers in the offering on or about April , 2015.
Sole Book-Running Manager
Co-Manager
April , 2015
PROSPECTUS
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This document is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) using a shelf registration process and consists of two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, including the documents incorporated by reference, which describes the specific terms of this offering. The second part, the accompanying prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference, gives more general information, some of which may not apply to this offering. Generally, when we refer to this prospectus, we are referring to both parts of this document combined, together with all documents incorporated by reference. This prospectus supplement may add, update or change information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus.
If information in this prospectus supplement is inconsistent with the accompanying prospectus or with any document incorporated by reference that was filed with the SEC before the date of this prospectus supplement, you should rely on this prospectus supplement. This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated into each by reference include important information about us, the securities being offered and other information you should know before investing in our securities. You should also read and consider information in the documents we have referred you to in the section of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus entitled Where You Can Find More Information.
You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any free writing prospectus we may provide to you in connection with this offering and the information incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein or therein. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with information that is in addition to or different from that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not offering to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus, as the case may be, or in the case of the documents incorporated by reference, the date of such documents, regardless, in each case, of the time of delivery of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or any sale of our securities. Our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
It is important that you read and consider all information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, in making your investment decision. You should also read and consider the information in the documents to which we have referred you under the captions Where You Can Find More Information and Incorporation of Certain Information By Reference in this prospectus supplement and in the accompanying prospectus.
We are offering to sell, and are seeking offers to buy, the common stock only in jurisdictions where such offers and sales are permitted. No action has been or will be taken in any jurisdiction by us or the underwriters that would permit a public offering of the common stock or the possession or distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in any jurisdiction, other than in the United States. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the common stock and the distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus outside the United States. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus by any person in any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful for such person to make such an offer or solicitation.
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We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy materials that we have filed with the SEC at its Public Reference Room located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. We also file these documents with the SEC electronically. You can access the electronic versions of these filings on the SECs website found at http://www.sec.gov and at our website described below.
This prospectus supplement is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we have filed with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). This prospectus supplement does not contain all of the information in the registration statement. We have omitted certain parts of the registration statement, as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC.
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The SECs rules allow us to incorporate by reference information into this prospectus supplement. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document. Any information referred to in this way is considered part of this prospectus supplement from the date we file that document. Any reports filed by us with the SEC after the date of this prospectus supplement and before the date that the offering of securities by means of this prospectus supplement is terminated will automatically update and, where applicable, supersede any information contained in this prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus supplement the following documents or information filed with the SEC (other than, in each case, documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with the SECs rules):
| Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 filed on March 31, 2015; |
| Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on March 12, 2015 and April 3, 2015; and |
| The description of our common stock set forth under the heading Description of Registrants Securities to be Registered in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed on March 1, 2013, or any other amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
All documents filed by us pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act) after the date of this prospectus supplement and prior to the termination of the offering shall also be deemed to be incorporated herein by reference and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. We are not, however, incorporating by reference any documents or portions thereof, whether specifically listed above or filed in the future, that are deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with the SECs rules.
Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus supplement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus supplement.
We will provide, without charge, copies of all documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, other than exhibits to those documents that have not been specifically incorporated by reference into this prospectus. You may obtain documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement on our website at www.prodivnet.com or by requesting them in writing or by telephone from us at the following address and telephone number:
Professional Diversity Network, Inc.
801 W. Adams Street, Suite 600
Chicago, Illinois 60607
(312) 614-0950
The information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement and you should not consider it a part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement.
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Information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and often use words such as may, plan, contemplate, anticipate, believe, intend, continue, expect, project, predict, estimate, could, should, would, will, goal, target and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results or performance and by their nature involve certain risks and uncertainties that are based on managements beliefs and assumptions and on the information available to management at the time that these disclosures were prepared. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include estimates with respect to our financial condition, expected or anticipated income, results of operations and business that are subject to various factors, risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from these estimates, including, without limitation, the following:
| failure to realize synergies and other financial benefits from mergers and acquisitions within the expected time frame, including increases in expected costs or difficulties related to integration of merger and acquisition partners; |
| inability to identify and successfully negotiate and complete additional combinations with potential merger or acquisition partners or to successfully integrate such businesses, including our ability to realize the benefits and cost savings from and limit any unexpected liabilities acquired as a result of any such business combination; |
| our operating losses in 2013 and 2014; |
| our limited operating history in a new and unproven market; |
| increasing competition in the market for online professional networks; |
| our ability to comply with increasing governmental regulation and other legal obligations related to privacy; |
| our ability to adapt to changing technologies and social trends and preferences; |
| our ability to attract and retain a sales and marketing team, management and other key personnel and the ability of that team to execute on the companys business strategies and plans; |
| our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our intellectual property; |
| any future litigation regarding our business, including intellectual property claims; |
| general and economic business conditions; and |
| legal and regulatory developments. |
Additional factors, risks and uncertainties that may affect our results are discussed in the section of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus entitled Risk Factors, in Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and in our subsequent filings with the SEC. You should consider these factors, risks and uncertainties when evaluating any forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statement was made.
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The items in the following summary are described in more detail elsewhere in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference herein. This summary provides an overview of selected information and does not contain all the information you should consider before investing in our common stock. Therefore, you should read the entire prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering carefully, including the Risk Factors section and other documents or information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the prospectus before making any investment decision.
Professional Diversity Network, Inc. (together with our consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated, the Company, we, us or our) was originally formed as IH Acquisition, LLC under the laws of the State of Illinois on October 30, 2003. On February 4, 2004, the Company changed its name to iHispano.com LLC. In 2007, the Company changed its business platform and implemented technology to become the operator of communities of professional networking sites for diverse professionals. On March 15, 2012, the Company changed its name to Professional Diversity Network, LLC. On March 5, 2013, the Company reorganized its business, converting from a limited liability company into a Delaware corporation, in conjunction with its initial public offering of common stock.
The Company is both the operator of the Professional Diversity Network (the PDN Network, PDN or the Professional Diversity Network) and a holding company for NAPW, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and the operator of the National Association of Professional Women (the NAPW Network or NAPW), Noble Voice LLC and Compliant Lead LLC (together, Noble Voice), each of which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and together provide career consultation services. The NAPW Network became part of the Company on September 24, 2014 upon the closing of the Companys merger transaction with NAPW Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (Merger Sub), NAPW, Inc., a New York corporation (Old NAPW), and Matthew B. Proman, the sole shareholder of Old NAPW (Proman), pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 11, 2014 (the Merger Agreement). In accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement, on the closing date of the transaction, Old NAPW merged with and into Merger Sub (the Merger). As a result of the Merger, the separate corporate existence of Old NAPW ceased and Merger Sub continues as the surviving corporation, remains a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and was renamed NAPW, Inc.
The NAPW Network is a for-profit membership organization for professional women that the Company believes, with approximately 700,000 members, is the most prominent women-only professional networking organization in the United States. Members of the NAPW Network, who pay annual membership subscriptions fees to us, enjoy a wealth of resources dedicated to developing their professional networks, furthering their education and skills and promoting their businesses and career accomplishments. We provide NAPW Network members with opportunities to network and develop valuable business relationships with other professionals through NAPWs website, as well as at events hosted at hundreds of local chapters across the United States. Through the NAPW Network website, members are able to create, manage and share their professional identity online, build and engage with their professional network and promote themselves and their businesses. In addition to online networking, NAPW Network members can participate in a number of local events held across the United States, including monthly chapter meetings, professional networking expos, charitable events and other events developed specifically to facilitate face-to-face networking with other professional women. NAPW has historically sponsored, and the Company expects to continue to sponsor, a National Networking Conference that provides participants the opportunity to network with other members, hear presentations from keynote speakers and participate in break-out sessions. In 2015, the Company expects to sponsor, in addition to its National Networking Conference, 4 6 Regional Networking Conferences and over 20 other professional networking events.
NAPW Network members can also promote their career achievements and their businesses through placement on the NAPW Network websites home page, in proprietary press releases, in the online Member
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Marketplace and in monthly newsletter publications. In addition to networking and promotional opportunities, NAPW Network members are also provided with the ability to further develop their skills and expand their knowledge base through monthly newsletters, online and in-person seminars, webinars and certification courses. NAPW Network members are also provided exclusive discounts on third-party products and services through partnerships with valuable brands that include Ritz Carlton, Inc. Magazine, Care.com, Lenovo personal computers and GEICO insurance.
The PDN Network operated by the Company consists of online professional networking communities dedicated to serving diverse professionals in the United States and employers seeking to hire diverse talent. Our networking communities harness our relationship recruitment methodology to facilitate and empower professional networking within common affinities. We believe that those within a common affinity often are more aggressive in helping others within their affinity progress professionally. The Company operates these relationship recruitment affinity groups within the following sectors: Women, Hispanic-Americans, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Disabled, Military Professionals, Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT), and Students and Graduates seeking to transition from education to career. The purpose of the PDN Network is to assist its members in their efforts to connect with like-minded individuals, identify career opportunities within the network and connect members with prospective employers. Our technology platform is integral to the operation of this business. In so doing, our online platform provides employers a means to identify and acquire diverse talent and assist them with their efforts to comply with the regulations and requirements of the Equal Employment Opportunity-Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP).
As of December 31, 2014, the Company had approximately 3,487,000 PDN Network registered users. We expect that continued membership growth of the PDN Network will enable us to further develop our menu of online professional diversity networking and career placement solutions. Additionally, the Company has established systems to distribute jobs in an OFCCP compliant manner to career agencies, including those of state and local governments in the United States.
We currently provide registered PDN Network users with access to our websites at no cost, a strategy which we believe will allow us to continue to grow our membership base and promote high levels of member engagement for the mutual benefit of members and employers.
The Company continues to expand its relationships with key strategic alliances that we believe are valuable to our core clients. The Company currently maintains relationships with the following key strategic allies: the National Urban League, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, VetJobs, DisabledPersons.com, a not-for-profit organization serving employment needs of people with disabilities, National Able Veterans Exchange, Leave No Veteran Behind, ALPFA, an organization dedicated to building Latino business leaders, Latino(a)s in Tech Innovation & Social Media, Illinois Hispanic Nursing Association, Women in Biology, Black Sales Journal, Ebony Magazine and numerous others. New partnerships have been entered into with the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources, The Grio and the National Association of Women MBAs. The Company considers its partner alliances to be a key value to its clients because it enables the Company to expand its job distribution and outreach efforts.
The PDN Network provides NAPW Network members with direct access to employers seeking to hire professional women at a high level of connectivity and efficiency. The Merger has enabled the Company to match members with our employment partners, and then converse with the member to confirm such members desire to take the position to which we matched them, confirm that member is qualified for the position and directly notify the employer about a member that we have qualified and confirmed has competed an application within the employers recruitment system. The PDN HireAdvantEdge service delivers enhanced membership value to those members seeking to reenter the workforce or to upgrade their professional employment condition. This benefit comes at no additional cost to members, reinforcing the membership value proposition. In additional to HireAdvantEdge, Professional Diversity Network provides alternative values to members who are employed or are seeking employment, including, but not limited to, our patented resume
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optimizing service (Resunate), our semantic search job alerts and a new professional networking platform based upon PDNs core networking technology.
For those members who are self-employed, the PDN Network is launching a NAPW Certified Women-Owned Business program that will include an online marketplace for companies to source services from an NAPW Certified Women-Owned Business.
In the next few years, NAPW expects to host networking events in major markets around the nation, which will leverage the existing PDN events platform. Because the PDN networking career events are already being conducted, we have the ability to add an additional event for NAPW at the same venue, one hour after the PDN event ends, at a substantially lower cost than hosting a stand-alone NAPW event. Employers who sponsor the PDN career networking events will have the opportunity to participate in the NAPW event and meet with members to discuss employment opportunities in what we believe is an inviting and upscale networking environment. We believe that providing the opportunity for NAPW members to meet, outside of the monthly local chapter events and the single national event NAPW hosts, will add additional value to all NAPW members. That is, instead of attending one national event in New York, as was the case in 2014, in future years, NAPW Network members will be able to attend any or all of our PDN Network events. Non-members may also attend, subject to certain restrictions.
Collectively, these PDN products and services are being deployed to provide enhanced value to the NAPW membership experience, which we believe will be an important component in increasing both the number of new memberships and renewals of existing memberships.
In a similar manner, NAPW provides PDN with an enhanced value proposition to our corporate recruitment business partners by providing a unique talent source of engaged and professional women. The same HireAdvantEdge service that creates value for members by matching them with employers in a high touch manner provides employers with a very desirable candidate in an efficient, resourced and qualified manner. Furthermore, by adding NAPW events after PDN Career Networking Conferences, PDN will have opportunities to market upgrades to the exhibiters who recruit at the PDN events that will allow such exhibiters to participate in the NAPW membership networking event and meet members who may be potential employees for their companies. Exhibiters will be able to receive more exposure to more candidates because of the fact that the NAPW Networking Event will be held after PDNs Career Networking Conference.
The Companys principal executive offices are located at 801 W. Adams Street, Suite 600, Chicago, Illinois, 60607 and its telephone number is (312) 614-0950. The Companys website address is www.prodivnet.com. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus and you should not consider it a part of this prospectus supplement.
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Common stock offered by us |
shares of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share |
Over-allotment option |
We have granted the underwriters a 45-day option, exercisable from time to time, to purchase up to additional shares of our common stock from us at the public offering price less underwriting discounts and commissions |
Common stock outstanding after the offering |
shares of our common stock |
Use of Proceeds |
We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, increasing our working capital, financing acquisitions of other companies or businesses that we believe will add to and/or expand our service offerings, repurchasing or redeeming our securities, investments and capital expenditures. See the Use of Proceeds section of this prospectus supplement. |
Risk Factors |
See the Risk Factors section in this prospectus supplement and in the accompanying prospectus for a discussion of factors you should read and consider carefully before investing in our common stock. |
NASDAQ Capital Market symbol |
IPDN |
The number of shares of common stock shown above to be outstanding after this offering is based on 12,928,072 shares outstanding as of April 3, 2015, and excludes:
| 346,000 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding options under our equity compensation plans, at a weighted-average exercise price of $3.45 per share; |
| 362,500 shares of our common stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding warrants, each with a weighted-average exercise price of $8.34 per share; |
| 154,000 shares of our common stock which are reserved for issuance upon the exercise of future equity awards that may be granted under our equity compensation plans; and |
| Up to additional shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option. |
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Investing in our common stock involves a great deal of risk, and you should be able to bear the complete loss of your investment. You should carefully consider the following information about risks, together with all of the other information in this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus, and in the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes, before making an investment in our common stock. If any of the circumstances or events described below actually arises or occurs, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition could be materially harmed. In any such case, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements made throughout this prospectus supplement as a result of different factors, including the risks we face described below.
In 2013, we established a sales force to sell directly into companies seeking to hire diverse talent and to sell diversity recruitment advertising. During the course of 2013 and 2014, the Company optimized its sales team and continued to refine the manner in which its products and services were sold. While the Company made progress in growing its direct sales, we have not matured the sales force to the point of predictability, nor have we sold enough of our products and services to achieve profitability. Therefore, there is no assurance that we will be successful in selling our services directly to employers or selling diversity recruitment advertising.
In order to grow the NAPW Network, we must continually attract new members to the NAPW Network, sell additional product and service offerings to existing NAPW Network members and reduce the level of non-renewals. Our ability to do so depends in large part on the success of our sales and marketing efforts. We do not typically enter into long-term contracts with NAPW members, and even when we do, the members can generally terminate their relationship with us. Further, unlike companies with different business models, the nature of our product and service offerings is such that members may decide to terminate or not renew their agreements without causing significant disruptions to their own businesses.
We must demonstrate to NAPW Network members that our product and service offerings provide them with access to an audience of influential, affluent and highly-educated women. However, potential members may not be familiar with our product and service offerings or may prefer other more traditional products and services for their professional advancement and networking needs. The rate at which we expand the NAPW Networks membership base or increase its members renewal rates may decline or fluctuate because of several factors, including the prices of product and service offerings, the prices of products and services offered by competitors or reductions in their professional advancement and networking spending levels due to macroeconomic or other factors and the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of our offerings. If we do not attract new members to the NAPW Network or if NAPW Network members do not renew their agreements for our product and service offerings, renew at lower levels or on less favorable terms or do not purchase additional offerings, our revenue may grow more slowly than expected or decline.
