Exhibit
10
INNOVATOR
CAPITAL
Clean
Diesel Technologies Inc.
10
Middle Street, Suite 1100
Bridgeport,
CT 06604
United
States of America
20
November 2009
Dear
Sirs,
ENGAGEMENT
LETTER
We refer
to our various conversations and exchanges of correspondence. You have explained
to us that Clean Diesel Technologies Inc., (“CDTI”), or (the “Company”) is
interested in raising various sums of money in the immediate future, via equity
offerings or equity related offerings (the “Financing”).
It is
proposed that Innovator Capital Limited, (“Innovator”) or (“ICL”), using its
best endeavours, will act for the Company and assist it with the raising of
$3,000,000 to $4,000,000 USD (minimum three million dollars, maximum four
million dollars). The Company has engaged Innovator in the past and as a result
Innovator understands the nature of the CDTI’s business, its operational
requirements and strategic goals.
It is
also agreed and understood that CDTI is currently assisting the Company in
identifying organizations that may be suitable to the Company’s desire to engage
in merger and acquisition activities. It is proposed that Innovator, using its
best endeavours, will act for the Company and assist it with reaching a
conclusion, as to which transactions, if any, might be in the best interests of
the Company; Innovator will also assist the Company with closing such
transactions, together the (“M&A Service”).
We
represent that we are registered with the Financial Services Authority of the
United Kingdom for the purpose of all activities contemplated by this Engagement
Letter, to the extent applicable.
We now
have pleasure in setting out below the terms and conditions according to which
Innovator proposes to act for the Company in arranging the Financing and
providing the M&A Service, (the “Engagement”).
The role
of Innovator with respect to the Financing will consist inter alia in:
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1.
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Assisting
the Company with compiling a list of likely investors including existing
shareholders and their respective appetites for
investment;
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2.
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Assisting
the Company with the drafting and circulation of the necessary and
sufficient documentation for the completion of the
Financing;
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3.
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Assisting
the Company with the arrangement of meetings and discussions with existing
shareholders and other potential
investors;
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4.
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Assisting
the Company with the negotiation of final terms and conditions of any
investment made in the Company’s shares;
and
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5.
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Providing
any further assistance as may be reasonably required by CDTI in relation
to the Financing, and within the competence of
Innovator.
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Any
additional services required, beyond the scope of the services listed above,
during the period of the Engagement proposed hereby must be agreed in writing
between Innovator and the Company together with the amount of additional
remuneration payable in respect of such additional services. In this event,
Company and Innovator may mutually agree a Supplementary Engagement Letter.
Unless provided otherwise in any Supplementary Engagement Letter, the terms of
this Engagement Letter shall apply to any such additional services provided by
us pursuant to any Supplementary Engagement Letter. There will be no engagement
or retainer fees payable, by the Company to Innovator, associated with the
Financing.
In
remuneration for its role in the Financing as set out above and herein, ICL will
receive a placing fee or commission of 5% (five per cent) of all monies raised
in respect of the Financing, (the “Placing Commission”), payable on the dates
the gross proceeds of the Financing are made available to the Company. This
Placing Commission will represent the whole fee due to Innovator, save those
items listed immediately below:
In
respect of the Financing, Innovator will receive warrants to acquire shares of
Common Stock of the Company, par $0.01 per share (Common Stock), as part of its
compensation package (the “Financing Warrants”), expiring on the same date as
the Financing Warrants issued and sold to Investors in the Financing, only if as
and when the stockholders of the Company approve such increase in the
authorized, unissued and unreserved Common Shares of the Company as shall be
sufficient to provide Financing Warrants to both the Investors in the Financing
and to Innovator. The Financing Warrant exercise price will be equal to a 10%
(ten per cent) premium to the price per share of the Financing and the number of
warrants will be equal to a value of 15% (fifteen per cent) of the total gross
proceeds received by the Company.
