EXHIBIT 1.1
Underwriting Agreement
June __, 0000
XxxxXxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.
Xxxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLC
U.S. Bancorp Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Inc.
First Albany Corporation
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.
000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxx Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Introductory. Primus Knowledge Solutions, Inc., a Washington corporation
(the "Company"), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in
Schedule A (the "Underwriters") an aggregate of 4,000,000 shares of its Common
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Stock, par value $.025 per share (the "Common Shares"); and the shareholders of
the Company named in Schedule B (collectively, the "Selling Shareholders")
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severally propose to sell to the Underwriters an aggregate of 150,000 Common
Shares. The 4,000,000 Common Shares to be sold by the Company and the 150,000
shares of Common Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholders are collectively
called the "Firm Shares". In addition, the Company has granted to the
Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 622,500 Common Shares
(the "Option Shares"), as provided in Section 2. The Firm Shares and, if and to
the extent such option is exercised, the Option Shares are collectively called
the "Shares." BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc., Xxxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLC, U.S.
Bancorp Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Inc. and First Albany Corporation have agreed to act as
representatives of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the
"Representatives") in connection with the offering and sale of the Common
Shares.
The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No.
333-77477), which contains a form of prospectus to be used in connection with
the public offering and sale of the Shares. Such registration statement, as
amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in
the form in which it was declared effective by the Commission under the
Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder
(collectively, the "Securities Act"), including any information deemed to be a
part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A or
Rule 434 under the Securities Act, is called the "Registration Statement". Any
registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the
Securities Act is called the "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement", and from and
after the date and time of filing of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement the
term "Registration Statement" shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement. Such prospectus, in the form first used by the Underwriters to
confirm sales of the Shares, is called the "Prospectus"; provided, however, if
the Company has, with the consent of BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc., elected
to rely upon Rule 434 under the Securities Act, the term "Prospectus" shall mean
the Company's prospectus subject to completion (each, a "preliminary
prospectus") dated June 7, 1999 (such preliminary prospectus is called the "Rule
434 preliminary prospectus"), together with the applicable term sheet (the "Term
Sheet") prepared and filed by the Company with the Commission under Rules 434
and 424(b) under the Securities Act and all references in this Agreement to the
date of the Prospectus shall mean the date of the Term Sheet. All references in
this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement, a preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the Term Sheet, or any
amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall include any copy
thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering,
Analysis and Retrieval System ("XXXXX").
The Company and each of the Selling Shareholders hereby confirm their
respective agreements with the Underwriters as follows:
Section 1. Representations and Warranties
A. Representations and Warranties of the Company and the Selling
Shareholders. The Company and the Selling Shareholders hereby represent and
warrant to each Underwriter as follows:
(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration Statement
and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement have been declared effective by the
Commission under the Securities Act. The Company has complied to the
Commission's satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or
supplemental information, if any. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of
the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is in
effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending
or, to the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the
Commission.
Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus when filed complied in all
material respects with the Securities Act and, if filed by electronic
transmission pursuant to XXXXX (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T
under the Securities Act), was identical to the copy thereof delivered to the
Underwriters for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares. Each
of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any
post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective and at all
subsequent times, complied and will comply in all material respects with the
Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as
amended or supplemented, as of its date and at all subsequent times, did not and
will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of
the
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circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations
and warranties set forth in the two immediately preceding sentences do not apply
to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the
Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and
in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the
Company in writing by the Representatives expressly for use therein. There are
no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Prospectus or to
be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been described
or filed as required.
(b) Offering Materials Furnished to Underwriters. The Company has
delivered to each of the Representatives one complete conformed copy of the
Registration Statement and of each consent and certificate of experts filed as a
part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement (without
exhibits) and preliminary prospectuses and the Prospectus, as amended or
supplemented, in such quantities and at such places as the Representatives have
reasonably requested.
(c) Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. The Company has not
distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of thirty (30) days from
the date of this Agreement and the completion of the Underwriters' distribution
of the Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of
the Shares other than a preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the
Registration Statement.
(d) The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by, and is a valid and binding agreement of, the Company,
enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification
hereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement hereof
may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other
similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by
general equitable principles. (e) Authorization of the Shares To Be Sold by the
Company. The Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have
been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when
issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, will be validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) Authorization of the Shares To Be Sold by the Selling Shareholders.
The Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Selling Shareholders,
when issued, were validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(g) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. There are no
persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt
securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in
the offering contemplated by this Agreement, other than the Selling Shareholders
with respect to the Shares included in the Registration Statement, except for
such rights as have been duly waived.
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(h) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the respective dates as of
which information is given in the Prospectus and except for specific changes and
developments specifically discussed in the Prospectus: (i) there has been no
material adverse change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to
result in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise,
or in the earnings, business, operations or prospects, whether or not arising
from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its
subsidiaries, considered as one entity (any such change or effect, where the
context so requires, is called a "Material Adverse Change" or a "Material
Adverse Effect"); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one
entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct
or contingent, not in the ordinary course of business nor entered into any
material transaction or agreement not in the ordinary course of business; and
(iii) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or
made by the Company or, except for dividends paid to the Company or other
subsidiaries, any of its subsidiaries on any class of capital stock or
repurchase or redemption by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any class
of capital stock.
(i) Independent Accountants. Ernst & Young LLP, who have expressed their
opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this
Agreement includes the related notes thereto) and supporting schedules filed
with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the
Prospectus, are independent public or certified public accountants as required
by the Securities Act, and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, who prepared audited
financial statements for the Company for its fiscal years ended December 31,
1995 and 1996 were, at the time of preparation of such financial statements,
independent public or certified public accountants as required by the Securities
Act.
