UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO
RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of March 2024
Commission File Number: 001-41324
AKANDA CORP.
(Name of registrant)
1a, 1b Learoyd Road
New Romney TN28 8XU, United Kingdom
(Address of principal executive office)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
In connection with the 2024
Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders of Akanda Corp. (the “Company”), the Company hereby furnishes the following
documents:
| 1. | Notice
of Annual General and Special Meeting of the Shareholders of Akanda Corp. which is scheduled to be held on March 22, 2024, and Management
Information Circular. |
The information contained
in this Current Report on Form 6-K, including the exhibits hereto, are hereby incorporated by reference into the Company’s
Registration Statements on Form S-8 (File Nos. 333-264450 and 333-267976).
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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AKANDA CORP. |
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(Registrant) |
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Date:
March 11, 2024 |
By: |
/s/ Katie Field |
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Name: |
Katie Field |
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Title: |
Interim Chief Executive Officer and Director |
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Exhibit 99.1
AKANDA CORP.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL
MEETING
TO BE HELD ON MARCH 22, 2024
AND
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR
MARCH 12, 2024
AKANDA CORP.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL MEETING
OF SHAREHOLDERS (the “Notice”)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that
an annual general and special meeting (the “Meeting”) of the holders (the “Shareholders”) of common
shares (the “Common Shares”) of Akanda Corp. (the “Corporation”) will be held at the offices of
Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP, Suite 2300, 550 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 2B5, on Friday, March 22, 2024 at 9:00 a.m.
(Vancouver time). The Meeting will also be simulcast on the Zoom platform, where you can observe the Meeting at: https://gowlingwlgca.zoom.us/s/89180638298
or https://bit.ly/akanda-shareholder-meeting.
Those observing the Meeting through
the zoom platform will not be able to speak, interact with other participants in the Meeting or other Shareholders, and will not be able
to vote at the Meeting. Any Shareholders wishing to vote at the Meeting must attend the Meeting in person or provide the Corporation with
a duly completed proxy as set out in the accompanying information circular (the “Information Circular”).
The Meeting is being held for the following
purposes:
| a) | to receive the audited consolidated financial statements of
the Corporation for the year ended December 31, 2022, together with the auditors’ report thereon; |
| b) | to elect the directors of the Corporation for the ensuing year; |
| c) | to appoint GreenGrowth CPAs as the auditors of the Corporation
for the ensuing year and to authorize the audit committee of the board of directors of the Corporation (the “Board”)
to fix their remuneration and terms of engagement; |
| d) | to consider and, if deemed appropriate, pass a special resolution,
the full text of which is set out in the Information Circular (as defined below), approving one or more amendments to the articles of
the Corporation for one or more future consolidations of the Corporation’s issued and outstanding Common Shares on the basis of
consolidation ratios to be selected by the Board within a range between 10 pre-consolidation Common Shares for one (1) post-consolidation
Common Share and 100 pre-consolidation Common Shares for one (1) post-consolidation Common Share, provided that, (A) the cumulative effect
of the one or more consolidations shall not result in a consolidation ratio that exceeds 100 pre-consolidation Common Shares for one
(1) post- consolidation Common Share, and (B) such consolidations occurs prior to the earlier of the 12-month anniversary of the Meeting
and the next annual meeting of Shareholders; if, and at such time(s) following the date of the Meeting, as may be determined by the Board
in its sole discretion, as more particularly described in the Information Circular (the “Share Consolidation Resolution”); |
| e) | to consider and, if deemed appropriate, to pass, with or without
variation, an ordinary resolution confirming and approving the 30% evergreen equity incentive plan of the Corporation (the “Equity
Incentive Plan Resolution”); |
| f) | to consider, and if deemed advisable, to pass, with or without
variation, a special resolution (the “Transaction Resolution”), authorizing and approving the sale of all the issued
and outstanding shares of RPK Biopharma, Unipessoal, LDA (“RPK”) on the terms and subject to the conditions contained
in a share purchase agreement, dated as of February 28, 2024, between the Corporation, Cannahealth Limited, Holigen Holdings Limited
and Somai Pharmaceuticals Unipessoal, Lda. (the “Share Purchase Agreement”), a copy of which is attached as Schedule
“B” to this Information Circular; and |
| g) | to transact such further or other business as may properly come
before the Meeting or any adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof. |
The Information Circular provides additional
information relating to each of the matters to be addressed at the Meeting. Shareholders are directed to read the Information Circular
carefully and in full to evaluate the matters to be considered at the Meeting.
The sale of RPK pursuant to the Share
Purchase Agreement is a material transaction for the Corporation and may represent a sale of substantially all of the property of the
Corporation pursuant to Section 184(3) of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (the “OBCA”). To ensure that
the Shareholders of the Corporation are able to consider and vote on the Transaction Resolution, the Corporation is seeking special approval
of the Shareholders for the Transaction Resolution, even though the sale of RPK pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement may not actually
constitute a sale of substantially all of the property of the Corporation. In order to become effective, the Transaction Resolution must
be passed by an affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds (66⅔%) of the votes cast by Shareholders present in person or represented
by proxy at the Meeting and voting thereon. In the event that the sale of RPK pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement is, or is deemed,
at the time of the Meeting or at some time in the future, to be the sale of substantially all of the property of the Corporation, the
Transaction Resolution shall constitute approval of the sale of RPK pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement pursuant to Section 184(3)
of the OBCA.
The record date for the determination
of the Shareholders entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Meeting or any adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof is January
23, 2024 (the “Record Date”). Shareholders of the Corporation whose names have been entered in the register of shareholders
of the Corporation at the close of business on the Record Date will be entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Meeting or any
adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof.
As the sale of RPK pursuant to the
Share Purchase Agreement may constitute the sale of substantially all of the property of the Corporation, registered shareholders have
a right to dissent with respect to the Transaction Resolution and, if the Transaction Resolution becomes effective, to be paid the fair
value of their Common Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 185 of the OBCA. A registered shareholder may only exercise
the right to dissent under Section 185 of the OBCA in respect of Common Shares which are registered in that shareholder’s name.
Failure to comply strictly with the provisions of the OBCA may result in the loss or unavailability of the right to dissent. The execution
or exercise of a proxy does not constitute a written objection for the purposes of Section 185 of the OBCA.
A dissenting Shareholder must submit
to the Corporation a written objection to the Transaction Resolution at or before the Meeting, which dissent notice if delivered before
the Meeting must be received by the Corporation, at katie@akandacorp.com and must otherwise strictly comply with the dissent procedures
prescribed by the OBCA. A registered shareholder’s right to dissent is more particularly described in the Information Circular,
and the text of Section 185 of the OBCA is set forth in Schedule C to the Information Circular. Persons who are beneficial owners of Common
Shares registered in the name of a broker, securities dealer, bank, trust company or other similar intermediary who wish to dissent should
be aware that only the registered shareholders are entitled to dissent. Accordingly, a beneficial owner of Common Shares desiring to exercise
the right to dissent must make arrangements for the Common Shares beneficially owned by such holder to be registered in such holder’s
name prior to the time the written objection to the Transaction Resolution is required to be received by the Corporation or, alternatively,
make arrangements for the registered shareholders of such Common Shares to dissent on behalf of the beneficial holder.
In the event that the Corporation determines,
prior to the date of the Meeting, that the sale of RPK pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement does not constitute the sale of substantially
all of the property of the Corporation pursuant to section 184(3) of the OBCA, no Shareholder shall have the right to dissent with respect
to the Transaction Resolution. Shareholders who deliver a notice to dissent with respect to the Transaction Resolution shall be notified
in writing no less than 48 hours prior to the Meeting, and the Shareholder shall no longer have the right to dissent to the Transaction
Resolution and shall be then entitled to vote their shares at the Meeting.
If you are a Registered
Shareholder and are unable to attend the Meeting or any adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof, please date, sign and return
the accompanying form of proxy (the “Proxy”) for use at the Meeting or any adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof
in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Proxy and Information Circular. The Corporation’s transfer agent recommends
that shareholders vote in advance of the Meeting.
If you are a Non-Registered Beneficial
Shareholder, a voting information form (also known as a VIF), instead of a form of proxy, may be enclosed. You must follow the
instructions provided by your intermediary in order to vote your Common Shares.
DATED at Toronto, Ontario this
12th, day of March 2024.
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BY ORDER OF THE BOARD |
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(signed) “Katharyn Field” |
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Interim Chief Executive Officer and Director |
AKANDA CORP.
(“Akanda” or the “Corporation”)
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CIRCULAR
This management information circular
(the “Information Circular”) is dated March 12, 2024 and is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies
by and on behalf of the management of the Corporation (“Management”) for use at the annual general and special meeting
(the “Meeting”) of shareholders of the Corporation (the “Shareholders”) to be held at the offices
of Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP, Suite 2300, 550 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 2B5, on Friday, March 22, 2024, at 9:00
a.m. (Vancouver time) for the purposes set out in the notice of Meeting (the “Notice”) accompanying this Information
Circular.
GENERAL PROXY INFORMATION
Solicitation of Proxies
Solicitation of proxies for the Meeting
will be primarily by mail, the cost of which will be borne by the Corporation. Proxies may also be solicited personally by employees of
the Corporation at nominal cost to the Corporation. In some instances, the Corporation has distributed copies of the Notice, the Information
Circular, and the accompanying form of proxy (the “Proxy”, and collectively with the Notice and Information Circular,
the “Documents”) to clearing agencies, securities dealers, banks and trust companies, or their nominees (collectively
“Intermediaries”, and each an “Intermediary”) for onward distribution to Shareholders whose common
shares in the capital of the Corporation (the “Common Shares”) are held by or in the custody of those Intermediaries
(“Non-registered Shareholders”).
Solicitation of proxies from Non-registered
Shareholders will be carried out by Intermediaries, or by the Corporation if the names and addresses of Non-registered Shareholders are
provided by the Intermediaries.
Non-registered Shareholders who have
received the Documents from their Intermediary should, other than as set out herein, follow the directions of their Intermediary with
respect to the procedure to be followed for voting at the Meeting. Generally, Non-registered Shareholders will either:
| (a) | be provided with a form of proxy executed by the Intermediary but otherwise uncompleted. The Non- registered
Shareholder may complete the proxy and return it directly to the Corporation’s registrar and transfer agent, Endeavor Trust Corporation;
or |
| (b) | be provided with a request for voting instructions. The Intermediary is required to send the Corporation
an executed form of proxy completed in accordance with any voting instructions received by the Intermediary. |
If you are a Non-registered Shareholder,
and the Corporation or its agent has sent these materials directly to you, your name and address and information about your holdings of
securities have been obtained from your Intermediary in accordance with applicable securities regulatory requirements. By choosing to
send the Documents to you indirectly, the Intermediary holding on your behalf has assumed responsibility for (i) delivering the Documents
to you, and (ii) executing your proper voting instructions.
Appointment of Proxyholders
The
persons named in the enclosed Proxy are directors and/or officers of the Corporation. SHAREHOLDERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPOINT A
PERSON TO REPRESENT HIM, HER OR IT AT THE MEETING OTHER THAN THE PERSON[S] DESIGNATED IN THE PROXY either by striking out the
names of the persons designated in the Proxy and by inserting the name of the person or company to be appointed in the space
provided in the Proxy or by completing another proper form of proxy and, in either case, delivering the completed proxy to Endeavor
Trust Corporation by: (i) mail or hand delivery to Endeavor Trust Corporation at 702 - 777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1S4;
(ii) by fax at 604 559-8908; or (iii) electronically pursuant to the unique control number and password provided on the form of
proxy. All instructions are listed on the enclosed Proxy. Your proxy or voting instructions must be received in each case no later
than 9:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on March 20, 2024 or, if the Meeting is adjourned, at least 48 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays
and statutory holidays in the Province of British Columbia) before the beginning of any adjournment to the Meeting.
Revocation of Proxy
A Shareholder who has given a proxy
pursuant to this solicitation may revoke it at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day of the Meeting or
any adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof at which the proxy is to be used:
| (a) | by an instrument in writing executed by the Shareholder or
by his, her or its attorney authorized in writing and either delivered to the attention of the Corporate Secretary of the Corporation
c/o Endeavor Trust Corporation, 702 - 777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1S4; |
| (b) | by delivering written notice of such revocation to the chairman
of the Meeting prior to the commencement of the Meeting on the day of the Meeting or any adjournment(s) thereof, or |
| (c) | in any other manner permitted by law. |
Voting of Proxies and Discretion
Thereof
Common
Shares represented by properly executed proxies in favour of persons designated in the printed portion of the enclosed Proxy WILL,
UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED, BE VOTED FOR THE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS, FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF GREENGROWTH CPAS, AS THE AUDITORS OF THE
CORPORATION AND FOR THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD TO FIX THE AUDITORS’ REMUNERATION AND TERMS OF
ENGAGEMENT, FOR THE CONSOLIDATION RESOLUTION, FOR THE EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN RESOLUTION, AND FOR THE TRANSACTION RESOLUTION. The
Common Shares represented by the Proxy will be voted or withheld from voting in accordance with the instructions of the Shareholder
on any ballot that may be called for and, if the Shareholder specifies a choice with respect to any matter to be acted upon, the
Common Shares will be voted accordingly. The enclosed Proxy confers discretionary authority on the persons named therein with
respect to amendments or variations to matters identified in the Notice or other matters which may properly come before the Meeting.
At the date of this Information Circular, management knows of no such amendments, variations or other matters to come before the
Meeting. However, if other matters properly come before the Meeting, it is the intention of the persons named in the enclosed Proxy
to vote such proxy according to their best judgment.
VOTING SECURITIES AND RECORD DATE
The voting securities of the Corporation
consist of an unlimited number of Common Shares and an unlimited number of preferred shares.
Pursuant to the by-laws of the Corporation,
a quorum for the transaction of business at the Meeting shall be not less than two persons present in person and holding or representing
by proxy not less than 10% of the votes attached to all shares entitled to be voted at the Meeting.
The close of business on January 23,
2024 will act as the record date (the “Record Date”) for the determination of Shareholders entitled to receive notice
of the Meeting and any adjournment(s) or postponement(s) thereof. Accordingly, only Shareholders of record on the Record Date are entitled
to receive notice and vote at the Meeting or any adjournment(s) thereof, in person or by proxy. For greater certainty, those observing
the Meeting simulcast on the Zoom platform and not otherwise present in person or represented by proxy will not be entitled to
vote at the Meeting.
The registered holders of Common Shares
are shown on the list of Shareholders which is available for inspection during usual business hours at Endeavor Trust Corporation at 702
- 777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1S4 and at the Meeting. The list of Shareholders will be prepared not later than ten days after
the Record Date. If a person has acquired ownership of shares since that date, he, she or it may establish such ownership and demand,
not later than ten days before the Meeting, that his, her or its name be included in the list of Shareholders.
PARTICULARS OF MATTERS TO BE ACTED
UPON
Presentation of Financial
Statements
The audited consolidated financial
statements of the Corporation for the year ended December 31, 2022, together with the auditors’ report thereon and the related management’s
discussion and analysis (the “MD&A”), will be presented to the Shareholders at the Meeting or any adjournment(s)
or postponement(s) thereof for their consideration.
Election of Directors
The articles of the Corporation require
a minimum of one and a maximum of ten directors of the Corporation. There are currently four directors of the Corporation. At the Meeting,
it is proposed that all four directors currently serving on the board of directors (the “Board”) are to be re-elected.
The present term of office of each current director of the Corporation will expire at the Meeting.
At the Meeting, management proposes
to nominate the following persons for election to the Board: Harvinder Singh, David Jenkins, Jatinder Dhaliwal and Katharyn Field each
to serve as a director of the Corporation until the next meeting of Shareholders at which the election of directors is considered, or
until his or her successor is duly elected or appointed, unless he or she resigns, is removed or becomes disqualified in accordance with
the articles of the Corporation or the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (the “Act”). The persons named in
the accompanying form of Proxy intend to vote for the election of such persons at the Meeting, unless otherwise directed. Management does
not contemplate that any of the nominees will be unable to serve as a director of the Corporation.
The biographies of the proposed nominees
for directors are set out below.
Katharyn
Field | Ms. Field has served as a director of Akanda since June 2022. Ms. Field is currently the interim Chief Executive Officer
of Akanda, Chief Executive Officer of Halo Collective, Inc. (“Halo”) and chairman for Aerwins Technologies Inc.
From April 2019 through February 2020, Ms. Field served as Chief Strategy Officer at Halo and from February 2020 until July 2022 Ms.
Field served as President at Halo. Ms. Field’s resume includes positions at notable companies and institutions such as The
White House, The Brookings Institution, and Bain & Company. In 2014, Ms. Field entered the cannabis industry and led the
procurement, build out, and sale of one of five original vertically integrated companies with state licenses in Florida.
Subsequently, Ms. Field operated a strategy consulting practice focused on cannabis and also worked at MariMed in 2018 as Executive
Vice President of Corporate Development. Ms. Field holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA with honors from Stanford
University.
Harvinder Singh | Mr. Singh
has served as a director of Akanda since June 2022. Mr. Singh studied at Birmingham City University where he received a Bachelor of Arts
with Honors in Product Design. Mr Singh’s career has spanned over 30 years where he has worked as a CEO, COO and as product director
for companies such as Ergolab, Lighting Manufacturing, Transact Network, Heathrow Medical Services among many others. Mr. Singh is regarded
highly as a branding expert with a focus on European and far-East markets and has shown on numerous occasions the ability to increase
the penetration of products into markets by honing and improving them for individual markets and users. Mr Singh has managed successful
wholesale businesses and further applied these skills to create highly successful e-commerce and wholesale importer businesses working
with oversea vendors to produce significant revenues in sales as well as transactions.
David Jenkins | Mr. Jenkins
has served as a director of Akanda and as a member of our Audit Committee and our Compensation Committee since February 2023. Mr. Jenkins
is currently a director at Binovi Technologies Corp., a position that he has held since December 2021; a director at Kiaro Holdings Corp.
(TSXV: KO), a position that he has held since August 2022; a director at Levitee Labs., a position that he has held since January 2022;
a director at Pontus Protein Ltd. (TSXV: HULK), a position that he has held since March 2022; a director at Boundary Gold & Copper
Mining Ltd., a position that he has held since July 2020; a director at Montego Resources Inc., a position that he has held since January
2020; and a director at Quantum Battery Metals Corp., a position that he has held since January 2020.
Jatinder Dhaliwal | Mr. Dhaliwal
has served as a director of Akanda since June 2022. Mr. Dhaliwal is a registered pharmacist, and has significant capital markets experience.
Mr. Dhaliwal holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University
of Victoria. Mr. Dhaliwal has served as CEO and director of multiple publicly traded cannabis companies and has served as a director of
a licensed producer and extractor. Mr. Dhaliwal has extensive knowledge in agricultural, medical and pharmaceutical operations. Mr. Dhaliwal
is well versed in the cannabis market from seed to sale from cultivating, extracting, manufacturing, and distributing and quality control
of cannabis flower, oils, and concentrates. Mr. Dhaliwal is a certified medical cannabis practitioner and has overseen operations of numerous
retail and commercial operations and implemented various health protocols and technology advances into health and wellness chains.
The persons named in the accompanying
Proxy (if named and absent contrary directions) intend to vote the shares represented thereby FOR the election of each of the aforementioned
named nominees unless otherwise instructed on a properly executed and validly deposited proxy. Management does not contemplate that
any nominees named above will be unable to serve as a director but, if that should occur for any reason prior to the Meeting, the persons
named in the enclosed form of proxy reserve the right to vote for another nominee at their discretion.
Appointment of Auditors
Shareholders will be requested to appoint GreenGrowth CPAs,
as auditors of the Corporation to hold office until the next annual meeting of Shareholders, and to authorize the audit committee of the
Corporation to fix the auditors’ remuneration and the terms of their engagement.
The persons named in the accompanying
Proxy (if named and absent contrary directions) intend to vote the shares represented thereby FOR the resolution appointing GreenGrowth
CPAs as auditors of the Corporation for the ensuing year and to authorize the audit committee to fix GreenGrowth CPAs’ remuneration.
Approval of Share Consolidation
Resolution
At the Meeting, Shareholders will be
asked to consider and, if thought advisable, pass a special resolution (the “Share Consolidation Resolution”) authorizing
the Board to elect, in its discretion, to direct the Corporation to file one or more articles of amendment (collectively, the “Articles
of Amendment”) to amend the Corporation’s articles in order to effect one or more consolidations (or reverse splits) of
the Corporation’s issued Common Shares into a lesser number of issued Common Shares (each, a “consolidation”
and, collectively, the “Share Consolidation”). The Share Consolidation Resolution will authorize the Board to:
| ● | select one or more Share Consolidation ratios of between
10 pre-consolidation Common Shares for one (1) post-consolidation Common Share and 100 pre-consolidation Common Shares for one (1) post-
consolidation Common Share, provided that, (A) the cumulative effect of the Share Consolidation shall not result in a consolidation ratio
that exceeds 100 pre-Share Consolidation Common Shares for one (1) post-Share Consolidation Common Share, and (B) such Share Consolidation
occurs prior to the earlier of the 12 month anniversary of the Meeting and the next annual meeting of Shareholders; and |
| ● | file the Articles of Amendment to give effect to the Share
Consolidation at the selected consolidation ratio(s). |
Background to and Reasons
for the Share Consolidation
The Board believes that it is in the
best interests of the Corporation to provide the Board with the flexibility to elect to reduce the number of outstanding Common Shares
by way of the Share Consolidation. Some of the potential benefits of the Share Consolidation include:
| ● | Maintaining U.S. Listing. The higher anticipated
price of the post-consolidation Common Shares may be required to assist the Corporation in meeting the minimum share price requirements
to maintain such a listing. |
| ● | Increased Investor Interest. The current share
structure of the Corporation may make it more difficult for the Corporation to attract additional equity financing that may be required
or desirable to maintain the Corporation or to further develop its products. The Share Consolidation may have the effect of raising,
on a proportionate basis, the price of the Common Shares, which could appeal to certain investors that find shares valued above certain
prices to be more attractive from an investment perspective. |
| ● | Reduced Volatility. The higher anticipated
price of the post-consolidation Common Shares may result in less volatility as a result of small changes in the share price of the Common
Shares. For example, a nominal price movement will result in a less significant change (in percentage terms) in the market capitalization
of the Corporation. |
The Corporation believes that providing
the Board with the authority to select within a range of Share Consolidation ratios and to effect the Share Consolidation in one or more
consolidations provides the flexibility to implement the Share Consolidation in a manner intended to maximize the anticipated benefits
of the Share Consolidation for the Corporation and the Shareholders.
The Share Consolidation is subject
to certain conditions, including the approval of the Shareholders and acceptance by The Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”).
If the requisite approvals are obtained and the Board elects to proceed with the Share Consolidation, the Share Consolidation will take
place at a time to be determined by the Board through one or more consolidations, subject to the Act. No further action on the part of
Shareholders would be required in order for the Board to implement the Share Consolidation. Shareholders will be notified and registered
shareholders will receive a letter of transmittal containing instructions for exchange of their share certificates in connection with
each consolidation. The special resolution also authorizes the Board to elect not to proceed with, and abandon, the Share Consolidation
at any time if it determines, in its sole discretion, to do so.
Following a vote by the Board to implement
the Share Consolidation, the Corporation will file articles of amendment with the director under the Act to amend the Corporation’s
articles. A particular consolidation will become effective on the date shown in the certificate of amendment issued by the director under
the Act in connection with such consolidation or such other date indicated in the articles of amendment.
Share Consolidation Resolution
At the Meeting, Shareholders will be
asked to consider and, if deemed advisable, approve the Share Consolidation Resolution authorizing the Board to elect, in its discretion,
to file the Articles of Amendment giving effect to the Share Consolidation. The Share Consolidation Resolution is a special resolution
and, as such, requires approval by not less than two-thirds (662/3%) of the votes cast by the Shareholders present, or represented
by proxy, at the Meeting. The full text of the Share Consolidation Resolution is as follows:
“BE IT RESOLVED, as a
special resolution of the shareholders of Akanda Corp. (the “Corporation”), that:
| 1. | the Articles of the Corporation be amended to change the
number of issued and outstanding common shares of the Corporation by consolidating the issued and outstanding common shares of the Corporation
on the basis of a ratio to be selected by the board of directors of the Corporation (the “Board”), in its sole discretion,
within a range between 10 pre-consolidation common shares of the Corporation for one (1) post-consolidation common share of the Corporation
and 100 pre-consolidation common shares of the Corporation for one (1) post-consolidation common share of the Corporation (the “Share
Consolidation”), with such Share Consolidation to be effected through one or more consolidations, in the sole discretion of
the Board, provided, (A) that the cumulative effect of the one or more consolidations shall not result in a consolidation ratio that
exceeds 100 pre-Share Consolidation common shares of the Corporation for one (1) post-Share Consolidation common share of the Corporation,
and (B) such Share Consolidation occurs prior to the earlier of the 12 month anniversary of the date of this resolution and the next
annual meeting of shareholders of the Corporation, with such amendment(s) to become effective at a date or dates in the future to be
determined by the Board in its sole discretion if and when the Board considers it to be in the best interests of the Corporation to implement
such a Share Consolidation, all as more fully described in the management information circular of the Corporation dated March 12, 2024
(the “Circular”), and subject to all necessary stock exchange approvals; |
| 2. | the amendment(s) to the Articles of the Corporation giving
effect to the Share Consolidation will provide that no fractional common share will be issued but the number of common shares to be received
by a Shareholder shall be rounded down to the nearest whole common share in the event that such Shareholder would otherwise be entitled
to a receive fractional common share; |
| 3. | any director or officer of the Corporation be, and each of
them is, hereby authorized and directed for and in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation to execute and deliver or cause to be
executed and delivered one or more articles of amendment of the Corporation to the director under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario)
and to execute and deliver or cause to be executed and delivered all documents and to take any action which, in the opinion of that person,
is necessary or desirable to give effect to this special resolution; |
| 4. | notwithstanding that this special resolution has been duly
passed by the holders of the common shares of the Corporation, the Board may, in its sole discretion (including in the circumstances
described in the Circular), revoke this special resolution in whole or in part at any time prior to its being given effect without further
notice to, or approval of, the holders of the common shares of the Corporation; and |
| 5. | any one director or officer of the Corporation be, and each
of them is, hereby authorized and directed for and in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation, to execute or cause to be executed,
whether under corporate seal of the Corporation or otherwise, and to deliver or cause to be delivered all such documents, and to do or
cause to be done all such acts and things, as in the opinion of such director or officer may be necessary or desirable in order to carry
out the terms of this resolution, such determination to be conclusively evidenced by the execution and delivery of
such documents or the doing of any such act or thing.” |
To be effective, the Share Consolidation
Resolution must be approved by special resolution, being the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (662/3%) of the votes
cast with respect to the Share Consolidation Resolution by Shareholders present in person or represented by proxy at the Meeting.
The persons named in the accompanying
Proxy (if named and absent contrary directions) intend to vote the shares represented thereby FOR the Share Consolidation Resolution.
Effects of the Share Consolidation
General
If
the Share Consolidation is implemented, its principal effect will be to proportionately decrease the number of issued and
outstanding Common Shares by a factor equal to the consolidation ratio selected by the Board. At the close of business on the Record
Date, there were 5,628,295 Common Shares issued and outstanding. For illustrative purposes only, the following table sets forth,
based on the number of Common Shares expected to be issued and outstanding as of the Record Date, the number of Common Shares that
would be issued and outstanding (disregarding any resulting fractional Common Shares and subject to any issuances occurring after
the Record Date) following the implementation of the Share Consolidation, at various consolidation ratios:
Share Consolidation Ratio | |
Common Shares
Outstanding | |
10 pre-consolidation Common Shares for one (1) post-consolidation Common Share | |
| 562,829 | |
50 pre-consolidation Common Shares for one (1) post-consolidation Common Share | |
| 112,565 | |
100 pre-consolidation Common Shares for one (1) post-consolidation Common Share | |
| 56,282 | |
The Corporation does not expect the
Share Consolidation itself to have any economic effect on holders of Common Shares or securities convertible into or exercisable to acquire
Common Shares, except to the extent the Share Consolidation will result in fractional Common Shares. See “No Fractional Shares”
below.
The Share Consolidation may be completed
via one or more consolidations, through the filing of Articles of Amendment, provided that that the cumulative effect of the one or more
consolidations shall not result in a consolidation ratio that exceeds 100 pre-Share Consolidation Common Shares for one (1) post-Share
Consolidation Common Share. For example, if the Board elected to effect the Share Consolidation via two separate consolidations and the
first consolidation was completed on the basis of 10 pre-consolidation Common Shares for one (1) post- consolidation Common Share, the
maximum consolidation ratio the Board would be authorized to select for the second consolidation would be 10 pre-consolidation Common
Shares per one (1) post-consolidation Common Share.
The Share Consolidation will not affect
the listing of the Common Shares on the Nasdaq. Following the Share Consolidation, it is expected that the Common Shares will continue
to be listed on the Nasdaq under the symbol “AKAN”. Following each consolidation the Common Shares will be assigned new CUSIP
and ISIN numbers.
Voting
rights and other rights of the holders of Common Shares prior to the implementation of the Share Consolidation will not be affected
by the Share Consolidation, other than as a result of the creation and disposition of fractional Common Shares as described below.
For example, a holder of 2% of the voting power attached to the outstanding Common Shares immediately prior to the implementation of
any consolidation will generally continue to hold 2% of the voting power attached to the Common Shares immediately after the
implementation of such consolidation. The number of registered Shareholders is not expected to be affected by any consolidation
(except to the extent resulting from the elimination of post-consolidation fractional shares). For example, if the selected
consolidation ratio for a particular consolidation is 20 pre-consolidation Common Shares per one (1) post- consolidation Common
Share a Shareholder that holds fewer than 20 pre-consolidation Common Shares may cease to hold any Common Shares following such
consolidation.
The exercise or conversion price and
the number of Common Shares issuable under any outstanding convertible securities of the Corporation, including outstanding stock options,
will be adjusted in accordance with their respective terms on the same basis as any consolidation.
Effect on Beneficial Shareholders
Beneficial Shareholders (i.e., Non-registered
Shareholders) holding Common Shares through an intermediary (a securities broker, dealer, bank or financial institution) should be aware
that the intermediary may have different procedures for processing a consolidation than those that will be put in place by the Corporation
for registered Shareholders. If Shareholders hold their Common Shares through an intermediary and they have questions in this regard,
they are encouraged to contact their intermediaries.
Effect of the Share Consolidation
on Convertible Securities
The exercise or conversion price and/or
the number of Common Shares issuable under any of the Corporation’s outstanding convertible securities, including under outstanding
stock options, warrants, rights and any other similar securities will be proportionately adjusted upon the implementation of any consolidation,
in accordance with the terms of such securities, based on the Share Consolidation ratio.
