[FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT]
2,800,000 Shares of Common Stock
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇ Inc.
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
New York, New York
____________, 2000
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ INC.
▇▇▇▇▇ SECURITIES CORP.
As Representatives of the Several
Underwriters listed on Schedule A hereto
c/▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc.
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Ladies and Gentlemen:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇ Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), confirms its
agreement with ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc. and ▇▇▇▇▇ Securities, Corp. and each of the
underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the "Underwriters," which
term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in
Section 11), for whom ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc. and ▇▇▇▇▇ Securities Corp. are acting
as representatives (the "Representatives"), with respect to the sale by the
Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly,
of the respective numbers of shares of the Company's common stock, $.01 par
value per share ("Common Stock"), set forth in Schedule A hereto. Such shares of
Common Stock are hereinafter referred to as the "Firm Shares."
Upon your request, as provided in Section 2(b) of this Agreement, the
Company shall also sell to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly,
up to an additional 420,000 shares of Common Stock for the purpose of covering
over-allotments, if any (the "Option Shares"). The Firm Shares and the Option
Shares are sometimes hereinafter referred to as the "Shares." The Company also
proposes to issue and sell to ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc. and ▇▇▇▇▇ Securities Corp.
warrants (the "Representatives' Warrants") pursuant to the Representatives'
Warrant Agreement (the "Representatives' Warrant Agreement") for the purchase of
an additional 280,000 shares of Common Stock. The shares of Common Stock
issuable upon exercise of the Representatives'
Warrants are hereinafter referred to as the "Representatives' Shares." The Firm
Shares, the Option Shares, the Representatives' Warrants and the
Representatives' Shares (collectively, hereinafter referred to as the
"Securities") are more fully described in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus referred to below.
1. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents
and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters as of the date
hereof, and as of the Closing Date (hereinafter defined) and the Option Closing
Date (hereinafter defined), if any, as follows:
(a) The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement, and an amendment or
amendments thereto, on Form SB-2 (No. 33-88511), including any related
preliminary prospectus ("Preliminary Prospectus"), for the registration of the
Firm Shares and the Option Shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the "Act"), which registration statement and amendment or amendments have been
prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Act, and the
rules and regulations (the "Regulations") of the Commission under the Act. The
Company will not file any other amendment to the registration statement to which
the Underwriters shall have objected in writing after having been furnished with
a copy thereof. Except as the context may otherwise require, such registration
statement, as amended, on file with the Commission at the time the registration
statement becomes effective (including the prospectus, financial statements,
schedules, exhibits and all other documents filed as a part thereof or
incorporated therein (including, but not limited to those documents or
information incorporated by reference therein) and all information deemed to be
a part thereof as of such time pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 430(A) of the
Regulations)), is hereinafter called the "Registration Statement", and the form
of prospectus in the form first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
424(b) of the Regulations, is hereinafter called the "Prospectus." For purposes
hereof, "Rules and Regulations" mean the rules and regulations adopted by the
Commission under either the Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the "Exchange Act"), as applicable.
(b) Neither the Commission nor any state regulatory authority has issued
any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any part of any thereof and no
proceedings for a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement or any of the Company's securities have been instituted or are pending
or to the Company's knowledge, threatened. Each of the Preliminary Prospectus,
Registration Statement and Prospectus at the time of filing thereof conformed
with the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations, and none of the
Preliminary Prospectus, Registration Statement or Prospectus at the time of
filing thereof contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
state a material fact required to be stated therein and necessary to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading, provided, however, that this representation and warranty does
not apply to statements made or statements omitted in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company with respect to the
Underwriters by or on behalf of the Underwriters expressly for use in such
Preliminary Prospectus, Registration Statement or Prospectus.
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(c) At the time the Registration Statement is declared effective and at
all times subsequent thereto up to the Closing Date and each Option Closing
Date, if any, and during such longer period as the Prospectus may be required to
be delivered in connection with sales by the Underwriters or a dealer, the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus will contain all statements which are
required to be stated therein in accordance with the Act and the Rules and
Regulations, and will conform to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and
Regulations; no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, will contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading, provided, however, that this representation and warranty does
not apply to statements made or statements omitted in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf
of any Underwriter expressly for use in the Preliminary Prospectus, Registration
Statement or Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto.
(d) The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a
corporation in good standing under the laws of the state of its incorporation.
The Company does not own an interest in any corporation, partnership, trust,
joint venture or other business entity. The Company is duly qualified and
licensed and in good standing as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction in
which its ownership or leasing of any properties or the character of its
operations requires such qualification or licensing, except where the failure to
so qualify would not, singularly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse
effect on the Company or its business ("Material Adverse Effect"). The Company
has all requisite corporate power and authority, and the Company has obtained
any and all necessary authorizations, approvals, orders, licenses, certificates,
franchises and permits of and from all governmental or regulatory officials and
bodies (including, without limitation, those having jurisdiction over
environmental or similar matters), to own or lease its properties and conduct
its business as described in the Prospectus, except where the failure to obtain
the same would not have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company is and has been
doing business in compliance with all such authorizations, approvals, orders,
licenses, certificates, franchises and permits and all federal, state and local
laws, rules and regulations, except where the failure to so comply would not
have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company has not received any notice of
proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such
authorization, approval, order, license, certificate, franchise, or permit
which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision,
ruling or finding, would materially and adversely affect the condition,
financial or otherwise, or the earnings, position, prospects, value, operation,
properties, business or results of operations of the Company. The disclosures in
the Registration Statement concerning the effects of federal, state and local
laws, rules and regulations on the Company's business as currently conducted and
as contemplated are correct in all material respects and do not omit to state a
material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein not misleading
in light of the circumstances in which they were made.
(e) As of December 31, 1999, the Company has a duly authorized, issued
and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Prospectus, under
"Capitalization" and "Description of Securities" and will have the adjusted
capitalization set forth under "Capitalization" on the Closing Date based upon
the assumptions set forth therein, and the Company is not a party to or bound by
any instrument, agreement or other arrangement providing for it to issue any
capital stock, rights, warrants, options or other securities, except for this
Agreement, the
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Representatives' Warrant Agreement and as described in the Prospectus. The
Securities and all other securities issued or issuable by the Company conform
or, when issued and paid for in compliance with their terms, will conform, in
all respects to all statements with respect thereto contained in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus. All issued and outstanding securities
of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid
and non-assessable and the holders thereof have no rights of rescission with
respect thereto, and are not subject to personal liability by reason of being
such holders; and none of such securities were issued in violation of the
preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar
contractual rights granted by the Company. The Securities are not and will not
be subject to any preemptive or other similar rights of any stockholder, have
been duly authorized and, when issued, paid for and delivered in accordance with
the terms hereof, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will
conform to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus; the holders
thereof will not be subject to any liability solely by reason of being such
holders; all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issue
and sale of the Securities has been duly and validly taken; and the certificates
representing the Securities will be in due and proper form. Upon the issuance
and delivery pursuant to the terms hereof of the Securities to be sold by the
Company hereunder, the Underwriters or the Representatives, as the case may be,
will acquire good and marketable title to such Securities free and clear of any
lien, charge, claim, encumbrance, pledge, security interest, defect or other
restriction or equity of any kind whatsoever other than as created by or arising
from any action of the Underwriters or Representatives.
(f) The financial statements, including the related notes and schedules
thereto, included in the Registration Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus and
the Prospectus fairly present the financial position, income, changes in cash
flow, changes in stockholders' equity, and the results of operations of the
Company at the respective dates and for the respective periods to which they
apply and the pro forma financial information included in the Registration
Statement and Prospectus presents fairly, on a basis consistent with that of the
audited financial statements included therein, what the Company's pro forma
capitalization would have been for the respective periods and as of the
respective dates to which they apply after giving effect to the adjustments
described therein. Such financial statements have been prepared in conformity
with generally accepted accounting principles and the Rules and Regulations,
consistently applied throughout the periods involved. Except as disclosed in the
Registration Statement, there has been no adverse change or development
involving a material prospective change in the condition, financial or
otherwise, or in the earnings, position, prospects, value, operation,
properties, business, or results of operations of the Company whether or not
arising in the ordinary course of business, since the date of the financial
statements included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and the
outstanding debt, the property, both tangible and intangible, and the business
of the Company conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof
contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. Financial
information set forth in the Prospectus under the headings "Summary Financial
Information," "Capitalization," and "Plan of Operations" fairly present, on the
basis stated in the Prospectus, the information set forth therein, have been
derived from or compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited
financial statements included in the Prospectus.
(g) The Company (i) has paid all federal, state, local, and foreign
taxes for which it is liable and for which payment is due, including, but not
limited to, withholding taxes
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and amounts payable under Chapters 21 through 24 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 (the "Code"), and has furnished all information returns it is required to
furnish pursuant to the Code, (ii) has established adequate reserves for such
taxes which are not due and payable, and (iii) does not have any tax deficiency
or claims outstanding, proposed or assessed against it.
(h) No transfer tax, stamp duty or other similar tax is payable by or on
behalf of the Underwriters in connection with (i) the issuance by the Company of
the Securities, (ii) the purchase by the Underwriters of the Securities to be
sold by the Company hereunder and the purchase by the Representatives of the
Representatives' Warrants from the Company, (iii) the consummation by the
Company of any of its obligations under this Agreement or the Representatives'
Warrant Agreement, or (iv) resales of the Shares in connection with the
distribution contemplated hereby.
(i) The Company maintains insurance policies, including, but not limited
to, general liability, product liability and property insurance, which insures
the Company and its employees, against such losses and risks generally insured
against by comparable businesses. The Company (A) has not failed to give notice
or present any insurance claim with respect to any matter, including but not
limited to the Company's business, property or employees, under the insurance
policy or surety bond in a due and timely manner, (B) does not have any disputes
or claims against any underwriter of such insurance policies or surety bonds or
has not failed to pay any premiums due and payable thereunder, or (C) has not
failed to comply with all conditions contained in such insurance policies and
surety bonds. There are no facts or circumstances under any such insurance
policy or surety bond which would relieve any insurer of its obligation to
satisfy in full any valid claim of the Company.