(j) Preparation of the Financial Statements. The financial statements
filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included
in the Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the
Company and its subsidiaries as of and at the dates indicated and the results of
their operations and cash flows for the periods specified. The supporting
schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information
required to be stated therein. Such financial statements and supporting
schedules have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles as applied in the United States applied on a consistent basis
throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the
related notes thereto. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are
required to be included in the Registration Statement. The financial data set
forth in the Prospectus under the captions "Prospectus Summary--Summary
Consolidated Financial Data", "Capitalization," "Selected Consolidated Financial
Data," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations" and elsewhere in the Prospectus and in the Registration Statement
fairly present the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that
of the audited financial statements contained in the Registration Statement.
(k) Company's Accounting System. The Company and each of its subsidiaries
maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide
reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with
management's general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded
as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity
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with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States
and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted
only in accordance with management's general or specific authorization; and (iv)
the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at
reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any
differences.
(l) Subsidiaries of the Company. The Company does not own or control,
directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than
Primus Knowledge Solutions (UK) Limited.
(m) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly organized and is validly
existing as a corporation or limited liability company, as the case may be, in
good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is organized with
full corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its
business as described in the prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as
a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each
jurisdiction which requires such qualification.
(n) Capitalization of the Subsidiaries. All the outstanding shares of
capital stock of each subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and
issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, except as otherwise set forth
in the Prospectus, all outstanding shares of capital stock of the subsidiaries
are owned by the Company either directly or through wholly owned subsidiaries
free and clear of any security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances.
(o) No Prohibition on Subsidiaries from Paying Dividends or Making Other
Distributions. No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or
indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other
distribution on such subsidiary's capital stock, from repaying to the Company
any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring
any of such subsidiary's property or assets to the Company or any other
subsidiary of the Company, except as described in or contemplated by the
Prospectus.
(p) Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. The authorized, issued
and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Prospectus
under the caption "Capitalization" (other than for subsequent issuances, if any,
pursuant to employee benefit plans described in the Prospectus or upon exercise
of outstanding options or warrants described in the Prospectus). The Common
Shares (including the Shares) conform in all material respects to the
description thereof contained in the Prospectus. All of the issued and
outstanding Common Shares have been duly authorized and validly issued, are
fully paid and nonassessable and have been issued in compliance with federal and
state securities laws. None of the outstanding Common Shares were issued in
violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar
rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. There are no
authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first
refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible
into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any
of its subsidiaries other than those accurately described in the Prospectus. The
description of the Company's stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or
arrangements, and the options or other
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rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Prospectus accurately and fairly
presents the information required to be shown with respect to such plans,
arrangements, options and rights.
(q) Stock Exchange Listing. The Shares have been approved for inclusion
on the Nasdaq National Market, subject only to official notice of issuance.
(r) No Consents, Approvals or Authorizations Required. No consent,
approval, authorization, filing with or order of any court or governmental
agency or regulatory body is required in connection with the transactions
contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained or made under the
Securities Act and such as may be required (i) under the blue sky laws of any
jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by
the Underwriters in the manner contemplated here and in the Prospectus, (ii) by
the National Association of Securities Dealers, LLC and (iii) by the federal and
provincial laws of Canada.
(s) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments Agreements. Neither the
issue and sale of the Shares nor the consummation of any other of the
transactions herein contemplated nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof will
conflict with, result in a breach or violation or imposition of any lien, charge
or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries pursuant to, (i) the charter or by-laws of the Company or any of
its subsidiaries, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage,
deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation,
condition, covenant or instrument to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or bound or to which its or their property is subject or
(iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree applicable
to the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body,
administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having
jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its or their
properties.
(t) No Defaults or Violations. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary is
in violation or default of (i) any provision of its charter or by-laws, (ii) the
terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note
agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or
instrument to which it is a party or bound or to which its property is subject
or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any
court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or
other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or such subsidiary or any
of its properties, as applicable, except any such violation or default which
would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change
except as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus.
(u) No Actions, Suits or Proceedings. No action, suit or proceeding by or
before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator
involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or its or their property is
pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened that (i) could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the performance of
this Agreement or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated
hereby or (ii) could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(v) All Necessary Permits, Etc. The Company and each subsidiary possess
such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits issued by the
appropriate state, federal or foreign
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regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct their respective businesses,
and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received any notice of
proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance
with, any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the
aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, could
result in a Material Adverse Change.
(w) Title to Properties. The Company and each of its subsidiaries has good
and marketable title to all the properties and assets reflected as owned in the
financial statements referred to in Section 1(A)(j) above (or elsewhere in the
Prospectus), in each case free and clear of any security interests, mortgages,
liens, encumbrances, equities, claims and other defects other than those
specifically disclosed in the Prospectus, except such as do not materially and
adversely affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with
the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company or such
subsidiary. The real property, improvements, equipment and personal property
held under lease by the Company or any subsidiary are held under valid and
enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and do not
materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such real
property, improvements, equipment or personal property by the Company or such
subsidiary.
(x) Tax Law Compliance. The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries
have filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax
returns or have properly requested extensions thereof and have paid all taxes
required to be paid by it and, if due and payable, any related or similar
assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them. The Company has made
adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements
referred to in Section 1(A)(i) above in respect of all federal, state and
foreign income and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability
of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has not been finally determined. The
Company is not aware of any tax deficiency that has been or might be asserted or
threatened against the Company that could result in a Material Adverse Change.