We began our operations in the online professional diversity networking business in 2007 and online professional networking within specific segments of the population is a new and unproven business concept. Therefore a market for our services may not develop as expected, if at all. This limited operating history and novel business concept makes it difficult to effectively assess our future prospects. You should consider our
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business and prospects in light of the significant risks, expenses and difficulties frequently encountered by Internet companies, especially those dedicated to the social and/or online professional network sector, in their early stage of development. We may not be able to successfully address these risks and difficulties.
We face significant competition in all aspects of our business, and we expect such competition to increase, particularly in the market for online professional networks.
Our industry is rapidly evolving and is becoming increasingly competitive. Larger and more established online professional networking companies, such as LinkedIn or Monster Worldwide, may focus on the online diversity professional networking market and could directly compete with us. Rival companies or smaller companies, including application developers, could also launch new products and services that could compete with us and gain market acceptance quickly. Individual employers have and may continue to create and maintain their own network of diverse candidates.
We also expect that our existing competitors will focus on professional diversity recruiting. A number of these companies may have greater resources than we do, which may enable them to compete more effectively. For example, our competitors with greater resources may partner with wireless telecommunications carriers or other Internet service providers that may provide Internet users, especially those that access the Internet through mobile devices, incentives to visit our competitors websites. Such tactics or similar tactics could decrease the number of our visits, unique visitors and number of users and members, which would materially and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.
Additionally, users of online social networks, such as Facebook, may choose to use, or increase their use of, those networks for professional purposes, which may result in those users decreasing or eliminating their use of our specialized online professional network. Companies that currently do not focus on online professional diversity networking could also expand their focus to diversity networking. LinkedIn may develop its own proprietary online diversity network and compete directly against us. To the extent LinkedIn develops its own network or establishes alliances and relationships with others, our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially harmed. Finally, other companies that provide content for professionals could develop more compelling offerings that compete with us and adversely impact our ability to keep our members, attract new members or sell our solutions to customers.
We receive, store and process personal information and other member data, and we enable our members to share their personal information with each other and with third parties. There are numerous federal, state, local and foreign laws regarding privacy and the storing, sharing, use, processing, disclosure and protection of personal information and other member data, the scope of which are changing, subject to differing interpretations and may be inconsistent between countries or conflict with other rules. We generally comply with industry standards and adhere to the terms of our privacy policies and privacy-related obligations to third parties (including voluntary third-party certification bodies such as TRUSTe). We strive to comply with all applicable laws, policies, legal obligations and industry codes of conduct relating to privacy and data protection. However, it is possible that these obligations may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another and may conflict with other rules or our practices. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with our privacy policies, our privacy-related obligations to users or other third parties, or our privacy-related legal obligations, or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized release or transfer of personally identifiable information or other member data, may result in governmental enforcement actions, litigation or public statements against us by consumer advocacy groups or others and could cause our members and customers to lose trust in us, which could have an adverse effect on our business. Additionally, if third parties we work with, such as customers, vendors or developers, violate applicable laws or our policies, such violations may also put our members information at risk and could in turn have an adverse effect on our business.
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We recognize revenue from sales of our hiring solutions on a quarterly basis based on activity related to the prior quarter. As a result, a significant portion of the revenue we report in each quarter is generated from agreements entered into during previous quarters. In addition, we may be unable to adjust our fixed costs in response to reduced revenue. Accordingly, the effect of significant declines in our ability to generate revenue may not be reflected in our short-term results of operations.
Our business is dependent on the continuity of certain social trends, some of which may stop abruptly. In particular, increased privacy concerns may jeopardize the growth of online social and professional network websites. Furthermore, it is possible that people may not want to identify in online social or professional networks with a focus on diversity at all. Or alternatively, people who belong to more than one diversity group (such as Hispanic-American females, among others) may not be drawn to our websites, which singularly focus on one specific diversity group. Our strategy may fail as a result of these changing social trends, and if we do not timely adjust our strategy to adapt to changing social trends, we will lose members, and our business, operating results and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected.
Federal and state laws and regulations in the United States require certain companies engaged in business with governmental entities to report and promote diverse hiring practices. Repeal or modification of such laws and regulations could decrease the incentives for employers to actively seek diverse employee candidates through networks such as ours and materially affect our revenues.
The number of people who access the Internet through devices other than personal computers, including personal digital assistants, smart phones and handheld tablets or computers, has increased dramatically in the past few years and we believe this number will continue to increase. Each manufacturer or distributor of these devices may establish unique technical standards, and our services may not work or be viewable on these devices as a result. Furthermore, as new devices and new platforms are continually released, it is difficult to predict the problems we may encounter in developing versions of our services for use on these alternative devices and we may need to devote significant resources to the creation, support and maintenance of such devices. Our websites are designed using responsive technology and are built to provide a positive user experience on a users Internet device, whether a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or personal computer. If we are slow to develop products and technologies that are compatible with such devices, we might fail to capture a significant share of an increasingly important portion of the market for our services.
Our success depends in large part upon our ability to store, retrieve, process and manage substantial amounts of information, including our database of our members. To achieve our strategic objectives and to remain competitive, we must continue to develop and enhance our information systems. Our future success will depend on our ability to adapt to rapidly changing technologies, to adapt our information systems to evolving industry standards and to improve the performance and reliability of our information systems. This may require the acquisition of equipment and software and the development, either internally or through independent consultants, of new proprietary software. Our inability to design, develop, implement and utilize, in a cost-effective manner, information systems that provide the capabilities necessary for us to compete effectively would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.
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An element that is key to our continued growth is the ability of our members and other users that we work with to access any of our websites within acceptable load times. We call this website performance. We have experienced, and may in the future experience, website disruptions, outages and other performance problems due to a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes, human or software errors, capacity constraints due to an overwhelming number of users accessing our websites simultaneously, and denial of service or fraud or security attacks. In some instances, we may not be able to identify the cause or causes of these website performance problems within an acceptable period of time.
If any of our websites are unavailable when users attempt to access them or do not load as quickly as users expect, users may seek other websites to obtain the information or services for which they are looking, and may not return to our websites as often in the future, or at all. This would negatively impact our ability to attract members and other users and increase engagement on our websites. To the extent that we do not effectively address capacity constraints, upgrade our systems as needed and continually develop our technology and network architecture to accommodate actual and anticipated changes in technology, our business, operating results and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.
Our systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption from catastrophic occurrences such as earthquakes, floods, fires, power loss, telecommunication failures, terrorist attacks, cyber-attacks and similar events. For systems which are not based in cloud storage, we have implemented a disaster recovery program, maintained by a third party vendor, which allows us to move production to a back-up data center in the event of a catastrophe. Although this program is functional, it does not yet provide a real-time back-up data center, so if our primary data center shuts down, there will be a period of time that our websites will remain shut down while the transition to the back-up data center takes place. Despite any precautions we may take, the occurrence of a natural disaster or other unanticipated problems at our hosting facilities could result in lengthy interruptions in our services. Furthermore, we do not carry business interruption insurance or cyber security insurance. Therefore, we will not be compensated by third party insurers in the event of service interruption or cyber-attack, and we face the risk that our business may never recover from such an event.
Our members provide us with information relevant to their professional networking and/or career-seeking experience with the option of having their information become public or remain private. If we experience compromises to our security that result in website performance or availability problems, the complete shutdown of our websites or the loss or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, our members may lose trust and confidence in us, and will use our websites less often or stop using our websites entirely. Further, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees, members or customers to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to our information or our members or customers information. Because the methods used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently, often are not recognized until launched against a target and may originate from less regulated and remote areas around the world, we may be unable to proactively address these methods or to implement adequate preventative measures. Any or all of these issues could negatively impact our ability to attract new members and increase engagement by existing members, cause existing members to close their accounts or existing customers to cancel their contracts, subject us to lawsuits, regulatory fines or other action or liability, thereby materially and adversely affecting our reputation, our business, operating results and financial condition.
The reported number of members in our networks is higher than the number of actual individual members because some members have multiple registrations, other members have died or become
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incapacitated, and others may have registered under fictitious names. Given the challenges inherent in identifying these accounts, we do not have a reliable system to accurately identify the number of actual members, and thus we rely on the number of members as our measure of the size of our networks. Further, a substantial majority of our members do not visit our websites on a monthly basis, and a substantial majority of our visits are generated by a minority of our members and users. If the number of our actual members does not meet our expectations or we are unable to increase the breadth and frequency of our visiting members, then our business may not grow as fast as we expect, which would materially and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.
If our members do not update their information or provide accurate and complete information when they join our networks or do not establish sufficient connections, the value of our networks may be negatively impacted because our value proposition as diversity professional networks and as a source of accurate and comprehensive data will be weakened. For example, our hiring solutions customers may find that certain members misidentify their ethnic, national, cultural, racial, religious or gender classification, which could result in mismatches that erode customer confidence in our solutions. Similarly, incomplete or outdated member information would diminish the ability of our marketing solutions customers to reach their target audiences and our ability to provide research data to our customers. Therefore, we must provide features and products that demonstrate the value of our networks to our members and motivate them to add additional, timely and accurate information to their profile and our networks. If we fail to successfully motivate our members to do so, our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
The regulatory framework for privacy issues worldwide is currently in flux and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. Practices regarding the collection, use, storage, transmission and security of personal information by companies operating over the Internet have recently come under increased public scrutiny. The U.S. government, including the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce, has announced that it is reviewing the need for greater regulation for the collection of information concerning consumer behavior on the Internet, including regulation aimed at restricting certain online tracking and targeted advertising practices. In addition, various government and consumer agencies have also called for new regulations and changes in industry practices.
Our business could be adversely affected if legislation or regulations are adopted, interpreted or implemented in a manner that is inconsistent with our current business practices or that require changes to these practices, the design of our websites, products, features or our privacy policy. In particular, the success of our business has been, and we expect will continue to be, driven by our ability to use the data that our members share with us in accordance with each of our website privacy policies and terms of use. Therefore, our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected by any significant change to applicable laws, regulations or industry practices regarding the use or disclosure of data our members choose to share with us, or regarding the manner in which the express or implied consent of consumers for such use and disclosure is obtained. Such changes may require us to modify our products and features, possibly in a material manner, and may limit our ability to develop new products and features that make use of the data that our members voluntarily share with us.
We are subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the United States, including laws regarding data retention, privacy and consumer protection, which are continually evolving and developing. The scope and interpretation of the laws that are or may be applicable to us are often uncertain and may be conflicting. For example, laws relating to the liability of providers of online services for activities of their users and other
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third parties are currently being tested by a number of claims, including actions based on invasion of privacy and other torts, unfair competition, copyright and trademark infringement, and other theories based on the nature and content of the materials searched, the ads posted or the content provided by users. In addition, regulatory authorities are considering a number of legislative and regulatory proposals concerning data protection and other matters that may be applicable to our business. It is difficult to predict how existing laws will be applied to our business and the new laws to which we may become subject.
If we are not able to comply with these laws or regulations or if we become liable under these laws or regulations, we could be harmed, and we may be forced to implement new measures to reduce our exposure to this liability. This may require us to expend substantial resources or to discontinue certain solutions, which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the increased attention focused upon liability issues as a result of lawsuits and legislative proposals could materially harm our reputation or otherwise impact the growth of our business. Any costs incurred as a result of this potential liability could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Demand for our services is sensitive to changes in the level of economic activity. Many companies hire fewer employees when economic activity is slow. Following the financial crisis in 2008, unemployment in the U.S. had increased and hiring activity had been limited. Although the economy has begun to recover and unemployment in the U.S. has improved, if the economy does not continue to recover or worsens, or unemployment returns to high levels, demand for our services and our revenue may be reduced. In addition, lower demand for our services may lead to lower prices for our services. The volatility in global financial markets may also limit our ability to access the capital markets at a time when we would like, or need, to raise capital, which could have an impact on our ability to react to changing economic and business conditions. Accordingly, if the economy does not fully recover or worsens, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
Part of our growth plan is to acquire companies and businesses that we believe will add to and/or expand our service offerings, such as NAPW and Noble Voice, both of which we acquired in 2014. Although we currently have no agreements or commitments with respect to additional material acquisitions or investments in other companies, we may, from time to time, explore opportunities or businesses, to acquire or consolidate some of the companies and businesses in our industry. Depending on the nature of the acquired entity or operations, integration of acquired operations into our present operations may present substantial difficulties. Even where material difficulties are not anticipated, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter such difficulties in integrating acquired operations with our operations, which may result in a delay or the failure to achieve anticipated synergies, increased costs and failures to achieve increases in earnings or cost savings. The difficulties of combining the operations of acquired companies may include, among other things:
| possible conflicts and inconsistencies in information technology, or IT, infrastructures, which could make it costly or impossible to integrate our IT with the IT of our target; |
| possible inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies, business cultures and compensation structures between us and an acquired entity or business; |
| difficulties in the retention of existing customers and attraction of new customers; |
| difficulties in retaining key employees; |
| the identification and elimination of redundant and underperforming operations and assets; |
| diversion of managements attention from ongoing business concerns; |
| the possibility of tax costs or inefficiencies associated with the integration of the operations; and |
| loss of customer goodwill. |
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For these reasons, we may fail to successfully complete the integration of an acquired entity or business, or to realize the anticipated benefits of the integration of an acquired entity or business. Actual cost savings and synergies which may be achieved from an acquired entity or business may be lower than we expect and may take a longer time to achieve than we anticipate. Also, there may be overlap of users and such members of an acquired entity or business and one of our websites that would adversely affect anticipated benefits from such acquisition. One or more of such acquisition-related risks, if realized, could have a material and adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
In the future, as our costs increase, even if our revenues increase, we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to become profitable. In 2015, our strategy is to continue to invest for future growth and we will incur numerous expenses associated with being a publicly-traded company, and as a result we may not be profitable in 2015. In particular, we expect to continue to expend substantial financial and other resources on:
| our technology infrastructure, including website architecture, development tools scalability, availability, performance and security, as well as disaster recovery measures; |
| product development, including investments in our product development team and the development of new features; |
| sales and marketing; and |
| general administration, including legal and accounting expenses related to being a public company. |
These investments may not result in increased revenue or growth in our business. If we fail to continue to grow our revenue and overall business, our business, operating results and financial condition will be harmed. If we fail to effectively manage our growth, our business and operating results could be materially harmed.
We believe that we have developed strong brands, particularly iHispano and Black Career Network, which we believe has contributed significantly in the success of our business. Additionally, we believe that Old NAPW developed, and since the Merger, we have continued to develop, a strong and trusted brand for the NAPW Network that we believe contributes significantly to the success of our Company. That brand is predicated on the idea that professional women will trust it and find immense value in building and maintaining their professional identities and reputations on the NAPW Network platform. Maintaining, protecting and enhancing all of our brands are critical to expanding the base of members for the NAPW Network and PDN Network and increasing their engagement with the product and services offerings of the Company, and will depend largely on our ability to maintain member trust, be a technology leader and continue to provide high-quality offerings, which we may not do successfully in the future. Despite our efforts to protect our brands and prevent their misuse, if others misuse any of our brands or pass themselves off as being endorsed or affiliated with the NAPW Network or the PDN Network, it could harm our reputation and our business could suffer. If members of any of our networks or potential members determine that they can use other platforms, such as social networks, for the same purposes as or as a replacement for the NAPW Network or the PDN Network, or if they choose to blend their professional and social networking activities, our brands and the business of the Company could be harmed. Members of any of our networks could find that new product or service offerings that are introduced are difficult to use or may feel that they degrade their experience with our organization, which could harm the reputation of the networks and the Company for delivering high-quality offerings. Our brands are also important in attracting and maintaining high performing employees. If we do not successfully maintain strong and trusted brands for our networks, the business of the Company could be harmed.
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We regard the protection of our intellectual property as critical to our success. In particular, we must maintain, protect and enhance our brands. We strive to protect our intellectual property rights by relying on federal, state and common law rights, as well as contractual restrictions. In the ordinary course, we enter into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and contractors, and confidentiality agreements with parties with whom we conduct business in order to limit access to, and disclosure and use of, our proprietary information and customized technology platform. However, these contractual arrangements and the other steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property may not prevent the misappropriation of our proprietary information or deter independent development of similar technologies by others.
