|
 
| |
Regulation D -- Preliminary Notes
- The following rules relate to transactions exempted from the
registration requirements of
section 5 of the
Securities Act of 1933 (the Act). Such transactions are not exempt from the
anti fraud, civil liability, or other provisions of the federal securities
laws. Issuers are reminded of their obligation to provide such further
material information, if any, as may be necessary to make the information
required under this regulation, in light of the circumstances under which it
is furnished, not misleading.
- Nothing in these rules obviates the need to comply with any
applicable state law relating to the offer and sale of securities. Regulation
D is intended to be a basic element in a uniform system of Federal-State
limited offering exemptions consistent with the provisions of sections
18 and
19(c)of the Act. In
those states that have adopted Regulation D, or any version of Regulation D,
special attention should be directed to the applicable state laws and
regulations, including those relating to registration of person who receive
remuneration in connection with the offer and sale of securities, to
disqualification of issuers and other persons associated with offerings based
on state administrative orders or judgments, and to requirements for filings
of notices of sales.
- Attempted compliance with any rule in Regulation D does not act
as an exclusive election; the issuer can also claim the availability of any
other applicable exemption. For instance, an issuer's failure to satisfy all
the terms and conditions of
Rule 506 shall
not raise any presumption that the exemption provided by
section 4(2) of the
Act is not available.
- These rules are available only to the issuer of the securities
and not to any affiliate of that issuer or to any other person for resales of
the issuer's securities. The rules provide an exemption only for the
transactions in which the securities are offered or sold by the issuer, not
for the securities themselves.
- These rules may be used for business combinations that involve
sales by virtue of
rule 145(a) or otherwise.
- In view of the objectives of these rules and the policies
underlying the Act, regulation D is not available to any issuer for any
transaction or chain of transactions that, although in technical compliance
with these rules, is part of a plan or scheme to evade the registration
provisions of the Act. In such cases, registration under the Act is required.
- Securities offered and sold outside the United States in
accordance with
Regulation S need not be registered under the Act. See Release No.
33-6863.Regulation S may be relied upon for such offers and sales even if
coincident offers and sales are made in accordance with Regulation D inside
the United States. Thus, for example, persons who are offered and sold
securities in accordance with Regulation S would not be counted in the
calculation of the number of purchasers under Regulation D. Similarly,
proceeds from such sales would not be included in the aggregate offering
price. The provisions of this note, however, do not apply if the issuer elects
to rely solely on Regulation D for offers or sales to persons made outside the
United States.
Rule 501 -- Definitions and Terms Used in Regulation D
As used in Regulation D, the following terms shall have the meaning
indicated:
- Accredited investor. Accredited investor shall mean any
person who comes within any of the following categories, or who the issuer
reasonably believes comes within any of the following categories, at the time
of the sale of the securities to that person:
- Any bank as defined in
section 3(a)(2)
of the Act, or any savings and loan association or other institution as
defined in section
3(a)(5)(A) of the Act whether acting in its individual or fiduciary
capacity; any broker or dealer registered pursuant to
section 15 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934; any insurance company as defined in
section 2(13) of
the Act; any investment company registered under the
Investment Company
Act of 1940 or a business development company as defined in
section 2(a)(48)
of that Act; any Small Business Investment Company licensed by the U.S.
Small Business Administration under section 301(c) or (d) of the Small
Business Investment Act of 1958; any plan established and maintained by a
state, its political subdivisions, or any agency or instrumentality of a
state or its political subdivisions, for the benefit of its employees, if
such plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000; any employee benefit
plan within the meaning of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974 if the investment decision is made by a plan fiduciary, as defined in
section 3(21) of
such act, which is either a bank, savings and loan association, insurance
company, or registered investment adviser, or if the employee benefit plan
has total assets in excess of $5,000,000 or, if a self-directed plan, with
investment decisions made solely by persons that are accredited investors;
- Any private business development company as defined in
section
202(a)22 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940;
- Any organization described in
section 501(c)3 of the
Internal Revenue Code, corporation, Massachusetts or similar business
trust, or partnership, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the
securities offered, with total assets in excess of $5,000,000;
- Any director, executive officer, or general partner of the
issuer of the securities being offered or sold, or any director, executive
officer, or general partner of a general partner of that issuer;
- Any natural person whose individual net worth, or joint net
worth with that person's spouse, at the time of his purchase exceeds
$1,000,000;
- Any natural person who had an individual income in excess of
$200,000 in each of the two most recent years or joint income with that
person's spouse in excess of $300,000 in each of those years and has a
reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the current
year;
- Any trust, with total assets in excess of $5,000,000, not
formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, whose
purchase is directed by a sophisticated person as described in
Rule
506(b)(2)(ii) and
- Any entity in which all of the equity owners are accredited
investors.