Effect on Share Certificates
If the Share Consolidation is approved
by Shareholders and subsequently implemented through one or more consolidations, in connection with each consolidation, those registered
Shareholders who will hold at least one post-consolidation Common Share will be required to exchange their share certificates representing
pre- consolidation Common Shares for share certificates representing post-consolidation Common Shares following each consolidation or,
alternatively, a Direct Registration System (“DRS”) Advice/Statement representing the number of post-consolidation
Common Shares they hold following each consolidation. The DRS is an electronic registration system which allows Shareholders to hold Common
Shares in their name in book-based form, as evidenced by a DRS Advice/Statement, rather than a physical share certificate.
If the Share Consolidation is implemented
through one or more consolidations, the Corporation (or its transfer agent) will mail to each registered Shareholder a letter of transmittal
in connection with each consolidation. Each registered Shareholder must complete and sign a letter of transmittal after the applicable
consolidation takes effect. The letter of transmittal will contain instructions on how to surrender to the transfer agent the certificate(s)
representing the registered Shareholder’s pre-consolidation Common Shares. The transfer agent will send to each registered Shareholder
who follows the instructions provided in the letter of transmittal a share certificate representing the number of post-consolidation Common
Shares to which the registered Shareholder is entitled rounded down to the nearest whole number or, alternatively, a DRS Advice/Statement
representing the number of post-consolidation Common Shares the registered Shareholder holds following the applicable consolidation. Beneficial
Shareholders (i.e. non-registered Shareholders) who hold their Common Shares through intermediaries (securities brokers, dealers, banks,
financial institutions, etc.) and who have questions regarding how the Share Consolidation will be processed should contact their intermediaries
with respect to the Share Consolidation. See “Effect on Beneficial Shareholders” above.
Until
surrendered to the transfer agent, each share certificate representing pre-consolidation Common Shares will be deemed for all
purposes to represent the number of post-consolidation Common Shares to which the registered Shareholder is entitled as a result of
the applicable consolidation. Until registered Shareholders have returned their properly completed and duly executed letter of
transmittal and surrendered their share certificate(s) for exchange, registered Shareholders will not be entitled to receive any
distributions, if any, that may be declared and payable to holders of record following the applicable consolidation.
Any registered Shareholder whose old
certificate(s) have been lost, destroyed or stolen will be entitled to a replacement share certificate only after complying with the requirements
that the Corporation and the transfer agent customarily apply in connection with lost, stolen or destroyed certificates.
The method chosen for delivery of share
certificates and letters of transmittal to the Corporation’s transfer agent is the responsibility of the registered Shareholder
and neither the transfer agent nor the Corporation will have any liability in respect of share certificates and/or letters of transmittal
which are not actually received by the transfer agent.
REGISTERED SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD NEITHER
DESTROY NOR SUBMIT ANY SHARE CERTIFICATE UNTIL HAVING RECEIVED A LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.
No Fractional Shares
No fractional Common Shares will be
issued in connection with any consolidation and no cash will be paid in lieu of fractional post-consolidation Common Shares. In the event
that a Shareholder would otherwise be entitled to receive a fractional Common Share upon the occurrence of a consolidation, such fraction
will be rounded down to the nearest whole number. In calculating such fractional interest, all post-Consolidation Common Shares held by
a beneficial holder(s) shall be aggregated.
No Dissent Rights
Shareholders are not entitled to exercise
any statutory dissent rights with respect to any proposed consolidation.
Accounting Consequences
If the Share Consolidation is implemented
through one or more consolidations, net income or loss per Common Share, and other per Common Share amounts, will be increased because
there will be fewer Common Shares issued and outstanding. In future financial statements, net income or loss per Common Share and other
per Common Share amounts for periods ending before the applicable consolidation took effect would be recast to give retroactive effect
to such consolidations.
Nasdaq Approval
Assuming shareholder approval is received
at the Meeting, and assuming that the Board determines to proceed with the Share Consolidation, the Share Consolidation will be subject
to acceptance by the Nasdaq, and confirmation that, on a post-Share Consolidation basis, the Corporation would meet all of the Nasdaq’s
applicable continuous listing requirements. If the Nasdaq does not accept the Share Consolidation, the Corporation will not proceed with
the Share Consolidation.
Risks Associated with the
Share Consolidation
Reducing the number of issued and outstanding
Common Shares through the Share Consolidation is intended, absent other factors, to increase the per share market price of the Common
Shares. However, the market price of the Common Shares will also be affected by the Corporation’s financial and operational results,
its financial position, including its liquidity and capital resources, the development of its operations, industry conditions, the market’s
perception of the Corporation’s business and other factors, which are unrelated to the number of Common Shares outstanding.
The market price of the Common Shares
immediately following the implementation of any consolidation is expected to be approximately equal to the market price of the Common
Shares prior to the implementation of such consolidation multiplied by the applicable consolidation ratio but there is no assurance that
the anticipated market price immediately following the implementation of any consolidation will be realized or, if realized, will be sustained
or will increase. There is a risk that the total market capitalization of the Common Shares (the market price of the Common Shares multiplied
by the number of Common Shares outstanding) after the implementation of any consolidation may be lower than the total market capitalization
of the Common Shares prior to the implementation of any consolidation.
Although the Corporation believes that
establishing a higher market price for the Common Shares could increase investment interest for the Common Shares in equity capital markets
by potentially broadening the pool of investors that may consider investing in the Corporation, including investors whose internal investment
policies prohibit or discourage them from purchasing stocks trading below a certain minimum price, there is no assurance that implementing
the Share Consolidation will achieve this result.
If the Share Consolidation is implemented
through one or more consolidations and the market price of the Common Shares (adjusted to reflect the applicable consolidation ratio)
declines, the percentage decline as an absolute number and as a percentage of the Corporation’s overall market capitalization may
be greater than would have occurred if any such consolidation had not been implemented. Both the total market capitalization of a company
and the adjusted market price of such company’s shares following a consolidation may be lower than they were before the consolidation
took effect. The reduced number of Common Shares that would be outstanding after any consolidation is implemented could adversely affect
the liquidity of the Common Shares.
Any consolidation may result in some
Shareholders owning “odd lots” of fewer than 100 Common Shares on a post-consolidation basis. Odd lot Common Shares may be
more difficult to sell, or may attract greater transaction costs per Common Share to sell, and brokerage commissions and other costs of
transactions in odd lots may be higher than the costs of transactions in “round lots” of even multiples of 100 Common Shares.
Tax Considerations
SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR TAX
ADVISORS REGARDING THE TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE SHARE CONSOLIDATION TO THEM, INCLUDING THE EFFECTS OF ANY CANADIAN OR U.S. FEDERAL, PROVINCIAL,
STATE, LOCAL, FOREIGN AND/OR OTHER TAX LAWS.
Approval of the 2024 Equity
Incentive Plan
The 2024 Equity Incentive Plan of the
Corporation was adopted by the Board on February 26, 2024 (the “2024 Equity Incentive Plan”). The 2024 Equity Incentive
Plan provides that the aggregate number of Common Shares reserved for issuance pursuant to incentive stock options, non-incentive stock
options, restricted share unit awards and any other awards (collectively, “Awards”) granted under such plan, including
any Awards granted under previous equity incentive plans outstanding as of the date of the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan, shall not exceed
30% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares from time to time. Shareholders will be asked at the Meeting to consider and, if deemed
advisable, confirm and approve the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan.
See “Description of the 2024
Equity Incentive Plan” for further details concerning the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan. The information related to the 2024 Equity
Incentive Plan in this Information Circular is intended as a summary only and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the 2024 Equity
Incentive Plan which is attached as Schedule A to this Information Circular.
At the Meeting, Shareholders will be
asked to consider, and, if deemed appropriate, approve, with or without variation, a resolution (the “Equity Incentive Plan Resolution”)
confirming and approving the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan. The text of the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan Resolution is as follows:
“BE IT RESOLVED, as an
ordinary resolution of the shareholders of Akanda Corp. (the “Corporation”), that:
| 1. | the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan of the Corporation, attached
as Schedule A to the management information circular of the Corporation dated March 12, 2024, (the “Equity Incentive Plan”)
is hereby confirmed and approved; |
| 2. | that number of common shares in the capital of the Corporation
that are issuable pursuant to the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan are hereby allotted, set aside and reserved for issuance pursuant thereto; |
| 3. | all previous grants of Awards under the 2024 Equity Incentive
Plan are hereby confirmed, ratified and approved; and |
| 4. | any one director or officer of the Corporation is hereby
authorized and directed, for and on behalf of the Corporation, to finalize, sign and deliver all documents, to enter into any agreements
and to do and perform all acts and things as such individual, in his or her discretion, deems necessary or advisable in order to give
effect to the intent of this resolution and the matters authorized hereby, including compliance with all securities laws and regulations
and the rules and requirements of The Nasdaq Capital Market, such determination to be conclusively evidenced by the finalizing, signing
or delivery of such document or agreement or the performing of such act or thing.” |
To be effective, the 2024 Equity Incentive
Plan Resolution must be approved by the affirmative vote of not less than a simple majority of the votes cast by the holders of Common
Shares present in person or by proxy at the Meeting.
The persons named in the accompanying
Proxy (if named and absent contrary directions) intend to vote the shares represented thereby FOR the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan
Resolution.
Description of the 2024
Equity Incentive Plan
The material features of the 2024 Equity
Incentive Plan are described below. The following description of the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan is a summary only and is qualified in
its entirety by reference to the complete text of the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan. Shareholders are urged to read the actual text of the
2024 Equity Incentive Plan in its entirety, which is appended as Schedule A to this Information Circular.
General. The 2024 Equity Incentive
Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options to the Corporation’s employees and for the grant of non-incentive stock options,
restricted share unit awards, and other forms of awards to the Corporation’s employees, directors and consultants.
Authorized Shares. The maximum
number of shares that may be issued under the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan, including shares underlying any Awards granted under previous
equity incentive plans outstanding as of the date of the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan, is 30% of the Corporation’s total issued and
outstanding Common Shares from time to time. The 2024 Equity Incentive Plan is considered an “evergreen” plan, since the shares
covered by Awards which have been exercised or terminated shall be available for subsequent grants under the plan and the number of Awards
available to grant increases as the number of issued and outstanding shares increases. To the extent any Awards under the 2024 Equity
Incentive Plan are exercised, terminate or are cancelled for any reason prior to exercise in full, any shares subject to such Awards shall
be added back to the number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan and will again become available for issuance
pursuant to the exercise of Awards granted under the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan. Additionally, shares issued pursuant to Awards under
the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan that are repurchased or that are forfeited, as well as shares used to pay the exercise price of an Award
or to satisfy the tax withholding obligations related to an Award, become available for future grant under the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan.
Plan Administration. The Board,
or a duly authorized committee of the Board, administers the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan. The Board may also delegate to one or more officers
of the Corporation the authority to: (1) designate employees (other than officers) to receive specified Awards; and (2) determine the
number of shares subject to such Awards. Under the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan, the Board has the authority to determine the terms of Awards,
including recipients, the exercise, purchase or strike price of Awards, if any, the number of shares subject to each Award, the fair market
value of a share, the vesting schedule applicable to the Awards, together with any vesting acceleration, the form of consideration, if
any, payable upon exercise or settlement of the Award and the terms of the Award agreements.
Stock Options. Incentive stock
options and non-incentive stock options are granted pursuant to stock option agreements adopted by the Board. The Board determines the
exercise price for stock options, within the terms and conditions of the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan, provided that the exercise price
of a stock option generally cannot be less than 100% of the fair market value of a share on the date of grant. Options granted under the
2024 Equity Incentive Plan vest at the rate specified in the stock option agreement as determined by the Board.
Restricted Share Unit Awards. Restricted
share unit Awards are granted pursuant to restricted share unit Award agreements adopted by the Board. Restricted share unit Awards may
be granted in consideration for any form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Board, or a duly authorized committee of
the Board, and permissible under applicable law. A restricted share unit Award may be settled by cash, delivery of stock, a combination
of cash and stock as deemed appropriate by the Board or in any other form of consideration set forth in the restricted share unit Award
agreement. Additionally, dividend equivalents may be credited in respect of shares covered by a restricted share unit Award. Except as
otherwise provided in the applicable Award agreement, restricted share units that have not vested will be forfeited upon the participant’s
cessation of continuous service for any reason.
Other Awards. The Board may
grant other awards based in whole or in part by reference to the shares. The Board will set the number of shares under the award and all
other terms and conditions of such awards.
Changes to Capital Structure. In
the event there is a specified type of change in our capital structure, such as a share split, reverse share split or recapitalization,
appropriate adjustments will be made to: (1) the class and maximum number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2024 Equity Incentive
Plan; and (2) the class and number of shares and exercise price, strike price or purchase price, if applicable, of all outstanding Awards.
Transactions. The 2024 Equity
Incentive Plan provides that in the event of certain specified significant transactions, including: (1) a sale of all or substantially
all of our assets; (2) the sale or disposition of more than 50% of our outstanding securities; (3) the consummation of a merger or consolidation
where we do not survive the transaction; and (4) the consummation of a merger or consolidation where we do survive the transaction but
the shares outstanding prior to such transaction are converted or exchanged into other property by virtue of the transaction, unless otherwise
provided in an Award agreement or other written agreement between us and the Award holder, the Board may take one or more of the following
actions with respect to such Awards: (A) arrange for the assumption, continuation or substitution of an Award by a successor corporation;
(B) arrange for the assignment of any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Corporation to a successor corporation; (C) accelerate
the vesting, in whole or in part, of the Award and provide for its termination prior to the transaction; (D) arrange for the lapse, in
whole or in part, of any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Corporation; (E) cancel or arrange for the cancellation of the
Award prior to the transaction in exchange for a cash payment, if any, determined by the Board; or (F) make a payment, in the form determined
by The Board, equal to the excess, if any, of the value of the property the participant would have received upon exercise of the Awards
prior to the transaction over any exercise price payable by the participant in connection with the exercise.
Transferability. A participant
may not transfer Awards under the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan other than by will, the laws of descent and distribution or as otherwise
provided in the applicable Award agreement or other agreement between the participant and the Corporation or as otherwise expressly consented
to by the Board.
Plan Amendment or Termination. The
Board has the authority to amend, suspend or terminate the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan, provided that such action does not materially impair
the existing rights of any participant without such participant’s written consent. Certain material amendments also require the
approval of the Shareholders, if required by applicable law or listing requirements. No incentive stock options may be granted after the
tenth anniversary of the date the Board adopted the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan. No Awards may be granted under the 2024 Equity Incentive
Plan while it is suspended or after it is terminated.
Approval of the Transaction
Resolution
At the Meeting, Shareholders will be
asked to approve, with or without variation, a special resolution (the “Transaction Resolution”) authorizing the sale
of what may represent substantially all of the Corporation’s property, being all of the issued and outstanding shares ( the “
Purchased Shares”) of RPK Biopharma, Unipessoal, LDA (“RPK”), a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of the
Corporation, held directly through Holigen Holdings Limited (the “Seller”), a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of the
Corporation, to Somai Pharmaceuticals Unipessoal, Lda. (the “Purchaser”). The text of the Transaction Resolution is
as follows:
“BE IT RESOLVED, as special
resolution of the shareholders of Akanda Corp. (the “Corporation”), that:
| 1. | the sale of all of the issued and outstanding shares of RPK
Biopharma, Unipessoal, LDA (“RPK”) (the “Transaction”) as more fully described in the management
information circular of the Corporation dated March 12, 2024 (the “Circular”) and attached as Schedule “B”
to the Circular, as may be amended, modified or supplemented, be and is hereby confirmed, ratified, authorized and approved in all respects. |
| 2. | the entering into, execution and delivery of the share purchase
agreement between the Corporation, Holigen Holdings Limited, Cannahealth Limited, RPK, and Somai Pharmaceuticals Ltd., dated February
28, 2024 (the “Share Purchase Agreement”), and the performance of all obligations thereunder, be and is hereby authorized
and approved; |
| 3. | the Corporation be and is hereby authorized to take all such
further actions and to execute and deliver all such further instruments or documents relating to, contemplated by or necessary or desirable
in connection with the Transaction and the Share Purchase Agreement; |
| 4. | notwithstanding that this special resolution has been duly
passed by the holders of the common shares of the Corporation, the board of directors of the Corporation is hereby authorized and empowered,
without further notice to, or approval of, any securityholders of the Corporation to: (i) amend the Share Purchase Agreement to the extent
permitted by the Share Purchase Agreement; and (ii) revoke this special resolution in whole or in part at any time prior to its being
given effect, if it determines that the Transaction is no longer in this best interest of the Corporation. |
| 5. | any one director or officer of the Corporation be, and each
of them is, hereby authorized and directed for and in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation, to execute or cause to be executed,
whether under corporate seal of the Corporation or otherwise, and to deliver or cause to be delivered all such documents, agreements
and instruments and to do or cause to be done all such acts and things, as in the opinion of such director or officer may be necessary
or desirable in order to carry out the terms of this resolution, such determination to be conclusively evidenced by the execution and
delivery of such documents or the doing of any such act or thing.” |
The Board has determined that passing
the Transaction Resolution is in the best interests of the Corporation and its Shareholders and recommends that Shareholders vote FOR
the Transaction Resolution.
To be effective, the Transaction Resolution
must be approved by special resolution, being the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (662/3%) of the votes cast with respect
to the Transaction Resolution by Shareholders present in person or represented by proxy at the Meeting.
The persons named in the accompanying Proxy (if named
and absent contrary directions) intend to vote the shares represented thereby FOR the Transaction Resolution.
Transaction Overview
The Corporation has agreed to sell,
through the Seller, the Purchased Shares to the Purchaser for an aggregate purchase price of USD$2,000,000, payable in cash (the “Transaction”),
subject to certain terms set out in the share purchase agreement entered into between the Corporation, the Seller, the Purchaser and Cannahealth
Limited dated as of February 28, 2024 (the “Share Purchase Agreement”). The Transaction shall be effected by the sale,
transfer and assignment by the Corporation to the Purchaser all of the Purchased Shares.
The Transaction is a material transaction
for the Corporation and may represent a sale of substantially all of the property of the Corporation for the purposes of Section 184(3)
of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (“OBCA”). To ensure that the Shareholders are able to consider and
vote on the Transaction, the Corporation is seeking the special approval of the Shareholders for the Transaction, even though the Transaction
may not actually constitute a sale of substantially all of the property of the Corporation.
Background to the Transaction
In the course of evaluating the business
of the Corporation and RPK, the Board consulted with management advisors and considered a number of factors that provided a compelling
business reason for the sale of RPK. Such reasons included, among others, the state of the capital markets, being such that raising capital
to further develop RPK was uneconomic, and as such, the Board has decided to sell RPK and use the proceeds to de-risk its portfolio and
shed liabilities, which provides the best opportunity to increase shareholder value going forward.
The Transaction and the provisions
of the Share Purchase Agreement are the result of arm’s length negotiations conducted between the Corporation and the Purchaser.
In addition to obtaining shareholder
approval, the closing of the Transaction may be subject to the satisfaction of all regulatory requirements and the fulfillment of certain
other conditions. There can be no assurance that such conditions will be met.
The Corporation currently operates
as a holding company, indirectly holding all of the issued and outstanding shares of RPK. RPK is a significant operating business of the
Corporation and engages mostly in the business of medical cannabis cultivation, distribution and sales in Portugal and other countries
within the European countries. The other operating segment of the Corporation is Canmart Ltd. In September 2023, Akanda acquired the right
to develop a Canadian farming property in British Columbia, including farming land and related operations and license.
The Share Purchase Agreement
To effect the completion of the Transaction,
the Corporation, the Seller, Cannahealth Limited and the Purchaser entered into the Share Purchase Agreement. Please refer to the Share
Purchase Agreement, a copy of which is attached to this Information Circular as Schedule “B” for the full particulars of the
terms of the Transaction.
The following is a summary of certain
key provisions of the Share Purchase Agreement. The summary is not complete and does not intend to replace a fulsome review of the Share
Purchase Agreement and is subject, and qualified by reference, to the provisions of the Share Purchase Agreement as attached to this Information
Circular as Schedule “B”. The Share Purchase Agreement contains terms and conditions as well as customary covenants, representations
and warranties for a transaction of a similar nature as the Transaction.
Purchase Price
The aggregate consideration to be paid
by the Purchaser to the Corporation for the Purchased Shares will be USD$2,000,000, payable on the closing of the Transaction (the “Purchase
Price”). USD$500,000 of the Purchase Price has already been paid by the Purchaser as a refundable deposit, which is being held
in trust and will be applied to the Purchase Price upon the completion of the Transaction.
Assumption of Debt and Liabilities
Pursuant
to the terms and conditions of the Definitive Agreement, the Purchaser has agreed to assume up to €4,000,000 of RPK’s
total indebtedness and liabilities, which shall consist of approximately €3,000,000 of bank debt owed by RPK to Caixa Agricola
and €1,000,000 of current liabilities, including off-balance sheet liabilities (the “Assumed Debt”).
All other intercompany loans, shareholder
loans and interest shall be extinguished prior to the completion of the Transaction.
Conditions Precedent
Closing of the Transaction is subject
to customary conditions for a transaction of this nature. The conditions precedent to the closing of the Transaction include, but are
not limited to: (i) all requisite approvals, consents and actions for the Transaction have been taken and/or obtained by the Purchaser,
RPK and the Corporation, as applicable; (ii) no provisions of any applicable laws will prohibit or otherwise challenge the legality or
validity of the Transaction; (iii) the Purchased Shares will be free and clear of all encumbrances; (iv) there will have been no material
adverse change to the business of the Corporation since the date of the last audited financial statements of the Corporation; (v) all
intercompany loans, shareholder loans and interest (other than the Assumed Debt) shall have been extinguished on or prior to the completion
of the Transaction; (vi) the Corporation shall have provided an attestation that there are no current claims, liens, or other liabilities
against RPK or its assets and that the Corporation will indemnify the Purchaser against any such claims; (vii) the Corporation shall have
provided an attestation that the Assumed Debt shall not exceed €4,000,000; and (viii) the Corporation shall have received requisite
approval of the Transaction at the Meeting and by its board of directors.
Termination
Prior to the completion of the Transaction, the Share Purchase
Agreement may be terminated by:
| 1. | the mutual written consent of the parties to the Share Purchase
Agreement; |
| 2. | the Purchaser in the event of a material breach of any representation,
warranty, covenant or agreement of the Seller contained in the Share Purchase Agreement, and the failure of the Seller to cure such breach
within ten (10) business days after receipt of written notice from the Purchaser requesting such breach to be cured; provided, however,
that there will be no right to terminate if such breach was caused, in whole or in part, by a material breach by the Purchaser; |
| 3. | the Seller in the event of a material breach of any representation,
warranty, covenant or agreement of the Purchaser contained in the Share Purchase Agreement, and the failure of the Purchaser to cure
such breach within ten (10) business days after receipt of written notice from the Seller requesting such breach to be cured; provided,
however, that there will be no right to terminate if such breach was caused, in whole or in part, by a material breach by the Seller. |
| 4. | any party to the Share Purchase Agreement if any governmental
authority will have issued a final and non-appealable order, decree or judgment permanently restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting
the completion of the Transaction or any governmental authority
has refused to provide a consent or approval set forth, or required by the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement; or |
| 5. | by any party to the Share Purchase Agreement if the closing
of the Transaction does occur on or before March 22, 2024 (or such later date as may be agreed to in writing by the Purchaser and the
Seller); provided, however, that this right to terminate the Share Purchase Agreement will not be available to any party whose failure
to fulfill any obligation under, or breach of any provision of, the Share Purchase Agreement will have been the cause of, or will have
resulted in, the failure of the closing of the Transaction to occur on or before the applicable date. |
Reasons for the Transaction and
Recommendation of the Board
The Board and management of the Corporation
have periodically reviewed a range of strategic alternatives for creating shareholder value, including potential transactions. The Board
reviewed and considered a number of factors relating to the Transaction with the benefit of input and advice from the Corporation’s
senior management team.
In making its determinations and recommendations,
the Board also observed that a number of procedural safeguards were in place and are in place to permit the Board to represent the interests
of the Corporation, the shareholders and the other stakeholders of the Corporation. Accordingly, the Board also considered the following:
| 1. | Shareholder Approval: The Transaction Resolution must
be approved by at least two-thirds (662/3%) of the votes cast on the Transaction Resolution at the Meeting by shareholders,
present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Meeting. |
| 2. | Dissent Rights: The provisions of the OBCA provide
that any registered shareholder who is opposed to the Transaction may, upon compliance with certain conditions, exercise Dissent Right
(as defined herein) and, if ultimately successful, receive the fair value of the their shares held pursuant to the terms of the OBCA. |
The Board also considered a variety
of risks and other potentially negative factors relating to the Transaction. The Board believes that, overall, the anticipated benefits
of the Transaction to the Corporation outweigh such risks and negative factors.
The foregoing information and factors
considered by the Board is not intended to be exhaustive, but includes the material information and factors considered by the Board in
its consideration of the Transaction. In light of the variety of factors and the amount of information considered in connection with the
Board’s evaluation of the Transaction, the Board did not find it practicable to and did not quantify or otherwise attempt to assign
any relevant weight to each of the specific factors considered in reaching its conclusions and recommendations. In addition, individual
members of the Board may have assigned different weights to different factors in reaching their own conclusions as to the fairness of
the Transaction.
Effect of the Transaction
The Transaction is part of the Corporation’s
larger strategy to increase available free cash, eliminate debt and pivot the Corporation’s focus away from RPK and towards more
attractive markets and/or lines of business. The expected cash proceeds from the Transaction will allow the Corporation to continue operating
and growing its business and to investigate and pursue strategic opportunities that will increase shareholder value overall.
RPK is the primary operating business
of the Corporation and following the completion of the Transaction, the Corporation will not have a source of material revenue from its
operations.
Authority of the Board
By passing the Transaction Resolution,
the shareholders will also be giving authority to the Board to use its judgement to proceed with the Transaction or to abandon the Transaction
(subject to the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement) without any requirement to seek or obtain any further approval of the shareholders.
The Transaction Resolution also provides
that the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement may be amended by the Board before or after the Meeting without further notice to the shareholders.
Although the Board has no current intention to amend the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement, it is possible that the Board may determine
that certain amendments are appropriate, necessary or desirable.
Right of Dissenting Shareholders
The following description of the dissent
rights of Shareholders (“Dissent Rights”) is not a comprehensive statement of the procedure to be followed by a Shareholder
who dissents (“Dissenting Shareholder”) who seeks payment of the fair value of such holder’s Common Shares and
is qualified in its entirety by the reference to the text of section 185 of the OBCA, which is attached to this Information Circular as
Schedule “C”. A Dissenting Shareholder who intends to exercise the Dissent Right should carefully consider and comply with
the provisions of the OBCA. Failure to adhere to the procedures established therein will result in the loss of all rights thereunder.
Accordingly, each Dissenting Shareholder who might desire to exercise their Dissent Right should consult his or her legal advisor.
Registered shareholders have a right
to dissent with respect to the Transaction Resolution and, if the Transaction Resolution becomes effective, to be paid the fair value
of their Common Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 185 of the OBCA. A registered Shareholder may only exercise the right
to dissent under Section 185 of the OBCA in respect of Common Shares which are registered in that shareholder’s name. Failure to
comply strictly with the provisions of the OBCA may result in the loss or unavailability of the right to dissent. The execution or exercise
of a proxy does not constitute a written objection for the purposes of Section 185 of the OBCA.
A Dissenting Shareholder must submit
to the Corporation a written objection to the Transaction Resolution at or before the Meeting, which dissent notice if delivered before
the Meeting must be received by the Corporation, at katie@akandacorp.com, and must otherwise strictly comply with the procedure prescribed
by the OBCA.
A vote against the Transaction Resolution
or a withholding of votes does not constitute a written objection. Within 10 days after the Transaction Resolution is approved by the
Shareholders, the Corporation must send to each Dissenting Shareholder a notice that the Transaction Resolution has been adopted. The
Dissenting Shareholder is then required, within 20 days after receipt of such notice (or if such shareholder does not receive such notice,
within 20 days after learning of the adoption of the Transaction Resolution), to send to the Corporation a written notice containing the
Dissenting Shareholder’s name and address, the number of Common Shares in respect of which the Dissenting Shareholder dissents and
a demand for payment of the fair value of such shares and, within 30 days after sending such written notice, to send to the Corporation
or its transfer agent the appropriate share certificate or certificates representing the Common Shares in respect of which the Dissenting
Shareholder has exercised Dissent Rights.
A
Dissenting Shareholder who fails to send to Corporation within the required periods of time the required notices or the certificates
representing the Common Shares in respect of which the Dissenting Shareholder has dissented may forfeit their Dissent Rights. If the
matters provided for in the Transaction Resolution become effective, then a notice will be required to be sent, not later than the
seventh day after the later of: (i) the effective date of the Transaction; and (ii) the day the demand for payment is received, to
each Dissenting Shareholder whose demand for payment has been received, containing a written offer to pay for the Common Shares of
such Dissenting Shareholder in such amount as the directors consider the fair value thereof accompanied by a statement showing how
the fair value was determined, subject to certain exceptions. Payment for the Common Shares of a Dissenting Shareholder must be made
within ten days after an offer made as described above has been accepted by a Dissenting Shareholder, but any such offer lapses if
an acceptance thereof is not received within 30 days after such offer has been made. If such offer is not made or accepted within 50
days after the effective date, the Corporation may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction to fix the fair value of such shares.
There is no obligation of the Corporation to apply to the court. If the Corporation fails to make such an application, a Dissenting
Shareholder has the right to so apply within a further 20 days.
OTHER BUSINESS
Management is not aware of any matters
to come before the Meeting other than those set forth in this Information Circular. If any other matter properly comes before the Meeting,
the persons named in the Proxy will vote the shares represented thereby in accordance with their best judgment on such matter.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Financial information is provided in
the Corporation’s audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and the MD&A. Shareholders
who wish to obtain a copy of the financial statements of the Corporation and the MD&A should email a request to the Corporation at
accounts@akandacorp.com, Attention: Financial Reporting.
SCHEDULE A
EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
See attached.
AKANDA CORP.
