EXHIBIT 1.1
Inforte Corp.
Common Stock, Par Value $.001 Per Share
___________
Underwriting Agreement
----------------------
............, 2000
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx Inc.
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Company, L.L.C.
As representatives of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Inforte Corp., 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 ........ shares
(the "Firm Shares") and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to ........
additional shares (the "Optional Shares") of Common Stock, par value $.001 per
share ("Stock") of the Company (the Firm Shares and the Optional Shares that the
Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof being collectively
called the "Shares").
1. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the
Underwriters that:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-92325), as amended
by pre-effective amendment(s) no. _________(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 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 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 Initial 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";
(b) 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, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein;
(c) 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, Xxxxx & Co. expressly for use
therein;
(d) The Company has not 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 of the Company (other than as a result
of exercises of stock options pursuant to employee stock option plans, unless
such exercises result in a material change in the capital stock of the Company)
or long-term debt of the Company 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, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the
Prospectus;
(e) The Company owns no real property and has good and marketable title to
all personal property owned by it, 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; any
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real property and buildings held under lease by the Company are held by it 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 the real property located in Chicago,
Illinois held under lease by the Company is the only material lease held by the
Company;
(f) The Company has been duly 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, 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; and the Company does not, directly or indirectly, own,
of record or beneficially, any outstanding voting securities or other equity
interests in or control any corporation, limited liability company, partnership,
trust, joint venture or other entity;
(g) 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;
(h) The unissued 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;
(i) The issue and sale of the Shares 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 is a party or by which the Company
is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company 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 properties; 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 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;
(j) The Company is not in violation of its Certificate of Incorporation or
By-laws 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;
(k) 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
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caption "Underwriting", insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of
the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair;
(l) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or
governmental proceedings pending to which the Company is a party or of which any
property of the Company is the subject which, if determined adversely to the
Company, 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, to the best of the Company's
knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental
authorities or threatened by others;
(m) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale
of the Shares, will not be an "investment company", as such term is defined in
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act");
(n) Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates does business with the
government of Cuba or with any person or affiliate located in Cuba within the
meaning of Section 517.075, Florida Statutes;
(o) Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of
the Company, are independent public accountants as required by the Act and the
rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;
(p) The Company has reviewed its operations and that of any third parties
with which the Company has a material relationship to evaluate the extent to
which the business or operations of the Company will be affected by the Year
2000 Problem. As a result of such review, the Company has no reason to believe,
and does not believe, that the Year 2000 Problem will have a material adverse
effect on the general affairs, management, the current or future consolidated
financial position, business prospects, stockholders' equity or results of
operations of the Company or result in any material loss or interference with
the Company's business or operations. The "Year 2000 Problem" as used herein
means any significant risk that computer hardware or software used in the
receipt, transmission, processing, manipulation, storage, retrieval,
retransmission or other utilization of data or in the operation of mechanical or
electrical systems of any kind will not, in the case of dates or time periods
occurring after December 31, 1999, function at least as effectively as in the
case of dates or time periods occurring prior to January 1, 2000; and
(q) None of the technology employed by the Company has been obtained or is
being used by the Company in violation of any contractual or fiduciary
obligation binding on the Company, its directors or executive officers or any of
its employees or consultants or, to the knowledge of the Company, otherwise in
violation of the rights of any person; neither the Company nor any of its
employees has received any written or, to the Company's knowledge, oral
communications alleging that the Company has violated or, by conducting its
business, would violate any of the intellectual property of any other person or
entity; the operation of the Company's business by the employees of the Company,
to the knowledge of the Company, will not result in a breach or violation of the
terms, conditions or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any material
contract, covenant or instrument under which any of such employees is now
obligated; and the Company has taken and will maintain reasonable measures to
prevent the unauthorized dissemination or publication of its confidential
information or the confidential information of third parties in its possession.
2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company
agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the
Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to
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purchase from the Company, at a purchase price per share of $................,
the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in
Schedule I hereto 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 agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the
Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, 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.
The Company hereby grants to the Underwriters the right to purchase at
their election up to ................... Optional Shares, at the purchase price
per share set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering
sales of shares in excess of the number of Firm Shares. Any such election to
purchase Optional Shares may be exercised only by written notice from you to the
Company, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this
Agreement, 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 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 shall be delivered by or on behalf of
the Company 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 account
specified by the Company to Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. at least forty-eight 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 City time, on ............., 2000 or
such other time and date as Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. and the Company 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, Xxxxx & Co. in the written
notice given by Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. of the Underwriters' election to
purchase such Optional Shares, or such other time and date as Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxx & Co. and the Company 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".