We pursue the registration of our domain names, trademarks and service marks in the United States and in certain locations outside the United States. Effective trademark, trade dress and domain names are expensive to develop and maintain, both in terms of initial and ongoing registration requirements and the costs of defending our rights. We are seeking to protect our trademarks and domain names, a process that is expensive and may not be successful.
Litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights or determine the validity and scope of proprietary rights claimed by others. Any litigation of this nature, regardless of outcome or merit, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management and technical resources, any of which could adversely affect our business and operating results. We may incur significant costs in enforcing our trademarks against those who attempt to imitate our brands. If we fail to maintain, protect and enhance our intellectual property rights, our business, operating results and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected.
We are currently party to the litigation described under the heading Legal Proceedings in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and may be party to additional lawsuits in the normal course of business. Results of the litigation to which we are a party cannot be predicted with certainty and there can be no assurance that this litigation will be resolved in our favor. Litigation in general is often expensive and disruptive to normal business operations. We may face in the future allegations and lawsuits that we have infringed the intellectual property and other rights of third parties, including patents, privacy, trademarks, copyrights and other rights. Litigation, particularly intellectual property and class action matters, may be protracted and expensive, and the results are difficult to predict. Adverse outcomes may result in significant settlement costs or judgments, require us to modify our products and features while we develop non-infringing substitutes or require us to stop offering certain features.
From time to time, we may face claims against companies that incorporate open source software into their products, claiming ownership of, or demanding release of, the source code, the open source software and/or derivative works that were developed using such software, or otherwise seeking to enforce the terms of the applicable open source license. These claims could also result in litigation, require us to purchase a costly license or require us to devote additional research and development resources to change our solutions, any of which would have a negative effect on our business and operating results.
We are highly dependent on our management and other key employees, including our Chief Executive Officer, Jim Kirsch, our Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Matthew B. Proman, and our President, Star Jones. The skills, knowledge and experience of these individuals, as well as other members of our management team, are critical to the growth of the Company. In particular, with respect to the NAPW Network, Mr. Proman has knowledge regarding the direct mail marketing and business contacts that would be difficult to replace, and Ms. Jones provides significant leadership in the professional womens networking space that no other officer of the Company possesses. Our future performance will be dependent upon the
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continued successful service of members of our management and key employees. We do not maintain key man life insurance for any of the members of our management team or other key personnel. Competition for management in our industry is intense, and although we have entered into employment agreements with Messrs. Kirsch and Proman and Ms. Jones, we may not be able to retain our management and key personnel or attract and retain new management and key personnel in the future, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We depend in part on various Internet search engines, such as Google, Bing and Yahoo!, to direct a significant amount of traffic to our websites. Our ability to maintain the number of visitors directed to our websites is not entirely within our control. Our competitors search engine optimization (SEO) efforts may result in their websites receiving a higher search result page ranking than ours, or Internet search engines could revise their methodologies in an attempt to improve their search results, which could adversely affect the placement of our search result page ranking. If search engine companies modify their search algorithms in ways that are detrimental to our new user growth or in ways that make it harder for our members to use our websites, or if our competitors SEO efforts are more successful than ours, overall growth in our member base could slow, member engagement could decrease, and we could lose existing members. These modifications may be prompted by search engine companies entering the online professional networking market or aligning with competitors. Our websites have experienced fluctuations in search result rankings in the past, and we anticipate similar fluctuations in the future. Any reduction in the number of users directed to our websites would materially harm our business and operating results. Our platform includes connectivity across the social graph, including websites such as Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter. If for any reason these websites discontinue or alter their current open platform policy it could have a negative impact on our user experience and our ability to compete in the same manner we do today.
Wireless communications providers may provide users of mobile devices greater access to websites that compete with our websites at more favorable rates or at faster download speeds. This could have a material adverse effect on the Companys business, operating results and financial condition. Creation of an unequal playing field in terms of Internet access could significantly benefit larger and better capitalized companies competing with us.
We intend to continue to make investments to support our business growth and may require additional funds to increase our sales and marketing efforts and product development and acquire complementary businesses and technologies. We may need to engage in equity or debt financings to secure additional funds. If we raise additional funds through future issuance of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders could suffer significant dilution, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of holders of our common stock. Any debt financing we secure in the future could involve restrictive covenants relating to our capital raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities, including potential acquisitions. We may not be able to obtain additional financing on terms favorable to us, if at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us when we require it, our ability to continue to support our business growth and to respond to business challenges could be significantly impaired, and our business, operating results and financial condition may be materially harmed.
Under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP), the Merger with Old NAPW was accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting as a purchase by the Company of Old NAPW. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total implied purchase price paid for Old NAPW in
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the Merger was allocated to Old NAPWs tangible assets and liabilities and identifiable intangible assets based on their fair values as of the date of completion of the Merger. The excess of the purchase price over those fair values was recorded as goodwill. The Merger has resulted in the creation of goodwill based upon the application of acquisition accounting. To the extent the value of goodwill or identifiable intangible assets become impaired, the Company may be required to incur material non-cash charges relating to such impairment. Such a potential impairment charge could have a material and adverse impact on the Companys operating results.
The Merger Agreement includes obligations of the Company and the former sole shareholder of Old NAPW that survived consummation of the Merger. These obligations include indemnification obligations, which may entitle the Company to seek recovery from the former sole shareholder of Old NAPW for losses related to representations and pre-Merger actions or omissions of Old NAPW, or alternatively, may entitle the former sole shareholder of Old NAPW to seek recovery from the Company for losses related to representations and pre-Merger actions or omissions of the Company.
There can be no assurance that the future operations of the NAPW Network as part of the combined company will result in net income to the Company. The failure of NAPW Network to increase its revenues or improve its gross margins will harm the business of the Company. The Company may not be able to achieve, sustain or increase profitability from the NAPW Network on a quarterly or annual basis in the future. If the business of the NAPW Network grows revenue more slowly than the Company anticipates, if its gross margins fail to improve or its operating expenses exceed the Companys expectations, the Companys operating results will suffer. The prices the Company will charge for NAPW Network membership and related services may decrease, which would reduce the Companys revenues and harm its business. If the Company is unable to sell NAPW Network membership subscriptions at acceptable prices relative to the Companys costs, or if the Company fails to develop and introduce on a timely basis new NAPW Network products and services for NAPW Network members from which the Company can derive additional revenues, the Companys financial results will suffer.
The success of the Company depends, in part, on our ability to realize the anticipated benefits from combining the business of the PDN Network, the NAPW Network and Noble Voice. To realize these anticipated benefits, the business of the NAPW Network must be successfully integrated and combined with the PDN Network, and the Noble Voice business must be combined with both as well. Each of the PDN Network, the NAPW Network and Noble Voice was previously operated by separate and independent companies, and we now face significant challenges in consolidating the functions of the three businesses and integrating both companies technologies, organizations, procedures, policies and operations, as well as addressing the different business cultures at the three companies and retaining key personnel. If the businesses are not successfully integrated, the anticipated benefits of these business combinations may not be realized fully or at all or may take longer to realize than expected. The integration may also be complex and time consuming, and require substantial resources and effort. The integration process and other disruptions resulting from these business combinations may also disrupt the ongoing business of the PDN Network, the NAPW Network and Noble Voice and/or adversely affect relationships with employees, customers and others with whom each business has relationships.
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Our directors and executive officers and their affiliated entities, in the aggregate, beneficially own approximately 64.4% of our outstanding common stock. In particular, Mr. Proman, our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, who beneficially owns approximately 40.1%, together with Mr. Kirsch, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Star Jones, our President, beneficially own in the aggregate approximately 58.3% in the aggregate of our outstanding common stock, and are able to control or influence significantly all matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors. Stockholders other than these principal stockholders are therefore likely to have little influence on decisions regarding such matters. These stockholders may have interests that differ from yours, and they may vote in a way with which you disagree and that may be adverse to your interests. The concentration of ownership of our common stock may have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change of control of the Company, could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their common stock as part of a sale of the Company and may affect the market price of our common stock. This concentration of ownership also limits the number of shares of stock likely to be traded in public markets and therefore will adversely affect liquidity in the trading of our common stock. This concentration of ownership of our common stock may also have the effect of influencing the completion of a change in control that may not necessarily be in the best interests of all of our stockholders.
The trading price of our common stock has been, and is likely to continue to be, volatile. Since shares of our common stock were sold in our initial public offering at a price of $8.00 per share, our stock price has ranged from $2.77 to $8.20 through March 31, 2015. In addition to the factors discussed in this prospectus supplement, the trading price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including price and volume fluctuations in the stock market, including as a result of trends in the economy as a whole or relating to companies in our industry; actual or anticipated fluctuations in our revenue, operating results or key metrics, including our number of members and unique visitors; investor sentiment with respect to our competitors, our business partners and our industry in general; announcements by us or our competitors of significant products or features, technical innovations, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or acquisitions; additional shares of our common stock being sold into the market by us or our existing stockholders or the anticipation of such sales; and other events or factors, including those resulting from war or incidents of terrorism, or responses to these events.
The securities of technology companies, especially Internet companies, have experienced wide fluctuations subsequent to their initial public offerings, including trading at prices below the initial public offering prices. Factors that could affect the price of our common stock include risk factors described in this section. In addition, the securities markets have from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are not related to the operating performance of particular industries or companies. These market fluctuations may also have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
In the Merger, we issued 6,309,845 shares of the Companys common stock to the sole shareholder of Old NAPW and certain executive officers of Old NAPW. None of these shares were registered under the Securities Act, and they will only be able to be resold pursuant to a separate registration statement or an applicable exemption from registration (under both federal and state securities laws). The shares are subject to contractual restrictions under the terms of a registration rights agreement, including a restriction that prohibits the recipients of the shares from selling the shares during the twelve-month period following the closing of the Merger. However, pursuant to the terms of the registration rights agreement, we have filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC to register such shares for sale in secondary public offerings by the holders of the shares. We are required to keep this registration statement effective for the earlier of
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three years or until each recipient of shares in the Merger has sold all of his or her shares. If all or a substantial portion of these shares are resold into the public markets, such transactions may cause a decline in the trading price of our common stock.
The market price of our common stock could decline as a result of substantial sales of our common stock, particularly sales by our directors, executive officers, employees, significant stockholders and recipients of shares issued in connection with the Merger with NAPW, a large number of shares of our common stock becoming available for sale or the perception in the market that holders of a large number of shares intend to sell their shares.
We also expect to register shares of our common stock that we may issue under our employee equity incentive plans. Once registered, these shares will be able to be sold freely in the public market upon issuance.
In addition, on April 2, 2015, the SEC declared effective our universal shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-201341) of which the accompanying prospectus forms a part and that provides for the potential issuance of shares of our common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, rights, warrants, units and debt securities up to an aggregate amount of $100,000,000 and, in addition, the resale of up to 6,309,845 shares of our common stock originally issued to the former sole shareholder of Old NAPW and certain executive officers of Old NAPW. The shares of common stock issued under the universal shelf registration statement will be freely tradable without restriction or further registrations under the Securities Act.
Our common stock trades on the NASDAQ Capital Market (NASDAQ). However, we cannot assure you that our common stock will meet the continued listing requirements to be listed on NASDAQ in the future. The continued listing standards for the NASDAQ Capital Market include, among others, a minimum bid price requirement of $1.00 per share and any of: (i) a minimum stockholders equity of $2.5 million; (ii) a market value of listed securities of at least $35.0 million; or (iii) net income from continuing operations of $500,000 in the most recently completed fiscal year or in the two of the last three fiscal years.
If NASDAQ decides to delist our common stock from trading on its exchange, we could face significant material adverse consequences including:
| a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; |
| a determination that our common stock is a penny stock which will require brokers trading in our common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our common stock; |
| a limited amount of news and analyst coverage for our Company; and |
| a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. |
Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control or changes in our management. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws include provisions that:
| authorize our board of directors to issue, without further action by the stockholders, up to 1,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock; |
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| establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting, including proposed nominations of persons for election to our board of directors, and also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholders notice; |
| provide that our directors may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the total voting power of our outstanding capital stock, voting as a single class; and |
| do not provide for cumulative voting rights (therefore allowing the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock voting in any election of directors to elect all of the directors standing for election, if they should so choose). |
These provisions may frustrate or prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management. In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of business combinations with any interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date on which the stockholder became an interested stockholder.
Management, through documentation, testing and assessment of our internal control over financial reporting has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting had a material weakness related to deficiencies in controls over the segregation of incompatible duties and the application of complex accounting principles as of December 31, 2014. While we believe we have other controls in place that are operating effectively and mitigate the risk of material misstatement, these control deficiencies could result in a misstatement of the presentation and disclosure of our financial statements that would result in a material misstatement in our annual or interim financial statements that would not be prevented or detected.
During 2014 and into the first quarter of 2015, we undertook certain improvements to remediate material weaknesses related to our internal control over financial reporting for the period ended December 31, 2014. Specifically, we implemented new policies to more fully segregate incompatible duties and enhance the overall internal control structure. Additional procedures were written supporting which functions employees with access to the general ledger system can access, which will provide additional internal control enhancements. In addition, we hired additional finance personnel to improve our segregation of incompatible duties within our accounting and financial reporting functions and also engaged a third party external financial reporting specialist with expertise in GAAP and SEC reporting regulations.
If we are unable to effectively remediate this material weakness in a timely manner, or if we identify one or more additional material weaknesses in the future, investors could lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which could have an adverse effect on our share price.
We cannot assure you that additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting will not be identified in the future. Any failure to maintain or implement required new or improved controls, or any difficulties we encounter in their implementation, could result in additional material weaknesses, cause us to fail to meet our periodic reporting obligations or result in material misstatements in our financial statements. Any such failure could also adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and annual auditor attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. The existence of a material weakness could result in errors in our financial statements that could result in a restatement of financial statements, cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, leading to a decline in our share price.
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We will continue to be deemed an emerging growth company under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the JOBS Act) until the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year during which we had total annual gross revenues of $1,000,000,000 (as indexed for inflation) or more; (ii) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the first sale of common stock under our initial public offering registration statement; (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous 3-year period, issued more than $1,000,000,000 in non-convertible debt; or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, as defined by the SEC, which would generally occur upon our attaining a public float of at least $700 million. Once we lose emerging growth company status, we expect the costs and demands placed upon our management to increase, as we would have to comply with additional disclosure and accounting requirements, particularly if our public float should exceed $75 million on the last day of our second fiscal quarter in any fiscal year following our initial public offering, which would disqualify us as a smaller reporting company.
The JOBS Act permits emerging growth companies like us to rely on some of the reduced disclosure requirements that are already available to smaller reporting companies, which are companies that have a public float of less than $75 million. As long as we qualify as an emerging growth company or a smaller reporting company, we would be permitted to omit the auditors attestation on internal control over financial reporting that would otherwise be required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and are also exempt from the requirement to submit say-on-pay, say-on-pay frequency and say-on-parachute votes to our stockholders and may avail ourselves of reduced executive compensation disclosure that is already available to smaller reporting companies.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the exemption from complying with new or revised accounting standards provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act as long as we are an emerging growth company. An emerging growth company can therefore delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of the benefits of this until we are no longer an emerging growth company or until we affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of this exemption. Our financial statements may therefore not be comparable to those of companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.
We will cease to be an emerging growth company at such time as described in the risk factor immediately above. Until such time, however, we cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile and could cause our stock price to decline.
We do not intend to declare or pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. We anticipate that we will retain all of our future earnings for use in the development of our business and for general corporate purposes. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our board of directors. Accordingly, investors must rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investments.
Because the price per share of our common stock sold in this offering may be substantially higher than the book value per share of our common stock, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the common stock you purchase in this offering. After deducting underwriting
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discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of December 31, 2014 would have been approximately $ million, or $ per share of common stock. This represents an immediate increase in the net tangible book value of $ per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate and substantial dilution in as adjusted net tangible book value of $ per share to new investors who purchase our common stock in this offering. See the section of this prospectus supplement entitled Dilution.
