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EXHIBIT 1.1
L&W DRAFT 1/6/00
NET2000 COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
COMMON STOCK
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UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
___________, 2000
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Lufkin & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities Corporation,
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities Inc.,
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Incorporated
As representatives of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Net2000 Communications, 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 ........ shares (the "Firm Shares") and, at the
election of the Underwriters, up to ........ additional shares (the "Optional
Shares") of Common Stock ("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-....) (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
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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 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & 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 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co. expressly for use
therein;
(d) 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 (other than in connection with the grant or
exercise of options or the conversion of securities pursuant to the terms
thereof) 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 taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth
or contemplated in the Prospectus;
(e) The Company and its subsidiaries, who do not own any real property,
have good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them, 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
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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 material 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;
(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 each subsidiary of the Company has been duly
incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the
laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation;
(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; 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;
(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
material agreement or material 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 (i) the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or
(ii) any statute or any order, rule or regulation (including, without
limitation, the Communications Act of 1934, as amended by the Telecommunications
Act of 1996, and the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications
Commission (the "FCC")) of any court or governmental agency or body having
jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their
properties except, in the case of sub-paragraph (ii), where such violation would
not have a material adverse effect on the current or future consolidated
financial position, stockholders' equity, business prospects or results of
operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and no consent,
approval, authorization, order, filing, 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
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required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase
and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters;
(j) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries 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 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 Our 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 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 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 taken as a
whole; 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 and its subsidiaries, 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 its subsidiaries
and any third parties with which the Company or any of its subsidiaries has a
material relationship to evaluate the extent to which the business or operations
of the Company or any of its subsidiaries 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 current or future consolidated financial position, business prospects,
stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries 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;
(q) Except as described in the Prospectus, the Company and its
subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, authorizations, authorities or
permits issued by, or have made all declarations,
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registrations or filings with, appropriate governmental agencies
or bodies (including, without limitation, the FCC and applicable
state regulatory authorities ("State Commissions")) necessary to
conduct the business now operated by them and as stated in the
Prospectus, have not received any notice of proceedings relating
to the revocation or modification of any such license,
certificate, authorization, authority or permit that, if
determined adversely to the Company or the subsidiary, would
individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect
and has no reason to believe that any such license, certificate,
authorization, authority or permit will not be renewed in the
ordinary course; each such license, certificate, authorization,
authority or permit is in full force and effect, and is issued to
the entity that is providing the service covered by such license,
certificate, authorization, authority, or permit; and
(r) The Company and its subsidiaries have filed, when due, all reports
required to be filed with the FCC and applicable State Commissions, except to
the extent that failure to file such reports would not have a material adverse
effect.
2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) 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
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 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & 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 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co., through the facilities of the
Depository
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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 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & 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 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, 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
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. in the written notice given by ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co.
of the Underwriters' election to purchase such Optional Shares, or such
other time and date as ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & 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".
(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(l) hereof, will be delivered
at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ (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 .......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
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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 event
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, 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 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
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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 three 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); and during a period of more than three
years from the effective date of the Registration Statement but less than
five years from the effective date of the Registration Statement, to make
available to you copies of all such reports or communications, or
additional information, described above in this section;
(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 National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
National Market System ("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
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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 all requests for additional information on the part of
the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable
satisfaction;
(b) ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, 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 (xii) 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) ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, 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 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 have been duly and validly authorized and
issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; the Shares being
delivered at the Time of Delivery, when issued and delivered
against payment therefor as contemplated by this Agreement, will
be duly and validly authorized and issued, fully paid and
non-assessable; and the Shares conform in all material respects 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, as listed on a
schedule to the opinion, in which it owns or leases
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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) Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly
incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good
standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation; and
all of the issued shares of capital stock of each such 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 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 to matters of fact upon
certificates of officers of the Company or its subsidiaries,
provided that such counsel shall state that they believe that both
you and they are justified in relying upon such opinions and
certificates);
(v) The Company and its subsidiaries, who do not own any
real property, have good and marketable title to all personal
property owned by them, 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 material
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 (in
giving the opinion in this clause, such counsel may state that
they are relying upon opinions of counsel to the lessors of such
property and, in respect to matters of fact, upon certificates of
officers of the Company or its subsidiaries, provided that such
counsel shall state that they believe that both you and they are
justified in relying upon such opinions, abstracts, reports,
policies and certificates);
(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, to
such counsel's knowledge, 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 material agreement or material 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, including any agreement or instrument identified to us by
an officer of the Company as material to the Company which
concerns telecommunications regulatory matters or the
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provision or receipt of telecommunications services by the Company
or any of its subsidiaries, 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 (i) the provisions of
the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or (ii)
any statute or any order, rule or regulation (other than any