- Affiliate. An affiliate of, or person
affiliated with, a specified person shall mean a person that directly, or
indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by,
or is under common control with, the person specified.
- Aggregate offering price. Aggregate offering price shall
mean the sum of all cash, services, property, notes, cancellation of debt, or
other consideration to be received by an issuer for issuance of its
securities. Where securities are being offered for both cash and non-cash
consideration, the aggregate offering price shall be based on the price at
which the securities are offered for cash. Any portion of the aggregate
offering price attributable to cash received in a foreign currency shall be
translated into United States currency at the currency exchange rate in effect
at a reasonable time prior to or on the date of the sale of the securities. If
securities are not offered for cash, the aggregate offering price shall be
based on the value of the consideration as established by bona fide sales of
that consideration made within a reasonable time, or, in the absence of sales,
on the fair value as determined by an accepted standard. Such valuations of
non-cash consideration must be reasonable at the time made.
- Business combination. Business combination shall mean any
transaction of the type specified in
paragraph (a)
of Rule 145 under the Act and any transaction involving the acquisition by one
issuer, in exchange for all or a part of its own or its parent's stock, of
stock of another issuer if, immediately after the acquisition, the acquiring
issuer has control of the other issuer (whether or not it had control before
the acquisition).
- Calculation of number of purchasers. For purposes
of calculating the number of purchasers under
Rule 505(b)
and Rule 506(b)
only, the following shall apply:
- The following purchasers shall be excluded:
- Any relative, spouse or relative of the spouse of a purchaser
who has the same principal residence as the purchaser;
- Any trust or estate in which a purchaser and any of the
persons related to him as specified in paragraph (e)1(i) or (e)1(iii) of
this section collectively have more than 50 percent of the beneficial
interest (excluding contingent interests);
- Any corporation or other organization of which a purchaser
and any of the persons related to him as specified in paragraph (e)1(i) or
(e)1(ii) of this section collectively are beneficial owners of more than
50 percent of the equity securities (excluding directors' qualifying
shares) or equity interests; and
- Any accredited investor.
- A corporation, partnership or other entity shall be counted as
one purchaser. If, however, that entity is organized for the specific
purpose of acquiring the securities offered and is not an accredited
investor under paragraph (a)8 of this section, then each beneficial owner of
equity securities or equity interests in the entity shall count as a
separate purchaser for all provisions of Regulation D, except to the extent
provided in paragraph (e)1 of this section.
- A non-contributory employee benefit plan within the meaning of
Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 shall be
counted as one purchaser where the trustee makes all investment decisions
for the plan.
- Executive officer. Executive officer shall mean the
president, any vice president in charge of a principal business unit, division
or function (such as sales, administration orfinance), any other officer who
performs a policy making function, or any other person who performs similar
policy making functions for the issuer. Executive officers of subsidiaries may
be deemed executive officers of the issuer if they perform such policy making
functions for the issuer.
- Issuer. The definition of the term issuer in
section 2(4) of the
Act shall apply, except that in the case of a proceeding under the Federal
Bankruptcy Code (11 U.S.C. 101 et seq.), the trustee or debtor in
possession shall be considered the issuer in an offering under a plan or
reorganization, if the securities are to be issued under the plan.