2024 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: FEBRUARY
26, 2024
| (a) | Eligible Award Recipients. Employees, Officers, Directors
and Consultants are eligible to receive Awards. |
| (b) | Available Awards. The Plan provides for the grant of
the following types of Awards: (i) Stock Options, and (ii) Restricted Share Unit Awards. |
| (c) | Purpose. The Plan, through the grant of Awards, is
intended to help the Corporation secure and retain the services of eligible award recipients, provide incentives for such persons to
exert maximum efforts for the success of the Corporation and any Affiliate and provide a means by which the eligible recipients may benefit
from increases in value of the Common Shares. |
| (a) | Administration by the Board. The Board will administer
the Plan. The Board may delegate administration of the Plan to a Committee or Committees, as provided in Section 2(c). |
| (b) | Powers of the Board. The Board will have the power,
subject to, and within the limitations of, the express provisions of the Plan: |
| (i) | To determine (A) who will be granted Awards; (B) when and
how each Award will be granted; (C) what type of Award will be granted; (D) the provisions of each Award (which need not be identical),
including when a person will be permitted to exercise or otherwise receive cash or Common Shares under the Award; (E) the number of Common
Shares subject to, or the cash value of, an Award. |
| (ii) | To construe and interpret the Plan and Awards granted under
it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for administration of the Plan and Awards. The Board, in the exercise of
these powers, may correct any defect, omission or inconsistency in the Plan or in any Award Agreement, in a manner and to the extent
it will deem necessary or expedient to make the Plan or Award fully effective. |
| (iii) | To settle all controversies regarding the Plan and Awards
granted under it. |
| (iv) | To accelerate, in whole or in part, the time at which an
Award may be exercised or vest (or the time at which cash or Common Shares may be issued in settlement thereof). |
| (v) | To suspend or terminate the Plan at any time. Except as otherwise
provided in the Plan or an Award Agreement, suspension or termination of the Plan will not impair a Participant’s rights under
the Participant’s then-outstanding Award without the Participant’s written consent except as provided in subsection (viii)
below. |
| (vi) | To amend the Plan in any respect the Board deems necessary
or advisable, including, without limitation, by adopting amendments relating to Incentive Stock Options and certain nonqualified deferred
compensation under Section 409A of the Code and/or bringing the Plan or Awards granted under the Plan into compliance with the requirements
for Incentive Stock Options or ensuring that they are exempt from, or compliant with, the requirements for nonqualified deferred compensation
under Section 409A of the Code, subject to the limitations, if any, of applicable law. If required by applicable law or listing requirements,
and except as provided in Section 9(a) relating to Capitalization Adjustments, the Corporation will seek shareholder approval of any
amendment of the Plan that (A) materially increases the number of Common Shares available for issuance under the Plan, (B) materially
expands the class of individuals eligible to receive Awards under the Plan, (C) materially increases the benefits accruing to Participants
under the Plan, (D) materially reduces the price at
which Common Shares may be issued or purchased under the Plan, (E) materially extends the term of the Plan, or (F) materially expands
the types of Awards available for issuance under the Plan. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan or an Award Agreement, no amendment
of the Plan will materially impair a Participant’s rights under an outstanding Award without the Participant’s written consent. |
| (vii) | To submit any amendment to the Plan for shareholder approval, including, but not limited to, amendments
to the Plan intended to satisfy the requirements of (A) Section 422 of the Code regarding Incentive Stock Options. |
| (viii) | To approve forms of Award Agreements for use under the Plan and to amend the terms of any one or
more Awards, including, but not limited to, amendments to provide terms more favorable to the Participant than previously provided
in the Award Agreement, subject to any specified limits in the Plan that are not subject to Board discretion; provided
however, that a Participant’s rights under any Award will not be impaired by any such amendment unless (A) the Corporation
requests the consent of the affected Participant, and (B) such Participant consents in writing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (1) a
Participant’s rights will not be deemed to have been impaired by any such amendment if the Board, in its sole discretion,
determines that the amendment, taken as a whole, does not materially impair the Participant’s rights, and (2) subject to the
limitations of applicable law, if any, the Board may amend the terms of any one or more Awards without the affected
Participant’s consent (A) to maintain the qualified status of the Award as an Incentive Stock Option under Section 422 of the
Code; (B) to change the terms of an Incentive Stock Option, if such change results in impairment of the Award solely because it
impairs the qualified status of the Award as an Incentive Stock Option under Section 422 of the Code; (C) to clarify the manner of
exemption from, or to bring the Award into compliance with, Section 409A of the Code; or (D) to comply with other applicable
laws or listing requirements. |
| (ix) | Generally, to exercise such powers and to perform such acts as the Board deems necessary or expedient
to promote the best interests of the Corporation and that are not in conflict with the provisions of the Plan or Awards. |
| (x) | To adopt such procedures and sub-plans as are necessary or
appropriate to permit participation in the Plan by Employees, Officers, Directors or Consultants who are foreign nationals or employed
outside the United States (provided that Board approval will not be necessary for immaterial modifications to the Plan or any Award Agreement
that are required for compliance with the laws of the relevant foreign jurisdiction). |
| (xi) | To effect, with the consent of any adversely affected Participant,
(A) the reduction of the exercise, purchase or strike price of any outstanding Award; (B) the cancellation of any outstanding Award and
the grant in substitution therefor of a new (1) Option, (2) Restricted Share Unit Award, and/or (3) Other Award, determined by the Board,
in its sole discretion, with any such substituted award covering the same or a different number of Common Shares as the cancelled Award
and granted under the Plan or another equity or compensatory plan of the Corporation; or (C) any other action that is treated as a repricing
under generally accepted accounting principles. |
| (c) | Delegation to Committee. |
| (i) | General. The Board may delegate some or all of the
administration of the Plan to a Committee or Committees. If administration of the Plan is delegated to a Committee, the Committee will
have, in connection with the administration of the Plan, the powers theretofore possessed by the Board that have been delegated to the
Committee, including the power to delegate to a subcommittee of the Committee any of the administrative powers the Committee is authorized
to exercise (and references in this Plan to the Board will thereafter be to the Committee or subcommittee, as applicable). Any delegation
of administrative powers will be reflected in resolutions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, adopted from time to time
by the Board or Committee (as applicable). The Committee may, at any time, abolish the subcommittee and/or re-vest in the Committee any
powers delegated to the subcommittee. The Board may retain the authority to concurrently administer the Plan with the Committee and may,
at any time, re-vest in the Board some or all of the powers previously delegated. |
| (d) | Delegation to an Officer. The Board may delegate to
one or more Officers the authority to do one or both of the following: (i) designate Employees who are not Officers to be recipients
of Options (and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, other Awards) and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the terms of
such Awards, and (ii) determine the number of Common Shares to be subject to such Awards granted to such Employees; provided, however,
that the Board resolutions regarding such delegation will specify the total number of Common Shares that may be subject to the Awards
granted by such Officer and that such Officer may not grant an Award to himself or herself. Any such Awards will be granted on the form
of Award Agreement most recently approved for use by the Committee or the Board, unless otherwise provided in the resolutions approving
the delegation authority. The Board may not delegate authority to an Officer who is acting solely in the capacity of an Officer (and
not also as a Director) to determine the Market Value pursuant to Section 14(w)(i)B below. |
| (e) | Effect of Board’s Decision. All determinations,
interpretations and constructions made by the Board in good faith will not be subject to review by any person and will be final, binding
and conclusive on all persons. |
3. | SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN. |
| (a) | Share Reserve. Subject to Section 9(a) relating to Capitalization Adjustments and any subsequent
amendment to this Plan, the aggregate number of shares reserved for issuance pursuant to Awards granted under this Plan, including any
Awards granted under previous equity incentive plans outstanding as of the date of this Plan, shall not exceed 30% of the Corporation’s
total issued and outstanding Common Shares from time to time. This Plan is considered an “evergreen” plan, since the shares
covered by Awards which have been exercised or terminated shall be available for subsequent grants under the Plan and the number of Awards
available to grant increases as the number of issued and outstanding Common Share increases. |
| (b) | To the extent any Awards (or portion(s) thereof) under this Plan are exercised, terminate or are cancelled
for any reason prior to exercise in full, any shares subject to such Awards (or portion(s) thereof) shall be added back to the number
of shares reserved for issuance under this Plan and will again become available for issuance pursuant to the exercise of Awards granted
under this Plan. |
| (c) | Any shares issued by the Corporation through the assumption or substitution of outstanding stock options
or other equity-based awards from an acquired company shall not reduce the number of Common Shares available for issuance pursuant to
the exercise of Awards granted under this Plan. |
| (d) | For clarity, the reservation of shares under Section 3(a) is a limitation on the number of Common Shares
that may be issued pursuant to the Plan. Accordingly, this Section 3(a) does not limit the granting of any Other Award not involving,
whether by election or otherwise, the issuance of Common Shares to the Participant. |
| (e) | Reversion of Shares to the Share Reserve. If an Award or any portion thereof (i) expires or otherwise
terminates without all of the shares covered by such Award having been issued or (ii) is settled in cash (i.e., the Participant
receives cash rather than stock), such expiration, termination or settlement will not reduce (or otherwise offset) the number of Common
Shares that may be available for issuance under the Plan. If any Common Shares issued pursuant to an Award are forfeited back to or repurchased
by the Corporation because of the failure to meet a contingency or condition required to vest such shares in the Participant, then the
shares that are forfeited or repurchased will revert to and again become available for issuance under the Plan. Any shares reacquired
by the Corporation in satisfaction of tax withholding obligations on an Award or as consideration for the exercise or purchase price of
an Award will again become available for issuance under the Plan. |
| (f) | Source of Shares. The shares issuable under the Plan will be shares of authorized but unissued
Common Shares from treasury. |
| (a) | Eligibility for Specific Awards. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to applicable employees
of the Corporation or a “parent corporation” or “subsidiary corporation” thereof (as such terms are defined in
Sections 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code). Awards other than Incentive Stock Options may be granted to Employees, Officers, Directors and
Consultants. |
| (b) | Ten Percent Shareholders. A Ten Percent Shareholder will not be granted an Incentive Stock Option
unless the exercise price of such Option is at least 110% of the Market Value on the date of grant and the Option is not exercisable after
the expiration of five years from the date of grant. |
5. | PROVISIONS RELATING TO OPTIONS. |
Each Option will be in such form and
will contain such terms and conditions as the Board deems appropriate. All Options will be separately designated Incentive Stock Options
or Non-Incentive Stock Options at the time of grant, and, if certificates are issued, a separate certificate or certificates will be issued
for Common Shares purchased on exercise of each type of Option. If an Option is not specifically designated as an Incentive Stock Option,
or if an Option is designated as an Incentive Stock Option but some portion or all of the Option fails to qualify as an Incentive Stock
Option under the applicable rules, then the Option (or portion thereof) will be a Non-Incentive Stock Option. The provisions of separate
Options need not be identical; provided, however, that each Award Agreement will conform to (through incorporation of provisions
hereof by reference in the applicable Award Agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:
| (a) | Term. Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b) regarding
Ten Percent Shareholders, no Option will be exercisable after the expiration of 10 years from the date of its grant or such shorter period
specified in the Award Agreement. |
| (b) | Exercise Price. Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b) regarding Ten Percent Shareholders, the
exercise or strike price of each Option will be not less than 100% of the Market Value of the Common Shares subject to the Option on the
date the Award is granted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option may be granted with an exercise or strike price lower than 100% of
the Market Value of the Common Shares subject to the Award if such Award is granted pursuant to an assumption of or substitution for another
option pursuant to a Corporate Transaction; provided that such grant is permitted under applicable Securities Laws and Stock Exchange
Rules and, to the extent relevant to the Participant, is made in a manner consistent with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code and,
if applicable, Section 424(a) of the Code. |
| (c) | Purchase Price for Options. The purchase price of Common Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise
of an Option may be paid, to the extent permitted by applicable law and as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, by any combination
of the methods of payment set forth below. The Board will have the authority to grant Options that do not permit all of the following
methods of payment (or otherwise restrict the ability to use certain methods) and to grant Options that require the consent of the Corporation
to use a particular method of payment. The permitted methods of payment are as follows: |
| (i) | by cash, certified cheque, bank draft or money order payable
to the Corporation; |
| (ii) | if an Option is a Non-Incentive Stock Option, by a “net exercise” arrangement pursuant
to which the Corporation will reduce the number of Common Shares issuable upon exercise by the largest whole number of shares with a
Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price; provided, however, that the Corporation will accept a cash or
other payment from the Participant to the extent of any remaining balance of the aggregate exercise price not satisfied by such
reduction in the number of whole shares to be issued. Common Shares will no longer be subject to an Option and will not be
exercisable thereafter to the extent that (A) shares issuable upon exercise
are used to pay the exercise price pursuant to the “net exercise,” (B) shares are delivered to the Participant as a result
of such exercise, and (C) shares are withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations; or |
| (iii) | in any other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Board and specified in the applicable Award Agreement. |
| (d) | Transferability of Options. Except as otherwise provided
in the applicable Award Agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Corporation or as otherwise expressly consented
to by the Board, Options shall not be assignable, transferable or negotiable (whether by operation of law or otherwise) and may not be
assigned or transferred other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. |
| (e) | Vesting Generally. The total number of Common Shares
subject to an Option may vest and therefore become exercisable in periodic installments that may or may not be equal. The Option may
be subject to such other terms and conditions on the time or times when it may or may not be exercised (which may be based on the satisfaction
of performance goals or other criteria) as the Board may deem appropriate. The vesting provisions of individual Options may vary. The
provisions of this Section 5(e) are subject to any Option provisions governing the minimum number of Common Shares as to which an Option
may be exercised. |
| (f) | Termination of Continuous Service. Except as otherwise
provided in the applicable Award Agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Corporation, if a Participant’s Continuous
Service terminates (other than for Cause and other than upon the Participant’s death or Disability), the Participant may exercise
his or her Option (to the extent that the Participant was entitled to exercise such Award as of the date of termination of Continuous
Service) within the period of time ending on the earlier of (i) the date ninety (90) days following the termination of the Participant’s
Continuous Service (or such longer or shorter period specified in the applicable Award Agreement, which period will not be less than
30 days if necessary to comply with applicable laws unless such termination is for Cause) and (ii) the expiration of the term of the
Option as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after termination of Continuous Service, the Participant does not exercise his or her
Option within the applicable time frame, the Option will terminate. |
| (g) | Disability of Participant. Except as otherwise provided
in the applicable Award Agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Corporation, if a Participant’s Continuous
Service terminates as a result of the Participant’s Disability, the Participant may exercise his or her Option (to the extent that
the Participant was entitled to exercise such Option as of the date of termination of Continuous Service), but only within such period
of time ending on the earlier of (i) the date 12 months following such termination of Continuous Service (or such longer or shorter period
specified in the Award Agreement, which period will not be less than six months if necessary to comply with applicable laws unless such
termination is for Cause), and (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after termination
of Continuous Service, the Participant does not exercise his or her Option within the applicable time frame, the Option will terminate. |
| (h) | Death of Participant. Except as otherwise provided
in the applicable Award Agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Corporation, if (i) a Participant’s Continuous
Service terminates as a result of the Participant’s death, or (ii) the Participant dies within the period (if any) specified in
the Award Agreement for exercisability after the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service (for a reason other than death),
then the Option may be exercised (to the extent the Participant was entitled to exercise such Option as of the date of death) by the
Participant’s estate, by a person who acquired the right to exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance or by a person designated
to exercise the Option upon the Participant’s death, but only within the period ending on the earlier of (i) the date 12 months
following the date of death (or such longer or shorter period specified in the Award Agreement, which period will not be less than six
months if necessary to comply with applicable laws unless such termination is for Cause), and (ii) the expiration of the term of such
Option as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after the Participant’s death, the Option is not exercised within the applicable
time frame, the Option (as applicable) will terminate. |
| (i) | Termination for Cause. Except as explicitly provided
otherwise in a Participant’s Award Agreement or other individual written agreement between the Corporation or any Affiliate and
the Participant, if a Participant’s Continuous Service is terminated for Cause, the Option will terminate immediately upon such
Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, and the Participant will be prohibited from exercising his or her Option from
and after the date of such termination of Continuous Service. |
| (j) | Non-Exempt Employees. If an Option is granted to an Employee who is a non-exempt employee for purposes
of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, the Option will not be first exercisable for any Common Shares until at least six
months following the date of grant of the Option (although the Award may vest prior to such date). Consistent with the provisions of the
Worker Economic Opportunity Act, (i) if such non-exempt Employee dies or suffers a Disability, (ii) upon a Corporate Transaction in which
such Option is not assumed, continued, or substituted, (iii) upon a Change of Control, or (iv) upon the Participant’s retirement
(as such term may be defined in the Participant’s Award Agreement, in another agreement between the Participant and the Corporation,
or, if no such definition, in accordance with the Corporation’s then current employment policies and guidelines), the vested portion
of any Options may be exercised earlier than six months following the date of grant. The foregoing provision is intended to operate so
that any income derived by a non-exempt employee in connection with the exercise or vesting of an Option will be exempt from his or her
regular rate of pay. To the extent permitted and/or required for compliance with the Worker Economic Opportunity Act to ensure that any
income derived by a non-exempt employee in connection with the exercise, vesting or issuance of any shares under any other Award will
be exempt from the employee’s regular rate of pay, the provisions of this Section will apply to all Awards and are hereby incorporated
by reference into such Award Agreements. |
| (k) | Right of Repurchase. Subject to the “Repurchase Limitation” and any applicable Securities
Laws and Stock Exchange Rules, the Option may include a provision whereby the Corporation may elect to repurchase all or any part of the
vested Common Shares acquired by the Participant pursuant to the exercise of the Option. |
| (l) | Right of First Refusal. Subject to any applicable Securities Laws and Stock Exchange Rules, the
Option may include a provision whereby the Corporation may elect to exercise a right of first refusal following receipt of notice from
the Participant of the intent to transfer all or any part of the Common Shares received upon the exercise of the Option. Such right of
first refusal will be subject to the “Repurchase Limitation”. Except as expressly provided in this Section or in the Award Agreement,
such right of first refusal will otherwise comply with any applicable provisions of the bylaws of the Corporation. |
6. | PROVISIONS OF AWARDS OTHER THAN OPTIONS. |
| (a) | Restricted Share Unit Awards. Each Restricted Share
Unit Award Agreement will be in such form and will contain such terms and conditions as the will Board deem appropriate. The terms and
conditions of Restricted Share Unit Award Agreements may change from time to time, and the terms and conditions of separate Restricted
Share Unit Award Agreements need not be identical. Each Restricted Share Unit Award Agreement will conform to (through incorporation
of the provisions hereof by reference in the Restricted Share Unit Award Agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following
provisions: |
| (i) | Consideration. At the time of grant of a Restricted
Share Unit Award, the Board will determine the consideration, if any, to be paid by the Participant upon delivery of each Common Share
subject to the Restricted Share Unit Award. The consideration to be paid (if any) by the Participant for each Common Share subject to
a Restricted Share Unit Award may be paid in any form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Board, in its sole discretion,
and permissible under applicable law. |
| (ii) | Vesting. At the time of the grant of a Restricted
Share Unit Award, the Board may impose such restrictions on or conditions to the vesting of the Restricted Share Unit Award as it, in
its sole discretion, deems appropriate. |
| (iii) | Payment. A Restricted Share Unit Award may be settled
by the delivery of Common Shares, their cash equivalent, any combination thereof or in any other form of consideration, as determined
by the Board and contained in the Restricted Share Unit Award Agreement. |
| (iv) | Additional Restrictions. At the time of the grant
of a Restricted Share Unit Award, the Board, as it deems appropriate, may impose such restrictions or conditions that delay the delivery
of the Common Shares (or their cash equivalent) subject to a Restricted Share Unit Award to a time after the vesting of such Restricted
Share Unit Award. |
| (v) | Dividend Equivalents. Dividend equivalents may be
credited in respect of Common Shares covered by a Restricted Share Unit Award, as determined by the Board and contained in the Restricted
Share Unit Award Agreement. At the sole discretion of the Board, such dividend equivalents may be converted into additional Common Shares
covered by the Restricted Share Unit Award in such manner as determined by the Board. Any additional shares covered by the Restricted
Share Unit Award credited by reason of such dividend equivalents will be subject to all of the same terms and conditions of the underlying
Restricted Share Unit Award Agreement to which they relate. |
| (vi) | Termination of Participant’s Continuous Service.
Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Restricted Share Unit Award Agreement, such portion of the Restricted Share Unit Award
that has not vested will be forfeited upon the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service. |
| (vii) | Compliance with Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary set forth herein, any Restricted Share Unit Award granted under the Plan that is not exempt from the requirements
of Section 409A of the Code shall contain such provisions so that such Restricted Share Unit Award will comply with the requirements
of Section 409A of the Code. Such restrictions, if any, shall be determined by the Board and contained in the Restricted Share Unit Award
Agreement evidencing such Restricted Share Unit Award. For example, such restrictions may include, without limitation, a requirement
that any Common Share that is to be issued in a year following the year in which the Restricted Share Unit Award vests must be issued
in accordance with a fixed pre-determined schedule. |
| (b) | Other Awards. Other forms of Awards valued in whole
or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, Common Shares, including the appreciation in value thereof may be granted either alone
or in addition to Awards provided for under Section 5 and the preceding provisions of this Section 6. Subject to the provisions of the
Plan, the Board will have sole and complete authority to determine the persons to whom and the time or times at which such Other Awards
will be granted, the number of Common Shares (or the cash equivalent thereof) to be granted pursuant to such Other Awards and all other
terms and conditions of such Other Awards. |
7. | COVENANTS OF THE CORPORATION. |
| (a) | Availability of Shares. The Corporation will keep available
at all times the number of Common Shares reasonably required to satisfy then-outstanding Awards. |
| (b) | Securities Law Compliance. The Corporation will seek
to obtain from each securities commission or other regulatory body having jurisdiction over the Plan, as necessary, such authority as
may be required to grant Awards and to issue and sell Common Shares upon exercise or vesting of the Awards; provided, however,
that this undertaking will not require the Corporation to register or qualify by prospectus under applicable Securities Laws, the Plan,
any Award or any Common Shares issued or issuable pursuant to any such Award. If, after reasonable efforts and at a reasonable cost,
the Corporation is unable to obtain from any such regulatory commission or agency the authority that counsel for the Corporation deems
necessary or advisable for the lawful issuance and sale of Common Shares under the Plan, the Corporation will be relieved from any liability
for failure to issue and sell Common Shares upon exercise or vesting of such Awards unless and until such authority is obtained. A Participant
will not be eligible for the grant of an Award or the subsequent issuance of cash or Common Shares pursuant to the Award if such grant
or issuance would be in violation of any applicable securities law. |
| (c) | No Obligation to Notify or Minimize Taxes. The Corporation
will have no duty or obligation to any Participant to advise such holder as to the tax treatment or time or manner of exercising such
Award. Furthermore, the Corporation will have no duty or obligation to warn or otherwise advise such holder of a pending termination
or expiration of an Award or a possible period in which the Award may not be exercised. The Corporation has no duty or obligation to
minimize the tax consequences of an Award to the holder of such Award. |
| (a) | Use of Proceeds from Sales of Common Shares. Proceeds
from the sale of Common Shares pursuant to Awards will constitute general funds of the Corporation. |
| (b) | Corporate Action Constituting Grant of Awards. Corporate
action constituting a grant by the Corporation of an Award to any Participant will be deemed completed as of the date of such corporate
action, unless otherwise determined by the Board, regardless of when the instrument, certificate, or letter evidencing the Award is communicated
to, or actually received or accepted by, the Participant. In the event that the corporate records (e.g., Board consents, resolutions
or minutes) documenting the corporate action constituting the grant contain terms (e.g., exercise price, vesting schedule or number of
shares) that are inconsistent with those in the Award Agreement or related grant documents as a result of a clerical error in the papering
of the Award Agreement or related grant documents, the corporate records will control and the Participant will have no legally binding
right to the incorrect term in the Award Agreement or related grant documents. |
| (c) | Shareholder Rights. No Participant will be deemed to
be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any Common Shares subject to an Award unless and until (i)
such Participant has satisfied all requirements for exercise of, or the issuance of Common Shares under, the Award pursuant to its terms,
and (ii) the issuance of the Common Shares subject to the Award has been entered into the books and records of the Corporation. |
| (d) | No Employment or Other Service Rights. Nothing in the
Plan, any Award Agreement or any other instrument executed thereunder or in connection with any Award granted pursuant thereto will confer
upon any Participant any right to continue to serve the Corporation or an Affiliate in the capacity in effect at the time the Award was
granted or will affect the right of the Corporation or an Affiliate to terminate (i) the employment of an Employee with or without notice
and with or without cause, (ii) the service of a Consultant pursuant to the terms of such Consultant’s agreement with the Corporation
or an Affiliate, or (iii) the service of a Director pursuant to the bylaws of the Corporation or an Affiliate, and any applicable provisions
of the corporate law of the state of foreign jurisdiction in which the Corporation or the Affiliate is domiciled or incorporated, as
the case may be. |
| (e) | Change in Time Commitment. In the event a Participant’s
regular level of time commitment in the performance of his or her services for the Corporation and any Affiliates is reduced (for example,
and without limitation, if the Participant is an Employee of the Corporation and the Employee has a change in status from a full-time
Employee to a part-time Employee or takes an extended leave of absence) after the date of grant of any Award to the Participant, the
Board has the right in its sole discretion to (x) make a corresponding reduction in the number of shares or cash amount subject to any
portion of such Award that is scheduled to vest or become payable after the date of such change in time commitment, and (y) in lieu of
or in combination with such a reduction, extend the vesting or payment schedule applicable to such Award. In the event of any such reduction,
the Participant will have no right with respect to any portion of the Award that is so reduced or extended. |
| (f) | Incentive Stock Option Limitations. To the extent that
the aggregate Market Value (determined at the time of grant) of Common Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable
for the first time by any Option holder during any calendar year (under all plans of the Corporation and any Affiliates) exceeds $100,000
(or such other limit established in the Code) or otherwise does not comply with the rules governing Incentive Stock Options, the Options
or portions thereof that exceed such limit (according to the order in which they were granted) or otherwise do not comply with such rules
will be treated as Non-Incentive Stock Options, notwithstanding any contrary provision of the applicable Option Agreement(s). |
| (g) | Investment Assurances. The Corporation may require a Participant, as a condition of exercising
or acquiring Common Shares under any Award, (i) to give written assurances satisfactory to the Corporation as to the Participant’s
knowledge and experience in financial and business matters and/or to employ a purchaser representative reasonably satisfactory to the
Corporation who is knowledgeable and experienced in financial and business matters and that the Participant is capable of evaluating,
alone or together with the purchaser representative, the merits and risks of exercising the Award; and (ii) to give written assurances
satisfactory to the Corporation stating that the Participant is acquiring Common Shares subject to the Award for the Participant’s
own account and not with any present intention of selling or otherwise distributing the Common Shares. The foregoing requirements, and
any assurances given pursuant to such requirements, will be inoperative if as to any particular requirement, a determination is made by
counsel for the Corporation that such requirement need not be met in the circumstances under the then applicable Securities Laws. The
Corporation may, upon advice of counsel to the Corporation, place legends on stock certificates issued under the Plan as such counsel
deems necessary or appropriate in order to comply with applicable Securities Laws, including, but not limited to, legends restricting
the transfer of the Common Shares. |
| (h) | Withholding Obligations. Unless prohibited by the terms of an Award Agreement, the Corporation
may, in its sole discretion, satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation relating to an Award by any of the following
means or by a combination of such means: (i) causing the Participant to tender a cash payment; (ii) withholding Common Shares from the
Common Shares issued or otherwise issuable to the Participant in connection with the Award; provided, however, that no Common Shares
are withheld with a value exceeding the maximum amount of tax required to be withheld by law (or such lesser amount as may be necessary
to avoid classification of the Award as a liability for financial accounting purposes); (iii) withholding cash from an Award settled in
cash; (iv) withholding payment from any amounts otherwise payable to the Participant; or (v) by such other method as may be set forth
in the Award Agreement. |
| (i) | Deferrals. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Board, in its sole discretion, may determine
that the delivery of Common Shares or the payment of cash, upon the exercise, vesting or settlement of all or a portion of any Award may
be deferred and may establish programs and procedures for deferral elections to be made by Participants. Deferrals by Participants will
be made in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. Consistent with Section 409A of the Code, the Board may provide for distributions
while a Participant is still an employee or otherwise providing services to the Corporation. The Board is authorized to make deferrals
of Awards and determine when, and in what annual percentages, Participants may receive payments, including lump sum payments, following
the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, and implement such other terms and conditions consistent with the provisions
of the Plan and in accordance with applicable law. |
| (j) | Clawback/Recovery. All Awards granted under the Plan
will be subject to recoupment in accordance with any clawback policy that the Corporation is required to adopt pursuant to the listing
standards of any national securities exchange or association on which the Corporation’s securities are listed or as is otherwise
required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act or other applicable law. In addition, the Board may impose
such other clawback, recovery or recoupment provisions in an Award Agreement as the Board determines necessary or appropriate, including
but not limited to a reacquisition right in respect of previously acquired Common Shares or other cash or property upon the occurrence
of Cause. No recovery of compensation under such a clawback policy will be an event giving rise to a right to voluntary terminate employment
upon a “resignation for good reason,” or for a “constructive termination” or any similar term under any plan
of or agreement with the Corporation. |
| (k) | Compliance with Section 409A of the Code. Unless otherwise
expressly provided for in an Award Agreement, the Plan and Award Agreements will be interpreted to the greatest extent possible in a
manner that makes the Plan and the Awards granted hereunder exempt from Section 409A of the Code, and, to the extent not so exempt, in
compliance with Section 409A of the Code. If the Board determines that any Award granted hereunder is not exempt from and is therefore
subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Award Agreement evidencing such Award will incorporate the terms and conditions necessary to
avoid the consequences specified in Section 409A(a)(1) of the Code, and to the extent an Award Agreement is silent on terms necessary
for compliance, such terms are hereby incorporated by reference into the Award Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in
this Plan (and unless the Award Agreement specifically provides otherwise), if the Common Shares are publicly traded, and if a Participant
holding an Award that constitutes “deferred compensation” under Section 409A of the Code is a “specified employee”
for purposes of Section 409A of the Code, no distribution or payment of any amount that is due because of a “separation from service”
(as defined in Section 409A of the Code without regard to alternative definitions thereunder) will be issued or paid before the date
that is six months following the date of such Participant’s “separation from service” or, if earlier, the date of the
Participant’s death, unless such distribution or payment can be made in a manner that complies with Section 409A of the Code, and
any amounts so deferred will be paid in a lump-sum on the day after such six month period elapses, with the balance paid thereafter on
the original schedule. |
| (l) | Repurchase Limitation. The terms of any repurchase
right will be specified in the Award Agreement. Subject to any applicable Securities Laws and Stock Exchange Rules, the repurchase price
for vested Common Shares will be the Market Value of the Common Shares on the date of repurchase. Subject to any applicable Securities
Laws and Stock Exchange Rules, the repurchase price for unvested Common Shares will be the lower of (i) the Market Value of the Common
Shares on the date of repurchase or (ii) their original purchase price. However, the Corporation will not exercise its repurchase right
until at least six months (or such longer or shorter period of time necessary to avoid classification of the Award as a liability for
financial accounting purposes) have elapsed following delivery of Common Shares subject to the Award, unless otherwise specifically provided
by the Board. |
9. | ADJUSTMENTS UPON CHANGES IN COMMON SHARES; OTHER CORPORATE EVENTS. |
| (a) | Capitalization Adjustments. In the event of a Capitalization
Adjustment, the Board will appropriately and proportionately adjust: (i) the class(es) and maximum number of securities subject to the
Plan pursuant to Section 3(a), and (ii) the class(es) and number of securities and price per share subject to outstanding Awards. The
Board will make such adjustments, and its determination will be final, binding and conclusive. |
| (b) | Dissolution or Liquidation. Except as otherwise provided
in the Award Agreement, in the event of a dissolution or liquidation of the Corporation, all outstanding Awards (other than Awards consisting
of vested and outstanding Common Shares not subject to a forfeiture condition or the Corporation’s right of repurchase) will terminate
immediately prior to the completion of such dissolution or liquidation, and the Common Shares subject to the Corporation’s repurchase
rights or subject to a forfeiture condition may be repurchased or reacquired by the Corporation notwithstanding the fact that the holder
of such Award is providing Continuous Service, provided, however, that the Board may, in its sole discretion, cause some or all
Awards to become fully vested, exercisable and/or no longer subject to repurchase or forfeiture (to the extent such Awards have not previously
expired or terminated) before the dissolution or liquidation is completed but contingent on its completion. |
| (c) | Corporate Transaction. The following provisions will
apply to Awards in the event of a Corporate Transaction unless otherwise provided in the instrument evidencing the Award or any other
written agreement between the Corporation or any Affiliate and the Participant or unless otherwise expressly provided by the Board at
the time of grant of an Award. In the event of a Corporate Transaction, then, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Board
may take one or more of the following actions with respect to Awards, contingent upon the closing or completion of the Corporate Transaction: |
| (i) | arrange for the surviving corporation or acquiring corporation
(or the surviving or acquiring corporation’s parent company) to assume or continue the Award or to substitute a similar stock award
for the Award (including, but not limited to, an award to acquire the same consideration paid to the shareholders of the Corporation
pursuant to the Corporate Transaction); |
| (ii) | arrange for the assignment of any reacquisition or repurchase
rights held by the Corporation in respect of Common Shares issued pursuant to the Award to the surviving corporation or acquiring corporation
(or the surviving or acquiring corporation’s parent company); |
| (iii) | accelerate the vesting, in whole or in part, of the Award
(and, if applicable, the time at which the Award may be exercised) to a date prior to the effective time of such Corporate Transaction
as the Board determines (or, if the Board does not determine such a date, to the date that is five days prior to the effective date of
the Corporate Transaction), with such Award terminating if not exercised (if applicable) at or prior to the effective time of the Corporate
Transaction; provided, however, that the Board may require Participants to complete and deliver to the Corporation a notice of
exercise before the effective date of a Corporate Transaction, which exercise is contingent upon the effectiveness of such Corporate
Transaction; |
| (iv) | arrange for the lapse, in whole or in part, of any reacquisition
or repurchase rights held by the Corporation with respect to the Award; |
| (v) | cancel or arrange for the cancellation of the Award, to the
extent not vested or not exercised prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction, in exchange for such cash consideration
(including no consideration) as the Board, in its sole discretion, may consider appropriate; and |
| (vi) | make a payment, in such form as may be determined by the
Board equal to the excess, if any, of (A) the value of the property the Participant would have received upon the exercise of the Award
immediately prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction, over (B) any exercise price payable by such holder in connection
with such exercise. For clarity, this payment may be zero ($0) if the value of the property is equal to or less than the exercise price.
