Exhibit 1.1
GOLDEN STATE VINTNERS, INC.
Class B Common Stock
(par value $0.01 per share)
------------------------------------------
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
.............., 1998
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.,
Xxxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLC,
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc.,
As representatives of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
00 Xxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Golden State Vintners, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell
to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters") an aggregate
of 2,150,000 shares and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to . . . . . .
additional shares of Class B Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share ("Stock")
of the Company and the stockholders of the Company named in Schedule II hereto
(the "Selling Stockholders") propose, subject to the terms and conditions stated
herein, to sell to the Underwriters an aggregate of 2,150,000 shares and, at the
election of the Underwriters, up to . . . . . . . additional shares of Stock.
The aggregate of 4,300,000 shares to be sold by the Company and the Selling
Stockholders is herein called the "Firm Shares" and the aggregate of 645,000
additional shares to be sold by the Company and the Selling Stockholders is
herein called the "Optional Shares". The Firm Shares and the Optional Shares
that the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof are herein
collectively called the "Shares".
1. (a) The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of
the Underwriters that:
(i) A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-51443)
(the "Initial Registration Statement") in respect of the Shares has been
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"); the
Initial Registration Statement and any post-effective
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amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered to you, and,
excluding exhibits thereto, to you for each of the other Underwriters, have
been declared effective by the Commission in such form; other than a
registration statement, if any, increasing the size of the offering (a
"Rule 462(b) Registration Statement"), filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), which became effective
upon filing, no other document with respect to the Initial Registration
Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b)
Registration has heretofore been filed with the Commission; and no stop
order suspending the effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement,
any post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement, if any, has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has
been initiated or threatened by the Commission (any preliminary prospectus
included in the Initial Registration Statement or filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and regulations of the Commission
under the Act is hereinafter called a "Preliminary Prospectus"; the
various parts of the Initial Registration Statement and the Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement, if any, including all exhibits thereto and
including the information contained in the form of final prospectus filed
with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance
with Section 5(a) hereof and deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under the Act to
be part of the Registration Statement at the time it was declared
effective, each as amended at the time such part of the Initial
Registration Statement became effective or such part of the Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement, if any, became or hereafter becomes effective, are
hereinafter collectively called the "Registration Statement"; and such
final prospectus, in the form first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the
Act, is hereinafter called the "Prospectus");
(ii) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary
Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary
Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material
respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of
the Commission thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any
statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. expressly for use therein or by a Selling Stockholder
expressly for use in the preparation of the answers therein to Items 7 and
11(m) of Form S-1;
(iii) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and
any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of
the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do
not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to the
Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and as of the applicable
filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto,
contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this representation and
warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance
upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company
by an Underwriter through Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein or
by a Selling Stockholder expressly for use in the preparation of the
answers therein to Items 7 and 11(m) of Form S-1;
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(iv) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has
sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements
included in the Prospectus any material loss or interference with its
business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not
covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental
action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the
Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which information is
given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has not been
any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of
its subsidiaries or any material adverse change, or any development
involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the
general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders' equity or
results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than
as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus;
(v) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable
title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to
all personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all
liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the
Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property
and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such
property by the Company and its subsidiaries; and any real property and
buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by
them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as
are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be
made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries;
(vi) Each of the Company and Golden State Vintners, a California
corporation (the "Subsidiary"), has been duly incorporated and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of
Delaware and the State of California, respectively, with power and
authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its
business as described in the Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a
foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing
under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases
properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, or
is subject to no material liability or disability by reason of the failure
to be so qualified in any such jurisdiction;
(vii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in
the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the
Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid
and non-assessable and conform to the description of the Stock contained in
the Prospectus; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each
subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued,
are fully paid and non-assessable and (except for directors' qualifying
shares and except as set forth in the Prospectus) are owned directly or
indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances,
equities or claims;
(viii) The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to the
Underwriters hereunder have been duly and validly authorized and, when
issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be
duly and validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable and will conform
to the description of the Stock contained in the Prospectus;
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(ix) The issue and sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company
and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of this
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will
not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or
provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed
of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or
any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets
of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such action
result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate of
Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or any statute or any order, rule
or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having
jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their
properties, in each case other than such conflicts, breaches, violations or
defaults which, individually or in the aggregate, (a) would not have a
material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries and (b) would
not affect the validity, performance or consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement; and no consent, approval, authorization,
order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or
governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the
Shares or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement, except (x) those which have been obtained, or (y) the
registration under the Act of the Shares and such consents, approvals,
authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under
state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and
distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters;
(x) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in