(j) There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry, arbitration,
investigation, litigation or governmental proceeding (including, without
limitation, those involving environmental or similar matters), domestic or
foreign, pending or threatened against (or circumstances that may give rise to
the same), or involving the properties or business of, the Company which (i)
questions the validity of the capital stock of the Company, this Agreement or
the Representatives' Warrant Agreement or of any action taken or to be taken by
the Company pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or the
Representatives' Warrant Agreement, (ii) is required to be disclosed in the
Registration Statement which is not so disclosed (and such proceedings as are
summarized in the Registration Statement are accurately summarized in all
material respects), or (iii) might materially and adversely affect the
condition, financial or otherwise, or the earnings, position, prospects,
stockholders' equity, value, operation, properties, business or results of
operations of the Company.
(k) The Company has full legal right, corporate power and authority to
authorize, issue, deliver and sell the Securities, enter into this Agreement and
the Representatives' Warrant Agreement and to consummate the transactions
provided for in such agreements; and this Agreement and the Representatives'
Warrant Agreement have each been duly and properly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company. Each of this Agreement and the Representatives'
Warrant Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of the
Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i)
as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or similar laws affecting
creditors' rights generally, (ii) as enforceability
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of any indemnification or contribution provisions may be limited under
applicable laws or the public policies underlying such laws and (iii) that the
remedies of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable
relief may be subject to equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court
before which any proceedings may be brought. None of the Company's issue and
sale of the Securities, execution or delivery of this Agreement or the
Representatives' Warrant Agreement, its performance hereunder and thereunder,
its consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein, or the
conduct of its business as described in the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto, conflicts with or will
conflict with or results or will result in any breach or violation of any of the
terms or provisions of, or constitutes or will constitute a default under, or
result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge, claim, encumbrance,
pledge, security interest, defect or other restriction or equity of any kind
whatsoever upon, any property or assets (tangible or intangible) of the Company
pursuant to the terms of, (i) the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the
Company, (ii) any material license, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of
trust, voting trust agreement, stockholders agreement, note, loan or credit
agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party
or by which it is or may be bound or to which any of its properties or assets
(tangible or intangible) is or may be subject, or any indebtedness, or (iii) any
statute, judgment, decree, order, rule or regulation applicable to the Company
of any arbitrator, court, regulatory body or administrative agency or other
governmental agency or body (including, without limitation, those having
jurisdiction over environmental or similar matters), domestic or foreign, having
jurisdiction over the Company or any of its activities or properties, except
where any such violation would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(l) Except as described in the Prospectus, no consent, approval,
authorization or order of, and no filing with, any court, regulatory body,
government agency or other body, domestic or foreign, is required for the
issuance of the Shares pursuant to the Prospectus and the Registration
Statement, the issuance of the Representatives' Warrants, the performance of
this Agreement and the Representatives' Warrant Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby, including without limitation, any waiver of any
preemptive, first refusal or other rights that any entity or person may have for
the issue and/or sale of any of the Shares or the Representatives' Warrants,
except such as have been or may be obtained under the Act or may be required
under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the Underwriters'
purchase and distribution of the Shares, and the Representatives' Warrants to be
sold by the Company hereunder and under the Representatives' Warrant Agreement.
(m) All executed agreements, contracts or other documents or copies of
executed agreements, contracts or other documents filed as exhibits to the
Registration Statement to which the Company is a party or by which it may be
bound or to which any of its assets, properties or business may be subject have
been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, and
constitute the legal, valid and binding agreements of the Company, enforceable
against the Company, in accordance with their respective terms. The descriptions
in the Registration Statement of agreements, contracts and other documents are
accurate in all material respects and fairly present the information required to
be shown with respect thereto on Form SB-2, and there are no contracts or other
documents which are required by the Act to be described in the Registration
Statement or filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which are not
described or filed as required, and the exhibits which have been filed are in
all material respects complete and correct copies of the documents of which they
purport to be copies.
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(n) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is set
forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, and except as may otherwise
be indicated or contemplated herein or therein, the Company has not (i) issued
any securities or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent,
for borrowed money, (ii) entered into any transaction other than in the ordinary
course of business, or (iii) declared or paid any dividend or made any other
distribution on or in respect of its capital stock of any class, and there has
not been any change in the capital stock, or any material change in the debt
(long or short term) or liabilities or material adverse change in or affecting
the general affairs, management, financial operations, stockholders' equity or
results of operations of the Company.
(o) No default exists in the due performance and observance of any term,
covenant or condition of any license, contract, indenture, mortgage, installment
sale agreement, lease, deed of trust, voting trust agreement, stockholders
agreement, partnership agreement, note, loan or credit agreement, purchase
order, or any other agreement or instrument evidencing an obligation for
borrowed money, or any other material agreement or instrument to which the
Company is a party or by which the Company may be bound or to which the property
or assets (tangible or intangible) of the Company is subject or affected, except
where any such default would not have Material Adverse Effect.
(p) The Company has generally enjoyed a satisfactory employer-employee
relationship with its employees and is in compliance with all federal, state,
local, and foreign laws and regulations respecting employment and employment
practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where
such noncompliance would not have a Material Adverse Effect. There are no
pending investigations involving the Company by the U.S. Department of Labor, or
any other governmental agency responsible for the enforcement of such federal,
state, local, or foreign laws and regulations. There is no unfair labor practice
charge or complaint against the Company pending before the National Labor
Relations Board or any strike, picketing, boycott, dispute, slowdown or stoppage
pending or threatened against or involving the Company or any predecessor
entity, and none has ever occurred. No representation question exists respecting
the employees of the Company, and no collective bargaining agreement or
modification thereof is currently being negotiated by the Company. No grievance
or arbitration proceeding is pending under any expired or existing collective
bargaining agreements of the Company. No labor dispute with the employees of the
Company exists, or, is imminent.
(q) Except as described in the Prospectus, the Company does not
maintain, sponsor or contribute to any program or arrangement that is an
"employee pension benefit plan," an "employee welfare benefit plan," or a
"multiemployer plan" as such terms are defined in Sections 3(2), 3(1) and 3(37),
respectively, of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended
("ERISA") ("ERISA Plans"). The Company does not maintain or contribute, now or
at any time previously, to a defined benefit plan, as defined in Section 3(35)
of ERISA. No ERISA Plan (or any trust created thereunder) has engaged in a
"prohibited transaction" within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section
4975 of the Code, which could subject the Company to any tax penalty on
prohibited transactions and which has not adequately been corrected. Each ERISA
Plan is in compliance with all reporting, disclosure and other requirements of
the Code and ERISA as they relate to any such ERISA Plan. Determination letters
have been received from the Internal Revenue Service with respect to each ERISA
Plan which is intended to comply with Code Section 401(a), stating that such
ERISA Plan and the
7
attendant trust are qualified thereunder. The Company has never completely or
partially withdrawn from a "multiemployer plan."
(r) Excluding the Lock-up Agreements (as defined herein) as to which no
representation pursuant to this paragraph is being made, neither the Company nor
any of its employees, directors, stockholders, partners, or affiliates (within
the meaning of the Rules and Regulations) of any of the foregoing has taken or
will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or which has
constituted or which might be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange
Act, or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of
the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities or otherwise.
(s) Except as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, none of the
patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, service names, trade
names and copyrights, and none of the licenses and rights to the foregoing
presently owned or held by the Company are in dispute or are in any conflict
with the right of any other person or entity. Except as otherwise disclosed in
the Prospectus, the Company (i) owns or has the right to use, free and clear of
all liens, charges, claims, encumbrances, pledges, security interests, defects
or other restrictions or equities of any kind whatsoever, all patents, patent
applications, trademarks, service marks, service names, trade names and
copyrights, technology and licenses and rights with respect to the foregoing,
used in the conduct of its business as now conducted or proposed to be conducted
without infringing upon or otherwise acting adversely to the right or claimed
right of any person, corporation or other entity under or with respect to any of
the foregoing and (ii) is not obligated or under any liability whatsoever to
make any payment by way of royalties, fees or otherwise to any owner or licensee
of, or other claimant to, any patent, patent application, trademark, service
▇▇▇▇, service name, trade name, copyright, know-how, technology or other
intangible asset, with respect to the use thereof or in connection with the
conduct of its business or otherwise.
(t) There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry, arbitration,
investigation, litigation or governmental or other proceeding, domestic or
foreign, pending or threatened (or circumstances that may give rise to the same)
against the Company which challenges the exclusive rights of the Company with
respect to any trademarks, trade names, service marks, service names,
copyrights, patents, patent applications or licenses or rights to the foregoing
used in the conduct of its business, or which challenge the right of the Company
to use any technology presently used or contemplated to be used in the conduct
of its business.
(u) The Company owns or has the right to use all trade secrets, know-how
(including all other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential
information, systems or procedures), inventions, technology, designs, processes,
works of authorship, computer programs and technical data and information
(collectively herein "intellectual property") that are material to its
operations free and clear of, and without violating, any right, lien, or claim
of others, including without limitation, former employers of its employees;
provided, however, that the possibility exists that other persons or entities,
completely independently of the Company, or its employees or agents, could have
developed trade secrets or items of technical information similar or identical
to those of the Company. As of the date hereof, the Company is not aware of any
such development of similar or identical trade secrets or technical information
by others.
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(v) The Company has good and marketable title to, or valid and
enforceable leasehold estates in, all items of real and personal property stated
in the Prospectus, to be owned or leased by it free and clear of all liens,
charges, claims, encumbrances, pledges, security interests, defects, or other
restrictions or equities of any kind whatsoever, other than those referred to in
the Prospectus, taxes, lessor's interests and liens for taxes not yet due and
payable and except those where the Failure to have such title or other interest
would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(w) BDO ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP whose report is filed with the Commission as a part
of the Registration Statement, are independent certified public accountants as
required by the Act and the Rules and Regulations.