(y) Intellectual Property Rights. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries
owns or possesses adequate rights to use all patents, patent rights or licenses,
inventions, collaborative research agreements, trade secrets, know-how,
trademarks, service marks, trade names and copyrights which are necessary to
conduct its businesses as described in the Registration Statement and
Prospectus; the expiration of any patents, patent rights, trade secrets,
trademarks, service marks, trade names or copyrights would not result in a
Material Adverse Change that is not otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus; the
Company has not received any notice of, and has no knowledge of, any
infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of the Company by others with
respect to any patent, patent rights, inventions, trade secrets, know-how,
trademarks, service marks, trade names or copyrights; and the Company has not
received any notice of, and has no knowledge of, any infringement of or conflict
with asserted rights of others with respect to any patent, patent rights,
inventions, trade secrets, know-how, trademarks, service marks, trade names or
copyrights which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable
decision, ruling or finding, might have a Material Adverse Change. There is no
claim being made against the Company regarding patents, patent rights or
licenses, inventions, collaborative research, trade secrets, know-how,
trademarks, service marks, trade names or copyrights. The Company and its
subsidiaries do not in the conduct of
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their business as now or proposed to be conducted as described in the Prospectus
infringe or conflict with any right or patent of any third party, or any
discovery, invention, product or process which is the subject of a patent
application filed by any third party, known to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, which such infringement or conflict is reasonably likely to result
in a Material Adverse Change.
(z) Year 2000 Preparedness. There are no issues related to the Company's,
or any of its subsidiaries', preparedness for the Year 2000 that (i) are of a
character required to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement
or Prospectus by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder which have not been accurately described in the
Registration Statement or Prospectus or (ii) might reasonably be expected to
result in any Material Adverse Change or that might materially affect their
properties, assets or rights. All internal computer systems and each Constituent
Component (as defined below) of those systems and all computer-related products
and each Constituent Component (as defined below) of those products of the
Company and each of its subsidiaries fully comply with Year 2000 Qualification
Requirements. "Year 2000 Qualifications Requirements" means that the internal
computer systems and each Constituent Component (as defined below) of those
systems and all computer-related products and each Constituent Component (as
defined below) of those products of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries (i)
have been reviewed to confirm that they store, process (including sorting and
performing mathematical operations, calculations and computations), input and
output data containing date and time information correctly regardless of whether
the date contains dates and times before, on or after January 1, 2000, (ii) have
been designated to ensure date and time entry recognition and calculations, and
date data interface values that reflect the century, (iii) accurately manage and
manipulate data involving dates and times, including single century formulas and
multi-century formulas, and will not cause an abnormal ending scenario within
the application or generate incorrect values or invalid results involving such
dates, (iv) accurately process any date rollover, and (v) accept and respond to
two-digit year date input in a manner that resolves any ambiguities as to the
century. "Constituent Component" means all software (including operating
systems, programs, packages and utilities), firmware, hardware, networking
components, and peripherals provided as part of the configuration. The Company
has inquired of material vendors as to their preparedness for the Year 2000 and
has disclosed in the Registration Statement or Prospectus any issues that might
reasonably be expected to result in any Material Adverse Change.
(aa) No Transfer Taxes or Other Fees. There are no transfer taxes or other
similar fees or charges under Federal law or the laws of any state, or any
political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the
execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance and sale by the Company
of the shares.
(bb) Company Not an "Investment Company". The Company has been advised of
the rules and requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
(the "Investment Company Act"). The Company is not, and after receipt of payment
for the Shares will not be, an "investment company" or an entity "controlled" by
an "investment company" within the meaning of the Investment Company Act and
will conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the
Investment Company Act.
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(cc) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain insurance of the
types and in the amounts generally deemed adequate for their businesses,
including, but not limited to, directors' and officers' insurance, insurance
covering real and personal property owned or leased by the Company and its
subsidiaries against theft, damage, destruction, acts of vandalism and all other
risks customarily insured against, all of which insurance is in full force and
effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any subsidiary will not
be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies
expire or (ii) to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be
necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not result in a Material
Adverse Change.
(dd) Labor Matters. To the best of Company's knowledge, no labor
disturbance by the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or
is imminent; and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor
disturbance by the employees of any of its principal suppliers, value added
resellers, subcontractors, original equipment manufacturers, authorized dealers
or international distributors that might be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Change.
(ee) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken and
will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be
reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the
price of the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(ff) Lock-Up Agreements. Each officer and director of the company, each
Selling Shareholder and each beneficial owner of one or more percent of the
outstanding issued share capital of the Company has agreed to sign an agreement
substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the "Lock-up
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Agreements"). The Company has provided to counsel for the Underwriters a
complete and accurate list of all securityholders of the Company and the number
and type of securities held by each securityholder. The Company has provided to
counsel for the Underwriters true, accurate and complete copies of all of the
Lock-up Agreements presently in effect or effected hereby. The Company hereby
represents and warrants that it will not release any of its officers, directors
or other shareholders from any Lock-up Agreements currently existing or
hereafter effected without the prior written consent of BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx Inc.
(gg) Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or
related-party transactions involving the Company or any subsidiary or any other
person required to be described in the Prospectus which have not been described
as required.
Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to
the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the
Closing or Second Closing shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by
the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters set forth therein.
(hh) No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. Neither the Company nor,
to the best of the Company's knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or
any subsidiary, has made any contribution or other payment to any official of,
or candidate for, any federal, state or foreign office in violation of any law
or of the character required to be disclosed in the Prospectus.
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(ii) Environmental Laws. (i) the Company is in compliance with all rules,
laws and regulations relating to the use, treatment, storage and disposal of
toxic substances and protection of health or the environment ("Environmental
Laws") which are applicable to its business, except where the failure to comply
would not result in a Material Adverse Change, (ii) the Company has received no
notice from any governmental authority or third party of an asserted claim under
Environmental Laws, which claim is required to be disclosed in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, (iii) to its knowledge, the Company will not be
required to make future material capital expenditures to comply with
Environmental Laws and (iv) no property which is owned, leased or occupied by
the Company has, to the knowledge of the Company, been designated as a Superfund
site pursuant to the Comprehensive Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of
1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. (S) 9601, et seq.), or otherwise designated as a
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contaminated site under applicable state or local law.