order, rule or regulation of the FCC or any State Commission
applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries) of any court
or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the
Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties
except, in the case of sub-paragraph (ii), where such violation
would not have a material adverse effect on the Company;
(viii) No consent, approval, authorization, order,
registration or qualification of or with any such court or
governmental agency or body (other than the FCC or any State
Commission) 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;
(ix) To such counsel's knowledge, neither the Company nor
any of its subsidiaries 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 indenture, mortgage, deed of trust,
loan agreement, material lease or other material agreement or
material instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any
of its properties may be bound, provided, however, that such
counsel does not express an opinion regarding any forementioned
obligation or agreement which concerns telecommunications
regulatory matters or the provision of telecommunications services
by the Company or any of its subsidiaries;
(x) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the
caption "Description of Our 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 accurate, complete and fair;
(xi) The Company is not an "investment company", as such
term is defined in the Investment Company Act; and
(xii) 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; 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 (x) of this section 7(c), no information has come to
such counsel's attention which causes them to conclude 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
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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) ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, regulatory counsel for the Company,
shall have furnished to you their written opinion (a draft of such opinion is
attached as Annex II(c) hereto), dated such Time of Delivery, in form and
substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that:
(i) 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, to
such counsel's knowledge, conflict with or result in a breach or
violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a
default under any order, rule or regulation of the FCC or any
State Commission applicable to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries except where such violation would not have a material
adverse effect on the Company, and no authorizations, authorities,
consents, approvals, licenses, permits declarations,
registrations, notifications or other filings with the FCC or any
State Commission are required under the Communications Act or
analogous state communications laws in connection with the
execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by
the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, except to the
extent that such authorizations, authorities, consents, approvals
or licenses have been obtained and remain in effect or such
notifications have been timely given or such registrations or
filings have been made in accordance with applicable law;
(ii) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus and on a
schedule to the opinion, the Company and its subsidiaries have all
of the licenses, certificates, permits, authorities and
authorizations (collectively, the "Permits"), if any, required by
the FCC and the Permits required by any State Commission for the
provision of telecommunications services except where the failure
to obtain or hold such Permit would not have a material adverse
effect on the Company; except as disclosed in the
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Prospectus and on a schedule to the opinion, (a) each of the
Permits issued by the FCC and State Commissions, all of which are
listed on such schedule, is in full force and effect, and has not
been suspended, revoked, cancelled or modified in any materially
adverse way, (b) each Permit is validly held by the Company or the
subsidiary whose name is set forth on such schedule opposite the
Permit, (c) each Permit has the expiration date shown on such
schedule and (d) each Permit authorizes, without further license,
certificate, permit, authority or other authorization of the FCC
or any State Commission, the operation of each of the services
identified on such schedule at the locations or geographic area
identified on such schedule;
(iii) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus and on a
schedule to the opinion, the Company and each subsidiary has
timely filed all applications for the renewal of any Permit set
forth opposite the Company's or the subsidiary's name on a
schedule to the opinion for which applications for renewal were
required to be filed on or before the date of this opinion except
where the failure to file such application for renewal of such
Permit would not have a material adverse effect on the Company;
(iv) To the best of such counsel's knowledge, except as
disclosed in the Prospectus and on a schedule to the opinion, (a)
no petition to deny, petition for revocation, complaint,
opposition or objection is pending before the FCC or any State
Commission against any of the Permits or the Company or any of its
subsidiaries (nor is any judicial review of any such action
pending), (b) there is no outstanding decree or order that has
been issued by the FCC or any State Commission against the Company
or any of its subsidiaries or with respect to any of the Permits,
and no pending or threatened litigation, proceeding, notice of
violation, notice of apparent liability, order to show cause,
complaint, inquiry or investigation before the FCC or any State
Commission against the Company or any of the subsidiaries which,
if decided adversely to the Company or any of the subsidiaries,
could reasonably be expected to result in the cancellation,
termination, revocation, forfeiture or material impairment of any
of the Permits, or have any material adverse effect upon, or cause
material disruption to, the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or
the ownership or operation of their respective businesses, except
for proceedings of general applicability to the telecommunications
industries, and (c) all requests, petitions, or other filings made
by or against the Company or any of the subsidiaries, the grant or
denial of which could have a material adverse effect on the
Company or the subsidiaries, are listed in a schedule to such
opinion;
(v) To the best of such counsel's knowledge, there are no
actions, suits or other proceedings by or before the FCC or any
State Commission pending or threatened against or involving the
Company or any of its subsidiaries, except as disclosed in the
Prospectus and on a schedule to the opinion;
(vi) The statements in the Prospectus under the heading of
"Risk Factors - Deregulation of the telecommunications industry
involves uncertainties, and the resolution of these uncertainties
could adversely affect our business", "Risk Factors - The conduct
of the ILECs, including ▇▇▇▇ Atlantic, could adversely affect our
business" and "Government Regulation" fairly summarize the matters
therein described in an accurate and complete fashion;
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(e) 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);
(f) (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;
(g) 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;
(h) 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 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;
(i) The Shares to be sold at such Time of Delivery shall have been
duly listed for quotation on NASDAQ;
(j) The Company has obtained and delivered to the Underwriters
executed copies of an agreement from [list appropriate stockholders of
the Company], substantially to the effect set forth in Subsection 5(e)
hereof in form and substance satisfactory to you;
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(k) 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
(l) 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 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 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & 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 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, 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
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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 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, 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
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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 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 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
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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; 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 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, 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 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & 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 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs &
Co., ▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, 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:
Secretary; 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
18
19
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 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,
Net2000 Communications, Inc.
By:
Name:
Title:
Accepted as of the date hereof:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities Corporation
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities Inc.
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Incorporated
By:
(▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co.)
On behalf of each of the Underwriters
SCHEDULE I
NUMBER OF OPTIONAL
SHARES TO BE
TOTAL NUMBER OF PURCHASED IF
FIRM SHARES MAXIMUM OPTION
UNDERWRITER TO BE PURCHASED EXERCISED
----------- ---------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities Corporation
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities Inc
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Incorporated
Total
19
20
ANNEX I(a)
[copy of executed comfort letter]
20
21
ANNEX I(b)
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")[AND ARE ATTACHED HERETO];
(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 ARE ATTACHED
HERETO] 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 which were included or incorporated by reference in the
Company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K for such 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;
22
(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
23
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 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.
24
ANNEX II(a)
[II(a): DRAFT L&W OPINION]
25
ANNEX II(b)
[ II(b): DRAFT PIPER & MARBURY OPINION]
26
ANNEX II(c)
[ II(c): DRAFT ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ OPINION]