(x) The Company has caused to be duly executed legally binding and
enforceable agreements pursuant to which all officers and directors and all
holder of shares of the Common Stock of the Company, or securities exercisable
or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock, agreed not to
offer to sell, sell, transfer, hypothecate or otherwise encumber or dispose of
any such securities (either pursuant to Rule 144 of the Rules and Regulations or
otherwise) for a period of twelve (12) months following the effective date of
the Registration Statement without the prior written consent of the
Representatives and the Company; provided, however, that the parties to such
agreements may transfer such securities, or a beneficial interest therein, in a
private transaction pursuant to an exemption (other than Rule 144) provided that
the transferee agrees to be bound by the terms of the agreement. The Company
will cause the Transfer Agent, as defined below, to ▇▇▇▇ an appropriate legend
on the face of stock certificates representing all of such securities and to
place "stop transfer" orders on the Company's stock ledgers. During the twelve
(12) month period commencing on the effective date of the Registration
Statement, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the
Representatives, sell, contract or offer to sell, issue, transfer, assign,
pledge, distribute, or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares
of Common Stock or any options, rights or warrants with respect to any shares of
Common Stock, except up to (i)_________ shares of Common Stock issuable upon
exercise of outstanding stock options and (ii)_________ shares of Common Stock
reserved for future issuance under the Company's 1999 Performance Equity Plan.
(y) Except as described in the Prospectus under "Underwriting," there
are no claims, payments, issuances, arrangements or understandings, whether oral
or written, for services in the nature of a finder's or origination fee with
respect to the sale of the Securities hereunder caused by the Company or as a
result of any action of the Company or any other arrangements, agreements,
understandings, payments or issuance with respect to the Company or any of its
officers, directors, stockholders, partners, employees or affiliates that may
affect the Underwriters' compensation, as determined by the National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD").
(z) The Common Stock has been approved for quotation on the Nasdaq
SmallCap Market ("Nasdaq").
(aa) Neither the Company nor any of its officers, employees, agents, or
any other person acting on behalf of the Company, has, directly or indirectly,
given or agreed to give any
9
money, gift or similar benefit (other than legal price concessions to customers
in the ordinary course of business) to any customer, supplier, employee or agent
of a customer or supplier, or official or employee of any governmental agency
(domestic or foreign) or instrumentality of any government (domestic or foreign)
or any political party or candidate for office (domestic or foreign) or other
person who was, is, or may be in a position to help or hinder the business of
the Company (or assist the Company in connection with any actual or proposed
transaction) which (a) might subject the Company, or any other such person to
any damage or penalty in any civil, criminal or governmental litigation or
proceeding (domestic or foreign), (b) if not given in the past, might have had a
materially adverse effect on the assets, business or operations of the Company,
or (c) if not continued in the future, might have a Material Adverse Effect. The
Company's internal accounting controls are sufficient to cause the Company to
comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
(bb) Except as set forth in the Prospectus, no officer, director or
stockholder of the Company, or any "affiliate" or "associate" (as these terms
are defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Rules and Regulations) of any of
the foregoing persons or entities has or has had, either directly or indirectly,
(i) an interest in any person or entity which (A) furnishes or sells services or
products which are furnished or sold or are proposed to be furnished or sold by
the Company, or (B) purchases from or sells or furnishes to the Company any
goods or services, or (ii) a beneficial interest in any contract or agreement to
which the Company is a party or by which it may be bound or affected. Except as
set forth in the Prospectus under "Certain Transactions," "Plan of Operations"
and "Business," there are no existing agreements, arrangements, understandings
or transactions, or proposed agreements, arrangements, understandings or
transactions, between or among the Company and any officer, director, or
Principal Stockholder (as such term is defined in the Prospectus) of the Company
or any partner, affiliate or associate of any of the foregoing persons or
entities.
(cc) Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company, and delivered
to the Underwriters or to Underwriters' Counsel (as defined herein) shall be
deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to
the matters covered thereby.
(dd) The minute books of the Company have been made available to the
Underwriters and contains a complete summary of all meetings and actions of the
directors, stockholders, audit committee, compensation committee and any other
committee of the Board of Directors of the Company, respectively, since the time
of its incorporation, and reflects all transactions referred to in such minutes
accurately in all material respects.
(ee) Except and to the extent described in the Prospectus, no holders of
any securities of the Company or of any options, warrants or other convertible
or exchangeable securities of the Company have the right to include any
securities issued by the Company in the Registration Statement or any
registration statement to be filed by the Company or to require the Company to
file a registration statement under the Act and no person or entity holds any
anti-dilution rights with respect to any securities of the Company.
10
2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Securities and Representatives'
Warrants.
(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties, covenants and
agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set
forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter,
severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company at a price of
$______ [93% of the initial public offering price] per share of Common Stock,
that number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such
Underwriter, plus any additional number of Firm Shares which such Underwriter
may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 11
hereof.
(b) In addition, on the basis of the representations, warranties,
covenants and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and
conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the
Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, all or any part of the
Option Shares at a price of $______ [93% of the initial public offering price]
per share. The option granted hereby will expire 45 days after (i) the date the
Registration Statement becomes effective, if the Company has elected not to rely
on Rule 430A under the Rules and Regulations, or (ii) the date of this Agreement
if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 430A under the Rules and
Regulations, and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time only for
the purpose of covering over-allotments which may be made in connection with the
offering and distribution of the Firm Shares upon notice by the Representatives
to the Company setting forth the number of Option Shares as to which the several
Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and
delivery for any such Option Shares. Any such time and date of delivery (an
"Option Closing Date") shall be determined by the Representatives, but shall not
be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in
any event prior to the Closing Date, as hereinafter defined, unless otherwise
agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company. Nothing herein contained
shall obligate the Underwriters to make any over-allotments. No Option Shares
shall be delivered unless the Firm Shares shall be simultaneously delivered or
shall theretofore have been delivered as herein provided.
(c) Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for,
the Firm Shares shall be made at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc. at ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, or at such other place as shall be
agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company. Such delivery and payment
shall be made at 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on _______________, 2000 or at
such other time and date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the
Company, but not less than three (3) nor more than seven (7) full business days
after the effective date of the Registration Statement (such time and date of
payment and delivery being herein called "Closing Date"). In addition, in the
event that any or all of the Option Shares are purchased by the Underwriters,
payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, such Option
Shares shall be made at the above mentioned office of the Representatives or at
such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company
on each Option Closing Date as specified in the notice from the Representatives
to the Company. Delivery of the certificates for the Firm Shares and the Option
Shares, if any, shall be made to the Underwriters against payment by the
Underwriters, severally and not jointly, of the purchase price for the Firm
Shares and the Option Shares, if any, to the order of the Company for the Firm
Shares and the Option Shares, if any, by New York Clearing House funds. In the
event such option is exercised, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and
not jointly,
11
shall purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Shares then being
purchased which the number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule A hereto
opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares,
subject in each case to such adjustments as the Representatives in its
discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.
Certificates for the Firm Shares and the Option Shares, if any, shall be in
definitive, fully registered form, shall bear no restrictive legends and shall
be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Underwriters may
request in writing at least two (2) business days prior to the Closing Date or
the relevant Option Closing Date, as the case may be. The certificates for the
Firm Shares and the Option Shares, if any, shall be made available to the
Representatives at such office or such other place as the Representatives may
designate for inspection, checking and packaging no later than 9:30 a.m. on the
last business day prior to Closing Date or the relevant Option Closing Date, as
the case may be.
(d) On the Closing Date, the Company shall issue and sell to the
Representatives, Representatives' Warrants at a purchase price of $.0001 per
warrant, which warrants shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase an
aggregate of 280,000 shares of Common Stock. The Representatives' Warrants shall
be exercisable for a period of four years commencing one year from the effective
date of the Registration Statement at a price equaling [one hundred sixty-five
percent (165%)] of the initial public offering price of the shares of Common
Stock. The Representatives' Warrant Agreement and form of Warrant Certificate
shall be substantially in the form filed as Exhibit 4.2 to the Registration
Statement. Payment for the Representatives' Warrants shall be made on the
Closing Date.
3. Public Offering of the Shares. As soon after the Registration Statement
becomes effective as the Representatives deem advisable, the Underwriters shall
make a public offering of the Shares (other than to residents of or in any
jurisdiction in which qualification of the Shares is required and has not become
effective) at the price and upon the other terms set forth in the Prospectus.
The Representatives may from time to time increase or decrease the public
offering price after distribution of the Shares has been completed to such
extent as the Representatives, in their discretion deem advisable. The
Underwriters may enter into one of more agreements as the Underwriters, in each
of their sole discretion, deem advisable with one or more broker-dealers who
shall act as dealers in connection with such public offering.
4. Covenants and Agreements of the Company.
The Company covenants and agrees with each of the Underwriters as follows:
(a) The Company shall use its best efforts to cause any amendments to
the Registration Statement to become effective as promptly as practicable and
will not at any time, after the effective date of the Registration Statement,
file any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus
or file any document under the Act or Exchange Act before termination of the
offering of the Shares by the Underwriters of which the Representatives shall
not previously have been advised and furnished with a copy, or to which the
Representatives shall have objected or which is not in compliance with the Act,
the Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations.
12
(b) As soon as the Company is advised or obtains knowledge thereof, the
Company will advise the Representatives and confirm the notice in writing, (i)
when the Registration Statement, as amended, becomes effective, if the
provisions of Rule 430A promulgated under the Act will be relied upon, when the
Prospectus has been filed in accordance with said Rule 430A and when any
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective, (ii)
of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of the initiation, or the
threatening, of any proceeding, suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement or any order preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary
Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or the
institution of proceedings for that purpose, (iii) of the issuance by the
Commission or by any state securities commission of any proceedings for the
suspension of the qualification of any of the Securities for offering or sale in
any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for
that purpose, (iv) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission; and (v)
of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement
or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information.