violation of its Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws (or equivalent
documents) or in default in the performance or observance of any material
obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or
instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties
may be bound, in each case other than such violations or defaults which,
individually or in the aggregate, (a) would not have a material adverse
effect on the Company and its subsidiaries and (b) would not affect the
validity, performance or consummation of the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement;
(xi) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the caption
"Description of Capital Stock", insofar as they purport to constitute a
summary of the terms of the Stock, and under the caption "Underwriting",
insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and
documents referred to therein, are fair and accurate summaries thereof;
provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to
any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. expressly for use therein;
(xii) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no
legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of
its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any
of its subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the
Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate
have a material adverse effect on the current or future consolidated
financial position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the
Company and its subsidiaries; and, other than as set forth in the
Prospectus, to the best of the Company's knowledge, no such proceedings are
threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by
others;
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(xiii) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering
and sale of the Shares, will not be an "investment company" or an entity
"controlled" by an "investment company", as such terms are defined in the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act");
(xiv) Deloitte & Touche LLP, who have certified certain financial
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, are independent public
accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder;
(xv) The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess adequate
licenses or other rights to use all trademarks, service marks, trade names,
copyrights and know-how necessary to conduct the business currently
conducted by the Company and its subsidiaries as described in the
Prospectus, except where the failure to own or possess adequate licenses or
other rights to use any of the foregoing would not reasonably be likely to
result in a material adverse effect upon the general affairs, management,
financial condition, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the
Company and its subsidiaries, and, except as described in the Prospectus,
neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of
infringement of or conflict with (or knows of any such infringement of or
conflict with) rights of others with respect to its trademarks, service
marks, trade names, copyrights or know-how which, individually or in the
aggregate, is reasonably likely to result in any material adverse change
upon the general affairs, management, financial condition, stockholders'
equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries; and,
except as disclosed in the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries do
not in the conduct of their businesses as currently conducted as described
in the Prospectus, infringe or conflict with any right of any third party
known to the Company or any of its subsidiaries where such infringement or
conflict is reasonably likely to result in any material adverse effect upon
the general affairs, management, financial condition, stockholders' equity
or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries;
(xvi) The Company and its subsidiaries have obtained and have
maintained in good standing any and all licenses, permits, consents and
authorizations required to be obtained by them under all laws or
regulations relating to their respective businesses, including, without
limitation, laws or regulations relating to the importation, manufacture,
production, wholesale and retail sale, storage, labeling and distribution
of wine (collectively, the "Laws"), with such exceptions as would not
reasonably be likely to result in a material adverse effect upon the
general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders' equity or
results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, and all such
licenses, permits, consents and authorizations remain in full force and
effect. The Company and each of its subsidiaries are in compliance with
the Laws in all material respects and there is no pending or, to the
Company's or any of its subsidiaries' knowledge, threatened action or
proceeding against the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to the
Laws, other than any such actions or proceedings which, individually or in
the aggregate, if adversely determined, would not have a material adverse
effect on the current or future general affairs, management, financial
position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and
its subsidiaries; and
(xvii) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, there is no pending
or, to the Company's knowledge, threatened proceeding, citation or notice
of violation under any environmental law or regulation applicable to the
Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its or their
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equipment, business or assets. There are no past or present events,
conditions, activities or practices that could reasonably be expected to
prevent continued compliance by the Company and its subsidiaries in all
material respects with any environmental law or regulation, or that may
give rise to any material liability with respect thereto, or otherwise form
the basis of any claim, action, proceeding or investigation (1) under any
environmental law or regulation, (2) based on or related to the
manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal,
transport or handling or the emission, discharge or release of any
hazardous material or (3) resulting from exposure to workplace hazards,
except for any such events, conditions, activities, practices, liabilities,
claims, actions, proceedings and investigations which, individually or in
the aggregate, if adversely determined, would not reasonably be likely to
have a material adverse effect on the current or future financial position,
stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is required
to make any material capital or other expenditures to comply with any
environmental law or regulation nor is there any reasonable basis upon
which any governmental authority could take any action that would require
any such material expenditure.
(b) Each of the Selling Stockholders severally represents and warrants to,
and agrees with, each of the Underwriters and the Company that:
(i) All consents, approvals, authorizations and orders necessary
for the execution and delivery by such Selling Stockholder of this
Agreement and the Power of Attorney and the Custody Agreement hereinafter
referred to, and for the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such
Selling Stockholder hereunder, have been obtained; and such Selling
Stockholder has full right, power and authority to enter into this
Agreement, the Power-of-Attorney and the Custody Agreement and to sell,
assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by such Selling
Stockholder hereunder;
(ii) The sale of the Shares to be sold by such Selling
Stockholder hereunder and the compliance by such Selling Stockholder with
all of the provisions of this Agreement, the Power of Attorney and the
Custody Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein and
therein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or
violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default
under, any statute, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or
other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party
or by which such Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the
property or assets of such Selling Stockholder is subject, nor will such
action result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate of
Incorporation or By-laws of such Selling Stockholder if such Selling
Stockholder is a corporation or the Partnership Agreement of such Selling
Stockholder if such Selling Stockholder is a partnership or any statute or
any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body
having jurisdiction over such Selling Stockholder or the property of such
Selling Stockholder, in each case other than such conflicts, breaches,
violations or defaults, which, individually or in the aggregate (a) would
not have a material adverse effect on such Selling Stockholder or on the
Company and its subsidiaries and (b) would not affect the validity,
performance or consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, the Power-of-Attorney or the Custody Agreement;
(iii) Such Selling Stockholder has, and immediately prior to
each Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) such Selling
Stockholder will have, good and valid title to the
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Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, free and clear of
all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims; and, upon delivery of such
Shares and payment therefor pursuant hereto, good and valid title to such
Shares, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, will
pass to the several Underwriters;
(iv) During the period beginning from the date hereof and
continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the
Prospectus, not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of,
except as provided hereunder, any securities of the Company that are
substantially similar to the Shares, including but not limited to any
securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent
the right to receive, Stock or any such substantially similar securities
(other than pursuant to employee stock option plans existing on, or upon
the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities
outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement), without your prior written
consent;
(v) Such Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not take,
directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has
constituted or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in
stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company
to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares;
(vi) To the extent that any statements or omissions made in the
Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any
amendment or supplement thereto are made in reliance upon and in conformity
with written information furnished to the Company by such Selling
Stockholder expressly for use therein, such Preliminary Prospectus and the
Registration Statement did, and the Prospectus and any further amendments
or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, when they
become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be,
will, conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and
the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain
any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
not misleading;
(vii) In order to document the Underwriters' compliance with the
reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal
Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein
contemplated, such Selling Stockholder will deliver to you prior to or at
the First Time of Delivery (as hereinafter defined) a properly completed
and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or other
applicable form or statement specified by Treasury Department regulations
in lieu thereof);
(viii) Certificates in negotiable form representing all of the
Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder have been placed in
custody under a Custody Agreement, in the form heretofore furnished to you
(the "Custody Agreement"), duly executed and delivered by such Selling
Stockholder to U.S. Stock Transfer Corporation, as custodian (the
"Custodian"), and such Selling Stockholder has duly executed and
delivered a Power of Attorney, in the form heretofore furnished to you
(the "Power of Attorney"), appointing the persons indicated in Schedule
II hereto, and each of them, as such Selling Stockholder's attorneys-in-
fact (the "Attorneys-in-Fact") with authority to execute and deliver
this Agreement on behalf of such Selling Stockholder, to determine the
purchase price to be paid by the Underwriters to the Selling Stockholders
as provided in Section 2 hereof, to authorize the delivery of the Shares
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to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder and otherwise to act on
behalf of such Selling Stockholder in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and the Custody Agreement; and
(ix) The Shares represented by the certificates held in custody
for such Selling Stockholder under the Custody Agreement are subject to the
interests of the Underwriters hereunder; the arrangements made by such
Selling Stockholder for such custody, and the appointment by such Selling
Stockholder of the Attorneys-in-Fact by the Power of Attorney, are to that
extent irrevocable; the obligations of the Selling Stockholders hereunder
shall not be terminated by operation of law, whether by the death or
incapacity of any individual Selling Stockholder or, in the case of an
estate or trust, by the death or incapacity of any executor or trustee or
the termination of such estate or trust, or in the case of a partnership or
corporation, by the dissolution of such partnership or corporation, or by
the occurrence of any other event; if any individual Selling Stockholder or
any such executor or trustee should die or become incapacitated, or if any
such estate or trust should be terminated, or if any such partnership or
corporation should be dissolved, or if any other such event should occur,
before the delivery of the Shares hereunder, certificates representing the
Shares shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholders in
accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement and of the
Custody Agreements; and actions taken by the Attorneys-in-Fact pursuant to
the Powers of Attorney shall be as valid as if such death, incapacity,
termination, dissolution or other event had not occurred, regardless of
whether or not the Custodian, the Attorneys-in-Fact, or any of them, shall
have received notice of such death, incapacity, termination, dissolution or
other event.
2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the Company
and each of the Selling Stockholders agree, severally and not jointly, to sell
to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and
not jointly, to purchase from the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders,
at a purchase price per share of $.............., the number of Firm Shares (to
be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by
multiplying the aggregate number of Shares to be sold by the Company and each of
the Selling Stockholders as set forth opposite their respective names in
Schedule II hereto by a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate number
of Firm Shares to be purchased by such Underwriter as set forth opposite the
name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is
the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased by all of the Underwriters
from the Company and all of the Selling Stockholders hereunder and (b) in the
event and to the extent that the Underwriters shall exercise the election to
purchase Optional Shares as provided below, the Company and each of the Selling
Stockholders agree, severally and not jointly, to sell to each of the
Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to
purchase from the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders, at the purchase
price per share set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2, that portion of the
number of Optional Shares as to which such election shall have been exercised
(to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by
multiplying such number of Optional Shares by a fraction the numerator of which
is the maximum number of Optional Shares which such Underwriter is entitled to
purchase as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto
and the denominator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares that all
of the Underwriters are entitled to purchase hereunder.
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The Company and the Selling Stockholders, as and to the extent indicated in
Schedule II hereto, hereby grant, severally and not jointly, to the Underwriters
the right to purchase at their election up to 645,000 Optional Shares, at the
purchase price per share set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose
of covering overallotments in the sale of the Firm Shares. Any such election
to purchase Optional Shares shall be made [in proportion to the maximum number
of Optional Shares to be sold by the Company and the Selling Stockholders as
set forth in Schedule II hereto] [initially with respect to the Optional
Shares to be sold by the Company and thereafter among the Selling Stockholders
in proportion to the maximum number of Optional Shares to be sold by each
Selling Stockholder as set forth in Schedule II hereto]. Any such election to
purchase Optional Shares may be exercised only by written notice from you to
the Company and the Attorneys-in-Fact, given within a period of 30 calendar
days after the date of this Agreement and setting forth the aggregate number
of Optional Shares to be purchased and the date on which such Optional Shares
are to be delivered, as determined by you but in no event earlier than the
First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless you and
the Company and the Attorneys-in-Fact otherwise agree in writing, earlier than
two or later than ten business days after the date of such notice.
3. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Firm Shares, the
several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Shares for sale upon the terms
and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.
4. (a) The Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in
definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such
names as Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. may request upon at least forty-eight hours' prior
notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be delivered by or on
behalf of the Company and the Selling Stockholders to Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.,
through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company ("DTC"), for the account
of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the
purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the
accounts specified by the Company and the Custodian, on behalf of each of the
Selling Stockholders, at least 48 hours in advance. The Company will cause the
certificates representing the Shares to be made available for checking and
packaging at least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of Delivery (as defined
below) with respect thereto at the office of DTC or its designated custodian
(the "Designated Office"). The time and date of such delivery and payment shall
be, with respect to the Firm Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on .............,
1998 or such other time and date as Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. and the Company and the
Selling Stockholders may agree upon in writing, and, with respect to the
Optional Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on the date specified by Xxxxxxx,
Sachs & Co. in the written notice given by Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. of the
Underwriters' election to purchase such Optional Shares, or such other time and
date as Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. and the Company and the Selling Stockholders may
agree upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Shares is
herein called the "First Time of Delivery", such time and date for delivery of
the Optional Shares, if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein called the
"Second Time of Delivery", and each such time and date for delivery is herein
called a "Time of Delivery".