Our common stock has from time to time been thinly traded, meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our common stock at or near ask prices at any given time may be relatively small or non-existent. This situation is attributable to a number of factors, including the fact that we are a small company that is relatively unknown to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume, and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse and would be reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our shares until such time as we became more seasoned and viable. As a consequence, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our shares is minimal or non-existent, as compared to a seasoned issuer that has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. We cannot give stockholders any assurance that a broader or more active public trading market for our common stock will develop or be sustained, or that current trading levels will be sustained.
Our management will have broad discretion over the use of proceeds from this offering. The net proceeds from this offering will be used for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, increasing our working capital, financing acquisitions of other companies or businesses that we believe will add to and/or expand our service offerings, repurchasing or redeeming our securities, investments and capital expenditures. Our management will have considerable discretion in the application of the net proceeds, and you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the proceeds are being used appropriately. The net proceeds may be used for corporate purposes that do not improve our operating results or enhance the value of our common stock.
This issuance of shares of common stock in this offering could result in resales of our common stock by our current stockholders concerned about the potential dilution of their holdings. In turn, these resales could have the effect of depressing the market price for our common stock. However, in connection with this offering, our directors and executive officers have entered into lock-up agreements that prohibit them from offering or selling any shares of our common stock held by them during the 90-day period beginning on the date of this prospectus supplement.
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We estimate that our net proceeds from the sale of common stock offered pursuant to this prospectus will be approximately $ million, or approximately $ million if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares, based upon the public offering price of $ per share and after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions, and the estimated offering expenses that are payable by us.
We intend to use the net proceeds from the sales of shares of common stock offered by this prospectus for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, increasing our working capital, financing acquisitions of other companies or businesses that we believe will add to and/or expand our service offerings, repurchasing or redeeming our securities, investments and capital expenditures.
The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures will depend on numerous factors, including our development and commercialization efforts, as well as the amount of cash used in our operations. We therefore cannot estimate with certainty the amount of net proceeds to be used for the purposes described above. We may find it necessary or advisable to use the net proceeds for other purposes, and we will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds.
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If you invest in our common stock, your interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share and the adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock after this offering.
Our net tangible book value on December 31, 2014 was approximately -$6,473,734, or -$0.50 per share. Net tangible book value is total assets minus the sum of liabilities and intangible assets. Net tangible book value per share is net tangible book value divided by the total number of shares outstanding.
After giving effect to the sale of the common stock in this offering at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus supplement and after deducting estimated offering discounts and commissions and expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of December 31, 2014 would have been approximately $ , or $ per share of common stock. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $ per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $ per share to investors participating in this offering. The following table illustrates this dilution per share to investors participating in this offering:
Public offering price per share | $ | |||
Net tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2014 | -$0.50 | |||
Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors in offering | $ | |||
As adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to the offering | $ | |||
Dilution per share to new investors | $ |
The above illustration of dilution per share to investors participating in this offering assumes that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option.
The above discussion and table are based on shares of our common stock issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2014, which does not include the following, all as of December 31, 2014:
| 346,000 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding options under our equity compensation plans, at a weighted-average exercise price of $3.45 per share; |
| 362,500 shares of our common stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding warrants, each with a weighted-average exercise price of $8.34 per share; |
| 154,000 shares of our common stock which are reserved for issuance upon the exercise of future equity awards that may be granted under our equity compensation plans; and |
| Up to additional shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option. |
The information above assumes that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option. If the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, the as adjusted net tangible book value will increase to $ per share, representing an immediate increase in pro forma net tangible book value of $ per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $per share to investors participating in this offering.
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We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock. Moreover, we do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. We intend to use all available cash and liquid assets in the operation and growth of our business. Any future determination about the payment of dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon our earnings, if any, capital requirements, operating and financial conditions and on such other factors as our board of directors deems relevant.
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The following table sets forth our capitalization as of December 31, 2014:
| on an actual basis; and |
| on an as adjusted basis to give effect to the issuance and sale of shares of our common stock in this offering and the use of net proceeds as discussed in Use of Proceeds. |
As of December 31, 2014 | ||||||||
Actual | As Adjusted(1) |
|||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 1,519,467 | $ | |||||
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 25,000,000 shares authorized, 12,928,072 shares issued, actual; 25,000,000 shares authorized, shares issued, as adjusted | 127,280 | |||||||
Additional paid in capital | 58,646,322 | |||||||
Accumulated deficit | (5,094,463 | ) | ||||||
Treasury stock, at cost; 8,382 shares | (37,117 | ) | ||||||
Total stockholders equity | 53,642,022 | |||||||
Total capitalization | $ | 108,803,511 | $ |
(1) | The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after the offering is based on 12,928,072, which is the number of shares outstanding as of April 3, 2015, and excludes: |
| 346,000 shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding options under our equity compensation plans, at a weighted-average exercise price of $3.45 per share; |
| 362,500 shares of our common stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding warrants, each with a weighted-average exercise price of $8.34 per share; |
| 154,000 shares of our common stock which are reserved for issuance upon the exercise of future equity awards that may be granted under our equity compensation plans; and |
| Up to additional shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option. |
This capitalization table should be read in conjunction with Managements Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and our Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and the other financial information included and incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement.
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Aegis Capital Corp. is acting as the representative of the underwriters of the offering, or the representative. We have entered into an underwriting agreement, dated April , 2015, with the representative. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, we have agreed to sell to each underwriter named below and each underwriter named below has severally agreed to purchase, at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus supplement, the number of shares of common stock listed next to its name in the following table:
Underwriter | Number of Shares | |||
Aegis Capital Corp. |
The underwriters are committed to purchase all the shares of common stock offered by us other than those covered by the option to purchase additional shares described below. The obligations of the underwriters may be terminated upon the occurrence of certain events specified in the underwriting agreement. Furthermore, pursuant to the underwriting agreement, the underwriters obligations are subject to customary conditions, representations and warranties contained in the underwriting agreement, such as receipt by the underwriters of officers certificates and legal opinions.
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act and to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in respect thereof.
The underwriters are offering the shares, subject to prior sale, when, as and if issued to and accepted by them, subject to approval of legal matters by their counsel and other conditions specified in the underwriting agreement. The underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part.
The underwriters propose to offer the shares offered by us to the public at the public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus supplement. In addition, the underwriters may offer some of the shares to other securities dealers at such price less a concession of $ per share. After the initial offering, the public offering price and concession to dealers may be changed.
We have granted the underwriters an over-allotment option. This option, which is exercisable for up to forty-five (45) days after the date of this prospectus supplement, permits the underwriters to purchase a maximum of additional shares from us. If the underwriters exercise all or part of this option, they will purchase shares covered by the option at the public offering price that appears on the cover page of this prospectus supplement, less the underwriting discount. If this option is exercised in full, the total price to the public will be approximately $ and the total proceeds to us, before expenses, will be approximately $ .
Discounts and Commissions. The following table shows the public offering price, underwriting discount and proceeds, before expenses, to us. The information assumes either no exercise or full exercise by the underwriters of their option.
Per Share | Total Without Over-Allotment Option |
Total With Over-Allotment Option |
||||||||||
Public offering price | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Underwriting discount (7.0%) | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us | $ | $ | $ |
We have paid an expense deposit of $10,000 to the representative, which will be applied against the accountable expenses that will be paid by us to the representative in connection with this offering. The underwriting agreement provides that in the event the offering is terminated, the $10,000 expense deposit paid to the representative will be returned to us to the extent that offering expenses are not actually incurred by the representative.
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We have agreed to pay all expenses relating to the offering, including: (a) all filing fees and communication expenses relating to the registration of the shares to be sold in the offering (including shares sold upon exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option) with the Securities and Exchange Commission; (b) all fees associated with the review of the offering by FINRA and all fees and expenses relating to the listing of such shares on NASDAQ; (c) all fees, expenses and disbursements relating to background checks of the Companys officers and directors in an amount not to exceed $5,000 per individual and $15,000 in the aggregate (d) all fees, expenses and disbursements relating to the registration, qualification or exemption of securities offered under the blue sky securities laws designated by the underwriters; (e) all fees, expenses and disbursements relating to the registration, qualification or exemption of securities offered under the securities laws of foreign jurisdictions designated by the underwriters; (f) fees and expenses of the underwriters legal counsel not to exceed $50,000; (g) the $25,000 cost associated with the use of Ipreos book building, prospectus tracking, and compliance software for the offering; and (h) up to $10,000 of the underwriters actual accountable road show expenses for the offering.
We estimate that the total expenses of the offering payable by us, excluding the underwriting discount and expense reimbursement, will be approximately $ .
Pursuant to certain lock-up agreements, (a) our executive officers, directors and shareholders who hold more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Company as of the date of this prospectus, have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, not to offer, issue, sell, contract to sell, encumber, grant any option for the sale of or otherwise dispose of any securities of the Company without the prior written consent of the representative, for a period of ninety (90) days from of date of this prospectus supplement, and (b) we, and any successor, have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, not to for a period of 3 months from the date of the pricing of the offering (1) offer, pledge, 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, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of our capital stock; (2) file or caused to be filed any registration statement with the SEC relating to the offering of any shares of our capital stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of our capital stock; or (3) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of our capital stock, whether any such transaction described in (1), (2), or (3) above is to be settled by delivery of shares of our capital stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.
This lock-up provision applies to common stock and to securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for common stock. It also applies to common stock owned now or acquired later by the person executing the agreement or for which the person executing the agreement later acquires the power of disposition. The exceptions permit, among other things and subject to restrictions, (1) the issuance by us of stock options or shares of capital pursuant to our existing stock incentive plans, or (2) the issuance of common stock upon the exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants or conversion of securities of the Company that are currently outstanding.
The restricted period described in the preceding paragraph will be extended if:
| during the last 17 days of the restricted period we issue a release regarding earnings or regarding material news or events relating to us; or |
| prior to the expiration of the restricted period, we announce that we will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the period, in which case the restrictions described in the preceding paragraph will continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event. |
Electronic Offer, Sale and Distribution Shares. A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the websites maintained by one or more of the underwriters or selling group members, if any, participating in this offering and one or more of the underwriters participating in this offering may distribute prospectuses electronically. The representative may agree to allocate a number of shares to underwriters and selling group members for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the
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underwriters and selling group members that will make internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on these websites is not part of, nor incorporated by reference into, this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved or endorsed by us or any underwriter in its capacity as underwriter, and should not be relied upon by investors.
Other Relationships. Certain of the underwriters and their affiliates have provided, and may in the future provide, various investment banking, commercial banking and other financial services for us and our affiliates for which they have received, and may in the future receive, customary fees and expense reimbursements. Except as disclosed in this prospectus, we have no present arrangements with any of the underwriters for any further services.
Stabilization. In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in stabilizing transactions, overallotment transactions, syndicate covering transactions, penalty bids and purchases to cover positions created by short sales.
| Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase shares so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum, and are engaged in for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the shares while the offering is in progress. |
| Overallotment transactions involve sales by the underwriters of shares in excess of the number of shares the underwriters are obligated to purchase. This creates a syndicate short position which may be either a covered short position or a naked short position. In a covered short position, the number of shares over-allotted by the underwriters is not greater than the number of shares that they may purchase pursuant to their option to purchase additional shares. In a naked short position, the number of shares involved is greater than the number of shares pursuant to their option to purchase additional shares. The underwriters may close out any short position by exercising their option to purchase additional shares and/or purchasing shares in the open market. |
| Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of shares in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. In determining the source of shares to close out the short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared with the price at which they may purchase shares through exercise of their option to purchase additional shares. If the underwriters sell more shares than could be covered by exercise of the option to purchase additional shares and, therefore, have a naked short position, the position can be closed out only by buying shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that after pricing there could be downward pressure on the price of the shares in the open market that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. |
| Penalty bids permit the representative to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the shares originally sold by that syndicate member are purchased in stabilizing or syndicate covering transactions to cover syndicate short positions. |
These stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our shares or common stock or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our shares or common stock. As a result, the price of our common stock in the open market may be higher than it would otherwise be in the absence of these transactions. Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our common stock. These transactions may be effected on the NASDAQ Capital Market, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
Passive market making. In connection with this offering, underwriters and selling group members may engage in passive market making transactions in our common stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act, during a period before the commencement of offers or sales of the shares and extending through the completion of the distribution. A passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid of that
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security. However, if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market makers bid, then that bid must then be lowered when specified purchase limits are exceeded.
Right of First Refusal. For a period of six (6) months from the date of closing of this offering, Aegis Capital Corp., the representative, shall have an irrevocable right of first refusal to act as to act as sole and exclusive investment banker, sole and exclusive book-runner, sole and exclusive financial advisor, sole and exclusive underwriter and/or sole and exclusive placement agent, at the representatives sole and exclusive discretion, for each and every future public and private equity and debt offering, including all equity linked financings, during such six (6) month period, of the Company.
Other than in the United States, no action has been taken by us or the underwriters that would permit a public offering of the securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. The securities offered by this prospectus may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, nor may this prospectus or any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the offer and sale of any such securities be distributed or published in any jurisdiction, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of that jurisdiction. Persons into whose possession this prospectus comes are advised to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to the offering and the distribution of this prospectus. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or a solicitation is unlawful.
This prospectus is not a disclosure document under Chapter 6D of the Australian Corporations Act, has not been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and does not purport to include the information required of a disclosure document under Chapter 6D of the Australian Corporations Act. Accordingly, (i) the offer of the common stock under this prospectus supplement is only made to persons to whom it is lawful to offer the common stock without disclosure under Chapter 6D of the Australian Corporations Act under one or more exemptions set out in section 708 of the Australian Corporations Act, (ii) this prospectus is made available in Australia only to those persons as set forth in clause (i) above, and (iii) the offeree must be sent a notice stating in substance that by accepting this offer, the offeree represents that the offeree is such a person as set forth in clause (i) above, and, unless permitted under the Australian Corporations Act, agrees not to sell or offer for sale within Australia any of the common stock sold to the offeree within twelve (12) months after its transfer to the offeree under this prospectus.
The information in this document does not constitute a public offer of the common stock, whether by way of sale or subscription, in the Peoples Republic of China (excluding, for purposes of this paragraph, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan). The common stock may not be offered or sold directly or indirectly in the PRC to legal or natural persons other than directly to qualified domestic institutional investors.
The information in this document has been prepared on the basis that all offers of common stock will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Directive 2003/71/EC (Prospectus Directive), as implemented in Member States of the European Economic Area (each, a Relevant Member State), from the requirement to produce a prospectus for offers of securities.
An offer to the public of common stock has not been made, and may not be made, in a Relevant Member State except pursuant to one of the following exemptions under the Prospectus Directive as implemented in that Relevant Member State:
(a) | to legal entities that are authorized or regulated to operate in the financial markets or, if not so authorized or regulated, whose corporate purpose is solely to invest in securities; |
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(b) | to any legal entity that has two or more of (i) an average of at least 250 employees during its last fiscal year; (ii) a total balance sheet of more than €43,000,000 (as shown on its last annual unconsolidated or consolidated financial statements) and (iii) an annual net turnover of more than €50,000,000 (as shown on its last annual unconsolidated or consolidated financial statements); |
(c) | to fewer than 100 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive) subject to obtaining the prior consent of the Company or any underwriter for any such offer; or |
(d) | in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive, provided that no such offer of common stock shall result in a requirement for the publication by the Company of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive. |
This document is not being distributed in the context of a public offering of financial securities (offre au public de titres financiers) in France within the meaning of Article L.411-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code (Code monétaire et financier) and Articles 211-1 et seq. of the General Regulation of the French Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). The common stock has not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France.
This document and any other offering material relating to the common stock have not been, and will not be, submitted to the AMF for approval in France and, accordingly, may not be distributed or caused to distributed, directly or indirectly, to the public in France.
Such offers, sales and distributions have been and shall only be made in France to (i) qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) acting for their own account, as defined in and in accordance with Articles L.411-2-II-2° and D.411-1 to D.411-3, D. 744-1, D.754-1 and D.764-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code and any implementing regulation and/or (ii) a restricted number of non-qualified investors (cercle restreint dinvestisseurs) acting for their own account, as defined in and in accordance with Articles L.411-2-II-2° and D.411-4, D.744-1, D.754-1 and D.764-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code and any implementing regulation.