- Purchaser representative. Purchaser representative
shall mean any person who satisfies all of the following conditions or who the
issuer reasonably believes satisfies all of the following conditions:
- Is not an affiliate, director, officer or other employee of the
issuer, or beneficial owner of 10 percent or more of any class of the equity
securities or 10 percent or more of the equity interest in the issuer,
except where the purchaser is:
- A relative of the purchaser representative by blood, marriage
or adoption and not more remote than a first cousin;
- A trust or estate in which the purchaser representative and
any persons related to him as specified in paragraph (h)1(i) or (h)1(iii)
of this section collectively have more than 50 percent of the beneficial
interest (excluding contingent interest) or of which the purchaser
representative serves as trustee, executor, or in any similar capacity; or
- A corporation or other organization of which the purchaser
representative and any persons related to him as specified in paragraph
(h)1(i) or (h)1(ii) of this section collectively are the beneficial owners
of more than 50 percent of the equity securities (excluding directors'
qualifying shares) or equity interests;
- Has such knowledge and experience in financial and business
matters that he is capable of evaluating, alone, or together with other
purchaser representatives of the purchaser, or together with the purchaser,
the merits and risks of the prospective investment;
- Is acknowledged by the purchaser in writing, during the course
of the transaction, to be his purchaser representative in connection with
evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment; and
- Discloses to the purchaser in writing a reasonable time prior
to the sale of securities to that purchaser any material relationship
between himself or his affiliates and the issuer or its affiliates that then
exists, that is mutually understood to be contemplated, or that has existed
at any time during the previous two years, and any compensation received or
to be received as a result of such relationship.
Note 1: A person acting as a purchaser representative should consider the
applicability of the registration and antifraud provisions relating to
brokers and dealers under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange
Act) (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq., as amended) and relating to
investment advisers under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Note 2: The acknowledgment required by paragraph (h)3 and the disclosure
required by paragraph (h)(4) of this section must be made with specific
reference to each prospective investment. Advance blanket acknowledgment,
such as for all securities transactions or all private placements,
is not sufficient.
Note 3: Disclosure of any material relationships between the purchaser
representative or his affiliates and the issuer or its affiliates does not
relieve the purchaser representative of his obligation to act in the
interest of the purchaser.
Rule 502 -- General Conditions to Be Met
The following conditions shall be applicable to offers and sales made under
Regulation D:
- Integration. All sales that are part of the same
Regulation D offering must meet all of the terms and conditions of Regulation
D. Offers and sales that are made more than six months before the start of a
Regulation D offering or are made more than six months after completion of a
Regulation D offering will not be considered part of that Regulation D
offering, so long as during those six month periods there are no offers or
sales of securities by or for the issuer that are of the same or a similar
class as those offered or sold under Regulation D, other than those offers or
sales of securities under an employee benefit plan as defined in
rule 405 under
the Act.
Note: The term offering is not defined in the Act or in Regulation D.
If the issuer offers or sells securities for which the safe harbor rule in
paragraph (a) of this Rule 502 is unavailable, the determination as to whether
separate sales of securities are part of the same offering (i.e. are
considered integrated) depends on the particular facts and
circumstances. Generally, transactions otherwise meeting the requirements of
an exemption will not be integrated with simultaneous offerings being made
outside the United States in compliance with
Regulation S. See
Release No. 33-6863.
The following factors should be considered in determining whether offers and
sales should be integrated for purposes of the exemptions under Regulation D:
- Whether the sales are part of a single plan of financing;
- Whether the sales involve issuance of the same class of
securities;
- Whether the sales have been made at or about the same time;
- Whether the same type of consideration is being received; and
- Whether the sales are made for the same general purpose.
- Information requirements-
- When information must be furnished. If the issuer sells
securities under
Rule 505 or
Rule 506 to any purchaser that is not an accredited investor, the issuer
shall furnish the information specified in paragraph (b)(2) of this section
to such purchaser a reasonable time prior to sale. The issuer is not
required to furnish the specified information to purchasers when it sells
securities under
Rule 504, or to any accredited investor.
Note: When an issuer provides information to investors pursuant to paragraph
(b)1, it should consider providing such information to accredited investors
as well, in view of the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities
laws.
- Type of information to be furnished.