Payments under this provision may be delayed to the same extent that payment of consideration to the holders of the Corporation’s
Common Shares in connection with the Corporate Transaction is delayed as a result of escrows, earn outs, holdbacks or any other contingencies. |
The Board need not take the same action
or actions with respect to all Awards or portions thereof or with respect to all Participants. The Board may take different actions with
respect to the vested and unvested portions of an Award.
| (d) | Change in Control. An Award may be subject to additional
acceleration of vesting and exercisability upon or after a Change in Control as may be provided in the Award Agreement for such Award
or as may be provided in any other written agreement between the Corporation or any Affiliate and the Participant, but in the absence
of such provision, no such acceleration will occur. |
10. | PLAN TERM; EARLIER TERMINATION OR SUSPENSION OF THE PLAN. |
| (a) | Plan Term. The Board may suspend or terminate the Plan
at any time. No Incentive Stock Option will be granted after the tenth anniversary of the earlier of (i) the Adoption Date, or (ii) the
date the Plan is approved by the shareholders of the Corporation. No Awards may be granted under the Plan while the Plan is suspended
or after it is terminated. |
| (b) | No Impairment of Rights. Suspension or termination
of the Plan will not impair rights and obligations under any Award granted while the Plan is in effect except with the written consent
of the affected Participant or as otherwise permitted in the Plan. |
Any and all rights under Awards and Award
Agreements shall not be assignable, transferable or negotiable (whether by operation of law or otherwise) by the Participant and may not
be assigned or transferred other than by transmission by will or the laws of descent and distribution.
12. | EFFECTIVE DATE OF PLAN. |
This Plan, as amended and restated, will
become effective on the Effective Date.
The laws of the Province of Ontario will
govern all questions concerning the construction, validity and interpretation of this Plan, without regard to that province’s conflict
of laws rules.
As used in the Plan, the following definitions will apply
to the capitalized terms indicated below:
| (a) | “Adoption Date” means February 26,
2024, which is the date the Plan was adopted by the Board. |
| (b) | “Affiliate” means, at the time of
determination, any “affiliate” of the Corporation, as such term is defined in the Business Corporations Act (Ontario). |
| (c) | “Award” means any right to receive
Common Shares granted under the Plan, including an Incentive Stock Option, a Non-Incentive Stock Option, a Restricted Share Unit Award
or any Other Award. |
| (d) | “Award Agreement” means a written
agreement between the Corporation and a Participant evidencing the terms and conditions of an Award grant. Each Award Agreement will
be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan. |
| (e) | “Board” means the Board of Directors
of the Corporation. |
| (f) | “Capitalization Adjustment” means
any change that is made in, or other events that occur with respect to, the Common Shares subject to the Plan or subject to any Award
after the Adoption Date without the receipt of consideration by the Corporation through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization,
reincorporation, stock dividend, dividend in property other than cash, large nonrecurring cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split,
liquidating dividend, combination of shares, exchange of shares, change in corporate structure, or any similar equity restructuring transaction,
as that term is used in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (or any successor
thereto). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the conversion of any convertible securities of the Corporation will not be treated as a Capitalization
Adjustment. |
| (g) | “Cause” will have the meaning ascribed
to such term in any written agreement between the Participant and the Corporation defining such term and, in the absence of such agreement,
such term means, with respect to a Participant, the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) such Participant’s commission
of any felony or any crime involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude under the laws of Canada, the United States or any province
or state thereof; (ii) such Participant’s attempted commission of, or participation in, a fraud or act of dishonesty against the
Corporation; (iii) such Participant’s intentional, material violation of any contract or agreement between the Participant and
the Corporation or of any statutory duty owed to the Corporation; (iv) such Participant’s unauthorized use or disclosure of the
Corporation’s confidential information or trade secrets; or (v) such Participant’s gross misconduct. The determination that
a termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service is either for Cause or without Cause will be made by the Corporation, in
its sole discretion. Any determination by the Corporation that the Continuous Service of a Participant was terminated with or without
Cause for the purposes of outstanding Awards held by such Participant will have no effect upon any determination of the rights or obligations
of the Corporation or such Participant for any other purpose. |
| (h) | “Change of Control” means the occurrence
of one or more of the following events: |
| (i) | any change in the holding, direct or indirect, of shares
in the capital of the Corporation as a result of which a person or group of persons acting jointly or in concert, or person associated
or affiliated with any such person or group within the meaning of the Securities Act (Ontario), becomes the beneficial owner,
directly or indirectly, of shares and/or other securities in excess of the number which, directly or following conversion thereof, would
entitle the holders thereof to cast more than 50% of the votes attaching to all shares of the Corporation which may be cast to elect
directors of the Corporation (the “Company Voting Securities”); provided, however, that the event described in this
paragraph (i) shall not be deemed to be a Change of Control by virtue of any of the following acquisitions of Company Voting Securities: |
| A. | by the Corporation or any subsidiary; |
| B. | by any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Corporation or any subsidiary; |
| C. | by any underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities; |
| D. | pursuant to a Non-Qualifying Transaction (as defined in paragraph (i)); or |
| E. | from the Corporation pursuant to a transaction (other than one described in paragraph (ii)), if a majority
of the directors approve a resolution providing expressly that the acquisition pursuant to this clause E shall not constitute a Change
of Control under this paragraph (i); |
| (ii) | the consummation of a merger, consolidation, share exchange
or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries (a “Business Combination”),
unless immediately following such Business Combination: |
| A. | Company Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately
prior to the consummation of such Business Combination (or, if applicable, securities into or for which such Company Voting Securities
were converted or exchanged pursuant to such Business Combination) represent more than 50% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding
securities eligible to vote for the election of directors or trustees (“voting power”) of (1) the entity resulting
from such Business Combination (the “Surviving Entity”), or (2) if applicable, the ultimate parent entity that directly
or indirectly has beneficial ownership of 100% of the voting securities eligible to elect directors of the Surviving Entity (the “Parent
Entity”); or |
| B. | no person (other than any employee benefit plan sponsored or
maintained by the Surviving Entity or the Parent Entity) is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of the voting
power of the Parent Entity (or, if there is no Parent Entity, the Surviving Entity); |
(any Business Combination which satisfies all of the criteria
specified in A, or B above shall be deemed to be a “Non-Qualifying Transaction”);
| (iii) | the approval by the Board or shareholders of the Corporation of a complete liquidation or dissolution
of the Corporation; or |
| (iv) | a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the property or assets of the Corporation,
other than to an affiliate within the meaning of the Securities Act (Ontario) or pursuant to a Non-Qualifying Transaction. |
| (i) | “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including any applicable
regulations and guidance thereunder. |
| (j) | “Committee” means a committee of one or more Directors to whom authority has
been delegated by the Board in accordance with Section 2(c). |
| (k) | “Common Shares” means the class of Common Shares of the Corporation. |
| (l) | “Consultant” means any person, including an advisor, who is engaged by the Corporation
or an Affiliate to render consulting or advisory services pursuant to a written consulting agreement, and is compensated for such services.
However, service solely as a Director, or payment of a fee for such service, will not cause a Director to be considered a “Consultant”
for purposes of the Plan. |
| (m) | “Continuous Service” means that the Participant’s service with the Corporation
or an Affiliate, whether as an Employee, Officer, Director or Consultant, is not interrupted or terminated. A change in the capacity in
which the Participant renders service to the Corporation or an Affiliate as an Employee, Officer, Director or Consultant or a change in
the Entity for which the Participant renders such service, provided that there is no interruption or termination of the Participant’s
service with the Corporation or an Affiliate, will not terminate a Participant’s Continuous Service; provided, however, that
if the Entity for which a Participant is rendering services ceases to qualify as an Affiliate, as determined by the Board in its sole
discretion, such Participant’s Continuous Service will be considered to have terminated on the date such Entity ceases to qualify
as an Affiliate. To the extent permitted by law, the Board or the chief executive officer of the Corporation, in that party’s sole
discretion, may determine whether Continuous Service will be considered interrupted in the case of (i) any leave of absence approved by
the Board or chief executive officer, including sick leave, military leave or any other personal leave, or (ii) transfers between the
Corporation, an Affiliate, or their successors. In addition, to the extent required for exemption from or compliance with Section 409A
of the Code, the determination of whether there has been a termination of Continuous Service will be made, and such term will be construed,
in a manner that is consistent with the definition of “separation from service” as defined under Treasury Regulation Section
1.409A-1(h) (without regard to any alternative definition thereunder). |
| (n) | “Corporate Transaction” means the consummation, in a single transaction or in
a series of related transactions, of any one or more of the following events: |
| (i) | a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion,
of the consolidated assets of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries; |
| (ii) | a sale or other disposition of more than 50% of the outstanding securities of the Corporation; |
| (iii) | a merger, consolidation or similar transaction following which the Corporation is not the surviving corporation;
or |
| (iv) | a merger, consolidation or similar transaction following which the Corporation is the surviving corporation
but the Common Shares outstanding immediately preceding the merger, consolidation or similar transaction are converted or exchanged by
virtue of the merger, consolidation or similar transaction into other property, whether in the form of securities, cash or otherwise. |
| (o) | “Corporation” means Akanda Corp., an Ontario business corporation. |
| (p) | “Director” means a member of the Board. |
| (q) | “Disability” means, with respect to a Participant, the inability of such Participant
to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected
to result in death or that has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months, and will
be determined by the Board on the basis of such medical evidence as the Board deems reasonable under the circumstances. |
| (r) | “Effective Date” means the effective date of this Plan, which is the earlier
of (i) the date that this Plan is first approved by the Corporation’s shareholders, and (ii) the date this Plan is adopted by the
Board. |
| (s) | “Employee” means any person employed by the Corporation or an Affiliate. |
| (t) | “Entity” means a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity. |
| (i) | as of the date of grant of an Award, the value of the Common Shares determined as follows: |
| A. | If the Common Shares are listed on the Stock Exchange or traded
on any other established market, the Market Value of a Common Share will be, unless otherwise determined by the Board, the greater of
the closing market prices of the underlying securities on (a) the trading day prior to the date of grant of the Award; and (b) the date
of grant of the stock options, and |
| B. | In the absence of such markets for the Common Shares, the Market
Value will be determined by the Board in good faith and in a manner that complies with Section 409A of the Code or, in the case of Incentive
Stock Options, in compliance with Section 422 of the Code; and |
| (ii) | as of any other relevant date, the value of the Common Shares determined as follows: |
| A. | If the Common Shares are listed on the Stock Exchange or traded
on any other established market, the Market Value of a Common Share will be, unless otherwise determined by the Board, the closing market
price of the underlying securities on the trading day prior to such relevant date, and |
| B. | In the absence of such markets for the Common Shares, the Market
Value will be determined by the Board in good faith and in a manner that complies with Section 409A of the Code or, in the case of Incentive
Stock Options, in compliance with Section 422 of the Code. |
| (v) | “Incentive Stock Option” means an option granted pursuant to Section 5 of the
Plan that is intended to be, and that qualifies as, an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code. |
| (w) | “Non-Incentive Stock Option” means an option granted pursuant to Section 5 of
the Plan that does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, including an Incentive Stock Option granted to a person not subject to taxation
on income under the laws of the United States. |
| (x) | “Officer” means a person who is an officer of the Corporation. |
| (y) | “Option” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Incentive Stock Option to
purchase Common Shares granted pursuant to the Plan. |
| (z) | “Option Agreement” means a written agreement between the Corporation and an
Optionholder evidencing the terms and conditions of an Option grant. Each Option Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions
of the Plan. |
| (aa) | “Optionholder” means a person to
whom an Option is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Option. |
| (bb) | “Other Award” means an award based
in whole or in part by reference to the Common Shares which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 6(b). |
| (cc) | “Other Award Agreement” means a
written agreement between the Corporation and a holder of an Other Award evidencing the terms and conditions of an Other Award grant.
Each Other Award Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan. |
| (dd) | “Own,” “Owned,”
“Owner,” “Ownership” A person or Entity will be deemed to “Own,” to have
“Owned,” to be the “Owner” of, or to have acquired “Ownership” of securities if such person or Entity,
directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has or shares voting power, which
includes the power to vote or to direct the voting, with respect to such securities. |
| (ee) | “Participant” means a person to
whom an Award is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Award. |
| (ff) | “Plan” means this Akanda Corp. 2024
Equity Incentive Plan. |
| (gg) | “Restricted Share Unit Award” means
a right to receive Common Shares which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 11. |
| (hh) | “Restricted Share Unit Award Agreement”
means a written agreement between the Corporation and a holder of a Restricted Share Unit Award evidencing the terms and conditions of
a Restricted Share Unit Award grant. Each Restricted Share Unit Award Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan. |
| (ii) | “Securities Laws” means securities legislation,
securities regulation and securities rules, as amended, and the policies, notices, instruments and blanket orders in force from time
to time that govern or are applicable to the Corporation or to which it is subject; |
| (jj) | “Stock Exchange” means the Nasdaq
Stock Market. |
| (kk) | “Stock Exchange Rules” means the
applicable rules and policies of the Stock Exchange, as such rules and policies may be amended, supplemented or replaced from time to
time |
| (ll) | “Subsidiary” has the meaning given
to it under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario). |
| (mm) | “Ten Percent Shareholder” means
a person, who is subject to taxation on income under the laws of the United States, and who Owns (or is deemed to Own pursuant to Section
424(d) of the Code) stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of shares of the Corporation or
any Affiliate. |
SCHEDULE B
SHARE PURCHASE SCHEDULEAGREEMENT
See attached.
SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT
AMONG
AKANDA CORP.
- and -
CANNAHEALTH LIMITED
- and -
HOLIGEN LIMITED
- and -
SOMAI PHARMACEUTICALS
UNIPESSOAL, LDA.
Dated as of February 28, 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
|
Page |
ARTICLE 1 |
DEFINITIONS |
1 |
1.1 |
Definitions |
1 |
1.2 |
Exhibits, Schedules |
8 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE 2 |
PURCHASE OF PURCHASED INTEREST |
9 |
2.1 |
Purchase of Purchased Interest |
9 |
2.2 |
Purchase Price |
9 |
2.3 |
Closing |
10 |
2.4 |
Closing Deliveries of the Vendor |
10 |
2.5 |
Closing Deliveries of the Purchaser |
11 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE 3 |
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE VENDOR |
11 |
3.1 |
Organization and Authorization |
12 |
3.2 |
No Conflicts |
12 |
3.3 |
Organizational Documents and Corporate Records. |
12 |
3.4 |
Capitalization |
12 |
3.5 |
Dividends |
13 |
3.6 |
Investments. |
13 |
3.7 |
Corporate Records. |
13 |
3.8 |
Company Financial Statements. |
14 |
3.9 |
No Undisclosed Liabilities |
14 |
3.10 |
Indebtedness. |
14 |
3.11 |
Banking |
14 |
3.12 |
Absence of Certain Changes. |
14 |
3.13 |
Material Contracts |
15 |
3.14 |
Legal Proceedings. |
16 |
3.15 |
Compliance with Laws; Business |
16 |
3.16 |
Licenses |
16 |
3.17 |
Assets |
17 |
3.18 |
Products |
18 |
3.19 |
Intellectual Property; Privacy, Confidentiality |
18 |
3.20 |
Tax Matters |
19 |
3.21 |
Environmental Matters |
20 |
3.22 |
Employment Matters |
21 |
3.23 |
Employee Plans. |
22 |
3.24 |
Anti-Corruption; Money Laundering |
23 |
3.25 |
Related Party Transactions |
23 |
3.26 |
Insurance |
24 |
3.27 |
Insolvency. |
24 |
3.28 |
No Brokers |
24 |
3.29 |
Real Property |
24 |
3.30 |
Disclosure |
28 |
3.31 |
Power and Capacity |
28 |
3.32 |
Required Consents |
28 |
3.33 |
Ownership of Purchased Interest and Share |
28 |
ARTICLE 4 |
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE PURCHASER |
29 |
4.1 |
Organization |
29 |
4.2 |
Authorization |
29 |
4.3 |
No Conflicts; Required Consents |
29 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE 5 |
COVENANTS |
30 |
5.1 |
Interim Operations |
30 |
5.2 |
Access to Information |
32 |
5.3 |
Notice of Certain Events. |
32 |
5.4 |
Efforts |
33 |
5.5 |
Exclusivity |
33 |
5.6 |
Confidentiality. |
34 |
5.7 |
Expenses |
34 |
5.8 |
Post-Closing Deliverables |
34 |
5.9 |
Further Assurances |
34 |
5.10 |
Termination of Certain Arrangements |
35 |
5.11 |
Pending Debt Post-Payment of Defaulted Installments |
35 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE 6 |
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT |
35 |
6.1 |
Conditions to the Obligations of the Parties. |
35 |
6.2 |
Conditions to the Obligations of the Vendor |
35 |
6.3 |
Conditions to the Obligations of Purchaser |
36 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE 7 |
INDEMNIFICATION |
38 |
7.1 |
Indemnity by Vendor, Akanda and Cannahealth Limited |
38 |
7.2 |
Indemnity by Purchaser |
39 |
7.3 |
Claim Notice |
39 |
7.4 |
Limitation of Liability of Vendor, Akanda and Cannahealth
Limited |
39 |
7.5 |
Limitation of Liability of Purchaser |
40 |
7.6 |
Indemnity Baskets |
40 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE 8 |
POST-CLOSING TAX RETURNS |
40 |
|
|
ARTICLE 9 |
TERMINATION |
41 |
9.1 |
Grounds for Termination |
41 |
9.2 |
Notice of Termination |
42 |
9.3 |
Effect of Termination |
42 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE 10 |
RELEASES |
42 |
10.1 |
Vendor’s Release |
42 |
10.2 |
Purchaser’s Member Group Release |
43 |
|
|
ARTICLE 11 |
GENERAL PROVISIONS |
43 |
11.1 |
Non-Survival of Representations, Warranties and Covenants |
43 |
11.2 |
Notices. |
43 |
11.3 |
Counterparts |
44 |
11.4 |
Amendments and Waivers. |
44 |
11.5 |
Severability. |
44 |
11.6 |
Assignment; Successors and Assigns. |
44 |
11.7 |
No Third Party Beneficiaries |
45 |
11.8 |
Governing Law and Dispute Resolution |
45 |
11.9 |
Specific Performance |
46 |
11.10 |
Interpretation; Absence of Presumption |
46 |
11.11 |
Announcements. |
47 |
11.12 |
Entire Agreement |
47 |
SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT
is dated as of February 27, 2024, among Akanda Corp., a company incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario and having
its registered office situated at 77 King Street West, Suite 400, Toronto-Dominion Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5K 0A1 (“Akanda”),
Cannahealth Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of Malta having company registration number C95702 and having its registered
office situated at Level 4, The Penthouse, Suite 2, Europa Business Centre, Triq Dun Karm, Birkirkara, Malta, (“Cannahealth”),
Holigen Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of Malta, having company registration number C87034 and having its registered
office situated at Lara Buildings, Level 1, Guzeppi Calleja Street, Iklin, IKL 1262, Malta (the “Holigen” or the “Vendor”)
and Somai Pharmaceuticals, Unipessoal, Lda., a company incorporated under the laws of Portugal, having company registration and
tax number 516217127 and having its registered office situated at Lugar de Casal Pinheiro, Urbanização Pinheiros Park II,
Bloco B, Rua 13 de Maio, nº 52, 2580 - 507 Carregado (“Somai” or the “Purchaser”)
WHEREAS,
at the Agreement Date, the Vendor owns, beneficially and of record, the Purchased Shares;
WHEREAS
the Purchaser wishes to acquire all of the Purchased Shares and the Purchased Receivables from the Vendor upon the terms and conditions
set forth herein (the “Acquisition”);
WHEREAS
the Vendor and the Purchaser have each agreed to the Acquisition;
NOW, THEREFORE,
in consideration of the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth herein, and intending to be legally bound
hereby, the Parties hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms will have the following meanings:
“Acquisition Proposal”
has the meaning specified in Section 5.5.
“Action”
means any claim, action, arbitration, mediation, audit, hearing, investigation, proceeding, litigation or suit (whether civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative) commenced, brought, conducted or heard by or before, or otherwise involving, any Court, Arbitral Tribunal,
Governmental Authority or mediator.
“Acquisition” has
the meaning specified in the Preamble to this Agreement.
“Affiliate”
means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person that, at the time of determination, directly or indirectly through one
or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such specified Person, including: (i) in the case
of Somai after the Closing, the Company; and (ii) in the case of a natural Person, any trust maintained for the benefit of such natural
Person or such natural Person’s spouse or descendants (whether natural or adopted). For purposes of this Agreement, the term “control”
(including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”) means the power
to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of
voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
“Agreement”
means this share purchase agreement, including all exhibits and schedules hereto, as the same may be amended or supplemented from time
to time.
“Agreement Date” means the date of this
Agreement.
“Aljustrel
Lease” means the lease agreement executed between the Target Corporation and Agro Vale Longo, Lda, on August 21, 2018 (as amended
by Amendment Agreement of May 10, 2019 and May 26, 2023) by means of which the latter leased the Aljustrel Leased Premises to the Target
Corporation, who took on the lease of the same.
“Aljustrel
Leased Premises” means parcel of land with an area of approximately 3.5 ha (as a result of the Amendment Agreement dated of
May 26, 2023) identified in plans attached in Exhibit D to this Agreement, located in the following rural properties: (a) rural property
located at Herdade do Azinhal inscribed in the tax department under article 42, section V of the Union of Parishes of Aljustrel and Rio
de Moinhos; (b) rural property located at Courela das Texugueiras ou Texugueiras inscribed in the tax department under article 2, section
V of the Union of Parishes of Aljustrel and Rio de Moinhos; (c) rural property located at Courela das Texugueiras ou Texugueiras inscribed
in the tax department under article 3, section V of the Union of Parishes of Aljustrel and Rio de Moinhos; (d) rural property located
at Courela das Texugueiras ou Texugueiras inscribed in the tax department under article 4, section V of the Union of Parishes of Aljustrel
and Rio de Moinhos; (e) rural property located at Courela das Texugueiras ou Texugueiras inscribed in the tax department under article
5, section V of the Union of Parishes of Aljustrel and Rio de Moinhos; (f) rural property located at Courela das Texugueiras ou Texugueiras
inscribed in the tax department under article 6, section V of the Union of Parishes of Aljustrel and Rio de Moinhos; (g) rural property
located at Courela das Texugueiras ou Texugueiras inscribed in the tax department under article 7, section V of the Union of Parishes
of Aljustrel and Rio de Moinhos; (h) rural property located at Courela das Texugueiras ou Texugueiras inscribed in the tax department
under article 23, section V of the Union of Parishes of Aljustrel and Rio de Moinhos; and (i) rural property located at Courela das Texugueiras
ou Texugueiras inscribed in the tax department under article 10, section V of the Union of Parishes of Aljustrel and Rio de Moinhos.
“Aljustrel
Owned Property” means the urban property comprised of plot of land for construction with a total area of 66,331 sq.m, described
in the Land Registry Office of Aljustrel under number 4426 of the parish of Aljustrel and inscribed in the tax department under article
4225 of the Union of Parishes of Aljustrel e Rio de Moinhos.
“Applicable
Laws” means, with respect to any Person, any law (statutory, common or otherwise), rule, regulation, ordinance, order, injunction,
judgment, award, decree, permit or determination of (or agreement with) a Governmental Authority, in each case binding on that Person
or any of its assets or properties, including any stock exchange requirements.
“Bank
Debt” means the debt owed by the target company to Caixa Central de Credito RDL, in particular the debt instruments to Caixa
Central - Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo, C.R.L. and Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo do Alto
Douro, C.R.L. (Sindicated loan nr. 58026295105 and 58026295427 - “Contrato de Abertura de Crédito com Livrança e
Hipoteca Autónoma” of February 22, 2019) which is in default since May 22, 2023; the amount of the instalments in default
on January 18, 2024 is € 570.536,11; according to a letter from
Caixa dated as of December 13, 2023, the leasing contract nr. 29356 was in default for three instalments on the amount of €
403.651,15. To these amounts must be added the installments that have fallen due in the meantime, as well as the respective interest
or any associated bank charges.
“Business”
means (i) with respect to the Company, the business of acting as a holding company, holding all of the issued and outstanding shares
of RPK, and (ii) with respect to RPK the business of medical cannabis cultivation, distribution and sales in Portugal and other European
Union countries, as applicable.
“Business
Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banks in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Lisbon, Portugal or Valletta,
Malta are authorized or required by Applicable Laws to be closed.
“Change
of Control” means: (i) Akanda completing any transaction, including any consolidation, amalgamation, merger, plan of arrangement,
reverse take-over or any other business combination or similar transaction whereby all of the outstanding shares of Akanda are sold,
transferred or exchanged for securities of the resulting issuer that are not subject to any restricted period or hold period under applicable
securities laws in Canada or the US or any other jurisdiction (other than in respect of resales by control persons or any escrow requirements
of an applicable stock exchange); or (ii) Akanda consummating: (A) any transaction that results in a Person or Persons acting jointly
or in concert, directly or indirectly, acquiring the right to cast, at a general meeting of shareholders of Akanda, more than 50% of
the votes that may be ordinarily cast at a general meeting, (B) an amalgamation, consolidation or merger with or into any other Person,
or any merger of another Person into Akanda, unless the holders of voting securities of Akanda immediately prior to such amalgamation,
consolidation or merger hold securities representing 50% or more of the voting control or direction in Akanda or the successor entity
upon completion of such amalgamation, consolidation or merger, or (C) any conveyance, transfer, sale, lease or other disposition of all
or substantially all of Akanda’s assets and properties.
“Claim”
means any actual or threatened civil, criminal, administrative, regulatory, arbitral or investigative action, suit, investigation or
proceeding and any claim, arbitration or demand resulting therefrom, at law or in equity or by any Person.
“Closing”
means the completion of the Contemplated Transaction on the Closing Date.
“Closing
Date” means March 22, 2024 or such other date as may be mutually agreed upon by the Parties on which the Closing occurs.
“Closing
Financial Statements” means the unaudited financial statements for the Target Corporation for the period commencing January
1, 2023 to and including the Closing Date.
“Closing
Time” means 14:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on the Closing Date, or such other time as the parties may mutually determine.
“Company”
or “RPK” means RPK BIOPHARMA, UNIPESSOAL, LDA., a company incorporated under the laws of Portugal, having company
registration and tax number 514617845, and having its registered office situated at Edifício Holigen - Avenida Santa Isabel, nº
7, EN 249-4, 2635 - 047 Rio de Mouro.
“Company
Financial Statements” means, collectively, the Company’s unaudited financial statements for the year ended December 31,
2023 and RPK’s unaudited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022.
“Company
Share” or “Share” means the ordinary share (“Quota” in Portuguese) of €
21.981.865,91 (twenty-one million, nine hundred and eighty-one thousand, eight hundred sixty-five euros and ninety-one cents)
in the capital of the Company and owned by the Vendor.
“Contemplated
Transaction” mean collectively, the Acquisition, and all other transactions and action contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
“Contract”
means any contract, agreement, policy, lease, commitment, understanding or arrangement, whether written or oral to which a Party or any
Affiliate thereof is a party, or is bound or affected by, or to which any of their respective properties or assets is subject.
“Corporate
IP” has the meaning specified in Section 3.19.1.
“Damages”
means, whether or not involving a third party claim, any loss, cost, liability, claim, interest, fine, penalty, assessment, damages available
at law or in equity, or expense (including consultant’s and expert’s fees and expenses and reasonable costs, fees and expenses
of legal counsel).
“Directors’
Resolution” has the meaning specified in Section 2.4.
“Employee
Plans” means all the employee benefit, fringe benefit, supplemental unemployment benefit, bonus, incentive, profit sharing,
termination, Change of Control, pension, retirement, savings, stock option, stock purchase, stock appreciation, health, welfare, medical,
dental, disability, life insurance and similar plans, programmes, arrangements or practices (whether written or unwritten) relating to
any current or former employees, officers or directors or dependants or independent contractors of either Target Corporation or any of
their respective dependants or beneficiaries maintained, sponsored, contributed to or funded by either Target Corporation or under which
either Target Corporation may have any liability contingent or otherwise other than benefit plans established pursuant to statute.
“Enforceability
Limitations” means limitations on enforcement and other remedies by or arising under or in connection with applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and other similar Applicable Laws affecting creditors’ rights generally
or general principles of equity.
“Environmental
Laws” means any Applicable Laws relating to environmental contamination, exposure to Hazardous Materials, the protection of
the environment or the protection of human health and safety as it relates to the environment.
“Exchange”
means the NASDAQ Capital Market.