Pursuant to Article 211-3 of the General Regulation of the AMF, investors in France are informed that the common stock cannot be distributed (directly or indirectly) to the public by the investors otherwise than in accordance with Articles L.411-1, L.411-2, L.412-1 and L.621-8 to L.621-8-3 of the French Monetary and Financial Code.
The information in this document does not constitute a prospectus under any Irish laws or regulations and this document has not been filed with or approved by any Irish regulatory authority as the information has not been prepared in the context of a public offering of securities in Ireland within the meaning of the Irish Prospectus (Directive 2003/71/EC) Regulations 2005 (the Prospectus Regulations). The common stock has not been offered or sold, and will not be offered, sold or delivered directly or indirectly in Ireland by way of a public offering, except to (i) qualified investors as defined in Regulation 2(l) of the Prospectus Regulations and (ii) fewer than 100 natural or legal persons who are not qualified investors.
The common stock offered by this prospectus supplement has not been approved or disapproved by the Israeli Securities Authority, or ISA, nor has such common stock been registered for sale in Israel. The shares may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in Israel, absent the publication of a prospectus. The ISA has not issued permits, approvals or licenses in connection with the offering or publishing the prospectus supplement; nor has it authenticated the details included herein, confirmed their reliability or completeness, or rendered an opinion as to the quality of the common stock being offered. Any resale in Israel, directly or indirectly, to the public of the common stock offered by this prospectus supplement is subject to restrictions on transferability and must be effected only in compliance with the Israeli securities laws and regulations.
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The offering of the common stock in the Republic of Italy has not been authorized by the Italian Securities and Exchange Commission (Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa, CONSOB) pursuant to the Italian securities legislation and, accordingly, no offering material relating to the common stock may be distributed in Italy and such securities may not be offered or sold in Italy in a public offer within the meaning of Article 1.1(t) of Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24 February 1998 (Decree No. 58), other than:
| to Italian qualified investors, as defined in Article 100 of Decree no. 58 by reference to Article 34-ter of CONSOB Regulation no. 11971 of 14 May 1999 (Regulation no. 1197l) as amended (Qualified Investors); and |
| in other circumstances that are exempt from the rules on public offer pursuant to Article 100 of Decree No. 58 and Article 34-ter of Regulation No. 11971 as amended. |
Any offer, sale or delivery of the common stock or distribution of any offer document relating to the common stock in Italy (excluding placements where a Qualified Investor solicits an offer from the issuer) under the paragraphs above must be:
| made by investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in Italy in accordance with Legislative Decree No. 385 of 1 September 1993 (as amended), Decree No. 58, CONSOB Regulation No. 16190 of 29 October 2007 and any other applicable laws; and |
| in compliance with all relevant Italian securities, tax and exchange controls and any other applicable laws. |
Any subsequent distribution of the common stock in Italy must be made in compliance with the public offer and prospectus requirement rules provided under Decree No. 58 and the Regulation No. 11971 as amended, unless an exception from those rules applies. Failure to comply with such rules may result in the sale of such common stock being declared null and void and in the liability of the entity transferring the common stock for any damages suffered by the investors.
The common stock has not been and will not be registered under Article 4, paragraph 1 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948), as amended (the FIEL) pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements applicable to a private placement of securities to Qualified Institutional Investors (as defined in and in accordance with Article 2, paragraph 3 of the FIEL and the regulations promulgated thereunder). Accordingly, the common stock may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan other than Qualified Institutional Investors. Any Qualified Institutional Investor who acquires common stock may not resell them to any person in Japan that is not a Qualified Institutional Investor, and acquisition by any such person of common stock is conditional upon the execution of an agreement to that effect.
This document is not being distributed in the context of a public offer of financial securities (oferta pública de valores mobiliários) in Portugal, within the meaning of Article 109 of the Portuguese Securities Code (Código dos Valores Mobiliários). The common stock has not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in Portugal. This document and any other offering material relating to the common stock have not been, and will not be, submitted to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (Comissão do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários) for approval in Portugal and, accordingly, may not be distributed or caused to distributed, directly or indirectly, to the public in Portugal, other than under circumstances that are deemed not to qualify as a public offer under the Portuguese Securities Code. Such offers, sales and distributions of common stock in Portugal are limited to persons who are qualified investors (as defined in the Portuguese Securities Code). Only such investors may receive this document and they may not distribute it or the information contained in it to any other person.
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This document has not been, and will not be, registered with or approved by Finansinspektionen (the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority). Accordingly, this document may not be made available, nor may the common stock be offered for sale in Sweden, other than under circumstances that are deemed not to require a prospectus under the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act (1991:980) (Sw. lag (1991:980) om handel med finansiella instrument)). Any offering of common stock in Sweden is limited to persons who are qualified investors (as defined in the Financial Instruments Trading Act). Only such investors may receive this document and they may not distribute it or the information contained in it to any other person.
The common stock may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX) or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering material relating to the common stock may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
Neither this document nor any other offering material relating to the common stock have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of common stock will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority.
This document is personal to the recipient only and not for general circulation in Switzerland.
Neither this document nor the common stock has been approved, disapproved or passed on in any way by the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates or any other governmental authority in the United Arab Emirates, nor has the Company received authorization or licensing from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates or any other governmental authority in the United Arab Emirates to market or sell the common stock within the United Arab Emirates. This document does not constitute and may not be used for the purpose of an offer or invitation. No services relating to the common stock, including the receipt of applications and/or the allotment or redemption of such shares, may be rendered within the United Arab Emirates by us.
No offer or invitation to subscribe for common stock is valid or permitted in the Dubai International Financial Centre.
Neither the information in this document nor any other document relating to the offer has been delivered for approval to the Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom and no prospectus (within the meaning of section 85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (FSMA)) has been published or is intended to be published in respect of the common stock. This document is issued on a confidential basis to qualified investors (within the meaning of section 86(7) of FSMA) in the United Kingdom, and the common stock may not be offered or sold in the United Kingdom by means of this document, any accompanying letter or any other document, except in circumstances which do not require the publication of a prospectus pursuant to section 86(1) FSMA. This document should not be distributed, published or reproduced, in whole or in part, nor may its contents be disclosed by recipients to any other person in the United Kingdom.
Any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of FSMA) received in connection with the issue or sale of the common stock has only been communicated or caused to be communicated and will only be communicated or caused to be communicated in the United Kingdom in circumstances in which section 21(1) of FSMA does not apply to the Company.
In the United Kingdom, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed at, persons (i) who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) (investment professionals) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotions) Order 2005 (FPO);
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(ii) who fall within the categories of persons referred to in Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.) of the FPO; or (iii) to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated (together relevant persons). The investments to which this document relates are available only to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to purchase will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.
McGuireWoods LLP, New York, New York will pass upon certain legal matters relating to the issuance and sale of the common stock offered hereby on behalf of Professional Diversity Network, Inc. Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference LLP, New York, New York.
The financial statements of Professional Diversity Network, Inc. appearing in Professional Diversity Network Inc.s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, have been audited by Marcum LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
S-35
We may offer and sell from time to time, in one or more offerings, together or separately, any combination of the securities described in this prospectus, which we refer to as the securities. The aggregate initial offering price of the securities will not exceed $100,000,000. This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply to the securities and the general manner in which they may be offered. We will describe the specific terms of the securities that we offer, and the specific manner in which they may be offered, in one or more supplements to this prospectus at the time of each offering and sale.
In addition, the selling stockholders (as defined herein) identified in this prospectus may from time to time, offer and sell up to an aggregate of 6,309,845 shares of our common stock in one or more offerings. Unless otherwise stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of shares offered by the selling stockholders.
We and the selling stockholders may offer the securities on a continuous or delayed basis from time to time directly or through underwriters, dealers or agents, in one or more public or private transactions, or through any other means described in the section of this prospectus titled Plan of Distribution. The securities may be offered at fixed prices, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. If any offering involves underwriters, dealers or agents, we will describe our arrangements with them in the prospectus supplement that relates to that offering.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol IPDN. On March 30, 2015, the closing price of our common stock was $5.00 per share. You are urged to obtain current market quotations of our common stock.
Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3, in no event will we sell securities in a primary public offering with a value exceeding more than one-third of the aggregate market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates (our public float) in any 12-month period so long as our public float remains below $75 million. As of the date of this prospectus, our public float was approximately $22,984,785. Accordingly, based on our public float as of the date of this prospectus, we may only sell $7,661,595 worth of securities under General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3 in any 12-month period. We have not sold any securities pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3 during the 12 calendar months prior to and including the date of this prospectus.
This prospectus may not be used to sell securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement. Before investing, you should carefully read this prospectus and any related prospectus supplement.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See Risk Factors beginning on page 7 of this prospectus and in the documents we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus for certain risks and uncertainties you should consider.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is, March 31, 2015.
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This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, using a shelf registration process. By using a shelf registration statement, we may, from time to time, sell any or all of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. In addition, the selling stockholders named in this prospectus may from time to time sell up to 6,309,845 shares of our common stock in one or more transactions.
This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we or the selling stockholders offer and sell any of these securities we will provide a prospectus supplement that contains specific information about the terms of that offering. We may also prepare free writing prospectuses that describe particular securities. Any free writing prospectus should also be read in connection with this prospectus and with any prospectus supplement referred to therein. In this prospectus, any reference to an applicable prospectus supplement may also refer to a free writing prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires.
A prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information contained in this prospectus and a prospectus supplement, then you should rely on the information in that prospectus supplement. Before purchasing any of our securities, you should carefully read both this prospectus and each applicable prospectus supplement, together with the additional information described under the headings Where You Can Find More Information and Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.
The registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, including exhibits to that registration statement, provides additional information about us and the securities offered under this prospectus. The registration statement may be read at the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov or at the SECs office mentioned under the heading Where You Can Find More Information below. Whenever a reference is made in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement to a contract or other document, the reference is only a summary and you should refer to the exhibits that are a part of the registration statement for a copy of the contract or other document.
When used in this prospectus, the terms the Company, we, our and us refer to Professional Diversity Network, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it.
You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, as well as information we previously filed with the SEC and have incorporated by reference, is accurate as of the date of the front cover of this prospectus only. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date. Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor any distribution of securities pursuant to this prospectus shall, under any circumstances, create any implication that there has been no change in the information set forth or incorporated by reference into this prospectus or in our affairs since the date of this prospectus.
This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, the securities offered by this prospectus, in any jurisdiction to or from any person to whom or from whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation of an offer in such jurisdiction.
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We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy materials that we have filed with the SEC at its Public Reference Room located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. We also file these documents with the SEC electronically. You can access the electronic versions of these filings on the SECs website found at http://www.sec.gov and at our website described below.
The SECs rules allow us to incorporate by reference information into this prospectus. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document. Any information referred to in this way is considered part of this prospectus from the date we file that document. Any reports filed by us with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and before the date that the offering of securities by means of this prospectus and a prospectus supplement is terminated will automatically update and, where applicable, supersede any information contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus the following documents or information filed with the SEC (other than, in each case, documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with the SECs rules):
| Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014; |
| Our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 12, 2015; and |
| The description of our common stock set forth under the heading Description of Registrants Securities to be Registered in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed on March 1, 2013, or any other amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
All documents filed by us pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act) after the date of this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement and prior to the termination of the offering shall also be deemed to be incorporated herein by reference and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. We are not, however, incorporating by reference any documents or portions thereof, whether specifically listed above or filed in the future, that are deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with the SECs rules.
Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
We will provide, without charge, copies of all documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, other than exhibits to those documents that have not been specifically incorporated by reference into this prospectus. You may obtain documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus on our website at www.prodivnet.com or by requesting them in writing or by telephone from us at the following address and telephone number:
Professional Diversity Network, Inc.
801 W. Adams Street, Suite 600
Chicago, Illinois 60607
(312) 614-0950
The information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement and you should not consider it a part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement.
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Information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and, if applicable, any prospectus supplement, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and often use words such as may, plan, contemplate, anticipate, believe, intend, continue, expect, project, predict, estimate, could, should, would, will, goal, target and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results or performance and by their nature involve certain risks and uncertainties that are based on managements beliefs and assumptions and on the information available to management at the time that these disclosures were prepared. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include estimates with respect to our financial condition, expected or anticipated income, results of operations and business that are subject to various factors, risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from these estimates, including, without limitation, the following:
| failure to realize synergies and other financial benefits from mergers and acquisitions within the expected time frame, including increases in expected costs or difficulties related to integration of merger and acquisition partners; |
| inability to identify and successfully negotiate and complete additional combinations with potential merger or acquisition partners or to successfully integrate such businesses, including our ability to realize the benefits and cost savings from and limit any unexpected liabilities acquired as a result of any such business combination; |
| our historical dependence on two customers, LinkedIn, which ceased being a customer as of March 29, 2014, and Apollo Group, which ceased being a customer as of October 9, 2014; |
| our operating loss in 2013 and 2014; |
| our limited operating history in a new and unproven market; |
| increasing competition in the market for online professional networks; |
| our ability to comply with increasing governmental regulation and other legal obligations related to privacy; |
| our ability to adapt to changing technologies and social trends and preferences; |
| our ability to attract and retain a sales and marketing team, management and other key personnel and the ability of that team to execute on the companys business strategies and plans; |
| our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our intellectual property; |
| any future litigation regarding our business, including intellectual property claims; |
| general and economic business conditions; and |
| legal and regulatory developments. |
Additional factors, risks and uncertainties that may affect our results are discussed in Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and in our subsequent filings with the SEC. You should consider these factors, risks and uncertainties when evaluating any forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statement was made.
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The Company is both the operator of the Professional Diversity Network (the PDN Network, PDN or the Professional Diversity Network) and a holding company for NAPW, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and the operator of the National Association of Professional Women (the NAPW Network or NAPW). The NAPW Network became part of the Company on September 24, 2014 upon the closing of the Companys merger transaction with NAPW Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company ( Merger Sub), NAPW, Inc., a New York corporation (Old NAPW), and Matthew B. Proman, the sole shareholder of Old NAPW (Proman), pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 11, 2014 (the Merger Agreement). In accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement, on the closing date of the transaction, Old NAPW merged with and into Merger Sub (the Merger). As a result of the Merger, the separate corporate existence of Old NAPW ceased and Merger Sub continues as the surviving corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and was renamed NAPW, Inc.
The NAPW Network. The NAPW Network is a for-profit membership organization for professional women that the Company believes, with approximately 700,000 members, is the most prominent women-only professional networking organization in the United States. Members of the NAPW Network enjoy a wealth of resources dedicated to developing their professional networks, furthering their education and skills and promoting their businesses and career accomplishments. We provide NAPW Network members with opportunities to network and develop valuable business relationships with other professionals through NAPWs website, as well as at events hosted at hundreds of local chapters across the United States. Through the NAPW Network website, members are able to create, manage and share their professional identity online, build and engage with their professional network and promote themselves and their businesses. In addition to online networking, NAPW Network members can participate in a number of local events held across the United States, including monthly chapter meetings, business expos, charitable events and other events developed specifically to facilitate face-to-face networking with other professional women. NAPW has historically sponsored, and the Company expects to continue to sponsor, a National Networking Conference that provides participants the opportunity to network with other members, hear presentations from keynote speakers and participate in break-out sessions.
NAPW Network members can also promote their career achievements and their businesses through placement on the NAPW Network websites home page, in proprietary press releases, in the online Member Marketplace and in monthly newsletter publications. In addition to networking and promotional opportunities, NAPW Network members are also provided with the ability to further develop their skills and expand their knowledge base through monthly newsletters, online and in-person seminars, webinars and certification courses. NAPW Network Members are also provided exclusive discounts on third-party products and services through partnerships with valuable brands that include Lenovo personal computers and GEICO insurance.
The PDN Network. The PDN Network operated by the Company consists of online professional networking communities dedicated to serving diverse professionals in the United States and employers seeking to hire diverse talent. Our networking communities harness our relationship recruitment methodology to facilitate and empower professional networking within common affinities. We believe that those within a common affinity often are more aggressive in helping others within their affinity progress professionally. The Company operates these relationship recruitment affinity groups within the following sectors: Women, Hispanic-Americans, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Disabled, Military Professionals, Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT), and Student and Graduates seeking to transition from education to career. Our online platform provides employers a means to identify and acquire diverse talent and assist them with their efforts to comply with the Equal Employment Opportunity-Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP).