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(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 requested by the
Underwriters pursuant to Section 7(k) hereof, will be delivered at the
offices of Sidley & Austin, Bank One Plaza, 00 Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xx., Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 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 2:00 p.m., New York City time, on the New
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 reasonable 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 six 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 event shall have occurred as
a result of which the Prospectus as then
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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 six months or
more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, 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 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 or employee stock purchase 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), to make
available to its stockholders 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";
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(i) To use its reasonable best efforts to list for quotation the Shares
on the NASDAQ National Market ("NASDAQ");
(j) To file with the Commission such information on Form 10-Q or Form
10-K as may be required by Rule 463 under the Act; and
(k) 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 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 covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that
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 the 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; and (viii) all other costs and
expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not
otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. It is understood, however,
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 herein are, at and as of such Time of Delivery, true and correct,
the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its 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 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
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all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall
have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction;
(b) Sidley & Austin, 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), (xi) and
(xiii) 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) Xxxxx & Xxxxxxx, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to
you their written opinion (a draft of 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 duly incorporated and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State
of Delaware, with corporate power and authority to own its properties
and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus; and to the
best of such counsel's knowledge, the Company does not have any
subsidiaries;
(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 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 failure to be so qualified in any such jurisdiction (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, provided that such
counsel shall state that they believe that both you and they are
justified in relying upon such opinions and certificates;
(iv) The real property located in Chicago, Illinois held under
lease by the Company (the "Chicago Lease") is valid, binding and
enforceable, subject to standard exceptions as to creditors' rights
and equitable remedies, with such additional 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 (in giving the
opinion in this clause, such counsel may state that no examination of
record titles for the purpose of such opinion has been made, that they
are assuming that the lessor of such lease duly authorized, executed
and delivered such lease, and that they are relying in respect to
matters of fact, upon certificates of officers of the Company,
provided that such counsel shall state that they believe that both you
and they are justified in relying upon such certificates);
(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
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Company is a party or of which any property of the Company is the
subject which, if determined adversely to the Company, 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, 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 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 or
loan agreement known to such counsel or, to the best of such counsel's
knowledge, the other agreements or instruments filed as exhibits to
the Registration Statement, 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 properties;
(ix) 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 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) To the best of such counsel's actual, conscious knowledge
without independent investigation, nothing has come to such counsel's
attention to cause it to believe that the Company is in violation of
its Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws or in default in the
performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement,
covenant or condition contained in any agreements or instruments filed
as exhibits to the Registration Statement or in the Chicago Lease;
(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 true and correct;
(xii) The Company is not an "investment company", as such term
is defined in the Investment Company Act;
(xiii) 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 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;
10
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 opinion in subsection (xi) 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 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 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 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
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;
(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, Ernst & Young
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) The Company shall not 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 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, 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 reasonable judgment of the
Representatives so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or
11
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;
(f) On or after the date hereof (i) no downgrading shall have occurred
in the rating accorded the Company's debt securities or preferred stock by
any "nationally recognized statistical rating organization", as that term is
defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act, and
(ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under
surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of
any of the Company's debt securities or preferred stock;
(g) 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 the NASDAQ; (ii) a suspension
or material limitation in trading in the Company's securities on the NASDAQ;
(iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by
either Federal or New York or Illinois 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 reasonable
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;
(h) The Shares to be sold at such Time of Delivery shall have been duly
listed for quotation on NASDAQ;
(i) The Company has obtained and delivered to the Underwriters executed
copies of an agreement from each of its directors, officers and stockholders
and the optionholders listed on Annex III, substantially to the effect set
forth in Subsection 5(e) hereof in form and substance satisfactory to you;
(j) 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; and
(k) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at
such Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the Company satisfactory
to you as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the
Company herein at and as of such Time of Delivery, as to the performance by
the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior
to such Time of Delivery, as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and
(e) of this Section and as to such other matters as you may reasonably
request.
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
12
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 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 Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against
any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company 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, Sachs & Co.
expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or
defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or
(b) 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 reasonably 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 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.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable
to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or
(b) 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,
13
claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the
Company 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 (c) 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 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 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 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
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 and the Underwriters agree that it would
not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) 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 (d). 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 (d) 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 (d), 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 (d) to
contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting
obligations and not joint.
(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 8 shall be in
addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend,
upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who 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 (including any
person who, with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as
about to become a director of the Company) and to each person, if any, who
controls the Company 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
14
thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for
the purchase of such Shares, then the Company 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 that you
have so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, or the Company notifies you
that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, you or the Company
shall have the right to postpone such 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 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 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 as
provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which
remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all the
Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, or if the Company 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 to sell the
Optional Shares) shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any
non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except for the expenses to be borne
by the Company and the Underwriters as provided in Section 6 hereof and the
indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 8 hereof; notwithstanding the
foregoing, 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 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 officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall
survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.
11. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof,
the Company shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter except as
provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof; but,
15
if for any other reason, any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the
Company as provided herein, the Company 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 shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter
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, Xxxxx & Co. on behalf of you as the
representatives.
All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in
writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or
facsimile transmission to you as the representatives in care of Xxxxxxx, Sachs &
Co., 00 Xxx Xxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Registration
Department; and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail to the
address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention:
President; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to
Section 8(c) 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 by you upon 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, to the extent provided in Sections 8 and
10 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who
controls the Company 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.
16
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and
return to us one for the Company and each of the Representatives plus one for
each counsel 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 between each of the Underwriters and the Company.
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 for
examination upon request, but without warranty on your part as to the authority
of the signers thereof.
Very truly yours,
Inforte Corp.
By:______________________________
Name:
Title:
Accepted as of the date hereof:
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx Inc.
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Company, L.L.C.
By:____________________________
(Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.)
On behalf of each of the Underwriters
17
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..............................................
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Barney Inc.........................................
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Company, L.L.C...................................
Names of other Underwriters......................................
--------------- ------------------
Total...................................................
=============== ==================
18
ANNEX I
COMFORT LETTER
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 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
report 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 report thereon copies of which have been 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 cause 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
I-1
financial statements of the Company, inspection of the minute books of the
Company since the date of the latest audited financial statements included
in the Prospectus, inquiries of officials of the Company 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, 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
I-2
(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 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, 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 have found them to be in
agreement.
I-3
ANNEX II(A)
OPINION OF SIDLEY & XXXXXX
XX-1
ANNEX II(B)
OPINION OF XXXXX & LARDNER
II-2
ANNEX III
OPTIONHOLDERS SUBJECT TO LOCK-UP AGREEMENTS
Xxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxx Xxxx
III-1