(jj) ERISA Compliance. The Company and its subsidiaries and any "employee
benefit plan" (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder
(collectively, "ERISA")) established or maintained by the Company, its
subsidiaries or their "ERISA Affiliates" (as defined below) are in compliance in
all material respects with ERISA. "ERISA Affiliate" means, with respect to the
Company or a subsidiary, any member of any group of organizations described in
Sections 414(b),(c),(m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,
and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the "Code") of
which the Company or such subsidiary is a member. No "reportable event" (as
defined under ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with
respect to any "employee benefit plan" established or maintained by the Company,
its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates. No "employee benefit plan"
established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA
Affiliates, if such "employee benefit plan" were terminated, would have any
"amount of unfounded benefit liabilities" (as defined under ERISA). Neither the
Company, its subsidiaries nor any of their ERISA Affiliates has incurred or
reasonably expects to incur any liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with
respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any "employee benefit plan" or
(ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code. Each "employee benefit plan"
established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA
Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is
so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act,
which would cause the loss of such qualification.
B. Representations and Warranties of the Selling Shareholders. Each
Selling Shareholder represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter and
the Company as follows:
(a) The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Shareholder and is a
valid and binding agreement of such Selling Shareholder, enforceable in
accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification hereunder may be
limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement hereof may be limited by
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws
relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general
equitable principles.
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(b) The Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney. Each of the (i) Custody
Agreement signed by such Selling Shareholder and ChaseMellon Shareholder
Services, L.L.C., as custodian (the "Custodian"), relating to the deposit of the
Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder (the "Custody Agreement") and (ii)
Power of Attorney appointing certain individuals named therein as such Selling
Shareholder's attorneys-in-fact (each, an "Attorney-in-Fact") to the extent set
forth therein relating to the transactions contemplated hereby and by the
Prospectus (the "Power of Attorney"), of such Selling Shareholder has been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by such Selling Shareholder and is a valid
and binding agreement of such Selling Shareholder, enforceable in accordance
with its terms, except as rights to indemnification thereunder may be limited by
applicable law and except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws
relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general
equitable principles. Each Selling Shareholder agrees that the Shares to be sold
by such Selling Shareholder on deposit with the Custodian are subject to the
interests of the Underwriters, that the arrangements made for such custody are
to that extent irrevocable, and that the obligations of such Selling Shareholder
hereunder shall not be terminated, except as provided in this Agreement or in
the Custody Agreement, by any act of the Selling Shareholder, by operation of
law, by death or incapacity of such Selling Shareholder or by the occurrence of
any other event. If such Selling Shareholder should die or become incapacitated,
or in any other event should occur, before the delivery of the Shares to be sold
by such Selling Shareholder hereunder, the documents evidencing the Shares to be
sold by such Selling Shareholder then on deposit with the Custodian shall be
delivered by the Custodian in accordance with the terms and conditions of this
Agreement as if such death, incapacity or other event had not occurred,
regardless of whether or not the Custodian shall have received notice thereof.
(c) Title to Shares to be Sold. Such Selling Shareholder is the lawful
owner of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder and upon
sale and delivery of, and payment for, such Shares, as provided herein, such
Selling Shareholder will convey good and marketable title to such Shares, free
and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities and claims whatsoever.
(d) All Authorizations Obtained. Such Selling Shareholder has, and on the
First Closing Date will have, good and valid title to all of the Company Shares
which may be sold by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement on such
date and the legal right and power, and all authorizations and approvals
required by law to enter into this Agreement and its Custody Agreement and Power
of Attorney, to sell, transfer and deliver all of the Shares which may be sold
by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement and to comply with its
other obligations hereunder and thereunder.
(e) No Further Consents, Authorization or Approvals. No consent, approval,
authorization or order of any court or governmental agency or body is required
for the consummation by such Selling Shareholder of the transactions
contemplated herein, except such as may have been obtained under the Securities
Act and such as may be required under the federal and provincial securities laws
of Canada or the blue sky laws or any jurisdiction in connection with the
purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters and such other
approvals as have been obtained.
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(f) Non-Contravention. Neither the sale of the Securities being sold by
such Selling Shareholder nor the consummation of any other of the transactions
herein contemplated by such Selling Shareholder or the fulfillment of the terms
hereof by such Selling Shareholder will conflict with, result in a breach or
violation of, or constitute a default under any law or the terms of any
indenture or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Shareholder is
party or bound, any judgment, order or decree applicable to such Selling
Shareholder or any court or regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental
body or arbitrator having jurisdiction over such Selling Shareholder.
(g) No Registration or Other Similar Rights. Such Selling Shareholder does
not have any registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt
securities registered for sale by the Company under the Registration Statement
or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such
rights as are described in the Prospectus under "Shares Eligible for Future
Sale".
(h) No Preemptive, Co-sale or other Rights. Such Selling Shareholder does
not have, or has waived prior to the date hereof, any preemptive right, co-sale
right or right of first refusal or other similar right to purchase any of the
Shares that are to be sold by the Company or any of the other Selling
Shareholders to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement; and such Selling
Shareholder does not own any warrants, options or similar rights to acquire, and
does not have any right or arrangement to acquire, any capital stock, right,
warrants, options or other securities from the Company, other than those
described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(i) Disclosure Made by Such Selling Shareholder in the Prospectus. All
information furnished by or on behalf of such Selling Shareholder in writing
expressly for use in the Registration Statement and Prospectus is, and on the
First Closing Date and the Second Closing Date (as defined below) will be, true,
correct, and complete in all material respects, and does not, and on the First
Closing Date and the Second Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement
of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make such
information not misleading. Such Selling Shareholder confirms as accurate the
number of shares of Company Shares set forth opposite such Selling Shareholder's
name in the Prospectus under the caption "Principal and Selling Shareholders"
(both prior to and after giving effect to the sale of the Shares).