“Fraud
Claim” means any claim against any one or more of the Parties resulting from, in respect of, connected with, arising out of,
under, or pursuant to fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, intentional misrepresentation, willful breach or criminal conduct by such
Person or Persons.
“IFRS”
means the International Financial Reporting Standards established by the International Accounting Standards Board, as applicable, at
the relevant time applied on a consistent basis.
“Governmental
Authority” means any foreign, federal, state, provincial, federal, local or other government, regulatory or administrative
authority, agency or commission, or any court, tribunal or judicial or arbitral body with competent jurisdiction.
“Hazardous
Material” means: (i) any solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive substance which, when it enters a premise, exists in the premise
or is present in the water supplied to the premise, or released into the environment from the premise that is likely to cause material
harm or degradation to any property or the environment or to any Person; (ii) any pollutants, contaminants, hazardous waste or other
noxious substances; and (iii) any substance declared at any time by any Governmental Authority to be hazardous under any Environmental
Law.
“Indebtedness”
means, without duplication, in respect of a Person: (i) all obligations (including the principal amount thereof and, if applicable, the
accreted amount thereof and the amount of accrued and unpaid interest thereon) of such Person, whether or not represented by bonds, debentures,
notes or other securities or instruments (and whether or not convertible into any other security or instruments), for the repayment of
money borrowed, whether owing to banks, to financial institutions, to Governmental Authorities, on equipment leases or otherwise; (ii)
all deferred indebtedness of such Person for the payment of the purchase price of property or assets purchased (other than current accounts
payable that were incurred in the ordinary course of business); (iii) all obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under
a lease which is required to be classified as a capital lease or a liability on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with IFRS, consistently
applied; (iv) all outstanding reimbursement obligations of such Person with respect to letters of credit, bankers’ acceptances
or similar facilities issued for the account of such Person; (v) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person to repay any
grant or subsidy; (vi) all obligations of such Person under any interest rate swap agreement, forward rate agreement, interest rate cap
or collar agreement, or other financial agreement or arrangement entered into for the purpose of limiting or managing interest rate risks;
(vii) all obligations secured by any Lien existing on property or assets owned by such Person, whether or not indebtedness secured thereby
has been assumed; (viii) all guaranties, endorsements, assumptions and other contingent obligations of such Person in respect of, or
to purchase or to otherwise acquire, indebtedness of others; and (ix) all premiums, penalties, fees, expenses, breakage costs and Change
of Control payments required to be paid in respect of any of the foregoing on prepayment (regardless if any of such are actually paid),
as a result of the consummation of the Contemplated Transaction.
“Indemnified
Party” means a Party or Parties entitled to indemnification from another Party or Parties pursuant to Article 7.
“Indemnifying
Party” means a Party or Parties required to indemnify another Party or Parties pursuant to Article 7,
“Intellectual
Property” means, collectively, all rights in or affecting intellectual or industrial property or other proprietary rights existing
in any jurisdiction, including with respect to the following: (i) patents and applications therefor, and patents issuing thereon, including
continuations, divisionals, continuations-in- part, reissues, reexaminations, renewals and extensions, and the right to file other or
further applications and claim priority thereto; (ii) trademarks, service marks, trade names, service names, brand names and trade dress
rights, and all applications, registrations and renewals thereof; (iii) copyrights and registrations and applications therefor, works
of authorship, “moral” rights and mask work rights; (iv) domain names, uniform resource locators and social media accounts
or handles, including applications and registrations thereof; (v) telephone numbers; (vi) trade secrets; (vii) cannabis genetics; and
(viii) the right to file applications and obtain registrations for any of the foregoing, as applicable.
“Liability”
means any liability, debt, obligation or commitment of any nature whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, known or unknown, accrued or
unaccrued, absolute or contingent, or matured or unmatured), including any arising under any Applicable Laws, License, Action or Contract.
“License”
means any license, permit, consent, approval, certification or other authorization of any Governmental Authority.
“Lien”
means, with respect to any asset or property, any lien, mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, charge, security interest or encumbrance of
any kind in respect of such asset or property.
“Notice”
has the meaning specified in Section 11.2.
“Ordinary
Course of Business” means the ordinary course of business consistent with past custom and practice (including with respect
to quantity and frequency) of the Person in question, taking into account actions taken in connection with such Person’s pursuit
and implementation of the Contemplated Transaction.
“Organizational
Documents” means, as applicable: (i) the articles or certificate of incorporation and the bylaws of a corporation; (ii) the
partnership agreement and any statement of partnership of a general partnership; (iii) the limited partnership agreement and the certificate
of limited partnership of a limited partnership; (iv) the limited liability company agreement and articles or certificate of formation
of a limited liability company; (v) any charter, indenture or similar document adopted or filed in connection with the creation, formation
or organization of a Person; and (vi) any amendment to any of the foregoing.
“Party”
means a party to this Agreement, and “Parties” means all of the parties to this Agreement.
“Permitted
Liens” means: (i) statutory Liens for current Taxes that are not yet due and payable as of the Closing Date or are being
contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings; (ii) other Liens that arise or are incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business
(other than in connection with any Indebtedness, including the Bank Debt), are not material in amount and do not adversely affect
the title of, materially detract from the value of or materially interfere with any present use of, the assets or properties
affected by such Lien.
“Person”
means an individual, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, corporation, limited liability company, unlimited
liability company, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture or other entity or Governmental Authority, and
pronouns have a similarly extended meaning.
“Purchase
Price” has the meaning specified in Section 2.2.
“Purchased
Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 2.1.
“Purchased
Receivables” has the meaning specified in Section 2.1.
“Purchased
Share” has the same meaning of “Company Share” or simply “Share” as defined above.
“Related
Party” means: (i) any affiliate of a Target Corporation; (ii) the Vendor; (iii) any affiliate of the Vendor; (iv) any director,
officer, or employee of a Target Corporation or, if applicable, the Vendor; (v) any parent, sibling, descendant or spouse of any of the
natural Persons referred to in clauses (i) through (iv): or (v) any third Person in which any of the foregoing Persons owns, directly
or indirectly, more than five percent (5%) of the voting securities or partnership or other ownership interests.
“Real
Property” means rights, title, estate and interest, of one or more of the Target Corporation in and to the lands and premises
described in Exhibit D, including all buildings, erections, structures, fixtures and improvements of any nature or kind now and hereafter
situated thereon and all other appurtenances thereto.
“RPK
Real Property” means the list of the real property in Portugal which the Target Corporation owns, has a right to acquire, or
leases.
“Securities
Laws” means the securities legislation having application, the regulations and rules thereunder and all administrative policy
statements, instruments, blanket orders, notices, directions and rulings issued or adopted by the applicable securities regulatory authority,
all as amended.
“Share
Transfer Instrument” has the meaning specified in Section 2.4.
“Sintra
Property” means the urban property comprised of property with two floors intended for warehouse and industrial purposes, with
a total area of 4,385.00 sq.m located at Limites de Albarraque – Urbanização Industrial – Cabra Figa, Plot
2, Rio de Mouro described in the 2nd Land Registry Office of Sintra under number 755 of Sintra parish and inscribed in the tax department
under article 11180 of Rio de Mouro parish.
“Solicit”
means any direct or indirect communication of any kind whatsoever that invites, advises, encourages or requests any Person, in any manner,
to take or refrain from taking any action.
“Somai
Material Adverse Effect” means any change, event, development, occurrence, state of facts, condition or effect (each, a “Somai
Effect”) that is, or would reasonably be expected to be, individually or in the aggregate with all other Somai Effects, materially
adverse to Somai, the value of the Somai Shares or the financial condition or results of operations of Somai taken as a whole. Somai
Shares means shares in Somai’s equity.
“Somai
Member Group” means the companies that form part of the Somai Group and are affiliates or subsidiaries of “Somai, namely
Somai Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Ireland), Somai Pharmaceuticals LDA (Portugal), Somai Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd (Australia) and Somai Pharmaceuticals
GmbH (Germany).
“Somai
Released Person” has the meaning specified in Section 0.
“Subsidiary”
means, in respect of any Person, any corporation, partnership, trust, unlimited liability company, limited liability company or other
non-corporate business enterprise in which such Person owns stock or other ownership interests representing: (a) more than 50% of the
voting power of all outstanding stock or ownership interest of such entity; or (b) the right to receive more than 50% of the net assets
of such entity available for distribution to the holders of outstanding stock or ownership interests upon liquidation or dissolution
of such entity.
“Target
Corporation” means RPK Biopharma Unipessoal, Lda.
“Target
Corporation Material Adverse Effect” means any change, event, development, occurrence, state of facts, condition or effect
(each, a “Target Corporation Effect”) that is, or would reasonably be expected to be, individually or in the aggregate
with all other Target Corporation Effects, materially adverse to the Target Corporation or the financial condition or results of operations
of the Target Corporation taken as a whole, which is not expected on the date of signature of this contract, based on the company’s existing
debts and liabilities and made known to the Purchaser in due diligence.
“Target
Corporation Securities” has the meaning specified in Section 3.4.3.
“Tax”
(including, with correlative meaning, the terms “Taxes” and “Taxable”) means: (i) any and all taxes,
duties, fees, excises, premiums, assessments, imposts, levies and other charges or assessments of any kind whatsoever imposed by any
Governmental Authority, whether computed on a separate, consolidated, unitary, combined or other basis, including those levied on, or
measured by, or described with respect to, income, gross receipts, profits, gains, windfalls, capital, capital stock, production, recapture,
transfer, land transfer, license, gift, occupation, wealth, environment, net worth, surplus, sales, goods and services, harmonized sales,
use, value-added, excise, special assessment, stamp, withholding, business, franchising, real or personal property, unclaimed property,
escheat, health, employee health, payroll, workers’ compensation, employment or unemployment, severance, social services, social
security, education, utility, surtaxes, customs, import or export, and including all license and registration fees and all employment
insurance, health insurance and government pension plan premiums or contributions; (ii) all interest, penalties, fines, additions to
tax or other additional amounts imposed by any Governmental Authority on or in respect of amounts of the type described in paragraph
(i); above or this paragraph (ii); (iii) any liability for the payment of any amounts of the type described in paragraphs (i) or (ii)
as a result of being a member of an affiliated, consolidated, combined or unitary group for any period; and (iv) any liability for the
payment of any amounts of the type described in paragraphs (i) or (ii) as a result of any express or implied obligation to indemnify
any other Person or as a result of being a transferee or successor in interest to any Party.
“Tax
Returns” means all returns, reports and other documents of every nature (including elections, declarations, disclosures, schedules,
estimates and information returns) filed or required to be filed with any Governmental Authority relating to Taxes.
“Termination
Date” has the meaning specified in Section 5.1.1.
“Transaction
Documents” means, collectively, this Agreement and each other agreement, certificate or other document required pursuant to
this Agreement to be executed and delivered on Closing.
“Transaction
Expenses” means the aggregate of all expenses incurred by either the Target Corporation, or for which either the Target Corporation
is responsible for paying on behalf of any other Person, in connection with the Contemplated Transaction (excluding any such costs incurred
personally by the Vendor), including all investment banking, legal, accounting and other advisory fees incurred in respect of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
“U.S. Securities Act” means
the United States Securities Act of 1933.
“United
States” means the United States of America, its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District
of Columbia
“Vendor
Fundamental Representations” means, collectively, the representations and warranties set forth in Sections 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.16
and 3.33.
The following
Exhibits and Schedules form an integral part of this Agreement, which will be updated at Closing as necessary:
Exhibit A |
Form of Assignment of Purchased Receivables |
Exhibit B |
Form of Resignation and Mutual Release |
Exhibit C |
Share Transfer Instrument |
Exhibit D |
Aljustrel Leased Premises Plan & Agreements |
Exhibit E |
Employees list and plan |
Exhibit F |
RPK Real Property |
Exhibit G |
Loans and Current AP |
Exhibit H |
Lawsuits/Proceedings |
Exhibit I |
Tax/Social Security |
Exhibit J |
Inventory, A/R & Cash Balance |
Exhibit K |
Due Diligence Disclosure Glossary |
ARTICLE 2
PURCHASE OF PURCHASED
INTEREST
| 2.1 | Purchase of Purchased
Interest |
Subject
to the terms and conditions hereof, the Vendor covenants and agrees to sell, assign and transfer to the Purchaser and Purchaser covenants
and agrees to purchase from the Vendor (i) the Company Share which is beneficially owned by the Vendor at the Closing Time (“Purchased
Share”), being all of the issued and outstanding Company’s share capital, and (ii) the receivables owned by Holigen Limited
to the Vendor and other related entities having an aggregate principal amount of €
23.774.356,28 (twenty-three million, seven hundred seventy four thousand, three hundred and fifty-six euros and twenty- eight
cents) (collectively, the “Purchased Receivables”, and together with the Purchased Share, the “Purchased
Interest”).
The Vendor,
Akanda, and Cannahealth hereby assign to the Purchaser any and all financial instruments, including but not limited to shareholders’ loans,
credits, accounts receivable, and any other forms of credits, that may exist in relation to the Vendor, Akanda, and Cannahealth over the
Target Corporation. This assignment is expressly included in the sale and assumption of the same and constitutes a part of the consideration
to be paid by the Purchaser. Furthermore, the Vendor, Akanda, and Cannahealth hereby waive and irrevocably renounce any and all rights,
claims, credits, or demands they may have against the Target Corporation or the Purchaser, now or in the future, in connection with such
financial instruments. This waiver and renunciation are comprehensive and include any rights, claims, or interests, whether presently
known or unknown, anticipated or unanticipated, that the Vendor, Akanda, and Cannahealth may hold against the Target Corporation or the
Purchaser.
The
consideration payable by the Purchaser to the Vendor for the Purchased Interest (the “Purchase Price”) shall be USD
2,000,000.00 (two million US Dollars) paid in the following manner:
a)
USD 500,000.00 (five hundred thousand US Dollars) against the escrow deposit at Lawson Lundell LLP, which has already been deposited
as an advance payment and will be released to the Vendor on the Closing Date (or returned to Somai in case of termination of this contract
prior to closing) and,
b)
USD 1,500,000.00 (one million and five hundred thousand US dollars) on the Closing Date.
Subject to
the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Closing will take place at the Closing Time by way of electronic exchange of documents.
All documents delivered and actions taken at the Closing will be deemed to have been delivered or taken simultaneously.
| 2.4 | Closing Deliveries
of the Vendor. |
At or prior
to the Closing, the Vendor will deliver or cause to be delivered to the Purchaser all of the following:
2.4.1 a
certificate of status, good standing or like document for the Target Corporation such as “Certidão Permanente de Registo
Comercial” issued as of a recent date by the applicable Governmental Authority evidencing the good standing of the Company and each
such Subsidiary;
2.4.2
a copy of the resolution in writing of the Board of Directors of Holigen resolving inter alia to (i) approve the contents of this Agreement
and to authorize the entry thereto by Holigen; (ii) authorize and approve the Contemplated Transaction and (iii) authorise the registration
of the Purchaser as the registered holder of the Company Share in the Company’s register, which resolutions will have been certified
as true, correct and in full force and effect without rescission, revocation or amendment as of the Closing Date (the “Directors’
Resolution”);
2.4.3 a
certificate of a Director (or other Person acceptable to Somai) of the Vendor, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to Somai, certifying: (i) that there have been no amendments to the Target Corporation’s Organizational Documents since
the Agreement Date; and (ii) appending the Target Corporation’s Organizational Documents are in effect as of the Closing Date;
2.4.4 a
copy of the duly updated register of beneficial owners of the Company reflecting any changes to the beneficial ownership of the Vendor;
2.4.5
a duly executed share transfer instrument in the form attached to this Agreement as Exhibit C (the “Share Transfer Instrument”);
2.4.6
an assignment of the Purchased Receivables in the form appended hereto as Exhibit A;
2.4.7
the minute books and other corporate records of the Target Corporation;
2.4.8
the certificate of the Vendor required to be delivered pursuant to Section 6.3.5;
2.4.9 a
duly executed resignation and mutual release in the form appended hereto as Exhibit B from each current director of the Target Corporation;
2.4.10 a
copy of the updated inventory of the Target Corporation, showing quantities and value at hand on the Closing Date in the form appended
hereto as Exhibit J;
2.4.11
evidence of payment of Municipal Property Tax by reference to the Sintra Property;
2.4.12
plans with the location, area and configuration of the RPK Real Property;
2.4.13
such other documents as may be reasonably required for the Acquisition and the Closing.
| 2.5 | Closing Deliveries
of the Purchaser |
At or prior
to the Closing, the Purchaser will deliver or cause to be delivered to the Vendor all of the following:
2.5.1
a duly executed copy of the Share Transfer Instrument;
2.5.2 a
certificate of the Chief Executive Officer (or other Person acceptable to the Vendor) of the Purchaser, dated the Closing Date, in form
and substance legally acceptable, as to the resolutions adopted by the board of directors of each of the Purchaser and Somai authorizing
and approving the Contemplated Transaction, which resolutions will have been certified as true, correct and in full force and effect without
rescission, revocation or amendment as of the Closing Date;
2.5.3
evidence of delivery of the Purchase Price (2.2) as directed by the Vendor;
2.5.4 the
certificate of the Purchaser and Somai required to be delivered pursuant to Section 6.2.4;
2.5.5 any
consents, waivers or approvals required to be obtained by any Somai Member Group with respect to the completion of the Contemplated Transaction,
including the consents, waivers, approvals and actions of or by, and all filings with and notifications to, any Governmental Authority;
and
2.5.6
such other documents as may be reasonably required for the Acquisition and the Closing.
ARTICLE 3
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
OF THE VENDOR
As
an inducement to the Purchaser to enter into this Agreement and to complete the Contemplated Transaction, the Vendor represents and
warrants to the Purchaser as set forth in this Article 3. The representations and warranties of the Vendor contained in this
Agreement shall survive the completion of the Contemplated Transaction and shall expire and be terminated on the earlier of one year
after the Closing Time and the date on which this Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms; provided that,
notwithstanding the foregoing, if Closing occurs: (a) the representations and warranties of the Vendor contained in Section 3.19.1
shall survive the Closing, for the benefit of the Purchaser, until three (3) months after the latest of (i) the expiration of the
applicable limitation period under any Applicable Laws with respect to Taxes; and (ii) the date of the expiry of the period of time
within which the decision in relation to the subject matter hereof of one or more courts of competent jurisdiction may be appealed,
and (b) the Vendor Fundamental Representations shall survive the completion of the Contemplated Transactions indefinitely, and any
claim which is based upon or relates to a breach of the Vendor Fundamental Representations (or any of them), or which is based upon
intentional misrepresentation or fraud by the Vendor, may be made or brought by the Purchaser at any time for a reasonable period
permitted by Applicable Laws.
| 3.1 | Organization and Authorization. |
The Target
Corporation (i) is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation;
(ii) has the requisite corporate power and authority to own or lease and to operate and use its assets and properties and to carry on
its Business; and (iii) is duly qualified or licensed to do business and is in good standing in the jurisdiction of incorporation, which
is the only jurisdiction in which the nature of the its Business, property or assets (whether owned or leased or used) makes such qualification
or licensing necessary under Applicable Laws. The Vendor has the requisite corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement
and any agreement to be delivered pursuant to or connection with this Agreement, to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder,
and to complete the Contemplated Transaction.
The execution
and delivery by the Vendor of this Agreement and the completion by the Vendor of the Contemplated Transaction will not: (i) conflict with
or violate any Applicable Laws binding upon or applicable to either Target Corporation or any of their respective assets or properties;
or (ii) conflict with, violate, result in a breach of the terms, conditions or provisions of, constitute a default or an event that, with
notice or lapse of time or both, would become a default under, give to others any rights of acceleration, termination or cancellation
or a loss of rights under, or result in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon the Purchased Share or any assets or properties of
the Target Corporation under any Contract or License to which the Target Corporation is a party or by which its assets or properties are
bound.
| 3.3 | Organizational Documents
and Corporate Records. |
The Vendor
has previously delivered or made available to Purchaser true and complete copies of the Organizational Documents of the Target Corporation.
The Target Corporation is not in default under or violation of any provision of its Organizational Documents. The Vendor has previously
delivered or made available to the Purchaser true and complete copies of the minute books of the Target Corporation. The books and records
of the Target Corporation are true and complete in all material respects and have been maintained in compliance with Applicable Laws.
3.4.1 (i)
The authorized share capital of the Company is € 21.981.865,91 (twenty-one
million, nine hundred eighty-one thousand, eight hundred sixty-five euros and ninety-one cents), fully paid up and held by the Vendor
as of the Agreement Date.
3.4.2 All
issued and outstanding Company share capital has been duly authorized, is validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and is not issued
in violation of any Applicable Laws, and, is not subject to and is not issued in violation of any pre-emptive rights, rights of first
refusal or rights of first offer.
3.4.3
Except for the Purchased Share, there are no outstanding: (i) shares or other voting securities or other equity interests of the Target
Corporation; (ii) securities of the Target Corporation convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares or other voting securities
of the Target Corporation; (iii) subscriptions, options or other rights to acquire from the Target Corporation, or other obligation of
the Target Corporation to issue or deliver, any shares, other voting securities, or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable
for shares or other voting securities, of the Target Corporation; (iv) bonds, debentures, notes or other Indebtedness of the Target Corporation
having the right to vote (or convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for securities having the right to vote) on any matters
with the shareholders of the Target Corporation; or (v) stock appreciation, “phantom” stock or other equity equivalent rights
with respect to the Target Corporation (the items in clauses (i) through (v) are collectively referred to as the “Target Corporation
Securities”).
3.4.4 (i)
There are no outstanding obligations of the Target Corporation to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire the Target Corporation Securities;
(ii) there are no agreements to register the Target Corporation Securities or sales or re-sales thereof under any applicable Securities
Laws; and (iii) there are no shareholder agreements, voting trusts or other similar agreements or understandings to which the Target Corporation
or any holder of Target Corporation Securities is a party or otherwise bound in respect of the Target Corporation Securities, other than
as contemplated herein.
The Target Corporation (i) has
never, directly or indirectly, declared or paid any dividends or declared or made any other distribution to its shareholder; or (ii) has,
directly or indirectly, redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired any of its shares of any class or agreed to do so.
The Vendor
does not directly or indirectly own, of record or beneficially, any securities or other equity interests in, or have any investment in
or control, any Person, other than RPK and does not directly or indirectly own, of record or beneficially, any securities or other equity
interests in, or have any investment in or control, any Person. Such subsidiary does not have any liability attached to it and all intercompany
debt is written off at the closing, including any liability towards this subsidiary.
To
the best of the Vendor’s knowledge after thorough investigation of the immediate past two years, the corporate records of the Target
Corporation, including all Organizational Documents, minutes books, registers, share certificate books and all other similar documents
and records (collectively, the “Corporate Records”) are complete and accurate in all material respects and have been
maintained in compliance with Applicable Laws in all material respects, and all present and former directors and officers of the Target
Corporation were duly elected or appointed. This representation and warranty is full and unqualified for the period prior to the past
two years.
The sole director
and officer of the Target Corporation is Kiranjit Sidhu. The Target Corporation has obtained or will obtain before Closing all requisite
consents and/or waivers under all applicable unanimous shareholders agreements to consummate the transaction of purchase and sale contemplated
by this Agreement and all such unanimous shareholders agreements (or equivalent governing documents) will be terminated prior to the Closing.
The Target Corporation has not requested nor received any funds in respect of any capital call.
| 3.8 | Company Financial Statements. |
3.8.1 The
Vendor has delivered to the Purchaser true and complete copies of the Company Financial Statements. The Company Financial Statements (i)
have been prepared from, and are in accordance with, the books of account and other financial records of the Company, and reflect only
actual transactions; (ii) have been prepared in accordance with IFRS consistently applied during the periods involved; and (iii) present
fairly and accurately, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operation of the Company as of the dates thereof
or for the periods covered thereby.
3.8.2 All
accounts, notes and other receivables reflected on the Company Financial Statements will have arisen from bona fide transactions
in the Ordinary Course of Business and are or will be valid, genuine and fully collectible in the Ordinary Course of Business without
resort to litigation or extraordinary collection activity, less any reserves for doubtful accounts reflected on the Company Financial
Statements.
| 3.9 | No Undisclosed Liabilities |
To the best
of the Vendor’s knowledge after thorough investigation, other than the Bank Debt, Tax Authority, Social Security, service providers
and all the liabilities shown in the due diligence, the Target Corporation has not any material liability or obligation of any nature
(whether known or unknown and whether absolute, accrued, contingent, or otherwise) other than (i) liabilities or obligations to the extent
shown on the Company Financial Statements, or (ii) current liabilities incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business since December 31,
2023. For certainty, the Target Corporation has not any loan, or other liability or Indebtedness, owing to the Vendor or any affiliate
or associate of the Vendor. Target Corporation’s known liabilities are described in Exhibits G, H and I.
To
the best of the Vendor’s knowledge after thorough investigation, other than the Bank Debt, the “Intercompany Loans and RPK’s
total indebtedness” (6.3.9), which will be extinguished at closing – and all the liabilities shown in the due diligence (i)
the Target Corporation does not have any Indebtedness; (ii) the Target Corporation has not guaranteed any Indebtedness of any Person;
(iii) there are no Liens on the Target Corporation Securities; and (iv) other than Permitted Liens, there are no Liens on the assets
or properties of the Target Corporation.
Other than
the Bank Debt (which is already in default and gave grounds for the credit Bank to accelerate the payment of the indebtedness and terminate
the loan facilities with the Target Corporation), the Target Corporation that carries on business has bona fide banking relationships
and one or more registered banking accounts with a recognized financial institutions in Portugal and all such banking relationships comply
with Applicable Laws.
| 3.12 | Absence of Certain
Changes. |
Since
December 31, 2023, the Target Corporation has conducted its Business only in the Ordinary Course of Business, and there has not
been: (a) any change, condition, event or occurrence that has had or would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the
aggregate, a Target Corporation Material Adverse Effect; (b) any material damage, destruction or other casualty loss (whether or not
covered by insurance) affecting the Business or the assets or properties of the Target Corporation; or (c) any action authorized or
taken that, if authorized or taken after the Agreement Date, would constitute a breach of any covenant set forth in Section
5.1.2.
Beyond what was shown in the due diligence, whose disclosure
is reflected in Exhibit K of this Agreement, including liabilities and defaults:
3.13.1
The Target Corporation is not a party to or bound by:
3.13.1.1 any
trust indenture, mortgage, promissory note, loan agreement or other Contract for the borrowing of money, any currency exchange, interest
rate, commodities or other hedging arrangement or any leasing transaction of the type required to be capitalized in accordance with IFRS;
3.13.1.2 any
confidentiality, secrecy, non-disclosure or exclusivity Contract or any Contract limiting the freedom of the Target Corporation to engage
in any line of business, set the material terms of its Contracts, compete with any other Person, solicit any Persons for any purpose or
otherwise to conduct its business;
3.13.1.3 any
employment, severance, change in control, personal services, consulting, non-competition or indemnification Contracts;
3.13.1.4
any partnership or joint venture (or similar entity) agreements;
3.13.1.5 any
Contract for the acquisition, sale or lease of material assets or any economic interest therein (by purchase or sale of assets or stock
or otherwise;
3.13.1.6 any
Contract for capital expenditures in excess of USD 300,000 in the aggregate;
3.13.1.7
any Contract with any Governmental Authority;
3.13.1.8
any Contract with any Related Party;
3.13.1.9 any
Contract, other than contracts of employment that are disclosed in the due diligence carried out by the Purchaser, that provides for annual
payments by or to the Target Corporation in excess of USD $100,000 per annum;
3.13.1.10
any Contract that provides for success fees or contingency payments; or
3.13.1.11 any
Contract that is material to the Business or if terminated or modified or if it ceased to be in effect, would reasonably be expected to
have a Target Corporation Material Adverse Effect;
3.13.2 the
Target Corporation has performed all of the material obligations required to be performed by it to date and is entitled to all benefits
under the Material Contracts to which it is a party;
3.13.3 the
Target Corporation is not alleged to be in material default or breach of any Material Contract to which it is a party;
3.13.4 each
of the Material Contracts is in full force and effect, unamended, and there exists no default or event of default or event, occurrence,
condition or act (including the transactions contemplated herein) which, with the giving of notice, the lapse of time or the happening
of any other event or condition, would become a default or event of default of the Target Corporation or its counterparty under any Material
Contract; and
3.13.5 true,
correct and complete copies of all Material Contracts have been delivered to the Purchaser.
To the best
of the Vendor’s knowledge after thorough investigation, other than the lawsuits, injunction proceedings or enforcement procedures
disclosed in the due diligence carried out by the Purchaser, including Lawsuit 4470/23.0T8OER, Tribunal Judicial da Comarca de Lisboa
Oeste – Juiz 1, there is no Action pending or threatened against the Target Corporation. The Target Corporation is not subject to
or otherwise bound by any Applicable Law that prohibits or limits in any material respect the conduct of its Business and there is no
Action pending or threatened against or affecting the Vendor or the Target Corporation that, if determined or resolved adversely to the
Vendor or the Target Corporation, would cause a Target Corporation Material Adverse Effect or would materially restrict the Vendor’s
ability to perform its obligations hereunder or to timely complete the Contemplated Transaction. Target Corporation’s known legal proceedings
are described in Exhibit H.
| 3.15 | Compliance
with Laws; Business |
The Target
Corporation has at all times conducted, and currently conducts, its Business in material compliance with all Applicable Laws. The Target
Corporation has not received any notice of any violation of any Applicable Laws, and the Target Corporation is not under investigation
or review by any Governmental Authority with respect to any violation of any Applicable Laws. The only business carried on by the Target
Corporation is the Business.
3.16.1
The Target Corporation holds or possesses, and is in compliance with, all Licenses required for the lawful conduct of its Business
as currently conducted. The Target Corporation has not received any notice advising of the refusal to grant any License that has
been applied for or is in process of being granted and there is no reason to believe that any such Governmental Authority is
considering taking or would have reasonable ground to take any such action. In particular, the Vendor hereby represents and warrants
that all necessary licenses and permits required for the operation of the Target Corporation’s facilities located in Sintra
and Aljustrel, including but not limited to Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
certifications applicable to its activities, are valid, up-to-date, and in full force and effect. This representation and warranty
explicitly includes all licenses and permits issued by the National Authority of Medicines and Health Products, I.P. (Infarmed), or
any other regulatory authority, necessary for the lawful operation of the said facilities. The Vendor further represents and
warrants that these licenses and permits will be maintained in a state of compliance and will be free of any liens, encumbrances, or
legal impediments. The Vendor shall provide the Purchaser with all relevant documentation evidencing the current status and validity
of these licenses and permits, including any recent inspections, compliance reports, and correspondence with regulatory authorities,
no later than 10 (ten) days prior to the Closing Date of the transaction.
3.16.2 The
Target Corporation does not hold cannabis or cannabis-related operations or interests in the United States (including employees, facilities,
royalty entitlements or investments in a United States based cannabis business), or sells or distributes cannabis into the United States.