- If the issuer is not subject to the reporting requirements of
section 13 or
15(d) of the
Exchange Act, at a reasonable time prior to the sale of securities the
issuer shall furnish to the purchaser, to the extent material to an
understanding of the issuer, its business and the securities being
offered:
- Non-financial statement information. If the issuer
is eligible to use
Regulation A,
the same kind of information as would be required in
Part II
of Form 1-A. If the issuer is not eligible to use Regulation A, the same
kind of information as required in Part I of a registration statement
filed under the Securities Act on the form that the issuer would be
entitled to use.
- Financial statement information.
- Offerings up to $2,000,000. The information required in
Item 310 of
Regulation S-B, except that only the issuer's balance sheet, which
shall be dated within 120 days of the start of the offering, must be
audited.
- Offerings up to $7,500,000. The financial statement
information required in
Form SB-2.
If an issuer, other than a limited partnership, cannot obtain audited
financial statements without unreasonable effort or expense, then only
the issuer's balance sheet, which shall be dated within 120 days of
the start of the offering, must be audited. If the issuer is a limited
partnership and cannot obtain the required financial statements
without unreasonable effort or expense, it may furnish financial
statements that have been prepared on the basis of Federal income tax
requirements and examined and reported on in accordance with generally
accepted auditing standards by an independent public or certified
accountant.
- Offerings over $7,500,000. The financial statement as would
be required in a registration statement filed under the Act on the
form that the issuer would be entitled to use. If an issuer, other
than a limited partnership, cannot obtain audited financial statements
without unreasonable effort or expense, then only the issuer's balance
sheet, which shall be dated within 120 days of the start of the
offering, must be audited. If the issuer is a limited partnership and
cannot obtain the required financial statements without unreasonable
effort or expense, it may furnish financial statements that have been
prepared on the basis of Federal income tax requirements and examined
and reported on in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards by an independent public or certified accountant.
- If the issuer is a foreign private issuer eligible to use
Form 20-F,
the issuer shall disclose the same kind of information required to be
included in a registration statement filed under the Act on the form
that the issuer would be entitled to use. The financial statements need
be certified only to the extent required by paragraph (b)2(i) (B) (1),
(2) or (3) of this section, as appropriate.
- If the issuer is subject to the reporting requirements of
section 13 or
15(d) of the
Exchange Act, at a reasonable time prior to the sale of securities the
issuer shall furnish to the purchaser the information specified in
paragraph (b)2(ii)(A) or (B) of this section, and in either event the
information specified in paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(C) of this section:
- The issuer's annual report to shareholders for the most
recent fiscal year, if such annual report meets the requirements of
Rule 14a-3
or Rule14c-3
under the Exchange Act, the definitive proxy statement filed in
connection with that annual report, and, if requested by the purchaser
in writing, a copy of the issuer's most recent
Form 10-K
and Form
10-KSB under the Exchange Act.
- The information contained in an annual report on
Form 10-K
or 10-KSB
under the Exchange Act or in a registration statement on
Form S-1,
SB-1,
SB-2 or
S-11 under
the Act or on
Form 10 or
Form 10-SB
under the Exchange Act, whichever filing is the most recent required to
be filed.
- The information contained in any reports or documents
required to be filed by the issuer under sections
13(a),
14(a),
14(c), and
15(d) of the
Exchange Act since the distribution or filing of the report or
registration statement specified in paragraphs (b)2(ii) (A) or (B), and
a brief description of the securities being offered, the use of the
proceeds from the offering, and any material changes in the issuer's
affairs that are not disclosed in the documents furnished.
- If the issuer is a foreign private issuer, the issuer may
provide in lieu of the information specified in paragraph (b)2(ii) (A)
or (B) of this section, the information contained in its most recent
filing on Form
20-F or
Form F-1.
- Exhibits required to be filed with the Commission as part of
a registration statement or report, other than an annual report to
shareholders or parts of that report incorporated by reference in a
Form 10-K
and Form
10-KSB report, need not be furnished to each purchaser that is not an
accredited investor if the contents of material exhibits are identified
and such exhibits are made available to a purchaser, upon his written
request, a reasonable time prior to his purchase.