As of December 31, 2014, the Company had approximately 3,487,000 PDN Network registered users. We expect that continued membership growth of the PDN Network will enable us to further develop our menu of online professional diversity networking and career placement solutions. Additionally, the Company has established systems to distribute jobs in an OFCCP compliant manner to career agencies, including those of state and local governments.
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We currently provide registered PDN Network users with access to our websites at no cost, a strategy which we believe will allow us to continue to grow our membership base and promote high levels of member engagement for the mutual benefit of members and employers.
The Company continues to expand its relationships with key strategic alliances that we believe are valuable to our core clients. The Company currently maintains relationships with the following key strategic allies: National Urban League, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, VetJobs, DisabledPersons.com, a leading not-for-profit organization serving employment needs of people with disabilities, National Able Veterans Exchange, Leave No Veteran Behind, ALPFA, an organization dedicated to building Latino business leaders, Latino(a)s in Tech Innovation & Social Media, Illinois Hispanic Nursing Association, Women in Biology, Black Sales Journal, Ebony Magazine and numerous others. New marquis partnerships have been entered into with the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources, The Grio and the National Association of Women MBAs. The Company considers its partner alliances to be a key value to its clients because it enables the Company to expand its job distribution and outreach efforts.
The PDN Network provides NAPW Network members with direct access to employers seeking to hire professional women at a high level of connectivity and efficiency. The Merger has enabled the Company to match members with our employment partners, and then converse with the member to confirm such members desire to take the position we matched them to, confirm such member is qualified for the position and directly notify the employer about a member that we have qualified and confirmed has competed an application within the employers recruitment system. The PDN HireAdvantEdge product delivers enhanced membership value to those members seeking to reenter the workforce or to upgrade their professional employment condition. This benefit comes at no additional cost to members, reinforcing the membership value proposition and creating long-term value. In additional to HireAdvantEdge, Professional Diversity Network provides alternative values to members who are employed or are seeking employment, including, but not limited to, our resume optimizing services, our semantic search job alerts and a new professional networking platform based upon PDNs award winning core networking technology.
For those members who are self-employed, the PDN Network is launching a NAPW Certified Women-Owned Business program that will include an online marketplace for companies to source services from an NAPW Certified Women-Owned Business.
In the next few years, NAPW expects to host networking events in major markets around the nation, which will leverage the existing PDN events platform. Because the PDN networking career events are already being conducted, we have the ability to add an additional event for NAPW at the same venue, one hour after the PDN event ends, at a substantially lower cost than hosting a stand-alone NAPW event. Employers who sponsor the PDN career networking events will have the opportunity to participate in the NAPW event and meet with members to discuss employment opportunities in what we believe is an inviting and upscale networking environment. We believe that providing the opportunity for NAPW members to meet, outside of the monthly local chapter events and the single national event NAPW hosts, will add additional value to all NAPW members. That is, instead of attending one national event in New York, as was the case in 2014, in future years, NAPW Network members will be able to attend any or all of our PDN Network events, at no additional cost, and non-members may attend, subject to certain restrictions, by paying certain fees to NAPW.
Collectively, these PDN products and services are being deployed to provide enhanced value to the NAPW membership experience, which we believe will be an important component in increasing both the number of new memberships and renewals of existing memberships.
In a similar manner, NAPW provides PDN with an enhanced value proposition to our corporate recruitment business partners by providing a unique talent source of engaged and professional women. The same HireAdvantEdge service that creates value for members by matching them with employers in a high touch manner provides employers with a very desirable candidate in an efficient, resourced and qualified manner. Furthermore, by adding NAPW events after PDN Career Networking Conferences, PDN will have opportunities to market upgrades to the exhibiters who recruit at the PDN events that will allow such exhibiters to participate in the NAPW membership networking event and meet members who may be potential
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employees for their companies. Exhibiters will be able to receive more exposure to more candidates because of the fact that the NAPW Networking Event will be held after PDNs Career Networking Conference.
On November 26, 2014, the Company acquired the assets of Global Outreach Ventures, Inc. (Global Outreach), a career consultation company. The principal assets of Global Outreach consisted of its two subsidiaries, Noble Voice LLC and Compliant Lead LLC, which together employ approximately 300 full and part-time employees located in Detroit, Michigan and Darien, Illinois. In connection with the acquisition, Noble Voice LLC and Compliant Lead LLC became wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company, and the Company issued 300,000 shares to the owners of Global Outreach and assumed a promissory note in the amount of approximately $1,000,000, but subject to modification based upon collected accounts receivable and assumed accounts payable included among these assets.
The Company was originally formed as IH Acquisition, LLC under the laws of the State of Illinois on October 30, 2003. On February 4, 2004, the Company changed its name to iHispano.com LLC. In 2007, the Company changed its business platform and implemented technology to operate its business as the operator of communities of professional networking sites for diverse professionals. On March 15, 2012, the Company changed its name to Professional Diversity Network, LLC. On March 5, 2013, the Company reorganized its business, converting from an LLC into a Delaware corporation in conjunction with its initial public offering of common stock.
The Companys principal executive offices are located at 801 W. Adams Street, Suite 600, Chicago, Illinois, 60607 and its telephone number is (312) 614-0950. The Companys website address is www.prodivnet.com. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement and you should not consider it a part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement.
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An investment in our securities involves risks. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully read and consider the risk factors incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including the risk factors incorporated by reference from our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as updated by our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other SEC filings filed after such annual report, as well as those contained in any applicable prospectus supplement, as the same may be updated from time to time by our future filings with the SEC under the Exchange Act. You should also refer to other information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, including our financial statements and the related notes incorporated by reference herein or therein. Additional risks and uncertainties not known to us at this time or that we currently deem immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our business operations and prospects.
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Except as otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds from the sale of securities offered under this prospectus for general corporate purposes. These purposes may include:
| working capital; |
| repaying, reducing or refinancing indebtedness; |
| financing acquisitions of other companies that we believe will add to and/or expand our service offerings; |
| repurchasing or redeeming our securities; |
| investments; and |
| capital expenditures. |
The precise amounts and the timing of our use of the net proceeds will depend upon market conditions, the availability of other funds and other factors. Until we use the net proceeds from the sale of any of our securities for general corporate purposes, we may use the net proceeds of an offering to reduce our short-term indebtedness or for temporary investments, or we may hold the net proceeds in deposit accounts we maintain at one or more depository institutions.
Unless otherwise stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the shares offered by the selling stockholders.
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We will set forth in a prospectus supplement the following information regarding any material dilution of the equity interests of investors purchasing securities in an offering under this prospectus, if required at that time:
| the net tangible book value per share of our equity securities before and after the offering; |
| the amount of the increase in such net tangible book value per share attributable to the cash payments made by purchasers in the offering; and |
| the amount of immediate dilution from the public offering price which will be absorbed by such purchases. |
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The following summary is a description of the material terms of our capital stock. This summary is not meant to be complete and is qualified by reference to the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, each as amended. You are urged to read those documents carefully. Copies of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws are incorporated by reference in this prospectus. See Where You Can Find More Information and Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference
Our authorized capital stock consists of 25,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share. As of March 31, 2015, 12,928,072 shares of our common stock are issued and outstanding, including 1,198,870 shares of restricted stock issued pursuant to the Merger. As of March 31, 2015, no shares of preferred stock are issued and outstanding.
General. We may issue and offer shares of our common stock. Shares of common stock that we may issue will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
Voting Rights. Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, including the election of directors. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws do not provide for cumulative voting rights. Because of this, the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock entitled to vote in any election of directors can elect all of the directors standing for election, if they should so choose.
Dividend Rights. The holders of our outstanding shares of common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared out of legally available funds at the times and the amounts as our board of directors may from time to time determine.
No Preemptive or Similar Rights. Our common stock is not entitled to preemptive rights and is not subject to conversion or redemption.
Liquidation Rights. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities and liquidation preferences of preferred stock, if any.
Other Matters. Holders of our common stock have no preemptive or conversion rights and they are not subject to further calls or assessment by us. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock.
Transfer Agent and Registrar. Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company is the transfer agent and registrar for our common stock.
Listing. Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol IPDN.
General. We may offer shares of any series of preferred stock that our board of directors, without first obtaining approval of our stockholders, may designate and issue in the future. Under our certificate of incorporation, our board of directors has the authority to classify the unissued shares of preferred stock into one or more series of preferred stock and, with respect to each such series, to fix the designation, powers, preferences, relative rights, qualifications and restrictions of each such series. In particular, our board of directors has authority with respect to each series of preferred stock to determine the number of shares constituting such series and the distinctive designation of such series, dividend rate and relative rights of priority of payment of dividends, voting rights, conversion rights, terms of redemption, terms and amount of any sinking fund, rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, and relative rights of priority of payment and any other relative rights, preferences and limitations of the shares of such series.
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Our board of directors may from time to time increase or decrease the number of shares of any series of preferred stock, but not below the number of shares of such series then outstanding, by providing that any unissued shares previously assigned to such series shall no longer constitute part thereof and restoring such unissued shares to the status which they had prior to the adoption of the resolution originally fixing the number of shares of such series. Unless required by law or by any stock exchange on which our common stock is listed, the authorized shares of preferred stock will be available for issuance without further action by our stockholders.
Preferred Stock Offered Hereby. If we offer preferred stock pursuant to this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of such preferred stock, including the following, where applicable:
| the distinctive designation of the series and the number of shares that constitute the series; |
| the purchase price; |
| the dividend rate, if any, of the series, the conditions and dates upon which any dividends shall be payable, the relation which the dividends payable on the series shall bear to the dividends payable on any other class or classes of stock or any other series of preferred stock, and whether the dividends shall be cumulative, non-cumulative or partially cumulative; |
| whether the shares of the series will be subject to redemption by us and whether such redemption is at our option, the holders of the shares of the series or any other person and, if made subject to redemption, the times, prices and other terms and conditions of the redemption; |
| the rights of the holders of the shares of the series upon dissolution of, or upon the distribution of assets of the Company, and the amount payable on the shares of the series in the event of voluntary or involuntary liquidation of the Company; |
| the relative ranking and preferences of the preferred stock of the series as to dividend rights and rights if we liquidate, dissolve or wind up our affairs; |
| the terms and amount of any sinking fund provided for the purchase or redemption of the shares of the series; |
| whether or not the shares of the series shall be convertible into or exchangeable for shares of any other classes or of any other series of any class or classes of our stock and, if provision is made for such conversion or exchange, the times, prices, rates, adjustments and other terms and conditions of the conversion or exchange; |
| the extent of any preemptive rights to which the holders of the shares of the series will be entitled; |
| the extent, if any, to which the holders of the shares of the series shall be entitled to vote with respect to the election of directors or otherwise; |
| whether the preferred stock of the series will be listed on a national securities exchange or quoted on an automated quotation system; |
| federal income tax considerations; and |
| the other material terms, rights and privileges, and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions of the rights or privileges of the series. |
The description in the prospectus supplement will not necessarily be complete, and reference will be made to our certificate of incorporation and the certificate of designations relating to the particular series of preferred stock, which will be filed with the SEC.
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Provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may delay or discourage transactions involving an actual or potential change in our control or change in our management, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares, or transactions that our stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests. Therefore, these provisions could adversely affect the price of our common stock. Among other things, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws:
| authorize our board of directors to issue, without further action by the stockholders, up to 1,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock; |
| establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting, including proposed nominations of persons for election to our board of directors, and also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholders notice; |
| provide that our directors may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of at least a 66.67% of the total voting power of our outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; and |
| do not provide for cumulative voting rights (therefore allowing the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock voting in any election of directors to elect all of the directors standing for election, if they should so choose). |
We are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Section 203 generally prohibits a public Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless:
| prior to the date of the transaction, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder; |
| the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the number of shares outstanding (a) shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers and (b) shares owned by employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or |
| on or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by the board and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder. |
Section 203 defines a business combination to include:
| any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder; |
| any sale, transfer, pledge or other disposition involving the interested stockholder of 10% or more of the assets of the corporation; |
| subject to exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder; and |
| the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation. |
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In general, Section 203 defines an interested stockholder as any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by that entity or person.
As of March 31, 2015, holders of 6,309,845 shares of our common stock are entitled to the following rights with respect to the registration of shares for public resale under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), pursuant to a registration rights and lock-up agreement (the Registration Rights Agreement), dated as of September 24, 2014, by and among the Company and the selling stockholders, entered into in connection with the Merger. The Registration Rights Agreement requires the Company, not later than nine months following the closing date of the Merger, to file a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC with respect to the shares issued to the selling stockholders in the Merger. The Company is further required to use its best efforts to have such registration statement declared effective not later than 12 months following the closing date of the Merger and kept effective until the earlier of three years thereafter or when each of the parties to the Registration Rights Agreement (other than the Company) can sell all of his or her shares without the need for current public information or other restriction pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act. Under the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, each selling stockholder agrees not, without the consent of the Company, to offer to sell, sell or otherwise dispose of, or encumber, any shares of the Companys common stock received by such person in connection with the Merger during the 12 months following the closing date of the Merger, except under certain circumstances.
Under the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company will bear all SEC registration and filing fees, printing and mailing expenses, fees and disbursements of counsel and accountants for the Company and all expenses related to listing the shares on the NASDAQ Capital Market, while the selling stockholders will bear all fees and disbursements of counsel for all underwriters, brokers and dealers engaged in connection with the distribution of such shares, and any discounts, commissions and fees of such underwriters, brokers and dealers, FINRA filing fees and expenses, legal fees and disbursements and other expenses of complying with state securities or blue sky laws and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the selling stockholders. The Registration Rights Agreement also places indemnity obligations on each of the Company, to indemnify the selling stockholders under certain circumstances, and the selling stockholders, to indemnify the Company under certain circumstances.
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This prospectus describes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities we may offer under this prospectus and one or more prospectus supplements. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a prospectus supplement. The following description of debt securities will apply to the debt securities offered by this prospectus unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement for a particular series of debt securities may specify different or additional terms.
We may issue senior or subordinated debt securities. Senior securities will be direct obligations of ours and will rank equally and ratably in right of payment with other indebtedness of ours that is not subordinated. Subordinated securities will be subordinated in right of payment to senior subordinated securities.
We need not issue all debt securities of one series at the same time. Unless we provide otherwise, we may reopen a series, without the consent of the holders of such series, for issuances of additional securities of that series.
We will issue the senior debt securities under a senior indenture, which we will enter into with the trustee to be named in the senior indenture, and we will issue the subordinated debt securities under a subordinated indenture, which we will enter into with the trustee to be named in the subordinated indenture. We use the term indenture or indentures to refer to both the senior indenture and the subordinated indenture. Each indenture will be subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, (the Trust Indenture Act), and we may supplement the indenture from time to time. Any trustee under any indenture may resign or be removed with respect to one or more series of debt securities, and we may appoint a successor trustee to act with respect to that series. We have filed a form of indenture as an exhibit to this registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part. The terms of the senior indenture and subordinated indenture will be substantially similar, except that the subordinated indenture will include provisions pertaining to the subordination of the subordinated debt securities to the senior debt securities and any other of our senior securities. The following statements relating to the debt securities and the indenture are summaries only, are subject to change and are qualified in their entirety to the detailed provisions of the indenture, any supplemental indenture and the discussion contained in any prospectus supplements.
The debt securities will be our direct obligations. We may issue debt securities from time to time and in one or more series as our board of directors may establish by resolution or as we may establish in one or more supplemental indentures. The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to the series. We may issue debt securities with terms different from those of debt securities that we previously issued.