Beyond what was shown in the due diligence:
3.17.1 The
Target Corporation owns (with good and marketable title) all of the properties (other than real property) and assets that it purports
to own that are material to the conduct of its Business, including all the properties (other than real property) and assets reflected
as being owned by the Target Corporation in its financial books and records and as of the Closing Date.
3.17.2 The
Target Corporation has legal and beneficial ownership of its properties and assets free and clear of all Liens, except for Permitted Liens.
3.17.3 No
other Person owns any property (other than real property) or assets which are being used in the Business except for the personal property
leased by the Target Corporation pursuant to the Material Contracts and the Intellectual Property licensed to the Target Corporation.
3.17.4 With
respect to the Target Corporation, (a) all of its tangible personal property used by it in connection with its Business has been maintained
in accordance with generally accepted industry practice, is in good operating condition and repair, ordinary wear and tear excepted, and,
with respect to tangible personal property used in the cultivation, production, processing or packaging of cannabis, all such personal
property is fit for its intended purpose, (b) all personal property leased by it as lessee is, in all material respects, in the condition
required of such property by the terms of the lease applicable thereto during the term of the lease and upon expiration thereof, (c) in
respect of all owned personal property, there are no material Claims currently proceeding, pending, or threatened against or affecting
any of such owned personal property which could be reasonably expected to affect the Target Corporation’s title to such personal
property, and (d) in respect of all leased personal property, there are no material claims currently proceeding or pending or threatened
against or affecting such leased personal property which could be reasonably expected to affect the Target Corporation’s rights
in respect of such personal property.
3.17.5 No
part of the assets or properties of the Target Corporation (whether leased or owned), other than real property, has been taken, condemned
or expropriated by any Governmental Authority nor has any notice or proceeding in respect thereof been given or commenced nor is there
any intent or proposal to give such notice or commence any such proceedings.
3.17.6 No
Person has any Contract, option, understanding, or any right or privilege capable of becoming such for the purchase or other acquisition
from the Target Corporation of any of its assets or properties, other than inventory to be sold in the Ordinary Course of Business, and
no Person has any such option, understanding, right or privilege has provided notice that it intends to exercise any such option, understanding,
right or privilege under any Material Contract to which any such Person is party.
3.17.7 None
of the buildings, plants, structures, vehicles, equipment or other property of the Target Corporation are in need of maintenance or repairs
except for routine maintenance and repairs in the Ordinary Course of Business that are not material in nature or cost.
To the best of the Vendor’s knowledge after
thorough investigation and beyond what was shown in the due diligence:
Each product
sold or delivered by the Target Corporation is and has been sold or delivered in conformity in all material respects with all applicable
Contracts of the Target Corporation and all express and implied warranties of the Target Corporation, and the Target Corporation does
not have any liability (and there is no basis for any present or future action, suit, proceeding, hearing, investigation, charge, complaint,
claim, or demand against any of them giving rise to any liability) for replacement thereof or other Damages, liability or obligations
in connection therewith. No product sold or delivered by the Target Corporation is subject to any material guarantee, warranty, or other
indemnity beyond the legal or applicable standard terms and conditions of sale.
| 3.19 | Intellectual
Property; Privacy, Confidentiality |
3.19.1
Beyond what was shown in the due diligence, the Target Corporation exclusively owns and possesses valid and enforceable rights, title
and interest in and to all Intellectual Property used in or necessary to operate its business (the “Corporate IP”),
free and clear of any Liens. The Target Corporation has not granted any license on such Intellectual Property to any third parties.
3.19.2 The
prior and current use of the Corporate IP by the Target Corporation has not and does not infringe, violate, dilute or misappropriate the
Intellectual Property of any Person and there are no claims pending or threatened by any Person with respect to ownership, validity, enforceability,
effectiveness or use of the Corporate IP. The Vendor is not aware of any facts that indicate a likelihood of any of the foregoing. No
Person has infringed or is infringing, misappropriating, diluting or otherwise violating any of the Corporate IP, and the Target Corporation
has not made or asserted any claim, demand or notice against any Person alleging any such infringement, misappropriation, dilution or
other violation.
3.19.3 The
Target Corporation owns and has the right to use the Corporate IP. The Vendor does not own any right, title or interest in any Corporate
IP. No current or former director, consultant or employee of the Target Corporation retains or claims to have any ownership or right to
use the Corporate IP.
3.19.4 The
Target Corporation has taken commercially reasonable steps under the circumstances to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of
its Corporate IP and the Target Corporation has not received any requests from any Person for disclosure of any Corporate IP.
3.19.5 The
Target Corporation has taken reasonable steps to protect and maintain the Target Corporation’s confidential information in accordance
with industry best practices. The Target Corporation have taken reasonable steps to protect the know-how, trade secret or confidential
information of third parties provided to the Target Corporation in accordance with all applicable obligations of confidentiality.
3.19.6 The
Target Corporation has paid all application and renewal fees relating to its Corporate IP that has become due.
3.19.7 The
Target Corporation is not bound by any outstanding judgment, injunction, order or decree restricting the use of its Corporate IP or restricting
the licensing thereof to any person or entity.
3.19.8 The
Target Corporation has not been notified in writing of, nor is the Target Corporation the subject of any complaint, regulatory investigation
or proceeding related to data security or privacy.
3.19.9 No
third party has claimed that any Person now or previously employed or engaged as a consultant the Target Corporation has (i) violated
or may be violating any of the terms or conditions of their employment, non-competition or non-disclosure agreement with such third party,
(ii) disclosed or may be disclosing or utilized or may be utilizing any trade secret or proprietary information or documentation of such
third party or violated any confidential relationship which such Person may have had with such third party in connection with the development
or sale of any service, product or proposed service or product of the Target Corporation, or (iii) interfered or may be interfering in
the employment relationship or other contractual relationship between such third party and any of its present or former employees.
3.19.10 The
provision of information to the Purchaser in connection with the transaction contemplated in this Agreement has not violated any confidentiality
or non-disclosure obligation of the Target Corporation.
Beyond the responsibilities and tax liabilities and
debts shown in due diligence and described in Exhibits G and I:
3.20.1 The
Target Corporation has paid all Taxes which are due and payable within the time required by Applicable Laws, and has paid all assessments
and reassessments it has received in respect of Taxes. The Target Corporation has provided full and adequate provision in accordance with
IFRS in the Company Financial Statements for all Taxes for periods to which they relate which are not yet due and payable. Since the date
of such financials, no material liability in respect of Taxes not reflected in such statements or otherwise provided for has been assessed,
proposed to be assessed, incurred or accrued, other than in the Ordinary Course of Business. The Target Corporation has not received any
refund of Taxes to which it is not entitled.
3.20.2 The
Target Corporation has filed or caused to be filed with the appropriate Governmental Authority, within the times and in the manner prescribed
by Applicable Laws, all Tax Returns which are required to be filed by or with respect to it. The information contained in such Tax Returns
is correct and complete in all material respects and such Tax Returns reflect accurately all liability for Taxes of each Target Corporation
for the periods covered thereby.
3.20.3 There
are no outstanding agreements, arrangements, waivers or objections extending the statutory period or providing for an extension of time
with respect to the assessment or reassessment of Taxes or the filing of any Tax Return by, or any payment of Taxes by, the Target Corporation.
3.20.4 Except
as disclosed in the due diligence carried out by the Purchaser, there are no claims, actions, suits, audits, proceedings, investigations
or other actions pending or threatened against the Target Corporation in respect of Taxes and there is no reason to expect that any such
claim, action, suit, audit, proceeding, investigation or other action may be asserted against the Target Corporation by a Governmental
Authority. The Target Corporation is not negotiating any final or draft assessment or reassessment in respect of Taxes with any Governmental
Authority and has not received any indication from any Governmental Authority that an assessment or reassessment is proposed or may be
proposed in respect of any Taxes for any period ending on or prior to the Closing Date.
3.20.5 The
Target Corporation has withheld and collected all amounts required by Applicable Laws to be withheld or collected by it on account of
Taxes and has remitted all such amounts to the appropriate Governmental Authority within the time prescribed under any Applicable Laws.
3.20.6 No
claim has ever been made in writing by a Governmental Authority in respect of Taxes in a jurisdiction where the Target Corporation does
not file Tax Returns that the Target Corporation is or may be subject to Tax by that jurisdiction.
3.20.7 The
Target Corporation is not a party to or bound by any tax sharing agreement, tax indemnity obligation in favour of any Person or similar
agreement in favour of any Person with respect to Taxes (including any advance pricing agreement or other similar agreement relating to
Taxes with any Governmental Authority).
3.20.8 The
Target Corporation is not subject to any joint venture, partnership or other arrangement or contract that is treated as a partnership
for income tax purposes in any jurisdiction.
3.20.9 The
Target Corporation does not own interest in Taxable Australian Property (as defined in Section 855-15 of the Australian Income Tax Assessment
Act).
3.20.10 All
of the Portuguese real estate assets owned by the Target Corporation were used in an agricultural, industrial, or commercial activity
(meaning, it is not for trading).
3.20.11 No
more than 50% of the Target Corporation’s aggregate assets (in accordance with IFRS) are “immovable property” as defined
in the Article 27, n.º2, c) of the Portuguese Tax Benefits Code (Estatuto dos Benefícios Fiscais).
3.20.12 There
are currently no Tax foreclosures or enforcement proceedings pending or threatened against the Target Corporation in Portugal, and there
are no circumstances, and the Target Corporation has no debts, that could become a Tax foreclosure or result in enforcement proceedings
in Portugal in the future. There are no Taxes outstanding in respect of the RPK Real Property.
| 3.21 | Environmental
Matters. |
To the best
of the Vendor’s knowledge after thorough investigation, the Target Corporation is in compliance with Environmental Laws. The Target
Corporation has not received any notice of violation of, or incurred any Liability or any nature or kind with respect to, any Environmental
Laws.
Beyond what was shown in the due diligence:
3.22.1 Exhibit
E includes a complete and accurate list of (a) the names, titles and annual compensation entitlements and other compensation entitlements
(including non-cash fringe benefits) of all Persons employed or engaged by the Target Corporation on a full or part-time basis and all
persons (other than lawyers and external chartered accountants) who provide consulting or other services to the Target Corporation on
a full or part-time basis, including all individuals who may be considered to be employees pursuant to Applicable Laws, notwithstanding
that they may have been laid off or terminated or on a short term, long term or parental leave, together with the location of their employment,
and (b) the date each such Person was hired or retained.
3.22.2 Since
the date that is one (1) year prior to the date hereof, in addition to the updating of the minimum wage introduced by law, (x) there has
not been any increase in the rate of compensation payable or to become payable by the Target Corporation to a director, employee or officer
of the Target Corporation (other than standard increases in connection with general, regularly-scheduled reviews consistent with past
practice in respect of employees); (y) there has been no loan made to, nor grant of security nor guarantee to, or payment, grant or accrual
of any bonus payment, retention payment, incentive compensation payment, service award payment, or other similar payment to a director,
employee or officer of the Target Corporation; and (z) there have been no changes to the compensation structure applicable to any director,
employee or officer of the Target Corporation.
3.22.3 The
Purchaser has been provided with true and complete copies of any Contracts for the employment or engagement of any officer, director,
consultant or employee of the Target Corporation.
3.22.4 The
Target Corporation has not entered into any Contract or made any arrangements with any of its employees or service providers which could
reasonably be expected to have the effect of depriving it of the continued services of any such Persons following the Closing Date. As
far as the Vendor knows, none of the employees of the Target Corporation currently intends to resign their employment.
3.22.5 The
Target Corporation is not a party to any collective bargaining agreement nor subject to any application for certification or threatened
or apparent union-organizing campaigns for employees not covered under a collective bargaining agreement nor are there any current, pending
or threatened strikes or lockouts or any charge of unfair labour practice. The Target Corporation has not experienced any work stoppage.
3.22.6 There
are no material Claims for wrongful dismissal, constructive dismissal or any other material Claim, actual, pending or threatened, or any
litigation, actual, pending or threatened, relating to employment or termination of employment of employees or independent contractors
of the Target Corporation.
3.22.7
Each Governmental Authority has, in all material respects, operated in accordance with all Applicable Laws with respect to
employment and labour, including employment and labour standards, occupational health and safety, pay equity, workers’
compensation, human rights and labour relations and there are no current, pending or threatened proceedings before any Governmental
Authority with respect to any employment or labour matters.
3.22.8 All
officers, directors, consultants, employees or any other engaged by the Target Corporation are covered by a valid work accident insurance,
updated with all amounts paid.
3.22.9 The
Target Corporation is in compliance with all occupational health and security regulations, occupational health and security services are
organized, employees consultation in the area of occupational health and safety has taken place, risk assessment was done for all workstations
and all recommendations in the reports of each of the workstations were followed.
3.22.10 All
legal procedures to terminate employment and service providers contracts in the last 12 months have been followed by the Target Corporation.
3.22.11 The
admission of all foreign employees was communicated to the competent national authorities, the Target Corporation keeps an updated record
of the residence permit of such employees and there are no foreign employees with an expired residence permit, or to be expired in the
next six months, currently working at any Target Corporation.
3.22.12 No
officers, directors, consultants, employees, service providers or any other engaged by the Target Corporation have holidays days due in
a material amount and not enjoyed from before 2022.
3.22.13 No
officers, directors, consultants, employees, service providers or any other engaged by the Target Corporation are entitled to any overtime
or compensatory rest from before 2022.
3.22.14 Records
of work time, overtime, holidays, disciplinary action, work accidents and vocational training are kept since the date of admission of
any officers, directors, consultants, employees, service providers or any other engaged by the Target Corporation.
3.22.15 The
Target Corporation was not served with a notice issued by the competent national authorities in the past 8 years regarding labour or employment
violations.
3.22.16 The
registration and payment to the salary guarantee fund of all employees are complete and updated on the Target Corporation.
3.22.17 All
officers, directors, consultants, employees, service providers or any other engaged by the Target Corporation have completed the legally
required vocational training under Applicable Laws in the last 5 years.
3.22.18 Other
than those reflected in Exhibit I, there are no tax or social security debts relating to any officers, directors, consultants, employees
or any other engaged by the Target Corporation.
3.22.19 The
Target Corporation has complied with all Applicable Laws regarding prohibition of discrimination and harassment.
The Target Corporation does not have any Employee Plan in
place.
| 3.24 | Anti-Corruption; Money
Laundering |
To the best of the Vendor’s knowledge after thorough
investigation :
3.24.1 The
Target Corporation (and no representative, or Person acting on behalf, of the Target Corporation in its capacity as such) has not violated
the anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws of any jurisdiction applicable to the Target Corporation.
3.24.2 The
Target Corporation (nor the Vendor nor, any Person acting on their behalf), is not nor has been, nor is reasonably expected to become
the subject of or a party to any Claim or internal investigation related to any anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws and there are no
circumstances likely to lead or give rise to any Claim or internal investigation.
3.24.3 The
Target Corporation has at all times complied with all Applicable Laws relating to export control and trade sanctions or embargoes applicable
to Target Corporation.
3.24.4 The
Target Corporation is not (nor the Vendor, nor any of their respective affiliates are, or are considered by any Governmental Authority
or state-owned or controlled entity (“SOE”) to be), suspended from tendering or ineligible to tender for any contract or business
with, or ineligible to be awarded any contract or business by, a Governmental Authority or SOE or suspended from tendering or ineligible
to tender for or perform any sub-contracting work under a contract with a Governmental Authority or SOE.
3.24.5 The
Business is in compliance with financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of Applicable Laws relating to money laundering and
there is no Claim by or before any court or other Governmental Authority or any arbitrator non-Governmental Authority involving the Target
Corporation with respect to such laws and no such Claim is pending or threatened.
| 3.25 | Related
Party Transactions. |
3.25.1 There
are no accounts payable, accounts receivable or other obligations, transactions, Contracts or liabilities of any nature whatsoever between
the Target Corporation, on the one hand, and any Related Party, on the other hand, excluding any obligation of the Target Corporation
incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business to pay wages, salaries or fees for service to any Related Party in connection with such Related
Party’s services as an employee of the Target Corporation. Without limiting the foregoing and in particular, all intercompany loans,
shareholder loans, and any other loans and interest, including a debt towards the company “Catalyst” (owned by an Akanda shareholder
and current director of the Target Company, Kiran Sidhu) and with the exception of Caixa Agricola Bank Debt, shall be extinguished at
Closing, and the Purchaser or RPK, or any resulting issuer shall hold no obligation to repay any such loans or interest.
3.25.2 No
Related Party owns or has any proprietary, financial or other interests (direct or indirect) in any authorization, pending authorization
or asset which the Target Corporation owns, possesses or uses or proposes to own, use or possess in the operation of its Business as now
or previously conducted.
The Target Corporation maintains
the policies covering work accidents liability in good standing, issued by responsible insurers, as provided by law. Such policies of
insurance are in full force and effect and in good standing, and will continue to be so until the Closing. There is no reason to believe
that any such policies as applicable to the Target Corporation only would not continue to be renewed in the Ordinary Course of Business
and at consistent premiums, subject to general market fluctuations, after completion of the transactions contemplated hereby.
3.27.1 Target
Corporation is in a difficult financial situation, with all the debts and liabilities shown in the due diligence, the Purchaser being
fully aware of this and accepting this circumstance.
As far as the Vendor knows and
beyond what was shown in the due diligence neither the Vendor, the Target Corporation, nor any of their respective representatives has
incurred any liability or obligation to any consultant, broker, agent, investment bank or other intermediary for any fee, commission or
other similar payment in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any ancillary agreement to which it is (or
will be) a party.
As far as the Vendor knows, beyond
what was shown in the due diligence and the encumbrances or charges registered and included in the land registry certificates:
3.29.1 The
Target Corporation is the sole and exclusive legal and beneficial owner of the owned Real Property, which were acquired lawfully and peacefully,
being the respective possession and fruition public and pacific, unconditional and undisputable, and there are no judicial or extrajudicial
conflicts, either current or potential, in which the Target Corporation’s property rights, possession and fruition of the same is
discussed.
3.29.2 The
Target Corporation has good and marketable property right to, or a valid leasehold interest in, all Real Property. Beyond what was registered
and included in the land registry certificates, all such Real Property (including leasehold interests) is free from all Liens, guarantees,
pledges, liabilities or security interest of any kind seeking the ownership transfer or the possession transfer, any promissory right
of acquisition/usufruct/usage/lease in any form, easement, option right, pre-emption right, conditional assignment, fiduciary assignment
(alienação fiduciária), court order, claim, retention right, preferential arrangement, attachment or seizure,
usufruct, lease or third party’s right of use in any way, any encumbrance of any type that limits or prevents the use, enjoyment
and disposal of the Real Property, as well as any agreement allowing to create any of the foregoing.
3.29.3 The
Target Corporation does not own, and has not directly or indirectly owned, any legal or beneficial interest in any real property, other
than the owned Real Property and the RPK Real Property (defined below), and there are no pending agreements for the use of third-party
properties other than the Aljustrel Lease.
3.29.4
The Target Corporation has kept and maintained owned Real Property in good operating condition and repair to preserve its value and
operating efficiency, normal wear and tear excepted and as far as the Vendor knows there are no structural defects, any substances,
superficial or infiltrated, nor hazardous material, in the soil, in the subterranean waters and/or in the buildings and no works
subject to licensing or authorization by the relevant municipalities and/or by any other entity, public or private, or works subject
to mere prior communication to any of the referred entities, were performed without such licenses, authorizations and/or
communications having previously obtained or performed.
3.29.5
Exhibit F sets out a list of the “RPK Real Property”. The current Contracts in respect of the RPK Real Property
are not with Related Parties of the Target Corporation and such Contracts are in good standing and in full force and effect and, as
long as Target Corporation’s debts are paid, in particular those described in Exhibit G to this agreement, no default has occurred
on the part of the Target Corporation under any of such Contract, nor has any default occurred by any other party thereto under any
such Contract (except in each case, any such default that has previously been cured). The RPK Real Property has not and will not be
acquired or leased from a Related Party of the Target Corporation and such acquisition or lease will be on arm’s length terms.
As long as RPK debts are paid, the Vendor has no reason to believe the RPK Real Property will cease to be Real Property of the
Target Corporation or that the Target Corporation may lose title to any RPK Real Property under the same conditions and warranties
as provided for in this Section 3.29 in respect of owned Real Property as at the applicable closing of the purchase of the RPK Real
Property by the Target Corporation.
3.29.6 Exhibit
F lists (i) the municipal address of each parcel of Real Property and RPK Real Property, (ii) title and indication if such Real Property
or RPK Real Property is (or is intended to be) leased or subleased by the Target Corporation, the details of such lease or sublease executed
by reference to the RPK Real Property (and any amendments and restatements, supplements or modifications), including the name of the landlord,
the rental amount currently being paid (including any prepaid rental payments and specifying any breakdown of base rent and additional
rents), the expiration of the term of such lease or sublease, any rights of renewal, any restrictions on assignment or Change of Control
pertaining to such lease, (iii) the current use of such Real Property and the RPK Real Property, and (iv) any Lien over such Real Property
and the RPK Real Property, other than Permitted Liens and registered in the land registry certificates.
3.29.7
With respect to the current use of the Real Property and the RPK Real Property:
3.29.7.1 All
licences, certificates, consents, approvals, rights, permits (including building and occupancy permits) and agreements required to enable
the Real Property and RPK Real Property to be used, operated and occupied in its current and intended manner were duly obtained, are in
force and are being complied with or have been obtained, or to the extent that any have not already been obtained, the same are not yet
required and, if not yet required but the same are material, the Vendor has no reason to believe that the same will not be available before
the time that the same are so required;
3.29.7.2 all
applicable legal and contractual requirements with regard to the use, occupancy, severance, construction and operation thereof, including
all zoning, by-laws, environmental, flood hazard, fire safety, health, handicapped facilities, building and other laws, ordinances, codes,
regulations, orders and requirements of any governmental authority are being complied with and the Vendor has no reason to believe that
any such applicable legal or contractual requirement is not being complied with;
3.29.7.3 all
declarations, easements, rights-of-way, covenants, consents, conditions and restrictions of record or required by law are being complied
with;
3.29.7.4
all building services required for the proper functioning of the Real Property and RPK Real Property have been obtained, are
functioning properly and are fit and suitable for their intended purpose, without prejudice to the normal wear and
tear of buildings.
3.29.8 There
are no agreements, options, rights, contracts or commitments to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any Real Property or RPK Real Property
(in whole or in part) or lease agreements, sublease agreements or promissory lease agreements in favour of third parties, third party
rights over the Real Property or the RPK Real Property (in whole or in part) or any other agreements that would restrict or prevent in
any way the ability of the Target Corporation to directly or indirectly use, enjoy, dispose or transfer any Real Property or the RPK Real
Property.
3.29.9
With respect to leased Real Property:
3.29.9.1 the
Vendor has delivered or made available to the Purchaser true, complete and correct copies of any and all leases affecting the Real Property
together with all amendments and restatements, renewals, extensions, supplements or modifications thereto. Such leases have been duly
authorized and approved by the Target Corporation that is party thereto, and are valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with their
and legal terms subject to Enforceability Limitations;
3.29.9.2 The
Target Corporation is not a sublessor or grantor under any sublease, license, occupancy agreement or other instrument granting to any
other Person any right to the possession, lease, occupancy or enjoyment of any leased Real Property;
3.29.9.3 As
long as rents are paid, to the best of the Vendor’s knowledge, there is no existing condition which, but for the passage of time or the
giving of notice, could result in (A) default by the Target Corporation under the terms of any of the leases affecting the Real Property
together with all amendments and restatements, renewals, extensions, supplements or modifications, or (B) default by a tenant under the
terms of its lease; and
3.29.9.4 To
the best of the Vendor’s knowledge after thorough investigation, there is no existing defect or condition affecting any leased Real
Property that is impairing the current use of such leased Real Property in connection with the businesses carried on by the Target Corporation
or any of them.
3.29.10 No
material improvements constituting a part of the Real Property or RPK Real Property encroach on real property owned or leased by a Person
(other than the Target Corporation), and to the best of the Vendor’s knowledge after thorough investigation there is no encroachment
or right of first refusal or first offer onto the Real Property, or RPK Real Property prior to owning or once owned, by buildings or improvements
from adjoining lands.
3.29.11
Beyond what was shown in the due diligence, there are no actions pending against the Target Corporation, the Real Property or the
RPK Real Property or any portion thereof or interest therein which would adversely affect ownership and title over the Real Property
or the RPK Real Property, use, enjoyment and disposal of the same, the value of the Real Property or the RPK Real Property, the
income generated by the Real Property or RPK Real Property, vacancy rates in respect of the Real Property or RPK Real Property or
the assets, financial condition, business or operations of the Target Corporation, as long as its debts are paid.
3.29.12 The
Vendor has not withheld any information of a material nature relating to the Real Property or RPK Real Property.
3.29.13 True
and complete copies of all agreements with respect to the Real Property and the RPK Real Property have been provided to the Purchaser.
3.29.14 No
owned Real Property, no leased Real Property, nor the RPK Real Property, has been taken, condemned or expropriated by any Governmental
Authority nor has any notice or proceeding in respect thereof been given or commenced nor do the Vendor have any knowledge of any intent
or proposal to give such notice or commence such proceedings.
3.29.15 The
registrations in respect of each Real Property or the RPK Real Property at the land registry office are in compliance, in all material
respects, with the tax authority’s registrations and the use permits (autorização de utlização)
issued for each Real Property or the RPK Real Property.
3.29.16 The
Target Corporation has not been notified of a material breach of any construction, urban planning and zoning laws in respect of the Real
Property or the RPK Real Property (including constructions, equipment, facilities and installations) and, so far as the Vendor is aware,
there are no reasons to expect that any such notifications may arise.
3.29.17 No
urban operations, including but not limited to any zoning operation and/or construction works, have been carried out in any Real Property
or the RPK Real Property (or from which the Real Property or the RPK Real Property resulted) without all necessary approvals and/or titles
by the relevant authorities having been requested and effectively granted.
3.29.18 The
use of the Real Property or the RPK Real Property is complying and have complied in all material respects with the urban planning instruments
and urban planning required licences, permits, consents, approvals, and authorisations and there are no facts or circumstances that may
limit, impair or prevent, in any way, the use of the Real Property or the RPK Real Property.
3.29.19 The
Target Corporation has not received any notice by the relevant municipalities or any public or private entity for the performance of compulsory
works or works necessary the licensing or exercise of the activities that are being carried out in the same in the Real Property or RPK
Real Property or for the payment of any indemnity or compensations for any damages caused by the lack of timely execution of such works.
3.29.20 All
taxes, charges, fees and expenses, as well as urbanistic compensations relative to the urbanistic procedures involving the Real Property
or the RPK Real Property have been duly and timely paid and there is no liability, contingent or pending, namely but not limited to, taxes
for which the Real Property or the RPK Real Property may respond for or used as collateral.
3.29.21 There
are no, nor there will be, on the Closing Date any debts, responsibilities or fiscal or parafiscal charges before the State, relevant
Municipality or any public or private entity, referring to taxes, surtaxes, fees or contributions of any nature, arising from the acquisition,
use, construction, fruition or ownership of the Real Property or the RPK Real Property.
3.29.22 There
are no construction agreements executed by reference to any of the Real Property or the RPK Real Property pending, with pending obligations
(by any of the Parties) or pending guarantees and there are no outstanding amounts
due to any contractors under any construction works agreements related to the Real Property or the RPK Real Property.
Neither this
Agreement nor any agreement entered into in connection with this Agreement (i) contains any untrue statement of a material fact in respect
of the affairs, operations or condition of the Target Corporation, their assets, their Business, or the transactions contemplated herein,
or (ii) omits any statement of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements in respect of, the affairs, operations or condition
of the Target Corporation, their assets, their Business, or the transactions contemplated herein or therein not misleading. There is no
fact known to the Vendor which materially and adversely affects the affairs, operations, condition or prospects of the Target Corporation,
their assets, their Business, or the transactions contemplated herein or in any agreement entered into in connection with this Agreement,
or which could reasonably be expected to have the Target Corporation Material Adverse Effect, which has not been set forth in this Agreement.
3.31.1 The
Vendor has the power and capacity and good and sufficient right and authority to enter into this Agreement on the terms and conditions
herein set forth and any other Contract contemplated hereby to be entered into by the Vendor on the terms and conditions set forth therein
and to perform the Vendor’s obligations hereunder and thereunder.
3.31.2 There
is no Action in progress or pending and there are no grounds on which any such Action would reasonably be expected to be commenced, and
there is no order outstanding against or affecting the Vendor that, in any such case, adversely affects or would reasonably be expected
to adversely affect the ability of the Vendor to enter into this Agreement or to perform the Vendor’s obligations hereunder or complete
the Contemplated Transaction.
With the exception
of the Bank’s consent in relation to the “Bank Debt”, no consents, approval or authorization of, or registration, declaration
or filing with, or notification to, any Governmental Authority or under any Contract is required to be obtained, made or given by the
Vendor as a result of its execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or the completion of the Contemplated Transaction.
| 3.33 | Ownership
of Purchased Interest and Share |
The Vendor owns, beneficially
and of record, and has good and valid title to, the Purchased Interest free and clear of any and all Liens. Except as set forth in the
Organizational Documents of the Vendor, there are no limitations or restrictions on the Vendor’s right to sell or transfer the Purchased
Interest and except for the rights of the Purchaser under this Agreement, no Person has any written or oral agreement, option or warrant,
or any right or privilege (whether by law, pre-emptive or contractual) capable of becoming such for the purchase or acquisition from the
Vendor of any of the Purchased Interest. The Vendor owns, beneficially and of record, and has good and valid title to, of the issued and
outstanding share of the Target Corporation, free and clear of any and all Liens and no Person has any written or oral agreement, option
or warrant, or any right or privilege (whether by law, pre-emptive or contractual) capable of becoming such for the purchase or acquisition
of any securities of the Target Corporation.
ARTICLE 4
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
OF THE PURCHASER
As an inducement
to the Vendor to enter into this Agreement and to complete the Contemplated Transactions, the Purchaser hereby represents and warrants
to the Vendor as set forth in this Article 4. The representations and warranties of the Purchaser contained in this Agreement shall survive
the completion of the Contemplated Transaction and shall expire and be terminated on the earlier of one year after the Closing Time and
the date on which this Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, if Closing occurs,
and any claim which is based upon intentional misrepresentation or fraud by the Purchaser, may be made or brought by the Vendor at any
time for the maximum period permitted by Applicable Laws.
The Purchaser
(i) is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation; (ii)
has the requisite corporate power and authority to own or lease and to operate and use its assets and properties and to carry on its
business as currently conducted; and (iii) is duly qualified or licensed to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction
in which the nature of its busines or the property or assets owned or leased or used by the Purchaser makes such qualification or
licensing necessary under Applicable Laws.