- At a reasonable time prior to the sale of securities to any
purchaser that is not an accredited investor in a transaction under
Rule 505 or
Rule 506,
the issuer shall furnish to the purchaser a brief description in writing
of any material written information concerning the offering that has been
provided by the issuer to any accredited investor but not previously
delivered to such unaccredited purchaser. The issuer shall furnish any
portion or all of this information to the purchaser, upon his written
request a reasonable time prior to his purchase.
- The issuer shall also make available to each purchaser at a
reasonable time prior to his purchase of securities in a transaction under
Rule 505 or
Rule 506 the
opportunity to ask questions and receive answers concerning the terms and
conditions of the offering and to obtain any additional information which
the issuer possesses or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense
that is necessary to verify the accuracy of information furnished under
paragraph (b)2(i) or (ii) of this section.
- For business combinations or exchange offers, in addition to
information required by
Form S-4, the
issuer shall provide to each purchaser at the time the plan is submitted
to security holders, or, with an exchange, during the course of the
transaction and prior to sale, written information about any terms or
arrangements of the proposed transactions that are materially different
from those for all other security holders. For purposes of this
subsection, an issuer which is not subject to the reporting requirements
of section 13 or
15(d) of the
Exchange Act may satisfy the requirements of Part I.B.or C. of
Form S-4 by
compliance with paragraph (b)2(i) of this Rule 502.
- At a reasonable time prior to the sale of securities to any
purchaser that is not an accredited investor in a transaction under
Rule 505 or
Rule 506,
the issuer shall advise the purchaser of the limitations on resale in the
manner contained in paragraph (d)2 of this section. Such disclosure may be
contained in other materials required to be provided by this paragraph.
- Limitation on manner of offering. Except as
provided in Rule
504(b)(1), neither the issuer nor any person acting on its behalf shall
offer or sell the securities by any form of general solicitation or general
advertising, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Any advertisement, article, notice or other communication
published in any newspaper, magazine, or similar media or broadcast over
television or radio; and
- Any seminar or meeting whose attendees have been invited by any
general solicitation or general advertising;
Provided, however, that publication by an issuer of a notice
in accordance with
Rule 135c
shall not be deemed to constitute general solicitation or general
advertising for purposes of this section; Provided further, that, if
the requirements of Rule 135e are satisfied, providing any journalist with
access to press conferences held outside of the United States, to meeting
with issuer or selling security holder representatives conducted outside of
the United States, or to written press-related materials released outside
the United States, at or in which a present or proposed offering of
securities is discussed, will not be deemed to constitute general
solicitation or general advertising for purposes of this section.
- Limitations on resale. Except as provided in
Rule 504(b)(1),
securities acquired in a transaction under Regulation D shall have the status
of securities acquired in a transaction under
section 4(2) of the
Act and cannot be resold without registration under the Act or an exemption
therefrom. The issuer shall exercise reasonable care to assure that the
purchasers of the securities are not underwriters within the meaning of
section 2(11) of
the Act, which reasonable care may be demonstrated by the following:
- Reasonable inquiry to determine if the purchaser is acquiring
the securities for himself or for other persons;
- Written disclosure to each purchaser prior to sale that the
securities have not been registered under the Act and, therefore, cannot be
resold unless they are registered under the Act or unless an exemption from
registration is available; and
- Placement of a legend on the certificate or other document that
evidences the securities stating that the securities have not been
registered under the Act and setting forth or referring to the restrictions
on transferability and sale of the securities.
While taking these actions will establish the requisite reasonable care, it
is not the exclusive method to demonstrate such care. Other actions by the
issuer may satisfy this provision. In addition, Rule 502(b)2(vii) requires
the delivery of written disclosure of the limitations on resale to investors
in certain instances.
Rule 503 -- Filing of Notice of Sales
- An issuer offering or selling securities in reliance onRule
504, Rule 505
or Rule 506
shall file with the Commission five copies of a notice on
Form D no later
than 15 days after the first sale of securities.
- One copy of every notice on Form D shall be manually signed by a
person duly authorized by the issuer.
- If sales are made under
Rule 505, the
notice shall contain an undertaking by the issuer to furnish to the
Commission, upon the written request of its staff, the information furnished
by the issuer under
Rule 502(b) to
any purchaser that is not an accredited investor.