(b) The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on behalf
of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 7 hereof, including the cross receipt
for the Shares and any additional documents reasonably requested by the
Underwriters pursuant to Section 7, hereof, will be delivered at the offices of
Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000 (the
"Closing Location"), and the Shares will be delivered at the Designated Office,
all at such Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at
12:00 p.m., Los Angeles time, on the New
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York Business Day next preceding such Time of Delivery, at which meeting the
final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence
will be available for review by the parties hereto. For the purposes of this
Section 4, "New York Business Day" shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York
are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:
(a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such
Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the Commission's
close of business on the second business day following the execution and
delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be
required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Act; to make no further amendment or any
supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus which shall be
disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you,
promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the
Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to
the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed and to furnish you with
copies thereof; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the
issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or
suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus, of the
suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any
jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such
purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing
of the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; and,
in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or
suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus or suspending any
such qualification, promptly to use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of
such order;
(b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably
request to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the securities laws of
such jurisdictions as you may request and to comply with such laws so as to
permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for
as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Shares, provided
that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a
foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any
jurisdiction;
(c) Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day
next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time to furnish the
Underwriters with copies of the Prospectus in New York City in such quantities
as you may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus is required
at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of
the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and if at
such time any events shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as
then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made
when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason
it shall be necessary during such period to amend or supplement the Prospectus
in order to comply with the Act, to notify you and upon your request to prepare
and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities
as many copies as you may from time to time reasonably request of an amended
Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement
or omission or effect such compliance, and in case any Underwriter is required
to deliver a prospectus in connection with sales of any of the Shares at any
time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus,
10
upon your request but at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver
to such Underwriter as many copies as you may request of an amended or
supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;
(d) To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as
practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months after the effective
date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an
earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be
audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations
of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule
158);
(e) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and
including the date 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, not to offer,
sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of, except as provided hereunder,
any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Shares,
including but not limited to any securities that are convertible into or
exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Stock or any such
substantially similar securities (other than pursuant to employee stock option
plans existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or
exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement), without
your prior written consent;
(f) To furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable after the end of
each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and statements of
income, stockholders' equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries certified by independent public accountants) and, as soon as
practicable after the end of each of the first three quarters of each fiscal
year (beginning with the fiscal quarter ending after the effective date of the
Registration Statement), consolidated summary financial information of the
Company and its subsidiaries for such quarter in reasonable detail;
(g) During a period of five years from the effective date of the
Registration Statement, to furnish to you copies of all reports or other
communications (financial or other) furnished to stockholders, and to deliver to
you (i) as soon as they are available, copies of any reports and financial
statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities
exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed; and (ii)
such additional information concerning the business and financial condition of
the Company as you may from time to time reasonably request (such financial
statements to be on a consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of the
Company and its subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished to its
stockholders generally or to the Commission);
(h) To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Shares
pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Prospectus under the
caption "Use of Proceeds";
(i) To use its best efforts to list for quotation the Shares on The Nasdaq
National Market ("Nasdaq"); and
(j) If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Company shall file
a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule
462(b) by 10:00 p.m., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and
the Company shall at the time of filing
11
either pay to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant
to Rule 111(b) under the Act.
6. The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders covenant and agree
with one another and with the several Underwriters that (a) the Company will pay
or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of
the Company's counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the
Shares under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation,
printing and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus
and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and
delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of
printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Blue
Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any
other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of
the Shares; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the
Shares for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section
5(b) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the
Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the
Blue Sky survey; (iv) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the
Shares on NASDAQ; (v) the filing fees incident to, and the fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, securing any
required review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the
terms of the sale of the Shares; (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates;
(vii) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar; (viii) any fees
and expenses of one counsel for the Selling Stockholders, (ix) fees and expenses
of the Attorney-in-Fact and the Custodian; and (ix) all other costs and expenses
incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise
specifically provided for in this Section; and (b) such Selling Stockholder will
pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of
such Selling Stockholder's obligations hereunder which are not otherwise
specifically provided for in this Section, including all expenses and taxes
incident to the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling
Stockholder to the Underwriters hereunder. In connection with clause (b) of the
preceding sentence, Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. agrees to pay New York State stock
transfer tax, and the Selling Stockholder agrees to reimburse Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx &
Co. for associated carrying costs if such tax payment is not rebated on the day
of payment and for any portion of such tax payment not rebated. It is
understood, however, that the Company shall bear, and the Selling Stockholders
shall not be required to pay or to reimburse the Company for, the cost of any
other matters not directly relating to the sale and purchase of the Shares
pursuant to this Agreement, and that, except as provided in this Section, and
Sections 8 and 11 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and
expenses, including the fees of their counsel, stock transfer taxes on resale of
any of the Shares by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any
offers they may make.
7. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Shares to be
delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to
the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of
the Company and of the Selling Stockholders herein are, at and as of such Time
of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company and the Selling
Stockholders shall have performed all of its and their obligations hereunder
theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:
(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant
to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing
by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section
5(a) hereof; if the Company has elected to rely
12
upon Rule 462(b), the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become
effective by 10:00 p.m., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this
Agreement; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for
that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and
all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall
have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction;
(b) Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have
furnished to you such written opinion or opinions (a draft of each such
opinion is attached as Annex II(a) hereto), dated such Time of Delivery,
with respect to the matters covered in paragraphs (i), (ii), (vi), (x) and
(xi) of subsection (c) below, as well as such other related matters as you
may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers
and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon
such matters;
(c) Xxxxxxx & XxXxxxxx, counsel for the Company and the Selling
Stockholder, shall have furnished to you their written opinion (a draft of
each such opinion is attached as Annex II(b) hereto), dated such Time of
Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that:
(i) The Company has been incorporated and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State
of Delaware, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its
properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus;
(ii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set
forth in the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock
of the Company (including the Shares being delivered at such Time of
Delivery) have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are
fully paid and non-assessable; and the Shares conform to the
description of the Stock contained in the Prospectus;
(iii) The Company has been qualified as a foreign corporation
for the transaction of business in the State of California and is in
good standing under the laws of California and of each other
jurisdiction in which it is so qualified;
(iv) The Subsidiary has been incorporated and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State
of California; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the
Subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully
paid and non-assessable, and (except for directors' qualifying shares
and except as otherwise set forth in the Prospectus) are owned
directly or indirectly by the Company free and clear, to the best
knowledge of such counsel, of all liens, encumbrances, equities or
claims (such counsel being entitled to rely in respect of the opinion
in this clause upon opinions of local counsel and in respect of
matters of fact upon certificates of officers of the Company or its
subsidiaries);
(v) To the best of such counsel's knowledge and other than
as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental
proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
a party or of which any property of the Company
13
or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to
the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the
aggregate have a material adverse effect on the current or future
consolidated financial position, stockholders' equity or results of
operations of the Company and its subsidiaries; and, to the best of such
counsel's knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by
governmental authorities or threatened by others;
(vi) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company;
(vii) The issue and sale of the Shares being delivered at
such Time of Delivery to be sold by the Company and the compliance by
the Company with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the
consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not conflict
with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or
provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage,
deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument known
to such counsel to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a
party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or
to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is subject, nor will such action result in any violation
of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of
the Company or any statute or any order, rule or regulation known to
such counsel of any court or governmental agency or body having
jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of
their properties, in each case, other than such conflicts, breaches,
violations or defaults which, individually or in the aggregate, (a)
would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its
subsidiaries and (b) would not affect the validity, performance or
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(viii) No consent, approval, authorization, order,
registration or qualification of or with any such court or
governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the
Shares or the consummation by the Company or each of the Selling
Stockholders of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement,
except the registration under the Act of the Shares, and such
consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications
as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in
connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the
Underwriters;
(ix) Neither the Company nor the Subsidiary is in violation
of its Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws, or Articles of
Incorporation or Bylaws, respectively;
(x) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the
caption "Description of Capital Stock", insofar as they purport to
constitute a summary of the terms of the Stock, and under the caption
"Underwriting", insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of
the laws and documents referred to therein, are fair and accurate
summaries thereof; provided, however, that this opinion shall not
apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an
Underwriter through Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein;
14
(xi) The Company is not an "investment company" or an entity
"controlled" by an "investment company", as such terms are defined in
the Investment Company Act;
(xii) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have all
necessary licenses from the California Department of Alcohol Beverage
Control and necessary permits from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms which these regulatory agencies require to permit
the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages;
(xiii) No authorization, approval, or consent of either the
California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control or the Federal
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is required for the sale of
the Shares by the Company and the Selling Shareholders to the
Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement;
(xiv) To such counsel's knowledge, there are no actions,
suits or proceedings pending or threatened against the Company or any
of its subsidiaries by the California Department of Alcohol Beverage
Control or the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to
suspend or revoke the licenses and permits referred to in paragraph
(xii) above;
(In rendering the opinions in clauses (xii), (xiii) and (xiv)
above, such counsel may rely upon the opinion of Xxxxxxx & X'Xxxxx as
to such matters, provided that such counsel shall state that they
believe that both you and they are justified in relying upon such
opinion);
(xv) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any
further amendments and supplements thereto made by the Company prior
to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and
related schedules and other financial data derived from accounting
records contained therein, as to which such counsel need express no
opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the
requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder;
(xvi) Such counsel shall also state that, although they do
not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or
fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus, except for those referred to in the opinions in
subsections (ii) and (x) of this Section 7(c), they have no reason to
believe that, as of its effective date, the Registration Statement or
any further amendment thereto made by the Company prior to such Time
of Delivery (other than the financial statements and related schedules
and other financial data derived from accounting records contained
therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contained
an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading or that, as of its date, the Prospectus or any
further amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company prior to
such Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and related
schedules and other financial data derived from accounting records
contained therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion)
contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
material
15
fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or that,
as of such Time of Delivery, either the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto made
by the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the
financial statements and related schedules and other financial data
derived from accounting records contained therein, as to which such
counsel need express no opinion) contains an untrue statement of a
material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading; and they do not know of any amendment to
the Registration Statement required to be filed or of any contracts or
other documents of a character required to be filed as an exhibit to
the Registration Statement or required to be described in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus which are not filed or
described as required; and such counsel shall further state that, in
connection with the matters addressed in this paragraph, they
performed the following investigations with respect to all real
property described in the Prospectus as owned or leased by the Company
or the Subsidiary: (1) a lien and encumbrance search, (2) a review of
title insurance policies obtained by the Company, and (3) a review of
lease agreements relating to real property leased by the Company or
the Subsidiary;
(xvii) A Power-of-Attorney and a Custody Agreement have been
duly executed and delivered by each of the Selling Stockholders and
constitute valid and binding agreements of each such Selling
Stockholder in accordance with their terms;
(xviii) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by
or on behalf of each of the Selling Stockholders; and the sale of the
Shares to be sold by each such Selling Stockholder hereunder and the
compliance by such Selling Stockholder with all of the provisions of
this Agreement, the Power-of-Attorney and the Custody Agreement and
the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated
will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any terms
or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any statute,
indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement
or instrument known to such counsel to which such Selling Stockholder
is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder is bound or to which
any of the property or assets of such Selling Stockholder is subject,
nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the
Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of such Selling Stockholder if
such Selling Stockholder is a corporation or the Partnership Agreement
of such Selling Stockholder if such Selling Stockholder is a
partnership or any order, rule or regulation known to such counsel of
any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over such
Selling Stockholder or the property of such Selling Stockholder, in
each case, other than such conflicts, breaches, violations or defaults
which, individually or in the aggregate, (a) would not have a material
adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries and (b) would not
affect the validity, performance or consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement;
(xix) No consent, approval, authorization or order of any
court or governmental agency or body is required for the consummation