The Purchaser
has the requisite corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and any agreement to be delivered pursuant to or
connection with this Agreement, to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder and to complete the Contemplated Transaction. This
Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Purchaser, and (assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by
the other Parties) this Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Purchaser, enforceable against the Purchaser
in accordance with their respective terms, subject to the Enforceability Limitations.
| 4.3 | No
Conflicts; Required Consents. |
4.3.1 The
execution and delivery by the Purchaser of this Agreement does not, and the completion by the Purchaser the Contemplated Transactions
will not, (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Purchaser’s Organizational Documents; or (ii) (A) conflict with or violate
any Applicable Laws binding upon or applicable to the Purchaser or any of its material assets or properties; or (B) conflict with, violate,
result in a breach of the terms, conditions or provisions of, constitute a default or an event that, with notice or lapse of time or both,
would become a default under, give to others any rights of acceleration, termination or cancellation or a loss of rights under, or result
in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon any assets or properties of the Purchaser, or any material Contract or License to which
the Purchaser is a party or by which the Purchaser or any of its material assets or properties is bound.
4.3.2 With the exception of the
Bank’s consent in relation to the “Bank Debt”, no consent, approval or authorization of, or registration,
declaration or filing with, or notification to, any Governmental Authority or any other third party is required to be obtained, made
or given by the Purchaser as a result of the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by it or the completion of the
Contemplated Transactions, except the filings with Governmental Authorities and payments required by Applicable Laws.
4.4.1 The
Purchaser declares that it has carried out a due diligence on the Target Corporation (whose disclosure is reflected in Exhibit K of this
Agreement) and that it has received all the documents and information it requested. For this reason, the Purchaser is aware of the financial
situation of the Target Corporation, its assets, contracts, debts, loans and encumbrances, debts to Social Security and the Tax Authority,
lawsuits and agrees to purchase it on these terms. Also for this reason, the conclusion of this Agreement is only dependent on the Bank’s
consent in relation to the “Bank Debt” (including the agreement with Caixa de Crédito Agrícola on the terms
of the reinstatement of the “Bank Debt”).
4.4.2 The
Purchaser is aware that no guarantee of good execution of work or similar on any properties is given by the Vendor. The Purchaser knows
and accepts the condition of the properties described in the definitions of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 5
COVENANTS
5.1.1 From
the Agreement Date until the earlier of the Closing Date, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the Vendor will cause the Target
Corporation to: (i) conduct their Business only in the Ordinary Course of Business; and (ii) use its commercially reasonable efforts to
preserve intact the business organization and goodwill of such businesses and to maintain their respective relationships with their customers,
clients and other Persons having business dealings with them. From that date, until the Termination Date, the Vendor will use its best
efforts to make this happen.
5.1.2 Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, except as expressly permitted or required by this Agreement or as approved in writing by Somai,
from the Agreement Date until the earlier of the Closing the or the termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms, the Vendor
will not permit either Target Corporation to:
5.1.2.1 amend or otherwise change its Organizational Documents;
5.1.2.2 take any action that would permit any Lien over any of its assets;
5.1.2.3 authorize,
issue, sell or transfer any of its share capital or other equity interests or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable
for its share capital or other equity interests, or adjust, split or reclassify any of its share capital or other equity interests;
5.1.2.4 declare,
set aside, make or pay any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, stock or other property) in respect of any its share capital
or other equity interests or make any other distribution (whether in cash, stock or other property) whatsoever to any Related Party; provided
that, the foregoing shall not apply to salaries or wages paid in the Ordinary Course of Business to any Related Party who is an employee
of the Target Corporation;
5.1.2.5 merge
or consolidate with any other Person or acquire any business or assets of any other Person (whether by merger, stock purchase, asset purchase
or otherwise), or form any Subsidiary;
5.1.2.6 adopt
a plan of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, restructuring, recapitalization or other reorganization;
5.1.2.7 make
any material change in the operation of business, except such changes as may be required to comply with this Agreement or any Applicable
Laws;
5.1.2.8 make,
authorize or make any commitment with respect to, any single capital expenditure that is in excess of €
60,000 or capital expenditures that are, in the aggregate, in excess of €
100,000, unless it is essential for the survival of RPK’s Business, upon written notice sent to the Vendor;
5.1.2.9 except
in connection with operations in the Ordinary Course of Business and upon terms not materially adverse to the Target Corporation, amend
in any material respect, or terminate (other than in accordance with its terms) any Contract material to the Business or the Target Corporation,
or waive, release or assign any material rights or claims thereunder;
5.1.2.10 except
in connection with operations in the Ordinary Course of Business and upon terms not materially adverse to the Target Corporation enter
into any Contract material to the Business: (i) that has a term of, or requires the performance of any obligations over a period in excess
of one month; or (ii) that cannot be terminated without penalty on less than one (1) months’ notice;
5.1.2.11 sell,
lease (as lessor), transfer or otherwise dispose of, or mortgage, encumber, pledge or impose any Lien on, any of its assets or properties,
other than dispositions of immaterial assets or properties for fair value in the Ordinary Course of Business;
5.1.2.12 create,
incur, assume or guarantee any Indebtedness, other than Transaction Expenses, or extend or modify any existing Indebtedness, without prejudice
to interest and debts shown in due diligence;
5.1.2.13 make
any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any Person;
5.1.2.14 cancel
any debts owed to, or waive any material claims or rights held by the Target Corporation;
5.1.2.15 commence, settle
or compromise any Action by or against the Target Corporation, other than settlements entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business
and requiring only the payment of monetary Damages in an aggregate amount not to exceed $60,000;
5.1.2.16 incur expenses (including legal or
other professional fees) in excess of$ 60,000 in the aggregate in connection with any ongoing, new or proposed Action involving or
relating to the Target Corporation, but excluding any Transaction Expenses;
5.1.2.17 except
as required by Applicable Laws or any existing Contract in effect on the Agreement Date: (i) institute or announce any increase in the
compensation, bonuses or other benefits payable to any of its executive employees or consultants; (ii) enter into or amend any employment,
consulting, severance or change of control agreement with any such Person; or (iii) enter into or adopt any Employee Plan;
5.1.2.18 enter
into any transaction with any of its Affiliates, except transactions that are at prices and on terms and conditions not less favorable
to the Target Corporation than could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties;
5.1.2.19 make
any change in the accounting methods, principles or policies of the Target Corporation, other than any change required by Applicable Laws
or a change in IFRS;
5.1.2.20 fail
to file any material Tax Return when due or pay any material Tax when due (other than Taxes being contested in good faith), or make or
change any Tax election;
5.1.2.21 fail
to use commercially reasonable efforts to collect any accounts receivable when due;
5.1.2.22 fail
to renew or otherwise keep in full force and effect any material License relating to its Business;
5.1.2.23 fail
to use its best efforts to take all required steps and actions (including the payment of all fees and expenses) necessary to obtain, and
maintain in good standing, any required Licenses; or
5.1.2.24 enter into any Contract with respect to any of the foregoing.
| 5.2 | Access
to Information. |
From the Agreement Date until the earlier of the Closing
Date or the Termination Date:
5.2.1 the
Vendor will cause the Target Corporation to, subject to compliance with Applicable Laws, furnish to the Purchaser and their authorized
representatives such additional information relating to the Target Corporation and their respective Business as the Purchaser or Somai
may reasonably request; and
5.2.2 Somai
will, subject to compliance with Applicable Laws, furnish to the Vendor such additional information relating to Somai and any other Somai
Member Group and the Somai Business as the Vendor may reasonably request. Somai Business means the activities carried out by Somai, all
the information of Somai necessary for the sale of the Purchased Share and all the information that the Bank best identified in the definition
“Bank Debt” requests.
| 5.3 | Notice
of Certain Events. |
5.3.1 From the Agreement Date
until the earlier of the Closing or the Termination Date, the Vendor will promptly notify the Purchaser in writing of: (i) the
Target Corporation Material Adverse Effect; (ii) any breach of or default under this Agreement, or any event that would reasonably
be expected to become a breach or default under this Agreement on or prior to the Closing; (iii) any notice or other communication
from any third Person (including any Governmental Authority) alleging any required consent of such third Person (or Governmental
Authority) is or may be required in connection with the Contemplated Transaction; (iv) any Actions commenced or threatened against
the Target Corporation that, if pending on the Agreement Date, would have been required to have been disclosed pursuant to this
Agreement or that relate to the completion of the Contemplated Transaction; and (v) any communications from any Governmental
Authority relating to any License held or applied for by the Target Corporation.
5.3.2 From
the Agreement Date until the earlier of the Closing Date or the Termination Date, Somai will promptly notify the Vendor in writing of:
(i) any Somai Material Adverse Effect; (ii) breach of or default under this Agreement, or any event that would reasonably be expected
to become a breach or default under this Agreement on or prior to the Closing; (iii) any notice or other communication from any third
Person (including any Governmental Authority) alleging that any required consent of such third Person (or Governmental Authority) is or
may be required in connection with the Contemplated Transaction; (iv) any Actions commenced or threatened against any Somai Member Group
that, if pending on the Agreement Date, would have been required to have been disclosed pursuant to this Agreement or that relate to the
completion of the Contemplated Transaction; and (v) any communications from any Governmental Authority relating to any License held or
applied for by any Somai Member Group.
Subject to
the terms and conditions of this Agreement, each Party will use its commercially reasonable efforts to satisfy the conditions to Closing
to be satisfied by it under Article 6 and to cause the Closing to occur and to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, to file, or cause
to be filed, all documents and to do, or cause to be done, and to assist and cooperate with the other Parties in doing, all things necessary,
proper or advisable to complete and make effective, in the most expeditious manner practicable, the Contemplated Transaction.
From the Agreement
Date until the earlier of the Closing Time and the termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms, except with the prior
written consent of the Purchaser, the Vendor will not (and will cause all directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives and
Affiliates acting on its behalf and/or on behalf of the Company (as applicable) not to): (i) solicit, initiate, encourage or accept any
offer or proposal from any Person (other than the Somai Member Group and their respective representatives) concerning any merger, consolidation,
sale or transfer of material assets, sale or transfer of any equity interests or other business combination involving the Target Corporation
(an “Acquisition Proposal”); (ii) engage in any discussions or negotiations with any Person (other than the Somai
Member Group and their respective representatives) concerning any Acquisition Proposal; or (iii) furnish any non-public information concerning
the business, properties or assets of the Company to any Person (other than the Somai Member Group and their respective representatives),
except as required to comply with any Applicable Laws or this Agreement or except in the Ordinary Course of Business. The Vendor will
(and will cause the directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives acting on behalf of the Company to) immediately cease and
cause to be terminated all existing discussions, negotiations or other communications with any Persons conducted heretofore with respect
to any of the foregoing. The Vendor will immediately notify the Purchaser in writing upon receipt by the Target Corporation, or the Vendor,
of any proposal, offer or inquiry regarding an Acquisition Proposal, which notice will indicate in reasonable detail the identity of
the Person making such proposal, offer or inquiry and the terms and conditions of any such Acquisition Proposal.
5.6.1 Except
with respect to an announcement pursuant to Section 11.11 of the Contemplated Transaction and disclosure to the Bank best identified in
the Bank Debt definition, no Party shall disclose this Agreement or any other aspects of the Contemplated Transaction to any Person except
(i) to its board of directors, senior management, employees and legal, accounting, financial or other professional advisors, but, in each
case only to the extent that such representatives have been informed of the confidential nature of such information and are bound by an
obligation to maintain the confidentiality of such information, (ii) as is required to enforce its rights or the obligations of another
Party under this Agreement, or (iii) as may be required by any Applicable Laws and, then, only in compliance with Section 5.6.2.
5.6.2 In
the event that a Party or any of its representatives is required by any Applicable Law in any proceeding to disclose this Agreement or
any aspects of the Contemplated Transaction, such Party will provide the other Parties with prompt prior notice so that the other Parties
(or any of them) may seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy and/or waive compliance with the provisions of this Agreement.
In the event that no other Party is able to obtain such protective order or other appropriate remedy, the first Party will furnish only
that portion of this Agreement or the aspects of the Contemplated Transaction which it is advised by a written opinion of counsel is legally
required, and will give the other Parties written notice of the information to be disclosed as far in advance as practicable, and will
exercise commercially reasonable efforts to obtain a protective order or other reliable assurance that confidential treatment will be
accorded the information so disclosed.
The Purchaser
and the Vendor will each bear and pay their own respective costs and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the Contemplated
Transaction, whether or not the Contemplated Transaction is completed. The Target Corporation will not be responsible or liable for and
will not pay any costs or expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the Contemplated Transaction (including the fees and
expenses of any counsel, accountant or other advisor retained by or for the benefit of any such Person).
| 5.8 | Post-Closing
Deliverables |
5.8.1 Within
fourteen (14) days following the Closing Date: (i) the Vendor shall, or shall cause the Company to, deliver any documents and make all
filings with the Governmental Authorities in Portugal as may be required for the purposes of registering the transfer of the Company Share
from the Vendor to the Purchaser
5.8.2 Within
forty-five (45) days following the Closing Date, the Vendor shall have delivered the Closing Financial Statements to the Purchaser, which
financial statements shall reflect compliance of the Vendor’s covenants set out herein, as determined by the Purchaser and Somai,
each acting reasonably.
At any time and from time
to time following the Closing, at the reasonable request of any Party, each Party will execute and deliver, or cause to be executed
and delivered, such other documents and instruments and will take, or cause to be taken, such further or other actions as any other
Party may reasonably request or as otherwise may be reasonably necessary or desirable to evidence and make effective the
Contemplated Transaction.
| 5.10 | Termination
of Certain Arrangements. |
On or prior
to the Closing Date, all payables, receivables, loans, Liabilities and other obligations between the Target Corporation on the one hand,
and the Vendor or any of its other Affiliates on the other hand, will be repaid in full and extinguished.
| 5.11 | Pending
Debt Post-Payment of Defaulted Installments |
It is hereby
covenanted and agreed by the Vendor that subsequent to the payment of all Bank Debt defaulted installments as previously stipulated (in
the amount of € 1,291,190.37 as of March 11 2024), the total amount
of all pending debt of the Target Corporation will not exceed EUR 1,000,000 (one million euros) plus the remaining Bank Debt (in the amount
of € 3,122,189.55 as of March 11, 2024). This amount includes, but
is not limited to, any outstanding obligations, loans, credits, and financial liabilities owed by the Target Corporation (also including
Akanda, CannaHealth, Catalyst and other related entities), whether due, accrued, contingent, or otherwise. The Vendor shall ensure that,
at the time of the Closing, the sum total of all remaining indebtedness of the Target Corporation is capped at the aforementioned amount
of € 1,000,000 plus the remaining Bank Debt. The Vendor is obligated
to provide, no later than 10 (ten) days before the scheduled Closing Date, a detailed and certified accounting report to the Purchaser,
evidencing the fulfillment of this covenant. This report must be prepared and certified by an independent accounting firm, confirming
the exact amount of the Target Corporation’s pending debt post-payment of the defaulted installments.
ARTICLE 6
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT
| 6.1 | Conditions
to the Obligations of the Parties. |
The obligations
of the Parties to complete the Contemplated Transaction are subject to the satisfaction or (to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws)
waiver by the Purchaser and the Vendor, on or prior to the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions:
6.1.1 Governmental
and Exchange Approvals. All consents, approvals and actions of or by, and all filings with and notifications to, any Governmental
Authority and the Exchange required to complete the Contemplated Transaction will have been obtained, taken or made, as applicable, and
will remain in full force and effect, notwithstanding the publication contemplated in Section 4.3.2.
6.1.2 No
Prohibitions. No provision of any Applicable Laws will prohibit or otherwise challenge the legality or validity of the Contemplated
Transactions.
| 6.2 | Conditions
to the Obligations of the Vendor. |
The obligations of the Vendor
to complete the Contemplated Transaction are subject to the satisfaction or (to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws) waiver by the
Vendor, on or prior to the Closing Date, of each of the following further conditions:
6.2.1 Accuracy
of Representations and Warranties. Each of the representations and warranties of Purchaser set forth in this Agreement; (i) that is
qualified by materiality or Somai Material Adverse Effect will be true and correct in all respects; and (ii) that is not so qualified
will be true and correct in all material respects, in each case at and as of the Closing Date as if made on and as of the Closing Date
(except to the extent that any such representations and warranties speak expressly as of an earlier date, in which case they will be true
and correct, or true and correct in all material respects, as the case may be, as of such earlier date).
6.2.2 Performance
of Covenants. The Purchaser will have performed or complied in all material respects with all covenants, agreements and obligations
required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by them on or prior to the Closing Date.
6.2.3 No
Somai Material Adverse Effect. Between the Agreement Date and the Closing Date, there will have been no Somai Material Adverse Effect.
6.2.4 Certificate
of Compliance. The Purchaser will have delivered to the Vendor a certificate dated the Closing Date, signed by an authorized officer
of the Purchaser, certifying as to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 6.2.1, Section 6.2.2 and Section 6.2.3.
6.2.5 Board
and Shareholder Approval. Akanda shall have received the requisite approvals from its board of directors and shareholders for the
completion of the Contemplated Transaction and entry into the Transaction Documents as applicable.
6.2.6 Third
Party Consents. The Purchaser will have obtained the written consents of, or given notifications (to the extent only notification
is required) to any third party or Governmental Authority that Applicable Law requires consent or notification, in each case in form and
substance reasonably satisfactory to the Vendor, and all such consents will remain in full force and effect.
6.2.7 Receipt
of Closing Deliveries. Somai will have executed and delivered, or caused to be executed and delivered, all of the agreements, certificates
and other documents specified in Section 2.5.
| 6.3 | Conditions
to the Obligations of Purchaser. |
The obligations of the Purchaser
to complete the Contemplated Transaction are subject to the satisfaction or (to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws) waiver by the
Purchaser, on or prior to the Closing Date, of each of the further conditions in the subsequent numbers is only dependent on compliance
with the conditions listed in this clause. Should any of these conditions precedent not be fulfilled, it shall constitute grounds for
the termination of this Contract by the Purchaser. In such an event, the advance payment of USD 500,000.00 made by the Purchaser (deposited
in the escrow account at Lawson Lundell LLP) shall be subject to restitution to the Purchaser in full, without any deductions or penalties.
The precedent conditions are the following:
6.3.1 Accuracy
of Representations and Warranties. Each of the representations and warranties of the Vendor set forth in this Agreement and in any
certificate or other writing delivered by them pursuant hereto: (i) that is qualified by materiality or Target Corporation Material Adverse
Effect will be true and correct in all respects; and (ii) that is not so qualified will be true and correct in all material respects,
in each case at and as of the Closing Date as if made on and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent that any such representations
and warranties speak expressly as of an earlier date, in which case they will be true and correct, or true and correct in all material
respects, as the case may be, as of such earlier date).
Caixa
de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo’s consent. It is a fundamental condition precedent to the Closing that the Vendor
obtains the necessary consent from Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo (Caixa Central - Caixa de Crédito Agrícola
Mútuo, C.R.L. and Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo do Alto Douro, C.R.L.) for the change in control and ownership
of the Target Corporation, which is currently in default. Specifically, the Target Corporation is in default under the debt instruments
to Caixa Central - Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo, C.R.L. and Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo
do Alto Douro, C.R.L., This
default has been ongoing since May 22, 2023. The Vendor must secure approval from Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo
that acknowledges and consents to the transfer of control and ownership of the Target Corporation to the Purchaser, notwithstanding the
current default status. Furthermore, the Vendor is required to ensure the reinstatement of the aforementioned loan facilities, or the
provision of suitable alternative arrangements acceptable to Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo and the Purchaser,
as a condition to proceeding with this transaction. The reinstatement of the loan facilities needs to be approved in writing by Caixa
de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo, subject to the Purchaser’s express written approval of the terms of said reinstatement.
The Closing is contingent upon fulfilling these conditions, including obtaining formal written consent and confirmation from Caixa de
Crédito Agrícola Mútuo regarding the change in control and ownership and the reinstatement of the loan facilities
to the satisfaction of the Purchaser. To obtain this Bank’s consent, the Purchaser is obliged to deliver all documents and provide all
information requested by the Bank, within the period required by the Bank or within a reasonable period, if the Bank has not stipulated
any period.
6.3.2 Obligation
to Obtain Resignation or Dismissal of Statutory Body Members. The Vendor hereby agrees and is obligated, as a condition of this transaction,
to secure the resignation or effectuate the dismissal of all members of the statutory bodies of the Target Corporation prior to the Closing
Date. The Vendor shall ensure that all such resignations or dismissals are legally effective and that all necessary formalities are duly
completed in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations governing the Target Corporation and its statutory bodies. In addition,
the Vendor shall be solely responsible for any and all forms of compensation, severance, or any other payments or obligations arising
from such resignations or dismissals. The Vendor expressly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless both the Purchaser and the Target Corporation
from any claims, liabilities, costs, expenses, or payments associated with the resignation or dismissal of any members of the statutory
bodies. The Vendor shall provide the Purchaser with written proof of each member’s resignation or dismissal, including any relevant legal
documentation in the Closing Date, no later than 5 (five) days before the scheduled Closing Date. Failure to complete this obligation
in a timely manner shall be considered a breach of this agreement and may, at the discretion of the Purchaser, result in a delay of the
Closing Date, renegotiation of the terms of this agreement, or termination of the agreement altogether, with consequences as specified
under the terms of the Agreement. This obligation is intended to ensure the smooth transition of control and management of the Target
Corporation to the Purchaser and is a fundamental aspect of the agreement between the parties.
6.3.3 Performance
of Covenants. The Vendor shall have performed or complied in all material respects with all covenants, agreements and obligations
required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by the Vendor on or prior to the Closing Date.
6.3.4 No
Target Corporation Material Adverse Effect until the Closing Date. Between the Agreement Date and the Closing Date, there will have
been no Target Corporation Material Adverse Effect.
6.3.5 Certificate
of Compliance. The Vendor will have delivered to Somai a certificate dated the Closing Date, signed an authorized officer of the Vendor,
certifying as to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 6.3.1, Section 6.3.3 and Section 6.3.4.
6.3.6 Third
Party Consents. The Vendor will have obtained any other applicable written consent that is necessary for the completion of the Contemplated
Transaction, and all such consents will remain in full force and effect.
6.3.7 Receipt
of Closing Deliveries. The Vendor will, as applicable, have executed and delivered, or caused to be executed and delivered, all of
the agreements, certificates and other documents specified in Section 2.4, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Somai.
6.3.8 Company
Financial Statements. The Vendor shall have delivered the Company Financial Statements to the Purchaser, which financial statements
shall reflect the accuracy of representations and warranties of the Vendor as set out herein in respect of Company Financial Statements.
6.3.9 Intercompany
Loans and RPK’s total indebtedness. All intercompany loans, shareholder loans, other loans, promissory notes or any other debt
instruments, including the credit from Catalyst and other related companies’ credits, and interest, with the exception of Caixa
Agricola Bank Debt, shall be extinguished at Closing, and the Purchaser or RPK, or any resulting issuer shall hold no obligation to repay
any such loans or interest. The Vendor will provide attestation of RPK’s total indebtedness and that such indebtedness shall not
exceed € 4,122.189,55 (€
3,122.189,55 of Bank Debt owed to Caixa Agricola and €1,000,000
of current liabilities, including any off-balance sheet liabilities).
ARTICLE 7
INDEMNIFICATION
| 7.1 | Indemnity
by Vendor, Akanda and Cannahealth Limited |
7.1.1 The
Vendor, Akanda and Cannahealth (in consideration of $1.00 and other good and valuable consideration paid to the Vendor, Akanda and Cannahealth
by the Purchaser, the receipt and sufficiency of all of which is acknowledged by the Vendor, Akanda and Cannahealth) will, jointly and
severally, be liable to and indemnify the Purchaser, and the Target Corporation and defend and save them fully harmless against, and will
reimburse them for, any Damages arising from, in connection with or related in any manner whatsoever:
7.1.1.1 any incorrectness in or breach of any representation or warranty of the Vendor contained in this Agreement or any agreement delivered pursuant to this Agreement;
7.1.1.2 any breach or non-fulfilment of any covenant or obligation on the part of the Vendor contained in this Agreement or any agreement delivered pursuant to this Agreement;
7.1.1.3 any third party claim against the Target Corporation instituted prior to or after the Closing Time, which is based on an act or omission of the Vendor that occurred or commenced prior to the Closing Time.;
7.1.1.4 any
Taxes, that exceeds the cap of one million dollars provided for in section 5.11, required to be paid by the Target Corporation relating
to any period ending before the Closing Date and the portion of any Taxes relating to any period ending after the Closing Date that is
attributable to the portion of that period ending before the Closing Date; and
7.1.1.5 all
debts or liabilities, contingent or otherwise, of the Target Corporation) that exceeds the caps provided for in section 5.11, existing
prior to the Closing Date or that arise from or after the Closing Date with respect to matters that occurred prior to the Closing Date
For greater certainty and without
limiting the generality of the foregoing provision, the indemnity provided for in this Section 7.1 will extend to any Damages arising
from any act, omission or state of facts that occurred or existed prior to the Closing Date, that exceeds the caps provided for in section
5.11. Furthermore, the limitation of liabilities set forth in this clause are absolute and shall not be cumulative, meaning that in no
circumstances the overall limitation will exceed the total amount of USD 1,000,000 (one million dollars).
| 7.2 | Indemnity
by Purchaser |
7.2.1 The
Purchaser will be liable to and indemnify the Vendor and defend and save it fully harmless against, and will reimburse it for, any Damages
arising from, in connection with or related in any manner whatsoever:
7.2.1.1 any incorrectness in or breach of any representation or warranty of the Purchaser contained in this Agreement or any agreement delivered pursuant to this Agreement; and
7.2.1.2 any breach or non-fulfilment of any covenant or obligation on the part of the Purchaser contained in this Agreement or any agreement delivered pursuant to this Agreement;
If an Indemnified Party becomes
aware of any act, omission or state of facts that may give rise to Damages in respect of which a right of indemnification is provided
for under this Article 7, the Indemnified Party will promptly give written notice thereof (a “Claim Notice”) to the
Indemnifying Party. The Claim Notice will specify whether the potential Damages arise as a result of a claim by a Person against any
Indemnified Party (a “Third Party Claim”) or whether the potential Damages arise as a result of a claim directly by
the Indemnified Party against the Indemnifying Parties (a “Direct Claim”), and will also specify with reasonable particularity
(to the extent that the information is available): (a) the factual basis for the Direct Claim or Third Party Claim, as the case may be;
and (b) the amount of the potential Damages arising therefrom, to the extent known.
| 7.4 | Limitation
of Liability of Vendor, Akanda and Cannahealth Limited |
The aggregate
amount of all Damages for which the Vendor, Akanda and Cannahealth Limited will be liable to the Purchaser and the Target Corporation
will not exceed USD 1,000,000 provided that, this Section 7 shall not apply to any Damages that arise as result of a breach of any of
the Vendor Fundamental Representations or any Claims that arise from the fraud or intentional misrepresentation of the Vendor
| 7.5 | Limitation
of Liability of Purchaser. |
The aggregate
amount of all Damages for which the Purchaser will be liable to the Vendor will not exceed USD 1.000,000.00 provided that, this shall
not apply to any Damages that arise as result of a breach of any of the Purchaser Fundamental Representations or any Claims that arise
from the fraud or intentional misrepresentation of the Purchaser.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement:
7.6.1 The
Vendor, Akanda and Cannahealth Limited will have no liability for Damages suffered or incurred by the Purchaser, or the Target Corporation,
until the aggregate amount of all such Damages exceeds USD 50,000, and once the total of all such Damages exceeds the foregoing threshold,
the Purchaser and/or the Target Corporation, shall be entitled to make an indemnity claim for all such Damages in excess of USD 50,000,
provided that, the foregoing limitation shall not apply to any Damages suffered by the Purchaser or the Target Corporation as result of
or in connection with a breach of the Vendor Fundamental Representations (or any of them), or any fraudulent or intentional misrepresentation
on the part of the Vendor; and
7.6.2 The
Purchaser will have no liability for Damages suffered or incurred by the Vendor, until the aggregate amount of all such Damages exceeds
USD 50,000 and once the total of all such Damages exceeds the foregoing threshold, the Vendor shall be entitled to make an indemnity claim
for all such Damages in excess of USD 50,000, provided that, the foregoing limitation shall not apply to any Damages suffered by the Vendor
as result of or in connection with a breach of the Purchaser Fundamental Representations (or any of them), or any fraudulent or intentional
misrepresentation on the part of the Purchaser.
7.6.3 The
calculation of Damages payable to an Indemnified Party will not be affected by any inspection or inquiries made by on or behalf of the
Party entitled to be indemnified under this Article 7.
ARTICLE 8
POST-CLOSING TAX RETURNS
8.1.1.1 The Vendor shall, at its cost, cause the Target Corporation to prepare and file in a timely fashion all Tax returns required under any applicable Tax legislation (“Tax Returns”) to be filed by the them for (i) any period ending on or before the Closing Date (including as a consequence of the Closing) and for which Tax Returns have not been filed as of that date; and (ii) any period beginning prior to the Closing Date and ending after the Closing Date (collectively, the “Stub Period Returns”).
8.1.1.2
The Vendor and the Purchaser shall co-operate fully in good faith with each other and make available to each other in a timely
fashion any information in their respective possession and that is reasonably required for the preparation and filing of the Stub
Period Returns, and shall preserve that information in their respective possession until the expiration of any applicable limitation
period under any applicable tax legislation. At the written request of the Purchaser, the Vendor shall provide to the Purchaser (and
its tax advisors) for its review and approval a copy of the Stub Period Returns and Tax Returns 30 days prior to filing and the
Purchaser will have the opportunity to fully comment on those Stub Period Returns prior to filing.
8.1.1.3 From and after the Closing Date, the Purchaser shall cause the Target Corporation to retain, until the expiration of any applicable limitation period under any applicable tax legislation, all books and records relating to any period ending on or before the Closing Date (including as a consequence of Closing) and that are reasonably required for the purpose of the preparation and filing of the Stub Period Returns. So long as such books and records are retained by the Target Corporation, the Vendor may inspect the same for the purpose of the preparation and filing of the Stub Period Returns.
8.1.1.4 After Closing, the Purchaser shall cause the Target Corporation to co-operate in a reasonable manner with the Vendor and its representatives for the purposes of the preparation of the Vendor’s accounts and the Tax Returns and in providing any information in the possession of the Target Corporation and that is reasonably required for those purposes. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Purchaser shall, upon reasonable notice, cause the Target Corporation to provide the Vendor and its representatives reasonable access to those books and records in the possession of the Target Corporation that are reasonably required for the preparation of the Vendor’s accounts and the Tax Returns together with the assistance of those employees of the Target Corporation that the Vendor may reasonably request.
ARTICLE 9
TERMINATION
| 9.1 | Grounds
for Termination. |
Notwithstanding anything contained
in this Agreement to the contrary, this Agreement may be terminated and the Contemplated Transaction may be abandoned at any time prior
to the Closing:
9.1.1 by the mutual written agreement of the Parties;
9.1.2 by
the Purchaser in the event of a material breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement of the Vendor contained herein,
including without limitation the non- fulfillment of any condition precedent set forth in Section 6, and the failure of the Vendor to
cure such breach within ten (10) Business Days after receipt of written notice from Somai requesting such breach to be cured; provided,
however, that there will be no right to terminate if such breach was caused, in whole or in part, by a material breach by the Purchaser;
9.1.3 by
the Vendor in the event of a material breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement of the Purchaser contained herein
and the failure of the Purchaser to cure such breach within ten (10) Business Days after receipt of written notice from the Vendor requesting
such breach to be cured; provided, however, that there will be no right to terminate if such breach was caused, in whole or in part, by
a material breach by the Vendor.