(j) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. Such Selling Shareholder has
not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or
that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or
manipulation of the price of the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale
of the Shares.
(k) No Transfer Taxes or Other Fees. There are no transfer taxes or other
similar fees or charges under Federal law or the laws of any state, or any
political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the
execution and delivery of this Agreement or the sale by the Selling Shareholders
of the Shares.
(l) Distribution of Offering Materials by the Selling Shareholders. The
Selling Shareholders have not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the
later of the Second Closing
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Date (as defined below) and the completion of the Underwriters' distribution of
the Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of
the Shares by such Selling Shareholder other than a preliminary prospectus, the
Prospectus or the Registration Statement.
(m) Confirmation of Company Representations and Warranties. Such Selling
Shareholder has no reason to believe that the representations and warranties of
the Company contained in Section 1(A) hereof are not true and correct, is
familiar with the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and has no knowledge
of any material fact, condition or information not disclosed in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus which has had or may result in a Material Adverse
Change on the condition, financial or otherwise, or on the earnings, business,
operation or prospects, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary
course of business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one
entity, and is not prompted to sell the Shares to be sold by such Selling
Shareholder by any information concerning the Company which is not set forth in
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
Any certificate signed by or on behalf of any Selling Shareholder and
delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be
deemed to be a representation and warranty by such Selling Shareholder to each
Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.
Section 2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Shares
(a) The Firm Shares. On the basis of the representations, warranties and
agreements herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set
forth, (i) the Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters an
aggregate of 4,000,000 Firm Shares and (ii) the Selling Shareholders agree to
sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of 150,000 Firm Shares, each
Selling Shareholder selling the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite such
Selling Shareholder's name on Schedule B. On the basis of the representations,
----------
warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to
the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters agree, severally and not
jointly, to purchase from the Company and the Selling Shareholders the
respective number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their names on Schedule A.
----------
The purchase price per Firm Share to be paid by the several Underwriters to the
Company and the Selling Shareholders shall be $[___] per share.
(b) The First Closing Date. Delivery of the Firm Shares to be purchased by
the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made by the Company and the
Representatives at 6:00 a.m. San Francisco time, at the offices of Xxxxxxx Coie
LLP, 0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000-0000 (or at such
other place as may be agreed upon among the Representatives and the Company),
(i) on the third (3rd) full business day following the first day that Shares are
traded, (ii) if this Agreement is executed and delivered after 1:30 P.M., San
Francisco time, the fourth (4th) full business day following the day that this
Agreement is executed and delivered or (iii) at such other time and date not
later that seven (7) full business days following the first day that Shares are
traded as the Representatives and the Company may determine (or at such time and
date to which payment and delivery shall have been postponed pursuant to Section
8 hereof), such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the
"Closing Date;"
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provided, however, that if the Company has not made available to the
Representatives copies of the Prospectus within the time provided in Section
4(d) hereof, the Representatives may, in its sole discretion, postpone the
Closing Date until no later that two (2) full business days following delivery
of copies of the Prospectus to the Representatives.
(c) The Option Shares; the Second Closing Date. In addition, on the basis
of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the
terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants
an option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up
to an aggregate of 622,500 Option Shares from the Company at the purchase price
per share to be paid by the Underwriters for the Firm Shares. The option granted
hereunder is for use by the Underwriters solely in covering any over-allotments
in connection with the sale and distribution of the Firm Shares. The option
granted hereunder may be exercised at any time upon notice by the
Representatives to the Company which notice may be given at any time within 30
days from the date of this Agreement. The time and date of delivery of the
Option Shares, if subsequent to the First Closing Date, is called the "Second
Closing Date" and shall be determined by the Representatives and shall not be
earlier than three nor later than five full business days after delivery of such
notice of exercise. If any Option Shares are to be purchased, each Underwriter
agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Option Shares
(subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the
Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total
number of Option Shares to be purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth
on Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the
----------
total number of Firm Shares and the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter
the number of Option Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional
shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to
the total number of Option Shares to be sold as the number of Firm Shares set
forth on Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total
----------
number of Firm Shares. The Representatives may cancel the option at any time
prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the
Company.
(d) Public Offering of the Shares. The Representatives hereby advise the
Company and the Selling Shareholders that the Underwriters intend to offer for
sale to the public, as described in the Prospectus, their respective portions of
the Shares as soon after this Agreement has been executed and the Registration
Statement has been declared effective as the Representatives, in their sole
judgment, have determined is advisable and practicable.
(e) Payment for the Shares. Payment for the Shares to be sold by the
Company shall be made at the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, at the
Second Closing Date) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the
order of the Company. Payment for the Shares to be sold by the Selling
Shareholders shall be made at the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, at the
Second Closing Date) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the
order of the Custodian.
It is understood that the Representatives have been authorized, for
their own account and the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept
delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the
Firm Shares and any Option Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase.
BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc., individually and not as the
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Representatives of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make
payment for any Shares to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not
have been received by the Representatives by the First Closing Date or the
Second Closing Date, as the case may be, for the account of such Underwriter,
but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its
obligations under this Agreement.
Each Selling Shareholder hereby agrees that (i) it will pay all stock
transfer taxes, stamp duties and other similar taxes, if any, payable upon the
sale or delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder to the
several Underwriters, or otherwise in connection with the performance of such
Selling Shareholder's obligations hereunder and (ii) the Custodian is authorized
to deduct for such payment any such amounts from the proceeds to such Selling
Shareholder hereunder and to hold such amounts for the account of such Selling
Shareholder with the Custodian under the Custody Agreement.