of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with
the Shares to be sold by each such
16
Selling Stockholder hereunder, except those which have been obtained
and remain in full force and effect, such as have been obtained under
the Act and such as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky
laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of such Shares
by the Underwriters;
(xx) Immediately prior to such Time of Delivery, each such
Selling Stockholder had good and valid title to the Shares to be sold
at such Time of Delivery by such Selling Stockholder under this
Agreement, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or
claims, and full right, power and authority to sell, assign, transfer
and deliver the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder
hereunder; and
(xxi) Good and valid title to such Shares, free and clear of
all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, has been transferred to
each of the several Underwriters who have purchased such Shares in
good faith and without notice of any such lien, encumbrance, equity or
claim or any other adverse claim within the meaning of the Uniform
Commercial Code;
(In rendering the opinion in clause (xx) above, such counsel may
rely upon a certificate of each Selling Stockholder in respect of
matters of fact unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of
reasonable care should know, that the certificate with respect to such
factual matters is erroneous);
(d) On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of
this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of
any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent
to the date of this Agreement and also at each Time of Delivery, Deloitte &
Touche LLP shall have furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the
respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to
you, to the effect set forth in Annex I hereto (the executed copy of the
letter delivered prior to the execution of this Agreement is attached as
Annex I(a) hereto and a draft of the form of letter to be delivered on the
effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration
Statement and as of each Time of Delivery is attached as Annex I(b)
hereto);
(e)(i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have
sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements
included in the Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from
fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by
insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order
or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus,
and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the
Prospectus there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or
long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or
any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general
affairs, management, financial position, stockholders' equity or results of
operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth
or contemplated in the Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case
described in Clause (i) or (ii), is in the judgment of the Representatives
so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to
proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being
delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner
contemplated in the Prospectus;
17
(f) On or after the date hereof there shall not have occurred any of
the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in
securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or on Nasdaq; (ii) a
suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company's securities on
Nasdaq; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities
declared by either Federal or New York or California State authorities; or
(iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States
or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, if
the effect of any such event specified in this Clause (iv) in the judgment
of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed
with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at
such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the
Prospectus;
(g) The Shares at such Time of Delivery shall have been duly listed,
subject to notice of issuance, for quotation on Nasdaq;
(h) The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section
5(c) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the New York
Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement;
(i) The Company has obtained and delivered to the Underwriters
executed copies of an agreement from each of the Directors and Executive
Officers of the Company and from each 5% or greater stockholder of the
Company, other than the Selling Stockholders hereunder, substantially to
the effect set forth in Subsection 1(b)(iv) hereof in form and substance
satisfactory to you; and
(j) The Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have furnished or
caused to be furnished to you at such Time of Delivery certificates of
officers of the Company and of the Selling Stockholders, respectively,
satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and
warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, respectively,
herein at and as of such Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the
Company and the Selling Stockholders of all of their respective obligations
hereunder to be performed at or prior to such Time of Delivery, and as to
such other matters as you may reasonably request, and the Company shall
have furnished or caused to be furnished certificates as to the matters set
forth in subsections (a) and (e) of this Section.
8. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter
against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which
such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out
of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise
out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or
other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with
investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are
incurred; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company shall not be liable in any such
case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of
or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement
or the Prospectus or any such amendment or
18
supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished
to the Company by any Underwriter through Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. expressly for use
therein.
(b) Each of the Selling Stockholders, severally in proportion to the
number of Shares to be sold by each of them hereunder and not jointly, agrees to
indemnify each Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to
which such Underwriter may become subject under the Act or otherwise, and to
reimburse the expenses of such Underwriter, to the same extent as indemnity and
reimbursement are provided by the Company pursuant to Section 8(a) above. In no
event, however, shall the liability of any Selling Stockholder for
indemnification, reimbursement and contribution under this Section 8 exceed the
gross proceeds (at the public offering price per Share) in respect of the Shares
offered and sold by such Selling Stockholder in the offering.
(c) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each
Selling Stockholder against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which
the Company or such Selling Stockholder may become subject, under the Act or
otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in
respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement
thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to
state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to
the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission
or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon
and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such
Underwriter through Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. expressly for use therein; and will
reimburse the Company and each Selling Stockholder for any legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred by the Company or such Selling Stockholder in
connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such
expenses are incurred.
(d) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a),
(b) or (c) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified
party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the
indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in
writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the
indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to
any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection. In case any such
action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the
indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be
entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly
with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense
thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not,
except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying
party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party
of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall
not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal
expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently
incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other
than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without
the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or
compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any
pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or
contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an
actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement,
compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the
19
indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and
(ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or
a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(e) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable
to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a),
(b) or (c) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or
actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party
shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a
result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect
thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits
received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the
Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the
allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by
applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required
under subsection (d) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to
such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative
fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the
Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which
resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect
thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative
benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand
and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion
as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received
by the Company and the Selling Stockholders bear to the total underwriting
discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set
forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault
shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission
to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the
Selling Stockholders on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the
parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to
correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company, each of the Selling
Stockholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable
if contributions pursuant to this subsection (e) were determined by PRO RATA
allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such
purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the
equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (e). The amount
paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this
subsection (e) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably
incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending
any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection
(e), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the
amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and
distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any
damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of
such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No
person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section
11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not
guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters' obligations in
this subsection (e) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective
underwriting obligations and not joint.