We may issue debt securities from time to time and in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium or at a discount. We will set forth in a prospectus supplement, relating to any series of debt securities being offered, the initial offering price and the following terms of the debt securities:
| the form and title of the debt securities; |
| the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount) at which we will issue the debt securities; |
| the series designation and whether they are senior securities or subordinated securities; |
| the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities and any limit on the aggregate amount of the series of debt securities; |
| the date or dates on which we will pay the principal on the debt securities; |
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| the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or the method used to determine the rate or rates (including any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the debt securities will bear interest, the date or dates from which interest will accrue, the date or dates on which interest will commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date; |
| the place where principal and interest will be payable and where the debt securities can be surrendered for transfer or exchange; |
| the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the debt securities may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at our option; |
| any obligation we have to redeem or purchase the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a holder of debt securities; |
| the dates on which and the price or prices at which we will repurchase the debt securities at the option of the holders of debt securities and other detailed terms and provisions of these repurchase obligations; |
| the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof; |
| the portion of principal amount of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date, if other than the principal amount; |
| the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of principal of, premium, and interest on the debt securities will be made; |
| any provisions relating to any securities provided for the debt securities; |
| any addition to or change in the events of default described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities and any change in the acceleration provisions described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities; |
| any addition to or change in the covenants described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities; |
| the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, and interest and any additional amounts on, the debt securities will be determined, if these amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies other than that in which the debt securities are denominated or designated to be payable or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index; |
| any applicability of the defeasance provisions described in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement; |
| whether and under what circumstances, if any, we will pay additional amounts on any debt securities in respect of any tax, assessment or governmental charge and, if so, whether we will have the option to redeem the debt securities instead of making this payment; |
| any provisions relating to conversion of the debt securities, including the securities into which the debt securities are convertible, the conversion price, the conversion period, whether the conversion will be mandatory, at the option of the holders or at our option, events requiring an adjustment to the conversion price and provisions affecting conversion if the debt securities are redeemed; |
| any depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to the debt securities; and |
| any other terms of the debt securities, which may modify or delete any provision of the indenture as it applies to that series. |
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We may issue debt securities that are exchangeable for or convertible into shares of our common stock or other securities or property. The terms, if any, on which the debt securities may be exchanged for or converted into shares of our common stock or other securities or property will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Such terms may include provisions for conversion, either mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option, in which case the number of shares of common stock or other securities or property to be received by the holders of debt securities would be calculated as of a time and in the manner stated in the prospectus supplement.
If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of, and interest and any additional amounts on, any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general tax considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Except as may be set forth in any prospectus supplement relating to the debt securities, an indenture will not contain any other provisions that would limit our ability to incur indebtedness or that would afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event of a highly leveraged or similar transaction involving us or in the event of a change in control. You should review carefully the applicable prospectus supplement for information with respect to events of default and any covenants applicable to the debt securities being offered.
Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make payment of the interest on any debt securities on any interest payment date to the person in whose name the debt securities, or one or more predecessor securities, are registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest.
We will pay principal of, and interest and any additional amounts on, the debt securities of a particular series at the office of the paying agents designated by us, except that, unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may make interest payments by check, which we will mail to the holder, or by wire transfer to certain holders.
Unless we otherwise indicate in a prospectus supplement, we will designate the corporate trust office of the trustee as our sole paying agent for payments with respect to debt securities of each series. We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement any other paying agents that we initially designate for the debt securities of a particular series.
Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, known as DTC, as depository, or a nominee of the depository (as a book-entry debt security), or a certificate issued in definitive registered form (as a certificated debt security), as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as described under Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System below, book-entry debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.
You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at the trustees office or paying agencies in accordance with the terms of the indenture. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or exchange.
You may transfer certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal of, and interest and any additional amounts on, certificated debt securities only by surrendering the old certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either we or the trustee will reissue the old certificate to the new holder, or we or the trustee will issue a new certificate to the new holder.
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Each global debt security representing book-entry debt securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the depository, and registered in the name of the depository or a nominee of the depository. Ownership of beneficial interests in book-entry debt securities will be limited to persons that have accounts with the depository for the related global debt security, whom we refer to as participants, or persons that may hold interests through participants.
Except as described in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement, beneficial owners of book-entry debt securities will not be entitled to have securities registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of a certificate in definitive form representing securities and will not be considered the owners or holders of those securities under the indenture. Accordingly, to exercise any rights of a holder under the indenture, each person beneficially owning book-entry debt securities must rely on the procedures of the depository for the related global debt security and, if that person is not a participant, on the procedures of the participant through which that person owns its interest.
We understand, however, that under existing industry practice, the depository will authorize the persons on whose behalf it holds a global debt security to exercise certain rights of holders of debt securities, and the indenture provides that we, the trustee and our respective agents will treat as the holder of a debt security the persons specified in a written statement of the depository with respect to that global debt security for purposes of obtaining any consents or directions required to be given by holders of the debt securities pursuant to the indenture.
We will make payments of principal of, and interest and any additional amounts on, book-entry debt securities to the depository or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered holder of the related global debt security. We, the trustee and any other agent of ours or agent of the trustee will not have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in a global debt security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.
Any certificated debt securities issued in exchange for a global debt security will be registered in such name or names as the depository shall instruct the trustee. We expect that such instructions will be based upon directions received by the depository from participants with respect to ownership of book-entry debt securities relating to such global debt security.
Unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any restrictive covenants, including covenants restricting us or any of our subsidiaries from incurring, issuing, assuming or guaranteeing any indebtedness secured by a lien on any of our or our subsidiaries property or capital stock or restricting us or any of our subsidiaries from entering into any sale and leaseback transactions.
Unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may not merge with or into or consolidate with, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of our properties and assets to, any person (a successor person), unless
| either (a) we are the surviving entity or (b) the successor person is a corporation, partnership, trust or other entity organized and validly existing under the laws of any United States domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes our obligations on the debt securities and under the indenture; and |
| immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no event of default, and no event that, after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become an event of default, shall have occurred and be continuing under the indenture. |
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Unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions that may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control).
Unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, an event of default will mean, with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:
| default in the payment of any interest upon any debt security of that series when it becomes due and payable and continuance of that default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of such payment is deposited by us with the trustee or with a paying agent before the expiration of the 30-day period); |
| default in the payment of principal of any debt security of that series when due and payable either at maturity, redemption or otherwise; |
| default in the performance or breach of any other covenant or warranty by us in the indenture (other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in the indenture solely for the benefit of a series of debt securities other than that series) or in the debt security, which default continues uncured for a period of 90 days after we receive written notice from the trustee or we and the trustee receive written notice from the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series as provided in the indenture; |
| we, pursuant to or within the meaning of any applicable bankruptcy law, commence a voluntary case, consent to the entry of an order for relief against us in an involuntary case, consent to the appointment of a custodian for all or substantially all of our property, make a general assignment for the benefit of our creditors or admit in writing our inability generally to pay our debts as they become due; or, similarly, a court enters an order or decree under any applicable bankruptcy law that provides for relief against us in an involuntary case, appoints a custodian for all or substantially all of our properties or orders our liquidation (and the order remains in effect for 90 days); and |
| any other event of default provided with respect to debt securities of that series that is included in any supplemental indenture or is described in the applicable prospectus supplement accompanying this prospectus. |
Unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, if an event of default with respect to debt securities of any series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than certain events of our bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization), then the trustee or the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by written notice to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, of all debt securities of that series. In the case of an event of default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal (or such specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, of all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act by the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities.
At any time after an acceleration with respect to debt securities of a series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may cancel the acceleration and annul its consequences if all existing events of default with respect to that series have been cured or waived except nonpayment of principal (or such lesser amount) or interest that has become due solely because of the acceleration.
The indenture also provides that the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may waive any past default with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default involving the following:
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| our failure to pay the principal of or interest on any debt security; or |
| a covenant or provision contained in the indenture that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holders of each outstanding debt security affected by the default. |
The trustee is generally required to give notice to the holders of debt securities of each affected series within 90 days of a default actually known to a responsible officer of the trustee unless the default has been cured or waived. The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any default or event of default (except in payment on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if it in good faith determines that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities.
Unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the indenture will provide that the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture at the request or direction of any holder of any such outstanding debt securities unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense. Subject to certain rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series. The trustee may, however, refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with the indenture or any law or that the trustee determines in good faith would involve the trustee in personal liability.
Unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, no holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:
| that holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of a continuing event of default with respect to debt securities of that series; and |
| the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, and offered reasonable indemnity, to the trustee to institute such proceeding as trustee; |
| the trustee has not received from the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series a direction inconsistent with that request; and |
| the trustee has failed to institute the proceeding within 60 days of receiving such notice, request and offer of indemnity. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as provided in the subordination provisions, if any, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of and any interest on that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment.
Except as specified below, modifications and amendments to the indenture require the approval of not less than a majority in principal amount of our outstanding debt securities.
We and the trustee may not make any modification or amendment to the indenture without the consent of the holder of each affected debt security then outstanding if that amendment will have any of the following results:
| reduce the amount of debt securities whose consent is needed to modify or amend an indenture, to waive compliance with certain provisions of an indenture or to waive certain defaults; |
| reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest, including default interest, on any debt security; |
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| reduce the principal of or change the fixed maturity of any debt security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation with respect to any series of debt securities; |
| reduce the principal amount of discount securities payable upon acceleration of maturity; |
| waive a default in the payment of the principal and interest on any debt security, except a rescission of acceleration of the debt securities of any series by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of that series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from that acceleration; |
| make the principal of or interest on any debt security payable in currency other than that stated in the debt security; |
| make any change to certain provisions of the indenture relating to, among other things, the right of holders of debt securities to receive payment of the principal of, and interest and any additional amount on, those debt securities, the right of holders to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment or the right of holders to waive past defaults; or |
| waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security. |
We and the trustee may modify or amend an indenture, without the consent of any holder of debt securities, for any of the following purposes:
| to evidence the succession of another person to us as obligor under the indenture; |
| to add to our existing covenants additional covenants for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities, or to surrender any right or power conferred upon us in the indenture; |
| to add events of default for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities; |
| to add or change any provisions of the indenture to facilitate the issuance of debt securities in bearer form, or to permit or facilitate the issuance of debt securities in uncertificated form; |
| to add, change or eliminate any provisions of the indenture, provided that any addition, change or elimination (a) shall neither (i) apply to any debt security of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture and entitled to the benefit of such provision nor (ii) modify the rights of the holder of any debt security with respect to such provision, or (b) shall become effective only when there are no outstanding debt securities; |
| to establish additional series of debt securities; |
| to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the indenture; |
| to evidence and provide for the acceptance or appointment of a successor trustee or facilitate the administration of the trusts under the indenture by more than one trustee; |
| to qualify the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act; |
| to provide for uncertificated securities in addition to certificated securities; |
| to supplement any of the provisions of the indenture to the extent necessary to permit or facilitate defeasance and discharge of any series of debt securities, provided that the action shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of the debt securities of any series; and |
| to comply with the rules or regulations of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which any series of the debt securities may be listed or traded. |
Unless the terms of the applicable series of debt securities provide otherwise, we may be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of any series (except for certain obligations to register
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the transfer or exchange of debt securities of the series; to replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities of the series; and to maintain paying agencies and certain provisions relating to the treatment of funds held by paying agents). We will be so discharged upon the deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. dollars, money and/or foreign government obligations (as described at the end of this section), that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient to pay and discharge each installment of principal and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of such payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities.
This discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an officers certificate and an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable U.S. federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that holders of the debt securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred.
Unless the terms of the applicable series of debt securities provide otherwise, upon compliance with certain conditions, we may omit to comply with the restrictive covenants contained in the indenture, as well as any additional covenants contained in the applicable prospectus supplement or supplemental indenture.
The conditions include, among others, the following:
| depositing with the trustee, in trust, money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. dollars, money and/or foreign government obligations, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient to pay principal and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities; and |
| delivering to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and related covenant defeasance and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax in the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit and related covenant defeasance had not occurred. |
Foreign government obligations means, with respect to debt securities of any series that are denominated in a currency other than United States dollars:
| direct obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency for the payment of which obligations its full faith and credit is pledged, which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof; or |
| obligations of a person controlled or supervised by or acting as an agency or instrumentality of that government, the timely payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by that government, which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof. |
The indentures and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
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This prospectus contains summary descriptions of our depositary shares, rights, warrants and units that we may offer from time to time. These summary descriptions are not meant to be complete descriptions of each security. The particular terms of any security will be described in the accompanying prospectus supplement. The accompanying prospectus supplement may add, update or change the terms and conditions of the securities as described in this prospectus.
In this section, we describe the general terms and provisions of the depositary shares that we may offer. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the specific terms of the depositary shares offered through that prospectus supplement and any general terms outlined in this section that will not apply to those depositary shares.
We may offer depositary shares representing receipts for fractional interests in preferred stock in the form of depositary shares. The preferred stock underlying the depositary shares will be deposited under a separate deposit agreement between us and a bank or trust company having its principal office in the United States, which we refer to in this prospectus as the depositary. We will name the depositary in the applicable prospectus supplement. Subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, each owner of a depositary share will be entitled to the applicable fraction of a share of preferred stock represented by the depositary share, and a fractional share of all of the rights and preferences of the preferred stock represented by the depositary share, including any dividend, voting, redemption, conversion and liquidation rights. Each depositary share would be represented by a depositary receipt.
If you purchase fractional interests in the preferred stock, you will receive depositary receipts as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. While the final depositary receipts are being prepared, we may order the depositary to issue temporary depositary receipts substantially identical to the final depositary receipts although not in final form. The holders of the temporary depositary receipts will be entitled to the same rights as if they held the depositary receipts in final form. Holders of the temporary depositary receipts can exchange them for the final depositary receipts at our expense.
If necessary, the prospectus supplement will provide a description of U.S. federal income tax, accounting and other special considerations, procedures and limitations relating to the purchase and ownership of the series of depositary shares offered by that prospectus supplement.
The description in the applicable prospectus supplement and other offering material of any depositary shares we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable depositary agreement, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer depositary shares. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the applicable deposit agreement if we offer depositary shares, see Where You Can Find More Information and Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference. We urge you to read the applicable deposit agreement, the applicable prospectus supplement and any other offering material in their entirety.
In this section, we describe the general terms and provisions of the rights to purchase our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities or other securities that we may offer to our stockholders. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the specific terms of the rights offered through that prospectus supplement and any general terms outlined in this section that will not apply to those rights.
We may issue rights independently, or together with any other offered security, and the rights may or may not be transferable by the person purchasing or receiving the rights. In connection with any rights offering to our stockholders, we may enter into a standby underwriting or other arrangement with one or more underwriters or other persons pursuant to which such underwriters or other person would purchase any offered securities remaining unsubscribed for after such rights offering. Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights agent agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as rights agent, that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement. The rights agent will act solely as our agent in
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connection with the certificates relating to the rights of the series of certificates and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights.
The prospectus supplement relating to any rights we offer will include specific terms relating to the offering, including, among others, the date of determining the stockholders entitled to the rights distribution, the aggregate number of rights issued and the aggregate amount of securities purchasable upon exercise of the rights, the exercise price, the conditions to completion of the offering, the date on which the right to exercise the rights will commence and the date on which the right will expire, the extent to which the rights are transferable and any applicable U.S. federal income tax considerations. To the extent that any particular terms of the rights, rights agent agreements or rights certificates described in a prospectus supplement differ from any of the terms described here, then the terms described herein will be deemed to have been superseded by that prospectus supplement.
Each right would entitle the holder of the rights to purchase for cash the principal amount of securities at the exercise price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Rights may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for the rights provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, all unexercised rights would become void and of no further force or effect.
Holders may exercise rights as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Upon receipt of payment and the rights certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the rights agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as practicable, forward the securities purchasable upon exercise of the rights. If less than all of the rights issued in any rights offering are exercised, we may offer any unsubscribed securities directly to persons other than stockholders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby arrangements, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The description in the applicable prospectus supplement and other offering material of any rights we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable rights agent agreement, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer rights. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the applicable rights agent agreement if we offer rights, see Where You Can Find More Information and Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference. We urge you to read the applicable rights agent agreement, the applicable prospectus supplement and any other offering material in their entirety.
In this section, we describe the general terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the specific terms of the warrants offered through that prospectus supplement and any general terms outlined in this section that will not apply to those warrants.
We may issue warrants from time to time in one or more series for the purchase of our common stock or preferred stock or any combination of those securities. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock or offered by any prospectus supplement and may be attached to or separate from common stock or preferred stock. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant agent, or any other bank or trust company specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. The warrant agent will act as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of warrants or beneficial owners of warrants. The specific terms of a series of warrants will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to that series of warrants along with any general provisions applicable to that series of warrants.