The role
of Innovator in relation to the M&A Service will consist inter alia of:
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1.
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Assisting
CDTI’s senior management and its representatives to identify third party
M&A prospects (both targets and
acquirers);
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2.
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Working
with CDTI’s senior management and its representatives to introduce third
party M&A prospects (both targets and
acquirers);
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3.
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Assisting
and accompanying CDTI’s senior management and its representatives to
meetings with the management of the potential M&A
prospects;
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4.
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Assisting
CDTI’s senior management, its representatives and its appointed legal
advisors to negotiate and prepare Heads of Terms for any proposed M&A
transaction;
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5.
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Assisting
CDTI’s senior management, its representatives and its appointed legal
advisors to negotiate and prepare drafts of all necessary documents for
the completion of an M&A
transaction;
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6.
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Assisting
CDTI’s senior management, its representatives and its appointed legal
advisors to close such M&A
transactions;
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7.
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Providing
any and all further assistance as may be reasonably required by CDTI
within the competence of Innovator.
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In remuneration for its role in the M&A Service, as
set out above and herein, ICL will receive, from the date of signature of this
Engagement Letter, a retainer fee of $10,000 (ten thousand dollars) which fee
will be paid, upon receipt of invoice, monthly in arrears. Innovator will also
receive a success fee on the basis of Transaction Value (as defined
below), either in cash or in ordinary shares of the Company as finally
determined by the directors of the Company and approved as fair and reasonable
by the Audit Committee of the Company, or where Innovator does not wish to
receive such shares itself, to Innovator’s nominee, subject to the Company
providing its prior written approval, which approval will not be unreasonably
withheld by the Company, (the “M&A Success Fee”). The full amount of M&A
Retainer Fees paid to ICL may be deducted from any M&A Success
Fee.
In the
case of a merger between CDTI and another company the “Transaction Value” shall
be defined to mean the total amount of cash and the fair market value of all
other consideration paid or received (“Fair Value”), through a share exchange
(other than amounts paid into escrow) by or to the Company to or from the target
or its equity holders less the value of the Company itself (the “Transaction
Value”).
In the
case of some other transaction such as, but not limited to, the purchase of a
division or products from a third party, the Transaction Value will be the Fair
Value amount or some such value as agreed between ICL and the
Company
The
Company will pay Innovator in shares or in cash in accordance with the
following:
(i) 5%
on the first $10,000,000 (ten million USD) of the Transaction
Value;
(ii) 4%
on the next $3,000,000 (three million USD) of the Transaction
Value;
(iii) 3%
on the next $2,000,000 (two million USD) of the Transaction Value;
and
(iv) 2%
on amounts above $15,000,000 (fifteen million USD) of the Transaction
Value
Where
there is any dispute between the Company and Innovator concerning Fair Value and
they are unable to agree the Fair Value within 20 Business Days of the
commencement of discussions (“Business Day” being a day excluding Saturday,
Sunday and public holidays where banks in Connecticut, USA are open for
business), either the Company or Innovator shall be entitled to
initiate arbitration proceedings as provided below to determine Fair
Value.
Innovator
will be entitled to reimbursement of all of its ordinary and necessary
out-of-pocket expenses directly incurred in the fulfillment of its mission as
set out above and herein, in particular, but not limited to, travel,
accommodation and telecommunications. Invoices in respect of out-of-pocket
expenses incurred will be submitted to the Company on a regular basis, together
with supporting receipts and documentation, which invoices will be payable upon
receipt. No such out-of-pocket expense in an amount in excess of $1,000 will be
incurred without CDTI’s prior consent in writing given by the President or Chief
Financial Officer of the Company.
All of
the above fees will be payable inclusive of VAT where applicable.
For the
purposes of managing an orderly and professional approach to investors in
connection with the Financing, CDTI will furnish ICL with an up-to-date
shareholder list accompanied by all relevant and need to know intelligence
concerning said shareholders. CDTI will also provide ICL with a list of
potential investors and past shareholders, previously visited or spoken to by
the company, accompanied by all relevant and need to know intelligence
concerning said entities.