(f) The obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholders under this
Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company and the
respective Selling Stockholders may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the
same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who
20
controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations of
the Underwriters under this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability
which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the
same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company and to
each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Stockholder within
the meaning of the Act.
9. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase
the Shares which it has agreed to purchase hereunder at a Time of Delivery, you
may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to
purchase such Shares on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours
after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of
such Shares, then the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be entitled to
a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or
other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Shares on such terms. In the
event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company and
the Selling Stockholders that you have so arranged for the purchase of such
Shares, or the Company and the Selling Stockholders notify you that they have so
arranged for the purchase of such Shares, you or the Company and the Selling
Stockholders shall have the right to postpone a Time of Delivery for a period of
not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be
made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other
documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any
amendments to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in your opinion
may thereby be made necessary. The term "Underwriter" as used in this Agreement
shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if
such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such
Shares.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company and
the Selling Stockholders as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate
number of such Shares which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of
the aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery,
then the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have the right to require
each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares which such
Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of Delivery and, in
addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata
share (based on the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase
hereunder) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for
which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a
defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company and
the Selling Stockholders as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate
number of such Shares which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the
aggregate number of all of the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery,
or if the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall not exercise the right
described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to
purchase Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement
(or, with respect to the Second Time of Delivery, the obligations of the
Underwriters to purchase and of the Company and the Selling Stockholders to sell
the Optional Shares) shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of
any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company or the Selling Stockholders,
except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Selling Stockholders
and the Underwriters as provided in Section 6 hereof and the indemnity and
21
contribution agreements in Section 8 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a
defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
10. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties
and other statements of the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the several
Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them,
respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect,
regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof)
made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any
Underwriter, or the Company, or any of the Selling Stockholders, or any officer
or director or controlling person of the Company, or any controlling person of
any Selling Stockholder, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the
Shares.
11. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof,
neither the Company nor the Selling Stockholders shall then be under any
liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof; but,
if for any other reason any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the
Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided herein, the Company and each of
the Selling Stockholders pro rata (based on the number of Shares to be sold by
the Company and such Selling Stockholder hereunder) will reimburse the
Underwriters through you for all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by
you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the
Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the
Shares not so delivered, but the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall then
be under no further liability to any Underwriter in respect of the Shares not so
delivered except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof.
12. In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the
Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any
statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or
given by you jointly or by Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. on behalf of you as the
Representatives; and in all dealings with any Selling Stockholder hereunder, you
and the Company shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request,
notice or agreement on behalf of such Selling Stockholder made or given by any
or all of the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling Stockholder.
All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in
writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail or
facsimile transmission to you as the Representatives in care of Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx &
Co., 00 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Registration
Department; if to any Selling Stockholder shall be delivered or sent by mail or
facsimile transmission to counsel for such Selling Stockholder at its address
set forth in Schedule II hereto; and if to the Company shall be delivered or
sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set
forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary; provided, however,
that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 8(d) hereof shall be
delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such Underwriter
at its address set forth in its Underwriters' Questionnaire or telex
constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company
or the Selling Stockholders by you on request. Any such statements, requests,
notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.
13. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit
of, the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholders and, to the
extent provided in Sections 8 and
22
10 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who
controls the Company, any Selling Stockholder or any Underwriter, and their
respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no
other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this
Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares from any Underwriter shall be
deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.
14. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the
term "business day" shall mean any day when the Commission's office in
Washington, D.C. is open for business.
15. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
16. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties
hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an
original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same
instrument.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and
return to us 6 counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, on
behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall
constitute a binding agreement among each of the Underwriters, the Company and
each of the Selling Stockholders. It is understood that your acceptance of this
letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set
forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be
submitted to the Company and the Selling Stockholders for examination, upon
request, but without warranty on your part as to the authority of the signers
thereof.
23
Any person executing and delivering this Agreement as Attorney-in-Fact for
a Selling Stockholder represents by so doing that he has been duly appointed as
Attorney-in-Fact by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to a validly existing and
binding Power-of-Attorney which authorizes such Attorney-in-Fact to take such
action.
Very truly yours,
GOLDEN STATE VINTNERS, INC.
By: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Name:
Title:
SELLING STOCKHOLDERS
By: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Name:
Title:
As Attorney-in-Fact acting on behalf of
each of the Selling Stockholders
named in Schedule II to this
Agreement.
Accepted as of the date hereof at Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx,
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Xx.
Xxxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLC
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
By: .......................
Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.
On behalf of each of the Underwriters
24
SCHEDULE I
Number of Optional
Shares to be
Total Number of Purchased if
Firm Shares Maximum Option
Underwriter to be Purchased Exercised
----------- --------------- -----------------
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.
Xxxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLC
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
--------- -------
Total 4,300,000 645,000
--------- -------
25
SCHEDULE II
Number of Optional
Shares to be
Total Number of Sold if
Firm Shares Maximum Option
to be Sold Exercised
The Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,150,000
The Selling Stockholder(s):
SBIC Partners, L.P.(a) 1,435,600
The Xxxx Xxxxxxx Mutual Life
Insurance Company(b) 396,274
Exeter Equity Partners, L.P.(a) 159,063
Exeter Venture Lenders, L.P.(a) 159,063
--------- -------
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,300,000 645,000
--------- -------
(a) This Selling Stockholder is represented by Xxxxxxx & XxXxxxxx and has
appointed [Names of Attorneys-in-Fact (not less than two)], and each of them, as
the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling Stockholder.