If the Commission or any state securities commission authority shall enter a
stop order or suspend such qualification at any time, the Company will make
every effort to obtain promptly the lifting of such order.
(c) The Company shall file the final Prospectus (in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representatives) or transmit the Prospectus by a means
reasonably calculated to result in filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule
424(b)(1) (or, if applicable and if consented to by the Representatives,
pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4)) not later than the Commission's close of business on
the earlier of (i) the second business day following the execution and delivery
of this Agreement and (ii) the fifteenth business day after the effective date
of the Registration Statement.
(d) The Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to
file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any
post-effective amendment) or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus
(including any revised prospectus which the Company proposes for use by the
Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Securities which differs
from the corresponding prospectus on file at the Commission at the time the
Registration Statement becomes effective, whether or not such revised prospectus
is required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations),
and will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such amendment or
supplement a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as
the case may be, and will not file any such prospectus to which the
Representatives or ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP ("Underwriters' Counsel"),
shall object.
(e) The Company shall endeavor in good faith, in cooperation with the
Representatives, at or prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes
effective, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the securities
laws of such additional jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate to
permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein for as long as may be
necessary to complete the distribution, and shall make such applications, file
such documents and furnish such information as may be required for such purpose;
provided, however, the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign
corporation or file a general or limited consent to service of process in any
such jurisdiction. In each jurisdiction where such qualification shall be
effected, the Company will, unless the Representatives agree that such
13
action is not at the time necessary or advisable, use all reasonable efforts to
file and make such statements or reports at such times as are or may reasonably
be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification.
(f) During the time when a prospectus is required to be delivered under
the Act, the Company shall use all reasonable efforts to comply with all
requirements imposed upon it by the Act and the Exchange Act, as now and
hereafter amended and by the Rules and Regulations, as from time to time in
force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in
the Securities in accordance with the provisions hereof and the Prospectus, or
any amendments or supplements thereto. If at any time when a prospectus relating
to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Act, any event shall
have occurred as a result of which, in the opinion of counsel for the Company or
Underwriters' Counsel, the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, includes
an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any 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, or if
it is necessary at any time to amend the Prospectus to comply with the Act, the
Company will notify the Representatives promptly and prepare and file with the
Commission an appropriate amendment or supplement in accordance with Section 10
of the Act, each such amendment or supplement to be satisfactory to
Underwriters' Counsel, and the Company will furnish to the Underwriters copies
of such amendment or supplement as soon as available and in such quantities as
the Underwriters may request.
(g) As soon as practicable, but in any event not later than 45 days
after the end of the 12-month period beginning on the day after the end of the
fiscal quarter of the Company during which the effective date of the
Registration Statement occurs (90 days in the event that the end of such fiscal
quarter is the end of the Company's fiscal year), the Company shall make
generally available to its security holders, in the manner specified in Rule
158(b) of the Rules and Regulations, and to the Representatives, an earnings
statement which will be in the detail required by, and will otherwise comply
with, the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158(a) of the Rules
and Regulations, which statement need not be audited unless required by the Act,
covering a period of at least 12 consecutive months after the effective date of
the Registration Statement.
(h) During a period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the
earlier of (1) the date the capital stock of the Company is no longer publicly
traded and (2) the fifth anniversary hereof, the Company will furnish to its
stockholders annual reports (including financial statements audited by
independent public accountants) and will deliver to the Representatives:
(i) concurrently with furnishing such quarterly reports to its
stockholders, statements of income of the Company for each quarter in the
form furnished to the Company's stockholders;
(ii) concurrently with furnishing such annual reports to its
stockholders, a balance sheet of the Company as at the end of the preceding
fiscal year, together with statements of operations, stockholders' equity,
and cash flows of the Company for
14
such fiscal year, accompanied by a copy of the report thereon of
independent certified public accountants;
(iii) as soon as they are available, copies of all reports (financial
or other) mailed to stockholders; and
(iv) every press release and every material news item or article of
interest to the financial community in respect of the Company, or its
affairs which was released or prepared by or on behalf of the Company; and
(v) any additional information of a public nature concerning the
Company (and any future subsidiary) or its businesses which the
Representatives may reasonably request.
During such five (5)-year period, if the Company has an active
subsidiary, the foregoing financial statements will be on a consolidated basis
to the extent that the accounts of the Company and its subsidiary are
consolidated.
(i) So long as the capital stock of the Company is publicly traded, the
Company will maintain a Transfer Agent and, if necessary under the jurisdiction
of incorporation of the Company, a Registrar (which may be the same entity as
the Transfer Agent) for its Common Stock.
(j) The Company will furnish to the Representatives or on the
Representatives' order, without charge, at such place as the Representatives may
designate, copies of each Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement and
any pre-effective or post-effective amendments thereto (two of which copies will
be signed and will include all financial statements and exhibits), the
Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, including any prospectus
prepared after the effective date of the Registration Statement, in each case as
soon as reasonably available and in such quantities as the Representatives may
reasonably request.
(k) On or before the effective date of the Registration Statement, the
Company shall provide the Representatives with true copies of duly executed,
legally binding and enforceable agreements pursuant to which for a period of
twelve (12) months from the effective date of the Registration Statement all
officers and directors of the Company and all holders of shares of the Common
Stock of the Company or securities exercisable or exchangeable for or
convertible into shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding will not offer to
sell, sell, transfer, hypothecate or otherwise encumber or dispose of any such
securities (either pursuant to Rule 144 of the Rules and Regulations or
otherwise) without the prior written consent of the Representatives
(collectively, the "Lock-up Agreements"). On or before the Closing Date, the
Company shall deliver instructions to the Transfer Agent authorizing it to place
appropriate legends on the certificates representing the securities subject to
the Lock-up Agreements and to place appropriate stop transfer orders on the
Company's ledgers. During the twelve (12) month period commencing with the
effective date of the Registration Statement, the Company shall not, without the
prior written consent of the Representatives, sell, contract or offer to sell,
issue, transfer, assign, pledge, hypothecate, distribute, or otherwise dispose
of,
15
directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any options, rights or
warrants with respect to any shares of Common Stock except up to (i)________
shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options, and
(ii)________ shares of Common Stock reserved for future issuance under the
Company's 1999 Performance Equity Plan. During the twelve (12) month period
commencing with the effective date of the Registration Statement, the Company
shall not file any registration statement with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on Form S-8 without the prior written consent of the Representatives.
(l) Excluding the Lock-up Agreement as to which no representation is
being made pursuant to this paragraph, neither the Company, nor any of its
officers, directors, stockholders, nor any of their respective affiliates
(within the meaning of the Rules and Regulations) will take, directly or
indirectly, any action designed to, or which might in the future reasonably be
expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of
any securities of the Company.
(m) The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the
Securities in the manner, and subject to the conditions, set forth under "Use of
Proceeds" in the Prospectus. Except as described in the Prospectus, no portion
of the net proceeds will be used, directly or indirectly, to acquire any
securities issued by the Company or any securities of Enviro-Clean of America,
Inc. The Company agrees that for a period of eighteen (18) months, it will not
permit any subsidiary of the Company to purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire or
retire for value any equity securities of the Company.
(n) The Company shall timely file all such reports, forms or other
documents as may be required from time to time, under the Act, the Exchange Act,
and the Rules and Regulations, and all such reports, forms and documents filed
will comply as to form and substance with the applicable requirements under the
Act, the Exchange Act, and the Rules and Regulations.
(o) The Company shall furnish to the Representatives as early as
practicable prior to each of the date hereof, the Closing Date and each Option
Closing Date, if any, but no later than two (2) full business days prior
thereto, a copy of the latest available unaudited interim financial statements
of the Company (which in no event shall be as of a date more than thirty (30)
days prior to the date of the Registration Statement) which have been read by
the Company's independent public accountants, as stated in their letter to be
furnished pursuant to Section 6(i) hereof.
(p) The Company shall cause the Common Stock to be quoted on Nasdaq or a
National Securities exchange and, so long as the Common Stock is publicly
traded, use its best efforts to maintain the Nasdaq quotation or exchange
listing of the Common Stock to the extent outstanding.
(q) For a period of five (5) years from the Closing Date, the Company
shall furnish to the Representatives at the Representatives' reasonable request
and at the Company's sole expense, (i) daily consolidated transfer sheets
relating to the Common Stock, (ii) the list of holders of all of the Company's
securities and (iii) a Blue Sky "Trading Survey" for secondary sales of the
Company's securities prepared by counsel to the Company.
16
(r) As soon as practicable, but in no event more than 30 days from the
effective date of the Registration Statement, take all necessary and appropriate
actions to be included in Standard and Poor's Corporation Descriptions and
▇▇▇▇▇'▇ OTC Manual and to continue such inclusion for a period beginning on the
date the Company is first included therein and ending on the earlier of (1) the
date the Company's capital stock is no longer publicly traded and (2) the fifth
anniversary of the date of such inclusion.
(s) The Company hereby agrees that it will not for a period of twelve
(12) months from the effective date of the Registration Statement, adopt,
propose to adopt or otherwise permit to exist any employee, officer, director,
consultant or compensation plan or arrangement permitting the grant, issue or
sale of any shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company (i) in an
amount greater than an aggregate of 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock, (ii) at an
exercise or sale price per share less than the fair market value of the Common
Stock on the date of grant or sale, (iii) to any direct or indirect beneficial
holder on the date hereof of more than 10% of the issued and outstanding shares
of Common Stock, (iv) with the payment for such securities with any form of
consideration other than cash, (v) upon payment of less than the full purchase
or exercise price for such shares of Common Stock or other securities of the
Company.
(t) Until the completion of the distribution of the Shares, and for 25
days thereafter, the Company shall not without the prior written consent of the
Representatives, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, issue, directly or
indirectly, any press release or other communication or hold any press
conference with respect to the Company or its activities or the offering
contemplated hereby.