(f) Delivery of the Shares. The Company and the Selling Shareholders shall
deliver, or cause to be delivered a credit representing the Firm Shares to an
account or accounts at The Depository Trust Company as designated by the
Representatives for the accounts of the Representatives and the several
Underwriters at the First Closing Date, against the irrevocable release of a
wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase
price therefor. The Company [and the Selling Shareholders] shall also deliver,
or cause to be delivered a credit representing the Option Shares to an account
or accounts at The Depository Trust Company as designated by the Representatives
for the accounts of the Representatives and the several Underwriters, at the
First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, against the
irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the
amount of the purchase price therefor. Time shall be of the essence, and
delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further
condition to the obligations of the Underwriters.
(g) Delivery of Prospectus to the Underwriters. Not later than 12:00 noon
on the second business day following the date the Shares are released by the
Underwriters for sale to the public, the Company shall deliver or cause to be
delivered copies of the Prospectus in such quantities and at such places as the
Representatives shall request.
Section 3. Covenants of the Company and the Selling Shareholders.
A. Covenants of the Company. The Company further covenants and agrees
with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) Registration Statement Matters. The Company will (i) use its best
efforts to cause a registration statement on Form 8-A (the "Form 8-A
Registration Statement") as required by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
"Exchange Act") to become effective simultaneously with the Registration
Statement, (ii) use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to
become effective or, if the procedure in Rule 430A of the Securities Act is
followed, to prepare and timely file with the Commission under Rule 424(b) under
the Securities Act a Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives
containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the
Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 430A of the Securities Act and
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(iii) not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the
Prospectus of which the Representatives shall not previously have been advised
and furnished with a copy or to which the Representatives shall have reasonably
objected in writing or which is not in compliance with the Securities Act. If
the Company elects to rely on Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, the Company
shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in
compliance with Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act prior to the time
confirmations are sent or given, as specified by Rule 462(b)(2) under the
Securities Act, and shall pay the applicable fees in accordance with Rule 111
under the Securities Act.
(b) Securities Act Compliance. The Company will advise the Representatives
promptly (i) when the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment
thereto shall have become effective, (ii) of receipt of any comments from the
Commission, (iii) of any request of the Commission for amendment of the
Registration Statement or for supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional
information and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the
Prospectus or of the institution of any proceedings for that purpose. The
Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order
preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus and to obtain as soon as
possible the lifting thereof, if issued.
(c) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will cooperate with the
Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters in endeavoring to qualify the
Shares for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions (both national
and foreign) as the Representatives may reasonably have designated in writing
and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such
information as may be reasonably required for that purpose, provided the Company
shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general
consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so
qualified or required to file such a consent. The Company will, from time to
time, prepare and file such statements, reports and other documents, as are or
may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period
as the Representatives may reasonably request for distribution of the Shares.
(d) Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act
Matters. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act,
and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the
completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement
and the Prospectus. If during the period in which a prospectus is required by
law to be delivered by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur as a
result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of
the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to
amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in
the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered
to a purchaser, not misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time to amend or
supplement the Prospectus to comply with any law, the Company promptly will
prepare and file with the Commission, and furnish at its own expense to the
Underwriters and to dealers, an appropriate amendment to the Registration
Statement or supplement to the Prospectus so that the Prospectus as so amended
or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it is so
delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply with the law.
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(e) Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus. The
Company agrees to furnish the Representatives, without charge, during the period
beginning on the date hereof and ending on the later of the First Closing Date
or such date, as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus
is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an
Underwriter or dealer (the "Prospectus Delivery Period"), as many copies of the
Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto as the Representatives may
request.
(f) Insurance. The Company shall (i) obtain Directors and Officers
liability insurance in the minimum amount of $10 million which shall apply to
the offering contemplated hereby and (ii) shall cause BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx Inc. to be added as an additional insured to such policy in respect of
the offering contemplated hereby.
(g) Notice of Subsequent Events. If at any time during the ninety (90)
day period after the Registration Statement becomes effective, any rumor,
publication or event relating to or affecting the Company shall occur as a
result of which in your opinion the market price of the Company Shares has been
or is likely to be materially affected (regardless of whether such rumor,
publication or event necessitates a supplement to or amendment of the
Prospectus), the Company will, after written notice from you advising the
Company to the effect set forth above, forthwith prepare, consult with you
concerning the substance of and disseminate a press release or other public
statement, reasonably satisfactory to you, responding to or commenting on such
rumor, publication or event.
(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the
sale of the Shares sold by it in the manner described under the caption "Use of
Proceeds" in the Prospectus.
(i) Transfer Agent. The Company shall engage and maintain, at its
expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Company Shares.
(j) Earnings Statement. As soon as practicable, the Company will make
generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives an
earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering the twelve-month period
ending December 31, 2000 that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the
Securities Act.
(k) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period
the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the Nasdaq
National Market all reports and documents required to be filed under the
Exchange Act.
(l) Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Securities. The Company
will not, without the prior written consent of BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Inc., for a period of 180 days following the date of the Prospectus, offer, sell
or contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of or enter into any transaction which
is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by
actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or
otherwise by the Company or any affiliate of the Company or any person in
privity with the Company or any affiliate of the Company) directly or
indirectly, or announce the offering of, any other Common Shares or any
securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, Common Shares; provided,
however, that the Company may (i) issue and sell Common Shares pursuant to any
director or employee stock option
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plan, stock ownership plan or dividend reinvestment plan of the Company in
effect at the date of the Prospectus and described in the Prospectus so long as
none of those shares may be transferred on during the period of 180 days from
the date of the Prospectus (the "Lock-Up Period") and the Company shall enter
stop transfer instructions with its transfer agent and registrar against the
transfer of any such Common Shares and (ii) the Company may issue Common Shares
issuable upon the conversion of securities or the exercise of warrants
outstanding at the date of the Prospectus and described in the Prospectus.