(b) This Selling Stockholder is represented by [Name and Address of Counsel]
and has appointed [Names of Attorneys-in-Fact (not less than two)], and each of
them, as the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling Stockholder.
26
ANNEX I
Pursuant to Section 7(d) of the Underwriting Agreement, the accountants
shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that:
(i) They are independent certified public accountants with
respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act
and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder;
(ii) In their opinion, the financial statements and any
supplementary financial information and schedules (and, if applicable,
financial forecasts and/or pro forma financial information) examined by
them and included in the Prospectus or the Registration Statement comply as
to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
requirements of the Act and the related published rules and regulations
thereunder; and, if applicable, they have made a review in accordance with
standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants of the unaudited consolidated interim financial statements,
selected financial data, pro forma financial information, financial
forecasts and/or condensed financial statements derived from audited
financial statements of the Company for the periods specified in such
letter, as indicated in their reports thereon, copies of which have been
separately furnished to the representatives of the Underwriters (the
"Representatives");
(iii) They have made a review in accordance with standards
established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of
the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income, consolidated
balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included in the
Prospectus as indicated in their reports thereon copies of which have been
separately furnished to the Representatives and on the basis of specified
procedures including inquiries of officials of the Company who have
responsibility for financial and accounting matters regarding whether the
unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements referred to in
paragraph (vi)(A)(i) below comply as to form in all material respects with
the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the related published
rules and regulations, nothing came to their attention that caused them to
believe that the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do
not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
accounting requirements of the Act and the related published rules and
regulations;
(iv) The unaudited selected financial information with respect to
the consolidated results of operations and financial position of the
Company for the five most recent fiscal years included in the Prospectus
agrees with the corresponding amounts (after restatements where applicable)
in the audited consolidated financial statements for such five fiscal
years;
(v) They have compared the information in the Prospectus under
selected captions with the disclosure requirements of Regulation S-K and on
the basis of limited procedures specified in such letter nothing came to
their attention as a result of the foregoing procedures that caused them to
believe that this information does not conform in all material respects
with the disclosure requirements of Items 301, 302, 402 and 503(d),
respectively, of Regulation S-K;
(vi) On the basis of limited procedures, not constituting an
examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards,
consisting of a reading of the unaudited financial statements and other
information referred to below, a reading of the latest available interim
financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, inspection of the
minute books of the Company and its subsidiaries since the date of the
latest audited financial statements included in the Prospectus, inquiries
of officials of the Company and its subsidiaries responsible for financial
and accounting matters and such other inquiries and procedures as may be
specified in such letter, nothing came to their attention that caused them
to believe that:
(A) (i) the unaudited consolidated statements of income,
consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash
flows included in the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all
material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of
the Act and the related published rules and regulations, or (ii)
any material modifications should be made to the unaudited
condensed consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance
sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included in the
Prospectus for them to be in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles;
(B) any other unaudited income statement data and balance sheet
items included in the Prospectus do not agree with the
corresponding items in the unaudited consolidated financial
statements from which such data and items were derived, and any
such unaudited data and items were not determined on a basis
substantially consistent with the basis for the corresponding
amounts in the audited consolidated financial statements included
in the Prospectus;
(C) the unaudited financial statements which were not included
in the Prospectus but from which were derived any unaudited
condensed financial statements referred to in Clause (A) and any
unaudited income statement data and balance sheet items included in
the Prospectus and referred to in Clause (B) were not determined on
a basis substantially consistent with the basis for the audited
consolidated financial statements included in the Prospectus;
(D) any unaudited pro forma consolidated condensed financial
statements included in the Prospectus do not comply as to form in
all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements
of the Act and the published rules and regulations thereunder or
the pro forma adjustments have not been properly applied to the
historical amounts in the compilation of those statements;
(E) as of a specified date not more than five days prior to the
date of such letter, there have been any changes in the
consolidated capital stock (other than issuances of capital stock
upon exercise of options and stock appreciation rights, upon
earn-outs of performance shares and upon conversions of convertible
securities, in each case which were outstanding on the date of the
latest financial statements included in the Prospectus) or any
increase in the consolidated long-term debt of the Company and its
subsidiaries, or any decreases in consolidated net current assets
or stockholders' equity or other items specified by the
Representatives, or any increases in any items specified by the
Representatives, in each case as compared with amounts shown in the
latest balance sheet included in the Prospectus, except in each
case for changes, increases or decreases which the Prospectus
discloses have occurred or may occur or which are described in such
letter; and
(F) for the period from the date of the latest financial
statements included in the Prospectus to the specified date
referred to in Clause (E) there were any decreases
2
in consolidated net revenues or operating profit or the total or
per share amounts of consolidated net income or other items
specified by the Representatives, or any increases in any items
specified by the Representatives, in each case as compared with the
comparable period of the preceding year and with any other period
of corresponding length specified by the Representatives, except in
each case for decreases or increases which the Prospectus discloses
have occurred or may occur or which are described in such letter;
and
(vii) In addition to the examination referred to in their
report(s) included in the Prospectus and the limited procedures, inspection
of minute books, inquiries and other procedures referred to in paragraphs
(iii) and (vi) above, they have carried out certain specified procedures,
not constituting an examination in accordance with generally accepted
auditing standards, with respect to certain amounts, percentages and
financial information specified by the Representatives, which are derived
from the general accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries,
which appear in the Prospectus, or in Part II of, or in exhibits and
schedules to, the Registration Statement specified by the Representatives,
and have compared certain of such amounts, percentages and financial
information with the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries
and have found them to be in agreement.
3