(u) For a period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the earlier
of (i) the seventh anniversary of the date hereof, and (ii) the date the
Representatives' Shares are publicly sold, and (iii) the date the Company's
capital stock is no longer publicly traded, the Company will not take any action
or actions which may prevent or disqualify the Company's use of Form S-1 (or
other appropriate form) for the registration under the Act of the
Representatives' Shares.
(v) For a period of three (3) years from the Effective Date the
Representatives shall be permitted to designate one person for election to the
Company's Board of Directors. In the event the Representatives elect not to
exercise this right, then the Representatives may designate one person to attend
the meetings of the Company's Board of Directors. Such designee shall be
entitled to attend all Company Board of Director meetings and to receive all
notices and other communications sent by the Company to members of its Board of
Directors. The Company shall reimburse the designee of the Representatives for
its out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance of meetings of
the Company's Board of Directors.
5. Payment of Expenses.
(a) The Company hereby agrees to pay on each of the Closing Date and the
Option Closing Date (to the extent not paid at the Closing Date) all expenses
and fees (other than fees of Underwriters' Counsel, except as provided in (iv)
below) incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this
Agreement and the Representatives' Warrant
17
Agreement, including, without limitation, (i) the fees and expenses of
accountants and counsel for the Company, (ii) all costs and expenses incurred in
connection with the preparation, duplication, printing, (including mailing and
handling charges) filing, delivery and mailing (including the payment of postage
with respect thereto) of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any
amendments and supplements thereto and the printing, mailing (including the
payment of postage with respect thereto) and delivery of this Agreement, the
Agreement Among Underwriters, the Selected Dealer Agreements, and related
documents, including the cost of all copies thereof and of the Preliminary
Prospectuses and of the Prospectus and any amendments thereof or supplements
thereto supplied to the Underwriters and such dealers as the Underwriters may
request, in such quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request, (iii)
the printing, engraving, issuance and delivery of the Securities, (iv) the
qualification of the Securities under state or foreign securities or "Blue Sky"
laws and determination of the status of such securities under legal investment
laws, including the costs of printing and mailing the "Preliminary Blue Sky
Memorandum," the "Supplemental Blue Sky Memorandum" and "Legal Investments
Survey," if any, and disbursements and fees of counsel in connection therewith
(up to an aggregate of $______, $_____ of which has already been paid), (v) fees
and expenses of the transfer agent and registrar, (vi) costs and expenses in
connection with "Road Shows," information meetings and presentations excluding
travel, hotel and out of pocket expenses for Underwriters and their personnel,
(vii) production of bound volumes, (viii) prospectus memorabilia and tombstone
advertisement expenses (not to exceed $______) (ix) applications for assignments
of a rating of the Securities by qualified rating agencies, (x) the fees payable
to the Commission and the NASD, and (xi) the fees and expenses incurred in
connection with the quotation of the Securities on Nasdaq and any other
exchange.
(b) If this Agreement is terminated by the Underwriters in accordance
with the provisions of Sections 6, 10 or 12, the Company shall reimburse and
indemnify the Representatives for all of their reasonable actual out-of-pocket
expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of Underwriters'
Counsel, less any amounts already paid pursuant to Section 5(c) hereof.
(c) The Company further agrees that, in addition to the expenses payable
pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 5, it will pay to the Representatives
on the Closing Date by deduction from the proceeds of the offering contemplated
herein a non-accountable expense allowance equal to two percent (3%) of the
gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Firm Shares (of
which $50,000 has previously been paid). In the event the Representatives elect
to exercise the over-allotment option described in Section 2(b) hereof, the
Company agrees to pay to the Representatives on the Option Closing Date (by
certified or bank cashier's check, or at the Representatives' election, by
deduction from the proceeds of the Option Shares) a non-accountable expense
allowance equal to two percent (3%) of the gross proceeds received by the
Company from the sale of the Option Shares.
6. Conditions of the Underwriters' Obligations. The obligations of the
Underwriters hereunder shall be subject to the continuing accuracy of the
representations and warranties of the Company herein as of the date hereof and
as of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, with respect to the
Company as if it had been made on and as of the Closing Date or each Option
Closing Date, as the case may be; the accuracy on and as of the Closing Date or
Option Closing Date, if any, of the statements of the officers of the Company
made pursuant to the
18
provisions hereof; and the performance by the Company on and as of the Closing
Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, of their respective covenants and
obligations hereunder and to the following further conditions:
(a) The Registration Statement shall have become effective not later
than 12:00 Noon, New York time, on the date of this Agreement or such later date
and time as shall be consented to in writing by the Representatives, and, at the
Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no
proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or
contemplated by the Commission and any request on the part of the Commission for
additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable
satisfaction of Underwriters' Counsel. If the Company has elected to rely upon
Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations, the price of the Shares and any
price-related information previously omitted from the effective Registration
Statement pursuant to such Rule 430A shall have been transmitted to the
Commission for filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations
within the prescribed time period, and prior to the Closing Date the Company
shall have provided evidence satisfactory to the Representatives of such timely
filing, or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been
promptly filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of
Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations.
(b) The Representatives shall not have advised the Company that the
Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, contains an untrue statement
of fact which, in the Representatives' opinion, is material, or omits to state a
fact which, in the Representatives' opinion, is material and is required to be
stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or
that the Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of
fact which, in the Representatives' opinion, is material, or omits to state a
fact which, in the Representatives' opinion, is material and is required to be
stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(c) On or prior to the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have
received from Underwriters' Counsel, such opinion or opinions with respect to
the organization of the Company, the validity of the Securities, the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus and other related matters as the
Representatives request and Underwriters' Counsel shall have received such
papers and information as they request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(d) At the Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received the
favorable opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, counsel to the Company, dated the
Closing Date, addressed to the Underwriters and in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to Underwriters' Counsel, to the effect that:
(i) the Company (A) has been duly organized and is validly existing as
a corporation in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of
organization, (B) is duly qualified and licensed and in good standing as a
foreign corporation in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or leasing
of any properties or the character of its operations requires such
qualification or licensing, except where the failure to be so qualified or
licensed would not have a Material Adverse Effect and (C) has all
19
requisite corporate power and authority; and the Company has obtained any
and all necessary authorizations, approvals, orders, licenses,
certificates, franchises and permits of and from all governmental or
regulatory officials and bodies (including, without limitation, those
having jurisdiction over environmental or similar matters), to own or lease
its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus,
except where any such failure would not have a Material Adverse Effect; to
the best of such counsel's knowledge the Company has not received any
notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any
such authorization, approval, order, license, certificate, franchise, or
permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable
decision, ruling or finding, would materially adversely affect the
business, operations, condition, financial or otherwise, or the earnings,
business affairs, position, prospects, value, operation, properties,
business or results of operations of the Company.
(ii) to the best of such counsel's knowledge, the Company does not own
an interest in any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or
other business entity;
(iii) based solely upon our review of the Company's minute book and
stock ledger the Company has a duly authorized, issued and outstanding
capitalization as set forth in the Prospectus, and any amendment or
supplement thereto, under "Capitalization" and "Description of Securities."
To the best of our knowledge, the Company is not a party to or bound by any
instrument, agreement or other arrangement providing for it to issue any
capital stock, rights, warrants, options or other securities, except for
this Agreement, the Representatives' Warrant Agreement and as described in
the Prospectus. The Securities, and all other securities issued or issuable
by the Company conform in all material respects to all statements with
respect thereto contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
All issued and outstanding securities of the Company have been duly
authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable to the
best of our knowledge; the holders thereof have no rights of rescission
with respect thereto, and are not subject to personal liability by reason
of being such holders; and none of such securities were issued in violation
of the statutory preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the
Company or to the best of our knowledge any contractual preemptive rights
of any holder of any security of the Company. The Shares, the
Representatives' Warrants and the Representatives' Shares to be sold by the
Company hereunder and under the Representatives' Warrant Agreement are not
and will not be subject to any statutory preemptive or to the best of our
knowledge other similar rights of any securityholder, have been duly
authorized and, when issued, paid for and delivered in accordance with the
terms hereof, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and
conform to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus; the holders
thereof will not be subject to any liability solely as such holders; all
corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issue and sale
of the Shares, the Representatives' Warrants and the Representatives'
Shares has been duly and validly taken, and the certificates representing
the Shares and the Representatives' Warrants are in due and proper form.
The Representatives' Warrants constitute valid and binding obligations of
the Company to issue and sell, upon exercise thereof and payment therefor,
the number
20
and type of securities of the Company called for thereby (except as such
enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or other laws of general application relating to
or affecting enforcement of creditors' rights and the application of
equitable principles in any action, legal or equitable). Upon the issuance
and delivery pursuant to this Agreement and the Representatives' Warrant
Agreement of the Shares and the Representatives' Warrants, respectively, to
be sold by the Company, the Underwriters and the Representatives,
respectively, will acquire good and marketable title to the Shares and the
Representatives' Warrants free and clear of any pledge, lien, charge,
claim, encumbrance, pledge, security interest, or other restriction or
equity of any kind whatsoever.