If the
above indicated terms and conditions are acceptable to you, we would be grateful
if you would so confirm by signing, dating and returning to us a copy of this
Engagement Letter.
Such
signature and return will constitute your exclusive Engagement of Innovator on
the terms and conditions set out above and herein valid for a duration of three
months from the date of your agreement to this proposed Engagement. Such mandate
will be a valid and legally binding obligation on the parties hereto,
enforceable in accordance with its terms.
It is
understood and agreed by the parties hereto,
(i) that
this Agreement does not, and will not, constitute an undertaking of whatsoever
nature by Innovator to acquire shares of, or otherwise invest in, or provide
financing to CDTI. Only a definitive and regularly constituted agreement duly
entered into by and between CDTI on the one hand, and an investor(s), on the
other will constitute a contractual agreement binding in its terms.
(ii) that
Innovator is and will be entitled to rely upon all statements of fact, and all
further written information provided by CDTI and/or its officers or
representatives in the context of this mission. Any material errors or
omissions, or lack of adequacy, in any such statement or written information
will constitute a material breach of contract under the terms and conditions of
this mission and, as such, could give rise to a claim, or claims, for damages by
Innovator.
(iii)
that any advice rendered by Innovator is provided solely under the terms of this
Engagement and for the benefit of the Company, and may not be used or relied on
by any other person or for any other purpose, without Innovator’s prior written
consent.
(iv) that
in performing its services under this Engagement Letter, Innovator shall have no
power or authority to make representations on behalf of the Company or to bind
or commit the Company to enter into any transaction not finally approved by its
Board of Directors.
(v) that
in the Financing, Innovator shall use its best endevours to ensure that
Investors, and such number of Investors, in the United Kingdom shall be such as
shall not require the Company to furnish a statutory prospectus to Investors
under the requirements of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and shall
not be “United States Persons” within the meaning of SEC Regulation S; and, in
the United States, if applicable, that Investors shall be “Accredited
Investors” within the meaning of SEC Regulation D.
This
Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the
State of Delaware In the event of a dispute, controversy, or claim arising out
of, relating to, or in connection with this Agreement, or the breach or validity
of this Agreement, the parties will move immediately to Arbitration in New York,
New York administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under the
AAA rules of commercial arbitration before a single neutral arbitrator. Prior to
commencement of arbitration the parties shall pursuant to the AAA rules engage
in Mediation. The arbitration shall be subject in all respects to
Delaware law. The arbitrator shall render the arbitrator’s award in writing
setting forth the basis for the award. Where the issues in arbitration concern
Fair Value, the arbitrator shall be a person with at least ten years experience
in business valuation matters and shall be a Certified Public Accountant and
either an Accredited Business Valuation (“ABV”) professional or a Certified
Valuation Analyst (“CVA”). Prior to rendering an award relating to Fair Value,
the arbitrator shall issue a preliminary draft award setting forth proposed
conclusions as to fair value and a description of the methods utilized to reach
such conclusion. The parties shall have a period of ten (10) business days to
provide to the arbitrator their comments on the preliminary draft award before
the arbitrator shall issue a final award relating to Fair Value, which final
award may vary from the preliminary award. We thank you for the confidence you
have shown in Innovator, and remaining at your disposal, we are,
yours
faithfully,
For:
Innovator Capital Limited
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By
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/s/ Mungo Park
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Mungo
Park, Chairman
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We hereby
agree to the above mentioned, dated this 18th day
of November 2009.
For:
Clean Diesel Technologies Inc.
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By
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/s/ Michael L. Asmussen
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Michael
L. Asmussen, President and CEO
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By
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/s/ Ann B. Ruple
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Ann
B. Ruple, Vice President and CFO
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