(m) Future Reports to the Representatives. During the period of five
years hereafter the Company will furnish to the Representatives (i) as soon as
practicable after the end of each fiscal year, copies of the Annual Report of
the Company containing the balance sheet of the Company as of the close of such
fiscal year and statements of income, shareholders' equity and cash flows for
the year then ended and the opinion thereon of the Company's independent public
or certified public accountants; (ii) as soon as practicable after the filing
thereof, copies of each proxy statement, Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other report filed by the
Company with the Commission, the National Association of Securities Dealers, LLC
or any securities exchange; and (iii) as soon as available, copies of any report
or communication of the Company mailed generally to holders of its capital
stock.
(n) Exchange Act Compliance. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the
Company will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission
pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15 of the Exchange Act in the manner and within
the time periods required by the Exchange Act.
B. Covenants of the Selling Shareholders. Each Selling Shareholder
further covenants and agrees with each Underwriter:
(a) Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Securities. Such Selling
Shareholder will not, during the Lock-Up Period, make a disposition of
Securities (as defined in Exhibit A hereto) now owned or hereafter acquired
directly by such person or with respect to which such person has or hereafter
acquires the power of disposition, otherwise than (i) as a bona fide gift or
gifts, provided the donee or donees thereof agree in writing to be bound by this
restriction, (ii) as a distribution to partners or shareholders of such person,
provided that the distributees thereof agree in writing to be bound by the terms
of this restriction, (iii) with respect to dispositions of Common Shares
acquired on the open market or (iv) with the prior written consent of BancBoston
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc. The foregoing restriction has been expressly agreed to
preclude the holder of the Securities from engaging in any hedging or other
transaction which is designed to or reasonably expected to lead to or result in
a disposition of Securities during the Lock-Up Period, even if such Securities
would be disposed of by someone other than such holder. Such prohibited hedging
or other transactions would include, without limitation, any short sale (whether
or not against the box) or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including,
without limitation, any put or call option) with respect to any Securities or
with respect to any security (other than a broad-based market basket or index)
that includes, relates to or derives any significant part of its value from
Securities. Furthermore, such person has also agreed and consented to the entry
of stop transfer instructions with the Company's
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transfer agent against the transfer of the Securities held by such person except
in compliance with this restriction.
(b) Delivery of Forms W-8 and W-9. To deliver to the Representatives
prior to the First Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States
Treasury Department Form W-8 (if the Selling Shareholder is a non-United States
person) or Form W-9 (if the Selling Shareholder is a United States Person).
(c) Notification of Untrue Statements, etc. If, at any time prior to the
date on which the distribution of the Common Shares as contemplated herein and
in the Prospectus has been completed, as determined by the Representatives, such
Selling Shareholder has knowledge of the occurrence of any event as a result of
which the Prospectus or the Registration Statement, in each case as then amended
or supplemented, would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, such Selling
Shareholder will promptly notify the Company and the Representatives.
Section 4. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The
obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Shares as
provided herein on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Option
Shares, the Second Closing Date, shall be subject to the accuracy of the
representations and warranties on the part of the Company and the Selling
Shareholders set forth in Sections 1(A) and 1(B) hereof as of the date hereof
and as of the First Closing Date as though then made and, with respect to the
Option Shares, as of the Second Closing Date as though then made, to the timely
performance by the Company and the Selling Shareholders of their respective
covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following
additional conditions:
(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection
from the National Association of Securities Dealers, LLC. The Registration
Statement shall have become effective prior to the execution of this Agreement,
or at such later date as shall be consented to in writing by you; and no stop
order suspending the effectiveness thereof shall have been issued and no
proceedings for that purpose shall have been initiated or, to the knowledge of
the Company, any Selling Shareholder or any Underwriter, threatened by the
Commission, and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be
included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise) shall
have been complied with to the satisfaction of Underwriters' Counsel; and the
National Association of Securities Dealers, LLC shall have raised no objection
to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
(b) Corporate Proceedings. All corporate proceedings and other legal
matters in connection with this Agreement, the form of Registration Statement
and the Prospectus, and the registration, authorization, issue, sale and
delivery of the Shares, shall have been reasonably satisfactory to Underwriters'
Counsel, and such counsel shall have been furnished with such papers and
information as they may reasonably have requested to enable them to pass upon
the matters referred to in this Section.
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(c) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery
of this Agreement and prior to the First Closing Date, or the Second Closing
Date, as the case may be, there shall not have been any Material Adverse Change
in the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business or
business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise from that set forth in the Registration Statement or Prospectus,
which, in your sole judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in your
sole judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering
of the Shares as contemplated by the Prospectus.
(d) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. You shall have received on the
First Closing Date, or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion
of Xxxxxxx Coie LLP, counsel for the Company substantially in the form of
Exhibit B attached hereto, dated the First Closing Date, or the Second Closing
Date, addressed to the Underwriters and with reproduced copies or signed
counterparts thereof for each of the Underwriters.
Counsel rendering the opinion contained in Exhibit B may rely as to
questions of law not involving the laws of the United States or the State of
Washington upon opinions of local counsel, and as to questions of fact upon
representations or certificates of officers of the Company, the Selling
Shareholders or officers of the Selling Shareholders (when the Selling
Shareholder is not a natural person), and of government officials, in which case
their opinion is to state that they are so relying and that they have no
knowledge of any material misstatement or inaccuracy in any such opinion,
representation or certificate. Copies of any opinion, representation or
certificate so relied upon shall be delivered to you, as Representatives of the
Underwriters, and to Underwriters' Counsel.