(iv) the Registration Statement is effective under the Act, and, if
applicable, filing of all pricing information has been timely made in the
appropriate form under Rule 430A, and to the best of our knowledge no stop
order suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
Statement or Prospectus or any part of any thereof or suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no
proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the
best of such counsel's knowledge threatened or contemplated under the Act;
(v) each of the Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement,
and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto (other than
the financial statements and other financial and statistical data included
therein, as to which no opinion need be rendered) comply as to form in all
material respects with the requirements of the Act and the Rules and
Regulations;
(vi) to the best of such counsel's knowledge, (A) there are no
agreements, contracts or other documents required by the Act to be
described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and filed as
exhibits to the Registration Statement other than those described in the
Registration Statement (or required to be filed under the Exchange Act if
upon such filing they would be incorporated, in whole or in part, by
reference therein) and the Prospectus and filed as exhibits thereto, and
the exhibits which have been filed are correct copies of the documents of
which they purport to be copies; (B) the descriptions in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus and any supplement or amendment thereto of
contracts and other documents to which the Company is a party or by which
it is bound, including any document to which the Company is a party or by
which it is bound, incorporated by reference into the Prospectus and any
supplement or amendment thereto, are accurate in all material respects and
fairly represent the information required to be shown by Form SB-2; (C)
there is not pending or threatened against the Company any action,
arbitration, suit, proceeding, inquiry, investigation, litigation,
governmental or other proceeding (including, without limitation, those
involving environmental or similar matters), domestic or foreign, pending
or threatened against (or circumstances that may give rise to the same), or
involving the properties or business of the Company which (x) is required
to be disclosed in the Registration Statement which is not so disclosed,
(and such proceedings as are summarized in the Registration Statement are
accurately summarized in all material respects), (y) questions the validity
of the capital stock of the Company or this Agreement or the
Representatives' Warrant Agreement, or of any
21
action taken or to be taken by the Company pursuant to or in connection
with any of the foregoing; (D) no statute or regulation or legal or
governmental proceeding required to be described in the Prospectus is not
described as required; and (E) there is no action, suit or proceeding
pending, or threatened, against or affecting the Company before any court
or arbitrator or governmental body, agency or official (or any basis
thereof known to such counsel) in which there is a reasonable possibility
of an adverse decision which may result in a material adverse change in the
condition, financial or otherwise, or the earnings, position, prospects,
stockholders' equity, value, operation, properties, business or results of
operations of the Company, which could adversely affect the present or
prospective ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this
Agreement or the Representatives' Warrant Agreement or which in any manner
draws into question the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or the
Representatives' Warrant Agreement;
(vii) the Company has full legal right, power and authority to enter
into each of this Agreement and the Representatives' Warrant Agreement and
to consummate the transactions provided for herein and therein; and each of
this Agreement and the Representatives' Warrant Agreement has been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by the Company. Each of this Agreement
and the Representatives' Warrant Agreement, assuming due authorization,
execution and delivery by each other party thereto (other than the Company)
constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable
against the Company in accordance with its terms (except as such
enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or other laws of general application relating to
or affecting enforcement of creditors' rights and the application of
equitable principles in any action, legal or equitable, and except as
rights to indemnity or contribution may be limited by applicable law), and
none of the Company's execution or delivery of this Agreement and the
Representatives' Warrant Agreement, its performance hereunder or
thereunder, its consummation of the transactions contemplated herein or
therein, or the conduct of its business as described in the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto,
conflicts with or will conflict with or results or will result in any
breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitutes or
will constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of
any lien, charge, claim, encumbrance, pledge, security interest, defect or
other restriction or equity of any kind whatsoever upon, any property or
assets (tangible or intangible) of the Company pursuant to the terms of,
(A) the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company, (B) any
material license, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, voting
trust agreement, stockholders agreement, note, loan or credit agreement or
any other agreement or instrument known to us and to which the Company is a
party or by which it is or may be bound or to which any of its respective
properties or assets (tangible or intangible) is or may be subject, or any
indebtedness, or (C) (i) any statute, rule or regulation or (ii) any
judgement, decree or order, known to such counsel, applicable to the
Company of any arbitrator, court, regulatory body or administrative agency
or other governmental agency or body (including, without limitation, those
having jurisdiction over environmental or similar matters), domestic or
foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its activities or
properties;
22
(viii) except as described in the Prospectus, no consent, approval,
authorization or order of, and no filing with, any court, regulatory body,
government agency or other body (other than such as may be required under
Blue Sky laws, as to which no opinion need be rendered) is required in
connection with the issuance of the Shares (except for the consents under
the Act and the Exchange Act which have been obtained) pursuant to the
Prospectus, the issuance of the Representatives' Warrants, the performance
of this Agreement and the Representatives' Warrant Agreement (except as may
be required under the Act and the Exchange Act) and the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby;
(ix) to the best knowledge of such counsel, the Company is not in
breach of, or in default under, any term or provision of any license,
contract, indenture, mortgage, installment sale agreement, deed of trust,
lease, voting trust agreement, stockholders' agreement, partnership
agreement, note, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or
instrument evidencing an obligation for borrowed money, or any other
agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the
Company may be bound or to which the property or assets (tangible or
intangible) of the Company is subject or affected except as where such
breach or default would not have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company
is not in violation of any term or provision of its certificate of
incorporation by-laws, or in violation of any franchise, license, permit,
judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or regulation except where such
violation would not have a Material Adverse Effect;
(x) the statements in the Prospectus under "BUSINESS," "MANAGEMENT,"
"PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS," "CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS," and "DESCRIPTION OF
SECURITIES" have been reviewed by such counsel, and insofar as they refer
to statements of law, descriptions of statutes, licenses, rules or
regulations or legal conclusions, are correct in all material respects;
(xi) the Shares have been accepted for quotation on Nasdaq;
(xii) the persons listed under the caption "PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS" in
the Prospectus are the respective "beneficial owners" (as such phrase is
defined in regulation 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of the securities set
forth opposite their respective names thereunder as and to the extent set
forth therein;
(xiii) except as described in the Prospectus, to the best of our
knowledge, no person, corporation, trust, partnership, association or other
entity has the right to include and/or register any securities of the
Company in the Registration Statement, require the Company to file any
registration statement or, if filed, to include any security in such
registration statement;
(xiv) assuming due execution by the parties thereto other than the
Company, the Lock-up Agreements are legal, valid and binding obligations of
parties thereto, enforceable against the party and any subsequent holder of
the securities subject thereto in accordance with its terms (except as such
enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or other
23
laws of general application relating to or affecting enforcement of
creditors' rights and the application of equitable principles in any
action, legal or equitable, and except as rights to indemnity or
contribution may be limited by applicable law); and;
Such counsel shall state that such counsel has participated in conferences
with officers and other representatives of the Company and representatives of
the independent public accountants for the Company at which conferences such
counsel made inquiries of such officers, representatives and accountants and
discussed the contents of the Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus, and related matters were discussed and, although such
counsel is not passing upon and does not assume any responsibility for the
accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement and Prospectus, on the basis
of the foregoing, no facts have come to the attention of such counsel which lead
them to believe that either the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto,
at the time such Registration Statement or amendment became effective or the
Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto as of
the date of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, and as of the date of
such opinion contained any 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 (it being understood that such counsel need
express no opinion with respect to the financial statements and schedules and
other financial and statistical data included in the Preliminary Prospectus, the
Registration Statement or Prospectus).
Such opinion shall not state that it is to be governed or qualified by, or
that it is otherwise subject to, any treatise, written policy or other document
relating to legal opinions, including, without limitation, the Legal Opinion
Accord of the ABA Section of Business Law (1991), or any comparable State bar
accord.
In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to matters
involving the application of laws other than the laws of the United States and
jurisdictions in which they are admitted, to the extent such counsel deems
proper and to the extent specified in such opinion, if at all, upon an opinion
or opinions (in form and substance satisfactory to Underwriters' Counsel) of
other counsel acceptable to Underwriters' Counsel, familiar with the applicable
laws; (B) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates
and written statements of responsible officers of the Company, and certificates
or other written statements of officers of departments of various jurisdictions
having custody of documents respecting the corporate existence or good standing
of the Company, provided that copies of any such statements or certificates
shall be delivered to Underwriters' Counsel if requested. The opinion of such
counsel for the Company shall state that the opinion of any such other counsel
is in form satisfactory to such counsel and that the Representatives and they
are justified in relying thereon. Such opinion shall also state that
Underwriters' Counsel is entitled to rely thereon.
At each Option Closing Date, if any, the Underwriters shall have received
the favorable opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, counsel to the Company, dated
the Option Closing Date, addressed to the Underwriters and in form and substance
satisfactory to Underwriters' Counsel confirming as of the Option Closing Date
the statements made by ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Mollen & ▇▇▇▇▇▇ in its opinion delivered on the
Closing Date.
24
(e) On or prior to each of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date,
if any, Underwriters' Counsel shall have been furnished such documents,
certificates and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of
enabling them to review or pass upon the matters referred to in subsection (c)
of this Section 6, or in order to evidence the accuracy, completeness or
satisfaction of any of the representations, warranties or conditions of the
Company, or herein contained.
(f) Prior to each of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if
any, (i) there shall have been no material adverse change nor development
involving a prospective adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise,
prospects, stockholders' equity or the business activities of the Company,
whether or not in the ordinary course of business, from the latest dates as of
which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus;
(ii) there shall have been no transaction, not in the ordinary course of
business, entered into by the Company, from the latest date as of which the
financial condition of the Company is set forth in the Registration Statement
and Prospectus which is materially adverse to the Company; (iii) the Company
shall not be in default under any provision of any instrument relating to any
outstanding indebtedness; (iv) the Company shall not have issued any securities
(other than the Securities and as contemplated by the Registration Statement);
the Company shall not have declared or paid any dividend or made any
distribution in respect of its capital stock of any class; and there has not
been any change in the capital stock of the Company, or any material change in
the debt (long or short term) or liabilities or obligations of the Company
(contingent or otherwise); (v) no material amount of the assets of the Company
shall have been pledged or mortgaged, except as set forth in the Registration
Statement and Prospectus; (vi) no action, suit or proceeding, at law or in
equity, shall have been pending or threatened (or circumstances giving rise to
same) against the Company, or affecting any of its properties or business before
or by any court or federal, state or foreign commission, board or other
administrative agency wherein an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding may
adversely affect the business, operations, prospects or financial condition or
income of the Company, except as set forth in the Registration Statement and
Prospectus; and (vii) no stop order shall have been issued under the Act and no
proceedings therefor shall have been initiated, threatened or contemplated by
the Commission.