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Terms. If we offer warrants, the prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the warrants, including the following if applicable to the particular offering:
| the title of the warrants; |
| the total number and offering price of warrants; |
| the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock purchasable upon exercise of the warrants and the price at which such securities may be purchased upon exercise; |
| the designation and terms of preferred stock with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each share of preferred stock; |
| the date on and after which the warrants and the related common stock or preferred stock will be separately transferable; |
| the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and the date on which this right will expire; |
| the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants which may be exercised at any one time; |
| the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants; |
| any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; |
| a discussion of federal income tax, accounting and other special considerations, procedures and limitations relating to the warrants; and |
| any other terms of the warrants including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants. |
Warrants may be exchanged for new warrants of different denominations, may be presented for registration of transfer and may be exercised at the office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement. Before the exercise of their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock purchasable upon exercise, including the right to receive payments of dividends, if any, on the shares common stock or preferred stock purchasable upon such exercise or to exercise any applicable right to vote.
Exercise of Warrants. Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase a number of shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock at an exercise price as will in each case be set forth in, or calculable from, the prospectus supplement relating to those warrants. Warrants may be exercised at the times set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants. After the close of business on the expiration date (or any later date to which the expiration date may be extended by us), unexercised warrants will become void. Subject to any restrictions and additional requirements that may be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating thereto, warrants may be exercised by delivery to the warrant agent of the certificate evidencing the warrants properly completed and duly executed and of payment as provided in the prospectus supplement of the amount required to purchase shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock purchasable upon such exercise. The exercise price will be the price applicable on the date of payment in full, as set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants. Upon receipt of the payment and the certificate representing the warrants to be exercised properly completed and duly executed at the office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as practicable, issue and deliver the shares of common stock or shares of preferred stock purchasable upon such exercise. If fewer than all of the warrants represented by that certificate are exercised, a new certificate will be issued for the remaining amount of warrants.
The description in the applicable prospectus supplement and other offering material of any warrants we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable warrant agreement, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer warrants. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the applicable warrant agreement if we offer warrants, see Where You Can Find More
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Information and Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference. We urge you to read the applicable warrant agreement and the applicable prospectus supplement and any other offering material in their entirety.
In this section, we describe the general terms and provisions of the units that we may offer. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the specific terms of the units offered through that prospectus supplement and any general terms outlined in this section that will not apply to those units.
We may issue units under one or more unit agreements, each referred to as a unit agreement, to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as unit agent. The unit agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the units governed by the unit agreement and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of units or interests in those units. We may issue units comprising one or more of the securities described in this prospectus in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit also is the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately at any time or at any time before a specified date.
The applicable prospectus supplement relating to the units we may offer will include specific terms relating to the offering, including, among others: the designation and terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, and whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately; the offering price of the units; any provision for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising those units; whether the units will be issued in fully registered or global form; and a discussion of federal income tax, accounting and other special considerations, procedures and limitations relating to the units.
The description in the applicable prospectus supplement and other offering material of any units we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable unit agreement and unit certificate, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer units. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the applicable unit agreement and unit certificate if we offer units, see Where You Can Find More Information and Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference. We urge you to read the applicable unit certificate and the applicable prospectus supplement and any other offering material in their entirety.
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We are registering the resale from time to time by the selling stockholders of up to 6,309,845 shares of our common stock in one or more offerings.
The following table sets forth the number of shares of our common stock being offered by the selling stockholders. The selling stockholders are not making any representation that any shares of our common stock currently held by the selling stockholders will be offered for sale. The selling stockholders reserve the right to accept or reject, in whole or in part, any proposed sale of any shares of our common stock currently held by the selling stockholders. The following table assumes that all of the shares of our common stock currently held by the selling stockholders being registered pursuant to this prospectus will be sold and that no acquisitions by the selling stockholders of additional shares of common stock will take place.
The selling stockholders of up to 6,309,845 shares of our common stock are: Proman, Star Jones and Christopher Wesser (collectively referred to as the selling stockholders). The selling stockholders acquired the shares of common stock owned by them in connection with the Merger described above under the heading About the Company. At the effective time of the Merger, all shares of Old NAPW common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger were converted into and became the right to receive 5,110,975 shares of our common stock, which were issued to Proman as sole shareholder of Old NAPW. In addition, pursuant to separate subscription agreements, 959,096 shares of our common stock were issued to Star Jones, then Old NAPWs President and National Spokeswoman, and 239,774 shares were issued to Christopher Wesser, then Old NAPWs General Counsel. The issuance of the shares of the common stock in connection with the Merger to the selling stockholders was exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act. Proman is now a member of our board of directors and our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Jones is now a member of our board of directors and our President and Mr. Wesser is now our Executive Vice President and General Counsel.
As discussed under the heading Description of Our Capital Stock Registration Rights, on September 24, 2014, in connection with closing of the Merger, the Company entered into the Registration Rights Agreement with the selling stockholders. The Registration Rights Agreement requires the Company, not later than nine months following the closing date of the Merger, to file a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC with respect to the shares issued to the Selling Stockholders in the Merger. The Company is further required to use its best efforts to have such registration statement declared effective not later than 12 months following the closing date of the Merger and kept effective until the earlier of three years thereafter or when each of the parties to the Registration Rights Agreement (other than the Company) can sell all of his or her shares without the need for current public information or other restriction pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act. Under the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, each Selling Stockholder agrees not, without the consent of the Company, to offer to sell, sell or otherwise dispose of, or encumber any shares of the Companys common stock received by such person in connection with the Merger during the 12 months following the closing date of the Merger, except under certain circumstances.
Under the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company will bear all SEC registration and filing fees, printing and mailing expenses, fees and disbursements of counsel and accountants for the Company and all expenses related to listing the shares on the NASDAQ Capital Market, while the Selling Stockholders will bear all fees and disbursements of counsel for all underwriters, brokers and dealers engaged in connection with the distribution of such shares, and any discounts, commissions and fees of such underwriters, brokers and dealers, FINRA filing fees and expenses, legal fees and disbursements and other expenses of complying with state securities or blue sky laws and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Selling Stockholders. The Registration Rights Agreement also places indemnity obligations on each of the Company, to indemnify the Selling Stockholders under certain circumstances, and the Selling Stockholders, to indemnify the Company under certain circumstances.
In connection with the Merger, Ms. Jones and Mr. Wesser also each entered into restricted stock agreements with the Company with respect to the shares of company stock held by them. Each such restricted stock agreement provides that Ms. Jones or Mr. Wesser, as applicable, may become vested in their shares of common stock according to the following schedule, contingent upon their continued employment with the
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Company (or a subsidiary) from the grant date through the following vesting dates: (i) 33 1/3% of the shares will vest on September 24, 2015 (ii) 33 1/3% of the shares of the shares will vest on September 24, 2016 and (iii) 33 1/3% of the shares will vest on September 24, 2017. Each restricted stock agreement also provides that any unvested shares will become fully vested upon the occurrence of a termination for cause, resignation for good reason, death or disability. Any unvested shares subject to restrictions will also become fully vested upon the occurrence of a Change in Control (as such term is defined by the restricted stock agreement). In the event that Ms. Jones or Mr. Wesser is terminated for cause or he or she resigns without good reason, then all unvested shares of stock still subject to restrictions will be forfeited.
The following table sets forth certain information as of March 31, 2015 regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock by the selling stockholders named in the table below, who may offer, in the aggregate, up to 6,309,845 shares of our common stock. We do not know if, when or in what amounts the selling stockholders may offer their shares for sale. The selling stockholders may sell some, all or none of the shares held by them. Because the number of shares the selling stockholders may offer and sell is not presently known, we cannot estimate the number of shares that will continue to be held by the selling stockholders. This table, however, presents the maximum number of share of common stock that the selling stockholders may offer pursuant to this prospectus and the number of shares of common stock that would be beneficially owned after the sale of the maximum number of shares of common stock held by each selling stockholder, assuming no acquisitions of additional shares of common stock take place.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3(d) of the Exchange Act and includes voting or investment power with respect to our securities. Unless otherwise indicated below, to our knowledge, all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares of our common stock beneficially owned by them. The shares of common stock held by the selling stockholders are included as part of this registration statement under the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement.
Beneficial Ownership Prior to the Offering |
Beneficial Ownership Following the Offering | |||||||||||||||||||
Name of Selling Stockholder | Number of Shares |
Percentage of Outstanding Common Stock(1) |
Number of Shares Being Offered |
Number of Shares |
Percentage of Outstanding Common Stock(1) |
|||||||||||||||
Matthew B. Proman | 5,242,225 | (2) | 40.1 | % | 5,242,225 | 0 | 0 | % | ||||||||||||
Star Jones | 959,096 | 7.4 | % | 959,096 | 0 | 0 | % | |||||||||||||
Christopher Wesser | 239,774 | 1.9 | % | 239,774 | 0 | 0 | % |
(1) | Applicable percentage ownership is based on 12,928,072 shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2015, together with securities exercisable or convertible into shares of common stock within 60 days of such date. |
(2) | Includes 131,250 shares that may be acquired upon the exercise of warrants that are currently exercisable, as to which Mr. Proman would have sole voting and investment power upon acquisition. |
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We and the selling stockholders may sell the securities offered by this prospectus from time to time in one or more transactions, including without limitation:
| directly to one or more purchasers; |
| through one or more agents; |
| to or through underwriters, brokers or dealers; |
| through a block trade, in which a broker or dealer engaged to handle the block trade will attempt to sell the securities as an agent, but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; or |
| through a combination of any of these methods. |
The offer and sale of the securities described in this prospectus by us, the selling stockholders, the underwriters or the third parties described above may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions, including public offerings or privately negotiated transactions, either:
| at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed; |
| at market prices prevailing at the time of sale; |
| at prices related to the prevailing market prices; or |
| at negotiated prices. |
We will set forth in a prospectus supplement with respect to each offering of securities by us or the selling stockholders, the particular terms of that offering, including:
| the name or names of any underwriters or agents and the amounts of securities underwritten or purchased by each of them, if any; |
| the offering or purchase price of the offered securities and the net proceeds we will receive from the sale; |
| any over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us; |
| any underwriting discounts or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters or agents compensation; |
| any delayed delivery arrangements; |
| any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and |
| any securities exchange or markets on which the offered securities may be listed. |
Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the offered securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of Section 2 (a)(11) of the Securities Act and any profits realized by them on resale of the securities and the compensation received by them from us may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. Any such underwriter, dealer or agent will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act and may be subject to certain statutory and regulatory liabilities under the Securities Act and Rule 10b-5 under the Exchange Act. We will make copies of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement available to selling underwriters, dealers or agents for the purpose of satisfying the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act.
Any securities that qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act may be sold under Rule 144 rather than pursuant to this prospectus.
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If underwriters are used to sell the offered securities, they will acquire the offered securities for their own account. The underwriters may resell the offered securities in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions. These sales may be made at a fixed public offering price or prices, which may be changed, at market prices prevailing at the time of the sale, at prices related to such prevailing market price or at negotiated prices. We and the selling stockholders may offer the securities to the public through an underwriting syndicate or through a single underwriter. The underwriters in any particular offering will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Unless otherwise specified in connection with any particular offering of securities, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the offered securities will be subject to certain conditions contained in an underwriting agreement that we and/or the selling stockholders will enter into with the underwriters at the time of the sale to them. In a firm commitment underwriting, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the offered securities if they purchase any of the offered securities. The underwriters may change from time to time any initial offering price and any discounts or concessions that the underwriters allow, reallow or pay to dealers.
We and the selling stockholders may sell the offered securities to dealers as principals. We and the selling stockholders may negotiate and pay dealers commissions, discounts or concessions for their services. The dealer may then resell such securities to the public either at varying prices to be determined by the dealer or at a fixed offering price agreed to with us and/or the selling stockholders at the time of resale. Dealers engaged by us and/or the selling stockholders may allow other dealers to participate in resales.
We and the selling stockholders may designate agents to sell the offered securities. If an agreement is reached with an agent with respect to a specific offering, including the number of securities and any minimum price below which sales may not be made, then the agent will try to sell such securities on the agreed terms. Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement for any particular offering of securities, each agent will agree to use its best efforts to solicit purchases of the offered securities for the period of its appointment or to sell the offered securities on a continuous basis.
An agent could make sales in privately negotiated transactions or using any other method permitted by law, including sales deemed to be an at the market offering, as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act, including, without limitation, sales made directly on the Nasdaq Capital Market, on any other existing trading market for our securities, or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange. An agent will be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any sales effected through an at the market offering.
We and the selling stockholders may also sell the offered securities to one or more remarketing firms, acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. These firms will remarket the offered securities upon purchasing them in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to the terms of the offered securities.
We and the selling stockholders may sell the offered securities directly. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved.
We and the selling stockholders may authorize agents, dealers or underwriters to solicit certain institutional investors to purchase offered securities on a delayed delivery basis pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified future date. These institutions may include, without limitation, commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies and educational and charitable institutions. Such delayed delivery contracts will be subject to only those conditions set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, which will provide the details of any such arrangement, including the offering price and commissions payable on the solicitations.
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We and the selling stockholders may make agreements with underwriters, dealers and agents to indemnify them against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute payments that the underwriters, dealers or agents may be required to make as a result of those civil liabilities.
Additionally, under the Registration Rights Agreement, we are obligated to indemnify the selling stockholders for any claims, actions, demands, losses, damages, liabilities, costs and expenses caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in this registration statement, any prospectus contained therein or any amendment or supplement thereto, or are caused by the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, except that we will not liable for any untrue statement, alleged untrue statement or alleged omission made by us in conformity with information provided to us by the selling stockholders. Likewise, under the Registration Rights Agreement, the selling stockholders are obligated to indemnify us against any claims, actions, demands, losses, damages, liabilities, costs and expenses caused by any untrue or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any prospectus contained therein or any amendment or supplement thereto, or are caused by the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent that such untrue statement, alleged untrue statement or omission was made in conformity with information provided to us by the selling stockholders.
Underwriters, dealers and agents, and their affiliates, may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of their businesses. This includes commercial banking and investment banking transactions. In connection with the distribution of the offered securities, we may enter into swap or other hedging transactions with, or arranged by, the underwriters, dealers or agents, or their affiliates. These underwriters, dealers or agents, or their affiliates, may receive compensation, trading gain or other benefits from these transaction. We will describe any such relationship in any prospectus supplement naming such underwriter, dealer or agent.
In connection with an offering of securities, underwriters may purchase and sell these securities in the open market. Any underwriter may engage in over-allotment, stabilizing transactions, short covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Over-allotment involves sales in excess of the offering size, which create a short position. Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. Short covering transactions involve purchases of the securities in the open market after the distribution is completed to cover short positions. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a dealer when the securities originally sold by the dealer are purchased in a covering transaction to cover short positions. Those activities may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would otherwise be. If commenced, the underwriters may discontinue any of these activities at any time.
Any underwriters who are qualified market makers on the Nasdaq Capital Market may engage in passive market making transactions in the securities listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M, during the business day prior to the pricing of the offering, before the commencement of offers or sales of the securities. Passive market makers must comply with applicable volume and price limitations and must be identified as passive market makers. In general, a passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid for such security. If all independent bids are lowered below the passive market makers bid, however, the passive market makers bid must then be lowered when certain purchase limits are exceeded. Passive market making may stabilize the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
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Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, each class or series of offered securities will be a new issue with no established trading market, other than our common stock, which is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Any shares of common stock offered hereunder will be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or such other exchange or market on which the common stock is listed at the time of such offering. We may elect to list any other class or series of securities on any additional exchange or market, but we are not obligated to do so unless stated otherwise in a prospectus supplement. It is possible that one or more underwriters may make a market in a class or series of securities, but the underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. Therefore, we cannot give any assurance as to the liquidity of the trading market for any of the offered securities.
In compliance with the guidelines of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA), the aggregate maximum discount, commission or agency fees or other items constituting underwriting compensation to be received by any FINRA member or independent broker-dealer will not exceed 8% of any offering pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement.
The validity of the securities registered hereunder will be passed upon for us by McGuireWoods LLP, New York City, New York.
The financial statements of Professional Diversity Network, Inc., appearing in Professional Diversity Network, Inc.s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, have been audited by Marcum LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
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Sole Book-Running Manager
Co-Manager
April , 2015