- Amendments to notices filed under paragraph (a) of this Rule 503
need only report the issuer's name and the information required by Part C and
any material change in the facts from those set forth in Parts A and B.
- A notice on
Form D shall be
considered filed with the Commission under paragraph (a) of this Rule 503:
- As of the date on which it is received at the Commission's
principal office in Washington, DC; or
- As of the date on which the notice is mailed by means of United
States registered or certified mail to the Commission's principal office in
Washington, DC, if the notice is delivered to such office after the date on
which it is required to be filed.
Rule 504 -- Exemption for Limited Offerings and Sales of Securities Not
Exceeding $1,000,000
- Exemption. Offers and sales of securities that satisfy the
conditions in paragraph (b) of this Rule 504 by an issuer that is not:
- subject to the reporting requirements of
section 13 or
15(d) of the
Exchange Act,:
- an investment company; or
- a development stage company that either has no specific
business plan or purpose or has indicated that its business plan is to
engage in a merger or acquisition with an unidentified company or companies,
or other entity or person, shall be exempt from the provision of
section 5 of the Act
under section 3(b)
of the Act.
- Conditions to be met
- General conditions. To qualify for exemption under this Rule
504, offers and sales must satisfy the terms and conditions of
Rule 501 and
Rule 502 (a),
(c) and
(d), except
that the provisions of Rule 502 (c) and (d) will not apply to offers and
sales of securities under this Rule 504 that are made:
- Exclusively in one or more states that provide for the
registration of the securities, and require the public filing and delivery
to investors of a substantive disclosure document before sale, and are
made in accordance with those state provisions;
- In one or more states that have no provision for the
registration of the securities or the public filing or delivery of a
disclosure document before sale, if the securities have been registered in
at least one state that provides for such registration, public filing and
delivery before sale, offers and sales are made in that state in
accordance with such provisions, and the disclosure document is delivered
before sale to all purchasers (including those in the states that have no
such procedure); or
- Exclusively according to state law exemptions from
registration that permit general solicitation and general advertising so
long as sales are made only to "accredited investors" as defined in
Rule 501(a).
- The aggregate offering price for an offering of securities
under this Rule 504, as defined in
Rule 501(c),
shall not exceed $1,000,000, less the aggregate offering price for all
securities sold within the twelve months before the start of and during the
offering of securities under this Rule 504, in reliance on any exemption
under section 3(b),
or in violation of
section 5(a) of the Securities Act.
Rule 505 -- Exemption for Limited Offers and Sales of Securities Not
Exceeding $5,000,000
- Exemption. Offers and sales of securities that
satisfy the conditions in paragraph (b) of this section by an issuer that is
not an investment company shall be exempt from the provisions of
section 5 of the Act
under section 3(b)
of the Act.
- Conditions to be met
- General conditions. To qualify for exemption under this
section, offers and sales must satisfy the terms and conditions of
Rule 501 and
Rule 502.
- Specific conditions
- Limitation on aggregate offering price. The aggregate
offering price for an offering of securities under this Rule 505, as
defined in
Rule 501(c), shall not exceed $5,000,000, less the aggregate offering
price for all securities sold within the twelve months before the start of
and during the offering of securities under this Rule 505 in reliance on
any exemption under
section 3(b) of the Act or in violation of
section 5(a) of
the Act.

Note: The calculation of the aggregate offering price is illustrated as
follows:
Example 1. If an issuer sold $2,000,000 of its securities on June
1, 1982 under this Rule 505 and an additional $1,000,000 on September 1,
1982, the issuer would be permitted to sell only $2,000,000 more under
this Rule 505 until June 1, 1983. Until that date the issuer must count
both prior sales towards the $5,000,000 limit. However, if the issuer made
its third sale on June 1, 1983, the issuer could then sell $4,000,000 of
its securities because the June 1, 1982 sale would not be within the
preceding twelve months.
Example 2. If an issuer sold $500,000 of its securities on June 1,
1982 under Rule
504 and an additional $4,500,000 on December 1, 1982 under this Rule
505, then the issuer could not sell any of its securities under this Rule
505 until June 1, 1983. At that time it could sell an additional $500,000
of its securities.