(g) At each of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any,
the Underwriters shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the
principal executive officer and by the chief financial or chief accounting
officer of the Company, dated the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the
case may be, to the effect that each of such persons has carefully examined the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus and this Agreement, and that:
(i) The representations and warranties of the Company in this
Agreement are true and correct as if made on and as of the Closing Date or
the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and the Company has complied
with all agreements and covenants and satisfied all conditions contained in
this Agreement on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such
Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be;
(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement or any part thereof has been issued, and no proceedings for that
purpose
25
have been instituted or are pending or, to the best of each of such
person's knowledge, after due inquiry are contemplated or threatened under
the Act;
(iii) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus and, if any, each
amendment and each supplement thereto, contain all statements and
information required to be included therein, and none of the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto includes
any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
not misleading and neither the Preliminary Prospectus nor any supplement
thereto included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading; and
(iv) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is
given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (a) the Company has
not incurred up to and including the Closing Date or the Option Closing
Date, as the case may be, other than in the ordinary course of its
business, any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent;
(b) the Company has not paid or declared any dividends or other
distributions on its capital stock; (c) the Company has not entered into
any transactions not in the ordinary course of business; (d) there has not
been any change in the capital stock of the Company or any material change
in the debt (long or short-term) of the Company; (e) the Company has not
sustained any material loss or damage to its property or assets, whether or
not insured; (g) there is no litigation which is pending or threatened (or
circumstances giving rise to same) against the Company, or any affiliated
party of any of the foregoing which is required to be set forth in an
amended or supplemented Prospectus which has not been set forth; and (h)
there has occurred no event required to be set forth in an amended or
supplemented Prospectus which has not been set forth.
References to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus in this subsection
(g) are to such documents as amended and supplemented at the date of such
certificate.
(h) By the Closing Date, the Underwriters will have received clearance
from the NASD as to the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the
Underwriters, as described in the Registration Statement.
(i) At the time this Agreement is executed, the Underwriters shall have
received a letter, dated such date, addressed to the Underwriters in form and
substance reasonably satisfactory in all respects to the Underwriters and
Underwriters' Counsel, from BDO ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP.
(i) confirming that they are independent public accountants with
respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and the applicable
Rules and Regulations;
26
(ii) stating that it is their opinion that the financial statements
and supporting schedules of the Company included in the Registration
Statement comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
accounting requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations thereunder
and that the Representatives may rely upon the opinion of BDO ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP
with respect to such financial statements and supporting schedules included
in the Registration Statement;
(iii) stating that, on the basis of a limited review which included a
reading of the latest available unaudited interim financial statements of
the Company, a reading of the latest available minutes of the stockholders
and board of directors and the various committees of the board of directors
of the Company, consultations with officers and other employees of the
Company responsible for financial and accounting matters and other
specified procedures and inquiries, nothing has come to their attention
which would lead them to believe that [(A) the unaudited financial
statements and supporting schedules of the Company included in the
Registration Statement do not comply as to form in all material respects
with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Rules and
Regulations or are not fairly presented in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles applied on a basis substantially consistent
with that of the audited financial statements of the Company included in
the Registration Statement, or] (B) at a specified date not more than five
(5) days prior to the effective date of the Registration Statement, there
has been any change in the capital stock of the Company, any change in the
long-term debt of the Company, or any decrease in the stockholders' equity
of the Company or any decrease in the net current assets or net assets of
the Company as compared with amounts shown in the August 31, 1999 balance
sheet included in the Registration Statement, other than as set forth in or
contemplated by the Registration Statement, or, if there was any change or
decrease, setting forth the amount of such change or decrease, and (C)
during the period from August 31, 1999 to a specified date not more than
five (5) days prior to the effective date of the Registration Statement,
there was any decrease in net revenues or net earnings of the Company or
increase in net earnings per common share of the Company, other than as set
forth in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, or, if there was
any such decrease, setting forth the amount of such decrease;
(iv) stating that they have compared specific dollar amounts, numbers
of shares, percentages of revenues and earnings, statements and other
financial information pertaining to the Company set forth in the Prospectus
in each case to the extent that such amounts, numbers, percentages,
statements and information may be derived from the general accounting
records, including work sheets, of the Company and excluding any questions
requiring an interpretation by legal counsel, with the results obtained
from the application of specified readings, inquiries and other appropriate
procedures (which procedures do not constitute an examination in accordance
with generally accepted auditing standards) set forth in the letter and
found them to be in agreement; and
(v) statements as to such other matters incident to the transaction
contemplated hereby as the Representatives may request.
27
(j) At the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, the
Underwriters shall have received from BDO ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP a letter, dated as of the
Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, to the effect that
they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection
(i) of this Section 6 except that the specified date referred to shall be a date
not more than five (5) days prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing
Date, as the case may be, and, if the Company has elected to rely on Rule 430A
of the Rules and Regulations, to the further effect that they have carried out
procedures as specified in clause (v) of subsection (i) of this Section 6 with
respect to certain amounts, percentages and financial information as specified
by the Representatives and deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement
pursuant to Rule 430A(b) and have found such amounts, percentages and financial
information to be in agreement with the records specified in such clause (v).
(k) On each of the Closing Date and Option Closing Date, if any, there
shall have been duly tendered to the Representatives for the several
Underwriters' accounts the appropriate number of Shares.
(l) No order suspending the sale of the Securities in any jurisdiction
designated by the Representatives pursuant to subsection (e) of Section 4 hereof
shall have been issued on either the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if
any, and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be
contemplated.
(m) On or before the Closing Date, the Company shall have executed and
delivered to the Representatives, (i) the Representatives' Warrant Agreement
substantially in the form filed as Exhibit 4.2 to the Registration Statement in
final form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, and (ii) the
Representatives' Warrants in such denominations and to such designees as shall
have been provided to the Company.
(n) On or before the Closing Date, the Shares shall have been duly
approved for quotation on Nasdaq, subject to official notice of issuance.
(o) On or before the Closing Date, there shall have been delivered to
the Representatives all of the Lock-up Agreements, in form and substance
satisfactory to Underwriters' Counsel.
If any condition to the Underwriters' obligations hereunder to be
fulfilled prior to or at the Closing Date or the relevant Option Closing Date,
as the case may be, is not so fulfilled, the Representatives may terminate this
Agreement or, if the Representatives so elect, they may waive any such
conditions which have not been fulfilled or extend the time for their
fulfillment.
7. Indemnification.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each of the
Underwriters (for purposes of this Section 7 "Underwriter" shall include the
officers, directors, partners, employees, agents and counsel of the Underwriter,
including specifically each person who may be substituted for an Underwriter as
provided in Section 11 hereof), and each person, if any, who controls the
Underwriter ("controlling person") within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act
or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses,
claims, damages, expenses or liabilities, joint or several (and actions,
proceedings, investigations, inquiries, and
28
suits in respect thereof), whatsoever (including but not limited to any and all
costs and expenses whatsoever reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or
defending against such action, proceeding, investigation, inquiry or suit,
commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever), as such are incurred, to
which the Underwriter or such controlling person may become subject under the
Act, the Exchange Act or any other statute or at common law or otherwise or
under the laws of foreign countries, arising out of or based upon (A) any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained (i) in any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (as from
time to time amended and supplemented); (ii) in any post-effective amendment or
amendments or any new registration statement and prospectus in which is included
securities of the Company issued or issuable upon exercise of the Securities; or
(iii) in any application or other document or written communication (in this
Section 7 collectively called "application") executed by the Company or based
upon written information furnished by the Company filed, delivered or used in
any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Securities under the securities laws
thereof or filed with the Commission, any state securities commission or agency,
Nasdaq or any other securities exchange, (B) the omission or alleged omission
therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading (in the light of the circumstances under
which they were made), or (C) any breach of any representation, warranty,
covenant or agreement of the Company contained herein or in any certificate by
or on behalf of the Company or any of its officers delivered pursuant hereto
unless, in the case of clause (A) or (B) above, such statement or omission was
made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to
the Company with respect to any Underwriter by or on behalf of such Underwriter
expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or
any Prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or in any
application, as the case may be.
The indemnity agreement in this subsection (a) shall be in addition
to any liability which the Underwriters may have at common law or otherwise.
(b) Each of the Underwriters agrees severally, but not jointly, to
indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its
officers and employees, and each other person, if any, who controls the Company
within the meaning of the Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity
from the Company to the Underwriters but only with respect to statements or
omissions, if any, made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
Statement or Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or in any
application made in reliance upon, and in strict conformity with, written
information furnished to the Company with respect to any Underwriter by such
Underwriter expressly for use in such Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
Statement or Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or in any
such application, provided that such written information or omissions only
pertain to disclosures in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement
or Prospectus directly relating to the transactions effected by the Underwriters
in connection with this Offering. The Company acknowledges that the statements
with respect to the public offering of the Securities set forth under the
heading "Underwriting" and the stabilization legend in the Prospectus have been
furnished by the Underwriters expressly for use therein and constitute the only
information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Underwriters for
inclusion in the Prospectus.