9.1.4 by
any Party if any Governmental Authority will have issued a final and non-appealable order, decree or judgment permanently restraining,
enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the completion of the Contemplated Transaction or any Governmental Authority has refused to provide
a consent or approval set forth, or required by the terms of this Agreement; or
9.1.5 by
any Party if the Closing will not have occurred on or before March 22, 2024 (or such later date as may be agreed to in writing by the
Purchaser and the Vendor); provided, however, that the right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 9.1.5 will not be available
to any Party whose failure to fulfill any obligation under, or breach of any provision of, this Agreement will have been the cause of,
or will have resulted in, the failure of the Closing to occur on or before the applicable date.
| 9.2 | Notice
of Termination. |
Any Party
desiring to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 9.1 will give written notice of such termination to the other Parties to this
Agreement in accordance with Section 11.2, specifying the provision(s) pursuant to which such termination is effective.
| 9.3 | Effect
of Termination. |
If this Agreement is
terminated pursuant to this Article 9, this Agreement will forthwith become void and of no further force and effect and all rights
and obligations of the Parties hereunder will be terminated without further liability of any Party to any other Party; provided,
however, that: (i) the provisions of Sections 5.6 and 9.3, and Article 11, and the rights and obligations of the Parties thereunder,
will survive any such termination; and (ii) nothing herein will relieve any Party from liability for willful or intentional breach,
any Fraud Claim or any other liability arising prior to such termination under this Agreement prior to the date of termination.
Furthermore, as a consequence to the termination of this Agreement, the advance payment of USD 500,000.00 made by the Purchaser
(deposited in the escrow account at Lawson Lundell LLP) shall be immediately returned to the Purchaser in full, without any
deductions or penalties, unless the termination of this Agreement was due to the fault of the Purchaser, in which case the Vendor
will make the aforementioned amount its own.
ARTICLE 10
RELEASES
Except for obligations of Purchaser
arising under this Agreement or any agreement delivered by the Purchaser pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement, the Vendor,
on its own behalf, and on behalf of its shareholders, partners, equityholders, directors, managers, officers, employees, agents, representatives,
advisors successors and assigns, with effect from the Closing, unconditionally and irrevocably waives, releases and forever discharges
each of the Somai and the Target Corporation and each of their respective Affiliates and past, present and future shareholders, partners,
equityholders, directors, managers, officers, employees, agents, representatives, advisors, successors and assigns (each, a “Somai
Released Person”), from any and all liability of any kind or nature incurred or arising prior to Closing in connection with the
either of the Vendor’s employment or engagement by, or through its legal or beneficial ownership of, the Company or any of its Affiliates,
as applicable, in each case, whether absolute or contingent, accrued or unaccrued, liquidated or unliquidated, known or unknown, or due
or to become due, and the Vendor acknowledges and agrees that such Person will not seek to recover any amounts in connection therewith
or thereunder from any Somai Released Person; provided that, nothing in this Section 0 will be deemed to constitute a release by such
Person of any right to enforce its rights under this Agreement or any agreement delivered in connection with or pursuant this Agreement
or not otherwise released pursuant to this Section 0.
| 10.2 | Purchaser’s
Member Group Release. |
Except for obligations of the
Vendor arising under this Agreement or any agreement delivered by the Vendor pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement, the Purchaser,
each Somai Member Group and each of their respective shareholders, partners, equityholders, directors, managers, officers, employees,
agents, representatives, advisors, successors and assigns, with effect from the Closing, unconditionally and irrevocably waives, releases
and forever discharges the Vendor from any and all liability of any kind or nature incurred or arising prior or after to Closing in connection
with a Vendor’s engagement by, or through its legal or beneficial ownership of, the Company, whether absolute or contingent, accrued
or unaccrued, liquidated or unliquidated, known or unknown, or due or to become due, and the Purchaser and each Somai Member Group acknowledges
and agrees that it will not seek to recover any amounts in connection therewith or thereunder from the Vendor; provided that, nothing
in this Section 0 will be deemed to constitute a release by such Person of any right to enforce its rights under this Agreement or any
agreement delivered in connection with or pursuant this Agreement, or not otherwise released pursuant to this Section 0.
ARTICLE 11
GENERAL PROVISIONS
| 11.1 | Non-Survival
of Representations, Warranties and Covenants. |
The representations,
warranties or covenants contained in this Agreement shall survive the Closing Time for a period of one year unless otherwise specified
in this Agreement.
Any notice, direction or other
communication given regarding the matters contemplated by this Agreement (each a “Notice”) must be in writing, sent
by personal delivery, courier or email transmission (provided that the sender of such email transmission does not receive a delivery
failure notice from the intended recipient in respect of such email transmission), or similar means of recorded electronic communication,
addressed as follows:
11.2.1 If to the Purchaser, to:
Somai Pharmaceuticals, Unipessoal, Lda.
Lugar de Casal Pinheiro, Urbanização
Pinheiros Park II, Bloco B,
Rua 13 de Maio, nº 52, 2580 - 507 Carregado
Attention: Vasiliki Koutelieri
Email:
with a copy to:
NAME: Callum Kellas
E-mail:
NAME: Anton Nakhodkin
E-mail:
11.2.2 If to the Vendor, Akanda or Cannahealth, to:
Holigen LTD
Level 4, The Penthouse, Suite 2, Europa Business Centre,
Triq Dun Karm, Birkirkara, Malta
Attention: Katie Field
Email:
Akanda Corp.
421 7 Ave SW #1600, Calgary, AB T2P 4K9, Canada Attention: Katie Field
Email:
Cannahealth Limited,
Level 4, The Penthouse, Suite 2, Europa Business Centre,
Triq Dun Karm, Birkirkara, Malta
Attention: Katie Field
Email:
Subject to the foregoing, a Notice
is deemed to be given and received on the date on which it was delivered or transmitted if it is a Business Day and the delivery or transmission
was made prior to 6:00 p.m. (local time in place of receipt) and otherwise on the next Business Day. A Party may change its address for
service from time to time by providing a Notice in accordance with the foregoing. Any subsequent Notice must be sent to the Party at its
changed address. Any element of a Party’s address that is not specifically changed in a Notice will be assumed not to be changed.
This Agreement
may be executed and delivered (including by electronic transmission) in any number of counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original,
and all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument.
| 11.4 | Amendments
and Waivers. |
This Agreement
may not be amended or waived except by an instrument in writing signed by an authorized representative of each Party. No course of conduct
or failure or delay by any Party in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder will operate as a waiver thereof, nor will any
single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.
Wherever possible,
each provision hereof will be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under Applicable Laws, but if any one or more of
the provisions contained herein will, for any reason, be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect by a court of competent
jurisdiction, such provision will be ineffective to the extent, but only to the extent, of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability
without invalidating the remainder of such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision or provisions or any other provisions hereof, unless
such a construction would be unreasonable.
| 11.6 | Assignment;
Successors and Assigns. |
Neither this Agreement nor
any of the rights, interests or obligations of any Party hereunder may be assigned, delegated or otherwise transferred by such
Party, in whole or in part (whether by operation of law or otherwise), without the prior written consent of each other Party, and
any attempt to make any such assignment, delegation or other transfer without such consent will be null and void; provided, however,
that Somai may assign its rights, interests and obligations under this Agreement, without the consent of the other Parties, to any
Person who acquires all or substantially all of the assets and business of Somai or to any Affiliate of Somai, subject to the
assumption in writing by such Person or Affiliate of Somai’s obligations hereunder; and provided, further, that Somai may
assign or encumber this Agreement or any of its rights and obligations hereunder as security for any Indebtedness of Somai or its
Affiliates without the consent of the other Parties, and provided that the Bank accepts the terms of clause 6 and this does not
delay the completion of the Contemplated Transaction. Subject to the preceding sentences, this Agreement will be binding upon, inure
to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns.
11.7 | No Third Party Beneficiaries. |
Nothing in
this Agreement, express or implied, is intended or will be construed to confer upon any third party, other than the signatories to this
Agreement and their respective successors and assigns permitted by Section 11.6, any right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this
Agreement.
11.8 | Governing Law and
Dispute Resolution |
11.8.1 This
Agreement and all disputes and controversies relating to or arising out of this Agreement are governed by and will be interpreted and
construed in accordance with the laws of Portugal.
11.8.2 Arbitration:
Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of, relating to, or in connection with this agreement, or the breach, termination, or invalidity
thereof, shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
Number of Arbitrators: The arbitration
shall be conducted by three arbitrators. Each party shall appoint one arbitrator, and the two arbitrators thus appointed shall appoint
the third arbitrator who will act as the presiding arbitrator of the tribunal.
Seat of Arbitration: The seat,
or legal place, of arbitration shall be Lisbon, Portugal. The tribunal shall have the discretion to conduct hearings at any location they
consider appropriate, taking into account the convenience of the parties and witnesses.
Language of the Arbitration: The
arbitration proceedings shall be conducted in the English language. All documents, evidence, and correspondence used in the arbitration
proceedings shall be in, or translated into, English.
Application of UNCITRAL Rules:
The arbitration shall be administered by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) in accordance with its rules
and procedures, except as modified by this clause or unless the parties agree otherwise.
Final and Binding Decision: The
decision or award resulting from such arbitration shall be final and binding upon the parties. The parties agree to carry out any award
without delay and waive their rights to any form of appeal or review insofar as such waiver can validly be made.
Confidentiality: The arbitration
proceedings and all related documents, materials, and information shall be kept confidential, except as may be necessary in connection
with a judicial challenge to, or enforcement of, an award, or unless otherwise required by law.
11.9 | Specific Performance. |
The Parties
agree that irreparable and ongoing Damages would occur in the event that any provision of this Agreement were not performed in accordance
with its terms or otherwise was breached. Accordingly, each Party agrees that in the event of any actual or threatened breach of this
Agreement by another Party, the non-breaching Party will be entitled, in addition to all other rights and remedies that it may have, to
obtain injunctive or other equitable relief (including a temporary restraining order, a preliminary injunction and a final injunction)
to prevent any actual or threatened breach of any of such provisions and to enforce such provisions specifically, without the necessity
of posting a bond or other security or of proving actual Damages. The prevailing Party in any action commenced under this Section 11.9
(whether through a monetary judgment, injunctive relief or otherwise) will be entitled to recover from the other Parties reimbursement
for its reasonable legal fees and court costs incurred in connection with such action. Subject to any other provision hereof including,
without limitation, Section 9.3 hereof, such remedies will not be the exclusive remedies for any breach of this Agreement but will be
in addition to all other remedies available hereunder at law or in equity to each of the Parties hereto.
11.10 | Interpretation; Absence
of Presumption. |
11.10.1 The defined
terms and headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and will not affect in any way the meaning or
interpretation of this Agreement. In this Agreement, except to the extent otherwise provided herein or that the context otherwise
requires: (i) words used in the singular include the plural and words in the plural include the singular; (ii) reference to any
gender includes the other gender and neuter; (iii) the words “include”, “includes” and
“including” will be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”; (iv) the words
“herein”, “hereof”, “hereto”, “hereunder” and words of similar import will be deemed
references to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular Section or other provision hereof; (v) reference to any Article,
Section, Exhibit or Schedule will mean such Article or Section of, or such Exhibit or Schedule to, this Agreement, as the case may
be, and references in any Section or definition to any clause means such clause of such Section or definition; (vi) reference to any
Applicable Laws will mean such Applicable Laws (including all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder) as amended, modified,
codified or reenacted, in whole or in part, and in effect at the time of determining compliance or applicability; and (vii)
references to “$” are to the lawful currency of the United States unless otherwise stated. Whenever the last day for the
exercise of any privilege or the discharge or any duty hereunder will fall upon a day that is not a Business Day, the Party having
such privilege or duty may exercise such privilege or discharge such duty on the next succeeding day which is a Business Day.
11.10.2 Each
Party acknowledges and agrees that the Parties have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. In the event
that an ambiguity or a question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement will be construed as if drafted jointly by the Parties,
and no presumption or burden of proof will arise favoring or disfavoring any Party by virtue of the authorship of any provision of this
Agreement.
11.10.3 In
the event of any inconsistency between the statements in this Agreement or the other schedules referred to herein, the statements in this
Agreement will control and the other schedules referred to herein will be disregarded to the extent of such inconsistency.
None of the
Parties may make a press release, public statement or announcement or other public disclosure in respect of this Agreement or the Contemplated
Transaction without the prior written consent of the other Parties, unless required by Applicable Law or a Governmental Authority. Where
such disclosure is required by Applicable Law or a Governmental Authority, the Party required to make such disclosure will provide notice
to the other Parties as soon as reasonably possible and shall to the extent possible consult with the other Parties with respect to the
content and timing of such disclosure.
In addition
to the due diligence carried out by the Purchaser, this Agreement (including the Exhibits referred to herein and which form part hereof)
contain the complete agreement among the Parties and supersede any prior understandings, agreements or representations by or among the
Parties, whether written or oral, with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof. This Agreement may not be contradicted by evidence
of prior, contemporaneous or subsequent oral agreements of the Parties. There are no unwritten or oral agreements between the Parties.
[Remainder of this page intentionally
left blank. Signature page follows.]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each Party has executed
this Agreement.
|
AKANDA CORP. |
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By: |
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Name: |
Katie Field |
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Title: |
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CANNAHEALTH LIMITED |
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By: |
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Name: |
Katie Field |
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Title: |
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HOLIGEN HOLDINGS LIMITED |
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By: |
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Name: |
Katie Field |
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Title: |
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SOMAI PHARMACEUTICALS UNIPESSOAL, LDA. |
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By: |
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Name: |
Vasiliki Koutelier |
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Title: |
Sole Director |
For the purposes of the Information Circular to which this
Share Purchase Agreement is attached, the Exhibits to the Share Purchase Agreement have been intentionally removed.
SCHEDULE C
SECTION 185 OBCA – RIGHT
TO DISSENT
Rights of dissenting shareholders
185 (1) Subject to subsection (3) and to sections 186 and
248, if a corporation resolves to,
amend its articles under section 168 to add, remove or
change restrictions on the issue, transfer or ownership of shares of a class or series of the shares of the corporation;
amend its articles under section 168 to add, remove or
change any restriction upon the business or businesses that the corporation may carry on or upon the powers that the corporation may exercise;
amalgamate with another corporation under sections 175
and 176;
be continued under the laws of another jurisdiction under
section 181; or
Note: On a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant
Governor, subsection 185 (1) of the Act is amended by striking out “or” at the end of clause (d) and by adding the following
clauses: (See: 2017, c. 20, Sched. 6, s. 24)
(d.1) be continued under the Co-operative Corporations
Act under section 181.1;
(d.2) be continued under the Not-for-Profit
Corporations Act, 2010 under section 181.2; or sell, lease or exchange all or substantially all its property under subsection 184
(3), a holder of shares of any class or series entitled to vote on the resolution may dissent. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (1).
Idem
(2) If
a corporation resolves to amend its articles in a manner referred to in subsection 170 (1), a holder of shares of any class or series
entitled to vote on the amendment under section 168 or 170 may dissent, except in respect of an amendment referred to in,
clause 170 (1) (a), (b) or (e) where the articles provide
that the holders of shares of such class or series are not entitled to dissent; or
subsection 170 (5) or (6) R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185
(2).
One class of shares
(2.1) The right to dissent described in subsection (2) applies
even if there is only one class of shares. 2006, c. 34, Sched. B, s. 35.
Exception
(3) A
shareholder of a corporation incorporated before the 29th day of July, 1983 is not entitled to dissent under this section in respect of
an amendment of the articles of the corporation to the extent that the amendment,
amends the express terms of any provision of the
articles of the corporation to conform to the terms of the provision as deemed to be amended by section 277; or deletes from the
articles of the corporation all of the objects of the corporation set out in its articles, provided that the deletion is made by the
29th day of July, 1986. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (3).
Shareholder’s right to be paid fair value
(4) In
addition to any other right the shareholder may have, but subject to subsection (30), a shareholder who complies with this section is
entitled, when the action approved by the resolution from which the shareholder dissents becomes effective, to be paid by the corporation
the fair value of the shares held by the shareholder in respect of which the shareholder dissents, determined as of the close of business
on the day before the resolution was adopted. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (4).
No partial dissent
(5) A
dissenting shareholder may only claim under this section with respect to all the shares of a class held by the dissenting shareholder
on behalf of any one beneficial owner and registered in the name of the dissenting shareholder. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (5).
Objection
(6) A
dissenting shareholder shall send to the corporation, at or before any meeting of shareholders at which a resolution referred to in subsection
(1) or (2) is to be voted on, a written objection to the resolution, unless the corporation did not give notice to the shareholder of
the purpose of the meeting or of the shareholder’s right to dissent. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (6).
Idem
(7) The
execution or exercise of a proxy does not constitute a written objection for purposes of subsection (6).R .S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s.
185 (7).
Notice of adoption of resolution
(8) The
corporation shall, within ten days after the shareholders adopt the resolution, send to each shareholder who has filed the objection referred
to in subsection (6) notice that the resolution has been adopted, but such notice is not required to be sent to any shareholder who voted
for the resolution or who has withdrawn the objection. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (8).
Idem
(9) A
notice sent under subsection (8) shall set out the rights of the dissenting shareholder and the procedures to be followed to exercise
those rights. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (9).
Demand for payment of fair value
(10) A
dissenting shareholder entitled to receive notice under subsection (8) shall, within twenty days after receiving such notice, or, if the
shareholder does not receive such notice, within twenty days after learning that the resolution has been adopted, send to the corporation
a written notice containing,
the shareholder’s name and address;
the number and class of shares in respect of which the
shareholder dissents; and
a demand for payment of the fair value of such shares.
R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (10).
Certificates to be sent in
(11) Not
later than the thirtieth day after the sending of a notice under subsection (10), a dissenting shareholder shall send the certificates,
if any, representing the shares in respect of which the shareholder dissents to the corporation or its transfer agent. R.S.O. 1990, c.
B.16, s. 185 (11); 2011, c. 1, Sched. 2, s. 1 (9).
Idem
(12) A
dissenting shareholder who fails to comply with subsections (6), (10) and (11) has no right to make a claim under this section. R.S.O.
1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (12).
Endorsement on certificate
(13) A
corporation or its transfer agent shall endorse on any share certificate received under subsection (11) a notice that the holder is a
dissenting shareholder under this section and shall return forthwith the share certificates to the dissenting shareholder. R.S.O. 1990,
c. B.16, s. 185 (13).
Rights of dissenting shareholder
(14) On
sending a notice under subsection (10), a dissenting shareholder ceases to have any rights as a shareholder other than the right to be
paid the fair value of the shares as determined under this section except where,
the dissenting shareholder withdraws
notice before the corporation makes an offer under subsection (15);
the corporation fails to make
an offer in accordance with subsection (15) and the dissenting shareholder withdraws notice; or
the directors revoke a resolution
to amend the articles under subsection 168 (3), terminate an amalgamation agreement under subsection 176 (5) or an application for continuance
under subsection 181 (5), or abandon a sale, lease or exchange under subsection 184 (8),
in which case the dissenting shareholder’s rights
are reinstated as of the date the dissenting shareholder sent the notice referred to in subsection (10). R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185
(14); 2011, c. 1, Sched. 2, s. 1 (10).
Same
(14.1) A dissenting shareholder
whose rights are reinstated under subsection (14) is entitled, upon presentation and surrender to the corporation or its transfer agent
of any share certificate that has been endorsed in accordance with subsection (13),
(a) to
be issued, without payment of any fee, a new certificate representing the same number, class and series of shares as the certificate so
surrendered; or
(b) if
a resolution is passed by the directors under subsection 54 (2) with respect to that class and series of shares, to be issued the same
number, class and series of uncertificated shares as represented by the certificate so surrendered, and
to be sent the notice referred to
in subsection 54 (3). 2011, c. 1, Sched. 2, s. 1 (11).
Same
(14.2) A dissenting shareholder
whose rights are reinstated under subsection (14) and who held uncertificated shares at the time of sending a notice to the corporation
under subsection(10) is entitled,
(c) to
be issued the same number, class and series of uncertificated shares as those held by the dissenting shareholder at the time of sending
the notice under subsection (10); and
to be sent the notice referred to
in subsection 54 (3). 2011, c. 1, Sched. 2, s. 1 (11).
Offer to pay
(15) A
corporation shall, not later than seven days after the later of the day on which the action approved by the resolution is effective or
the day the corporation received the notice referred to in subsection (10), send to each dissenting shareholder who has sent such notice,
a written offer to pay for the
dissenting shareholder’s shares in an amount considered by the directors of the corporation to be the fair value thereof, accompanied
by a statement showing how the fair value was determined; or
if subsection (30) applies, a
notification that it is unable lawfully to pay dissenting shareholders for their shares. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (15).
Idem
(16) Every
offer made under subsection (15) for shares of the same class or series shall be on the same terms. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185
(16).
Idem
(17) Subject
to subsection (30), a corporation shall pay for the shares of a dissenting shareholder within ten days after an offer made under subsection
(15) has been accepted, but any such offer lapses if the corporation does not receive an acceptance thereof within thirty days after the
offer has been made. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (17).
Application to court to fix fair value
(18) Where
a corporation fails to make an offer under subsection (15) or if a dissenting shareholder fails to accept an offer, the corporation may,
within fifty days after the action approved by the resolution is effective or within such further period as the court may allow, apply
to the court to fix a fair value for the shares of any dissenting shareholder. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (18).
Idem
(19) If
a corporation fails to apply to the court under subsection (18), a dissenting shareholder may apply to the court for the same purpose
within a further period of twenty days or within such further period as the court may allow. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (19).
Idem
(20) A
dissenting shareholder is not required to give security for costs in an application made under subsection( 18) or (19). R.S.O. 1990,
c. B.16, s. 185 (20).
Costs
(21) If
a corporation fails to comply with subsection (15), then the costs of a shareholder application under subsection (19)are to be borne by
the corporation unless the court otherwise orders. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (21).
Notice to shareholders
(22) Before
making application to the court under subsection (18) or not later than seven days after receiving notice of an application to the court
under subsection (19), as the case may be, a corporation shall give notice to each dissenting shareholder who, at the date upon which
the notice is given,
has sent to the corporation the notice referred to in subsection
(10); and
has not accepted an offer made by the corporation under
subsection (15), if such an offer was made,
of the date, place and consequences
of the application and of the dissenting shareholder’s right to appear and be heard in person or by counsel, and a similar notice
shall be given to each dissenting shareholder who, after the date of such first mentioned notice and before termination of the proceedings
commenced by the application, satisfies the conditions set out in clauses (a) and (b) within three days after the dissenting shareholder
satisfies such conditions. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (22).
Parties joined
(23) All
dissenting shareholders who satisfy the conditions set out in clauses (22) (a) and (b) shall be deemed to be joined as parties to an application
under subsection (18) or (19) on the later of the date upon which the application is brought and the date upon which they satisfy the
conditions, and shall be bound by the decision rendered by the court in the proceedings commenced by the application. R.S.O. 1990, c.
B.16, s. 185 (23).
Idem
(24) Upon
an application to the court under subsection (18) or (19), the court may determine whether any other person is a dissenting shareholder
who should be joined as a party, and the court shall fix a fair value for the shares of all dissenting shareholders. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16,
s. 185 (24).
Appraisers
(25) The
court may in its discretion appoint one or more appraisers to assist the court to fix a fair value for the shares of the dissenting shareholders.
R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (25).
Final order
(26) The
final order of the court in the proceedings commenced by an application under subsection (18) or (19) shall be rendered against the corporation
and in favour of each dissenting shareholder who, whether before or after the date of the order, complies with the conditions set out
in clauses (22) (a) and (b). R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (26).
Interest
(27) The
court may in its discretion allow a reasonable rate of interest on the amount payable to each dissenting shareholder from the date the
action approved by the resolution is effective until the date of payment. R.S.O. 1990,
c. B.16, s. 185 (27).
Where corporation unable to pay
(28) Where
subsection (30) applies, the corporation shall, within ten days after the pronouncement of an order under subsection (26), notify each
dissenting shareholder that it is unable lawfully to pay dissenting shareholders for their shares. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (28).
Idem
(29) Where
subsection (30) applies, a dissenting shareholder, by written notice sent to the corporation within thirty days after receiving a notice
under subsection (28), may,
withdraw a notice of dissent,
in which case the corporation is deemed to consent to the withdrawal and the shareholder’s full rights are reinstated; or
retain a status as a claimant
against the corporation, to be paid as soon as the corporation is lawfully able to do so or, in a liquidation, to be ranked subordinate
to the rights of creditors of the corporation but in priority to its shareholders. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (29).
Idem
(30) A
corporation shall not make a payment to a dissenting shareholder under this section if there are reasonable grounds for believing that,
the corporation is or, after the payment,
would be unable to pay its liabilities as they become due; or
the realizable value of the corporation’s
assets would thereby be less than the aggregate of its liabilities. R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16, s. 185 (30).
Court order
(31) Upon
application by a corporation that proposes to take any of the actions referred to in subsection (1) or (2), the court may, if satisfied
that the proposed action is not in all the circumstances one that should give rise to the rights arising under subsection (4), by order
declare that those rights will not arise upon the taking of the proposed action, and the order may be subject to compliance upon such
terms and conditions as the court thinks fit and, if the corporation is an offering corporation, notice of any such application and a
copy of any order made by the court upon such application shall be served upon the Commission. 1994, c. 27, s. 71 (24).
Commission may appear
(32) The
Commission may appoint counsel to assist the court upon the hearing of an application under subsection (31), if the corporation is an
offering corporation. 1994, c. 27, s. 71 (24).
Exhibit 99.2
AKANDA CORP.
Security Class:
Common Shares
FORM OF PROXY
Annual
General & Special Meeting to be held on Friday, March 22, 2024
This Form of Proxy is solicited by
and on behalf of Management.
Notes to proxy
Every holder has the right to appoint some
other person or company of their choice, who need not be a holder, to attend and act on their behalf at the meeting or any adjournment
or postponement thereof. If you wish to appoint a person or company other than the persons whose names are printed herein, please insert
the name of your chosen proxyholder in the space provided.
If the securities are registered in the name of
more than one owner (for example, joint ownership, trustees, executors, etc.), then all those registered should sign this proxy. If you
are voting on behalf of a corporation or another individual you must sign this proxy with signing capacity stated, and you may be required
to provide documentation evidencing your power to sign this proxy.
This proxy should be signed in the exact manner
as the name(s) appear(s) on the proxy.
If this proxy is not dated, it will be deemed to
bear the date on which it is mailed by Management to the holder.
If you appoint the Management Nominees to
vote your securities, they will vote in accordance with your instructions or, if no instructions are given, in accordance with the Management
Voting Recommendations highlighted for each Resolution overleaf. If you appoint someone else to vote your securities, they will also
vote in accordance with your instructions or, if no instructions are given, as they in their discretion choose.
This proxy confers discretionary authority in respect
of amendments or variations to matters identified in the Notice of Meeting or other matters that may properly come before the meeting
or any adjournment or postponement thereof.
This proxy should be read in conjunction with the
accompanying documentation provided by Management.
Proxies submitted must be received by 9:00 a.m.
(Vancouver Time), on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, or in the case of any adjournment or postponement of the Meeting not less than 48 hours
(Saturdays, Sundays and holidays excepted) before the time of the adjourned or postponed meeting.
VOTING
METHODS |
MAIL
or HAND DELIVERY |
Endeavor
Trust Corporation
702 – 777 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1S4 |
FACSIMILE
– 24 Hours a Day |
604-559-8908 |
EMAIL |
proxy@endeavortrust.com |
ONLINE |
As
listed on Form of Proxy or Voter Information Card |
If you vote by FAX, EMAIL or On-Line, DO NOT
mail back this proxy.
Voting by mail, fax or by email are the
only methods by which a holder may appoint a person as proxyholder other than the Management nominees named on the reverse of this proxy.
AKANDA
CORP.
Appointment of
Proxyholder
I/We, being holder(s) of Akanda Corp. hereby
appoint: JATINDER DHALIWAL, Director, or, failing him, Katharyn FIELD, Interim CEO and Director. |
OR |
Print
the name of the person you are appointing if this person is someone other than the Management Nominee listed herein. |
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as my/our proxyholder with full power of substitution
and to attend, act and to vote for and on behalf of the shareholder in accordance with the following direction (or if no directions have
been given, as the proxyholder sees fit) and all other matters that may properly come before the Annual General and Special Meeting of
shareholders of Akanda Corp. to be held at the offices of Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP, Suite 2300, 550 Burrard Street, Vancouver,
British Columbia, V6C 2B5 on March 22, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. (Vancouver time), and at any adjournment or postponement thereof.
VOTING RECOMMENDATIONS ARE INDICATED BY HIGHLIGHTED
TEXT OVER THE BOXES.
1. Election of Directors |
For |
Withhold |
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i) Harvinder Singh |
☐ |
☐ |
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ii) David Jenkins |
☐ |
☐ |
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iii) Jatinder Dhaliwal |
☐ |
☐ |
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iv) Katharyn Field |
☐ |
☐ |
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3. Appointment of Auditor |
For |
Withhold |
Shareholders will be asked to appoint GreenGrowth
CPAs as auditor of the Company for the ensuing year and to authorize the directors to fix their remuneration; |
☐ |
☐ |
|
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4. Share Consolidation |
For |
Against |
Shareholders will be asked
to approve and authorize the board of directors of the Company to elect, in its discretion, to direct the Corporation to file one
or more articles of amendment to amend the Company’s articles in order to effect one or more consolidations of the Corporation’s
issued common shares, as further described in the management information circular. |
☐ |
☐ |
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|
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5. Equity Incentive Plan |
For |
Against |
Shareholders will be asked to approve the Company’s
2024 equity incentive plan, as further described in the management information circular and attached as Schedule “A”
therein. |
☐ |
☐ |
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6. Sale of RPK Biopharma, Unipessoal, LDA |
For |
Against |
Shareholders will be asked to approve the Company’s sale of
all of the issued and outstanding shares of RPK Biopharma, Unipessoal, LDA, which may represent the sale of substantially all of the
assets of the Company, as further described in the management information circular, and further approve the Company’s entry
into of a share purchase agreement, as further described in the management information circular and attached as Schedule
“B” therein. |
☐ |
☐ |
Authorized Signature(s) – This section must be completed for your instructions to be executed. |
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Signature(s) |
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I/We authorize you to act in accordance with my/our instructions set out above. I/We hereby revoke any proxy previously given with respect to the Meeting. If no voting instructions are indicated above, this Proxy will be voted as recommended by Management. |
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Print Name(s) & Signing Capacity(ies), if applicable |
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Date (MM-DD-YY) |
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THIS PROXY MUST BE DATED |
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Grafico Azioni Akanda (NASDAQ:AKAN)
Storico
Da Nov 2024 a Dic 2024
Grafico Azioni Akanda (NASDAQ:AKAN)
Storico
Da Dic 2023 a Dic 2024