- Limitation on number of purchasers. There are no more
than or the issuer reasonably believes that there are no more than 35
purchasers of securities from the issuer in any offering under this
section.
Note: See
Rule 501(e) for the calculation of the number of purchasers and
Rule 502 (a)
for what may or may not constitute an offering under this section.
- Disqualifications. No exemption under this section
shall be available for the securities of any issuer described in
Rule 262 of
Regulation A, except that for purposes of this section only:
- The term "filing of the offering statement required by
Rule 252"
as used in
Rule 262(a),
(b) and
(c)
shall mean the first sale of securities under this section;
- The term "underwriter" as used in
Rule 262 (b)
and (c)
shall mean a person that has been or will be paid directly or indirectly
remuneration for solicitation of purchasers in connection with sales of
securities under this section; and
- Paragraph (b) (2) (iii) of this Rule 505 shall not apply to
any issuer if the Commission determines, upon a showing of good cause,
that it is not necessary under the circumstances that the exemption be
denied. Any such determination shall be without prejudice to any other
action by the Commission in any other proceeding or matter with respect
to the issuer or any other person.
Rule 506 -- Exemption for Limited Offers and Sales without Regard to Dollar
Amount of Offering
- Exemption. Offers and sales of securities by an
issuer that satisfy the conditions in paragraph (b) of this Rule 506 shall be
deemed to be transactions not involving any public offering within the meaning
of section 4 (2) of
the Act.
- Conditions to be met-
- General conditions. To qualify for an exemption under
this section, offers and sales must satisfy all the terms and conditions ofRule
501 and Rule
502.
- Specific Conditions-
- Limitation on number of purchasers. There are no more
than or the issuer reasonably believes that there are no more than 35
purchasers of securities from the issuer in any offering under this
section.

Note: See
Rule 501(e) for the calculation of the number of purchasers and
Rule 502(a)
for what may or may not constitute an offering under this Rule 506.

- Nature of purchasers. Each purchaser who is not
an accredited investor either alone or with his purchaser representative(s)
has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that
he is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective
investment, or the issuer reasonably believes immediately prior to making
any sale that such purchaser comes within this description.
Rule 507 -- Disqualifying Provision Relating to Exemptions Under Rule 504,
Rule 505 and Rule 506
- No exemption under
Rule 504,
Rule 505 or
Rule 506 shall
be available for an issuer if such issuer, any of its predecessors or
affiliates have been subject to any order, judgment, or decree of any court of
competent jurisdiction temporarily, preliminary or permanently enjoining such
person for failure to comply with
Rule 503.
- Paragraph (a) of this section shall not apply if the Commission
determines, upon a showing of good cause, that it is not necessary under the
circumstances that the exemption be denied.
Rule 508 -- Insignificant Deviations from a Term, Condition or Requirement
of Regulation D
- A failure to comply with a term, condition or requirement of
Rule 504,
Rule 505 or
Rule 506 will
not result in the loss of the exemption from the requirements of section 5 of
the Act for any offer or sale to a particular individual or entity, if the
person relying on the exemption shows:
- The failure to comply did not pertain to a term, condition or
requirement directly intended to protect that particular individual or
entity; and
- The failure to comply was insignificant with respect to the
offering as a whole, provided that any failure to comply with paragraph (c)
of Rule 502,
paragraph
(b)(2) of Rule 504,
paragraph
(b)(2)(i) and
paragraph(b)(2)(ii)
of Rule 505 and
paragraph
(b)(2)(i) of Rule 506 shall be deemed to be significant to the offering
as a whole; and
- A good faith and reasonable attempt was made to comply with all
applicable terms, conditions and requirements of
Rule 504,
Rule 505 or
Rule 506.
- A transaction made in reliance onRule
504, Rule 505
or Rule 506
shall comply with all applicable terms, conditions and requirements of
Regulation D. Where an exemption is established only through reliance upon
paragraph (a) of this section, the failure to comply shall nonetheless be
actionable by the Commission under
section 20 of the
Act.
|