29
The indemnity agreement in this subsection (b) shall be in addition
to any liability which the Underwriters may have at common law or otherwise.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 7
of notice of the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, such
indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against one
or more indemnifying parties under this Section 7, notify each party against
whom indemnification is to be sought in writing of the commencement thereof (but
the failure so to notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any
liability which it may have under this Section 7 except to the extent that it
has been prejudiced in any material respect by such failure or from any
liability which it may have otherwise). In case any such action, investigation,
inquiry, suit or proceeding is brought against any indemnified party, and it
notifies an indemnifying party or parties of the commencement thereof, the
indemnifying party or parties will be entitled to participate therein, and to
the extent it may elect by written notice delivered to the indemnified party
promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to
assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such
indemnified party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnified party or
parties shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case
but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such
indemnified party or parties unless (i) the employment of such counsel shall
have been authorized in writing by the indemnifying parties in connection with
the defense of such action at the expense of the indemnifying party, (ii) the
indemnifying parties shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to
such indemnified party to have charge of the defense of such action within a
reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, or (iii) such
indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be
defenses available to it or them which are different from or additional to those
available to one or all of the indemnifying parties (in which case the
indemnifying parties shall not have the right to direct the defense of such
action, investigation, inquiry, suit or proceeding on behalf of the indemnified
party or parties), in any of which events such fees and expenses of one
additional counsel shall be borne by the indemnifying parties. In no event shall
the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one
counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for
all indemnified parties in connection with any one action, investigation,
inquiry, suit or proceeding or separate but similar or related actions,
investigations, inquiries, suits or proceedings in the same jurisdiction arising
out of the same general allegations or circumstances. Anything in this Section 7
to the contrary notwithstanding, an indemnifying party shall not be liable for
any settlement of any claim or action effected without its written consent;
provided, however, that such consent was not unreasonably withheld. An
indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the
indemnified parties, settle compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment
with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, investigation, inquiry,
suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be
sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential
parties to such claim or action), unless such settlement, compromise or consent
(i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all
liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding 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) In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in any case
in which (i) an indemnified party makes claim for indemnification pursuant to
this Section 7, but it is
30
judicially determined (by the entry of a final judgment or decree by a court of
competent jurisdiction and the expiration of time to appeal or the denial of the
last right of appeal) that such indemnification may not be enforced in such case
notwithstanding the fact that the express provisions of this Section 7 provide
for indemnification in such case, or (ii) contribution under the Act may be
required on the part of any indemnified party, then each indemnifying party
shall contribute to the amount paid as a result of such losses, claims, damages,
expenses or liabilities (or actions, investigations, inquiries, suits or
proceedings in respect thereof) (A) in such proportion as is appropriate to
reflect the relative benefits received by each of the contributing parties, on
the one hand, and the party to be indemnified on the other hand, from the
offering of the Securities or (B) if the allocation provided by clause (A) above
is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to
reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also
the relative fault of each of the contributing parties, on the one hand, and the
party to be indemnified on the other hand in connection with the statements or
omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages, expenses or
liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. In any case
where the Company is the contributing party and the Underwriters are the
indemnified party, 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 of the Securities (before
deducting expenses) bear to the total underwriting discounts received by the
Underwriters hereunder, as set forth in the table on the Cover Page of the
Prospectus and the underwriting caption of the Prospectus, as the case may be.
Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether
the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or
alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the
Company, or by the Underwriters, and the parties' relative intent, knowledge,
access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue
statement or omission. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a
result of the losses, claims, damages, expenses or liabilities (or actions,
investigations, inquiries, suits or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to
above in this subdivision (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, claim, investigation, inquiry, suit
or proceeding. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivision (d) the
Underwriters shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the
underwriting discount applicable to the Securities purchased by the Underwriters
hereunder. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning
of Section11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person
who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this
Section 7, each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of
the Act, each officer of the Company who has signed the Registration Statement,
and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as
the Company, subject in each case to this subparagraph (d). Any party entitled
to contribution will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any
action, suit, inquiry, investigation or proceeding against such party in respect
to which a claim for contribution may be made against another party or parties
under this subparagraph (d), notify such party or parties from whom contribution
may be sought, but the omission so to notify such party or parties shall not
relieve the party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any
obligation it or they may have hereunder or otherwise than under this
subparagraph (d), or to the extent that such party or parties were not adversely
affected by such omission. The contribution agreement set forth above shall be
in addition to any liabilities which any indemnifying party may have at common
law or otherwise.
31
8. Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. All representations,
warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or contained in
certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall be
deemed to be representations, warranties and agreements at the Closing Date and
the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and such representations,
warranties and agreements of the Company and the indemnity agreements contained
in Section 7 hereof, shall remain operative and in full force and effect
regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the
Company, any controlling person of any Underwriter, the Company, and shall
survive termination of this Agreement or the issuance, sale and delivery of the
Securities to the Underwriters and the Representatives, as the case may be.
9. Effective Date.
This Agreement shall become effective at 10:00 a.m., New York City
time, on the next full business day following the date hereof, or at such
earlier time after the Registration Statement becomes effective as the
Representatives, in their discretion, shall release the Securities for sale to
the public; provided, however, that the provisions of Sections 5, 7 and 10 of
this Agreement shall at all times be effective. For purposes of this Section 9,
the Shares to be purchased hereunder shall be deemed to have been so released
upon the earlier of dispatch by the Representatives of telegrams to securities
dealers releasing such shares for offering or the release by the Representatives
for publication of the first newspaper advertisement which is subsequently
published relating to the Shares.
10. Termination.
(a) Subject to subsection (b) of this Section 10, the Representatives
shall have the right to terminate this Agreement, after the date hereof, (i) if
any domestic or international event or act or occurrence has materially
disrupted, or in the Representatives' opinion will in the immediate future
materially adversely disrupt the financial markets; or (ii) any material adverse
change in the financial markets shall have occurred; or (iii) if trading
generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by, as the case
may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., the Boston Stock Exchange, the
Commission or any other government authority having jurisdiction; or (iv) if
trading of any of the securities of the Company shall have been suspended, or
any of the securities of the Company shall have been delisted, on any exchange
or in any over-the-counter market; or (v) if the United States shall have become
involved in a war or major hostilities, or if there shall have been an
escalation in an existing war or major hostilities or a national emergency shall
have been declared in the United States; or (vi) if a banking moratorium has
been declared by a state or federal authority; or (vii) if a moratorium in
foreign exchange trading has been declared; or (viii) if the Company shall have
sustained a loss material or substantial to the Company by fire, flood,
accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage or other calamity or malicious
act which, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, will, in the
Representatives' opinion, make it inadvisable to proceed with the delivery of
the Securities; or (viii) if there shall have occurred any outbreak or
escalation of hostilities or any calamity or crisis or there shall have been
such a material adverse change in the conditions or prospects of the Company, or
such material adverse change in the general market, political or economic
conditions, in the United States or elsewhere as in the Representatives'
judgment would make it
32
inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale and/or delivery of the Securities
or (ix) if Woo ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ shall no longer serve the Company in his present
capacity.
(b) If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance
with the provisions of Section 10(a) the Company shall promptly reimburse and
indemnify the Representatives for all of their reasonable actual out-of-pocket
expenses, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters
(less amounts previously paid pursuant to Section 5(c) above). Notwithstanding
any contrary provision contained in this Agreement, if this Agreement shall not
be carried out within the time specified herein, or any extension thereof
granted to the Representatives, by reason of any failure on the part of the
Company to perform any undertaking or satisfy any condition of this Agreement by
it to be performed or satisfied (including, without limitation, pursuant to
Section 6 or Section 12) then, the Company shall promptly reimburse and
indemnify the Representatives for all of their reasonable actual out-of-pocket
expenses, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters
(less amounts previously paid pursuant to Section 5(c) above). In addition, the
Company shall remain liable for all Blue Sky counsel fees and expenses and
filing fees. Notwithstanding any contrary provision contained in this Agreement,
any election hereunder or any termination of this Agreement (including, without
limitation, pursuant to Sections 6, 10, 11 and 12 hereof), and whether or not
this Agreement is otherwise carried out, the provisions of Section 5 and Section
7 shall not be in any way affected by such election or termination or failure to
carry out the terms of this Agreement or any part hereof.
11. Substitution of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters
shall fail (otherwise than for a reason sufficient to justify the termination of
this Agreement under the provisions of Section 6, Section 10 or Section 12
hereof) to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase on
such date under this Agreement (the "Defaulted Securities"), the Representatives
shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangement for one or
more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase
all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may
be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the
Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour
period, then:
(i) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the
total number of Firm Shares to be purchased on such date, the
non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated to purchase the full amount
thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations
hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting
Underwriters, or
(ii) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the total
number of Firm Shares, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on
the part of any non-defaulting Underwriters.
No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting
Underwriter from liability in respect of any default by such Underwriter under
this Agreement.
In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of
this Agreement, the Representatives shall have the right to postpone the Closing
Date for a period not
33
exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration
Statement or Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.
12. Default by the Company. If the Company shall fail at the Closing Date
or at any Option Closing Date, as applicable, to sell and deliver the number of
Shares which it is obligated to sell hereunder on such date, then this Agreement
shall terminate (or, if such default shall occur with respect to any Option
Shares to be purchased on an Option Closing Date, the Underwriters may at the
Representatives' option, by notice from the Representatives to the Company,
terminate the Underwriters' obligation to purchase Option Shares from the
Company on such date) without any liability on the part of any non-defaulting
party other than pursuant to Section 5, Section 7 and Section 10 hereof. No
action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve the Company from liability,
if any, in respect of such default.
13. Notices. All notices and communications hereunder, except as herein
otherwise specifically provided, shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have
been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of
telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the
Representatives: ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc. at ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, and ▇▇▇▇▇ Securities Corp., ▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, with a copy to ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ &
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq. Notices to the Company shall be directed to the Company: ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: Woo ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇,
Chief Executive Officer, with a copy to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Mollen & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.
14. Parties. This Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall
be binding upon, the Underwriters, the Company, and the controlling persons,
directors and officers referred to in Section 7 hereof, and their respective
successors, legal representatives and assigns, and no other person shall have or
be construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in
respect of or by virtue of this Agreement or any provisions herein contained. No
purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor
by reason merely of such purchase.
15. Construction. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and
enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without giving
effect to the choice of law or conflict of laws principles.
16. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and all of which
taken together shall be deemed to be one and the same instrument.
17. Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement and the Representatives'
Warrant Agreement constitute the entire agreement of the parties hereto and
supersede all prior written or oral agreements, understandings and negotiations
with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may not be amended
except in a writing, signed by the Representatives and the Company.
34
If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the
Underwriters and the Company, please so indicate in the space provided below for
that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement among
us.
Very truly yours,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇ Inc.
By:
-----------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
Confirmed and accepted as of
the date first above written.
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ INC.
For itself and as Representative
of the Several Underwriters Named
in Schedule A hereto
By:
----------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
▇▇▇▇▇ SECURITIES CORP.
For itself and as Representative
of the Several Underwriters Named
in Schedule A hereto
By:
----------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
35
SCHEDULE A
Number of
Underwriter Shares
----------- ------
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc.
▇▇▇▇▇ Securities Corp.
TOTAL 2,800,000