(e) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. You shall have received on
the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, an
opinion of Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxx, Professional Corporation,
substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto. The Company shall have furnished
to such counsel such documents as they may have requested for the purpose of
enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(f) Accountants' Comfort Letter. You shall have received on the First
Closing Date and on the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, a letter from
Ernst & Young LLP addressed to the Underwriters, dated the First Closing Date or
the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, confirming that they are
independent certified public accountants with respect to the Company within the
meaning of the Act and the applicable published Rules and Regulations and based
upon the procedures described in such letter delivered to you concurrently with
the execution of this Agreement (herein called the "Original Letter"), but
carried out to a date not more than four (4) business days prior to the First
Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, (i) confirming, to
the extent true, that the statements and conclusions set forth in the Original
Letter are accurate as of the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as
the case may be, and (ii) setting forth any revisions and additions to the
statements and conclusions set forth in the Original Letter which are necessary
to reflect any changes in the facts described in the Original Letter since the
date of such letter, or to reflect the availability of more recent financial
statements, data or information. The letter shall not disclose any change in the
condition (financial or
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otherwise), earnings, operations, business or business prospects of the Company
and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise from that set forth in the
Registration Statement or Prospectus, which, in your sole judgment, is material
and adverse and that makes it, in your sole judgment, impracticable or
inadvisable to proceed with the public offering of the Shares as contemplated by
the Prospectus. The Original Letter from Ernst & Young LLP shall be addressed to
or for the use of the Underwriters in form and substance satisfactory to the
Underwriters and shall (i) represent, to the extent true, that they are
independent certified public accountants with respect to the Company within the
meaning of the Act and the applicable published Rules and Regulations, (ii) set
forth their opinion with respect to their examination of the consolidated
balance sheet of the Company as of December 31, 1997 and December 31, 1998 and
related consolidated statements of operations, shareholders' equity, and cash
flows for the twelve (12) months ended December 31, 1996, December 31, 1997 and
December 31, 1998, (iii) state that Ernst & Young LLP has performed the
procedures set out in Statement on Auditing Standards No. 71 ("SAS 71") for a
review of interim financial information and providing the report of Ernst &
Young LLP as described in SAS 71 on the financial statements for each of the
quarters in the nine-quarter period ended March 31, 1999 (the "Quarterly
Financial Statements"), (iv) state that in the course of such review, nothing
came to their attention that leads them to believe that any material
modifications need to be made to any of the Quarterly Financial Statements in
order for them to be in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles
consistently applied across the periods presented, and address other matters
agreed upon by Ernst & Young LLP and you. In addition, you shall have received
from Ernst & Young LLP a letter addressed to the Company and made available to
you for the use of the Underwriters stating that their review of the Company's
system of internal accounting controls, to the extent they deemed necessary in
establishing the scope of their examination of the Company's consolidated
financial statements as of December 31, 1998, did not disclose any weaknesses in
internal controls that they considered to be material weaknesses.
(g) Officers' Certificate. You shall have received on the First Closing
Date and the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate of the
Company, dated the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case
may be, signed by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the
Company, to the effect that, and you shall be satisfied that:
(i) The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement
are true and correct, as if made on and as of the First Closing Date or the
Second Closing Date, as the case may be, and the Company has complied with
all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be
performed or satisfied at or prior to the First Closing Date or the Second
Closing Date, as the case may be;
(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been
instituted or are pending or threatened under the Act;
(iii) When the Registration Statement became effective and at all times
subsequent thereto up to the delivery of such certificate, the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto,
contained all material information required to be
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included therein by the Securities Act and the applicable rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder and in all material respects
conformed to the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable
rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto,
did not and does not include any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading; and, since the effective date
of the Registration Statement, there has occurred no event required to be
set forth in an amended or supplemented Prospectus which has not been so
set forth; and
(iv) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given
in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, there has not been (a) any
material adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise),
earnings, operations, business or business prospects of the Company and its
subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, (b) any transaction that is
material to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise,
except transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business, (c)
any obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and
its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, incurred by the Company or
its subsidiaries, except obligations incurred in the ordinary course of
business, (d) any change in the capital stock or outstanding indebtedness
of the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the Company
and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, (e) any dividend or
distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (f) any loss or damage (whether or
not insured) to the property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
which has been sustained or will have been sustained which has a material
adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings,
operations, business or business prospects of the Company and its
subsidiaries considered as one enterprise.
(h) Lock-up Agreement from Certain Shareholders of the Company. The
Company shall have obtained and delivered to you an agreement substantially in
the form of Exhibit A attached hereto from each officer and director of the
Company, each Selling Shareholder and each beneficial owner of one or more
percent of the outstanding issued share capital of the Company.
(i) Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Shareholders. You shall have
received on the First Closing Date, the following opinion of Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx &
Xxxxx, counsel for the Selling Shareholders substantially in the form of Exhibit
D attached hereto, dated as of such Closing Date, addressed to the Underwriters
and with reproduced copies or signed counterparts thereof for each of the
Underwriters.
In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely as to questions of law not
involving the laws of the United States or State of Washington upon opinions of
local counsel and as to questions of fact upon representations or certificates
of the Selling Shareholders or officers of the Selling Shareholders (when the
Selling Shareholder is not a natural person), and of governmental officials, in
which case their opinion is to state that they are so relying and that they have
no knowledge of any material misstatement or inaccuracy of any material
misstatement or inaccuracy in any such opinion,
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representation or certificate so relied upon shall be delivered to you, as
Representatives of the Underwriters, and to Underwriters' Counsel.
(j) Selling Shareholders' Certificate. On each of the First Closing
Date and the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the Representatives shall
have received a written certificate executed by the Attorney-in-Fact of each
Selling Shareholder, dated as of such Closing Date, to the effect that:
(i) the representations, warranties and covenants of such Selling
Shareholder set forth in Section 1(B) of this Agreement are true and
correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made by such
Selling Shareholder on and as of such Closing Date; and
(ii) such Selling Shareholder has complied with all the agreements and
satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or
prior to such Closing Date.
(k) Selling Shareholders' Documents. At least three business days prior
to the date hereof, the Company and the Selling Shareholders shall have
furnished for review by the Representatives copies of the Powers of Attorney and
Custody Agreements executed by each of the Selling Shareholders and such further
information, certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably
request.
(l) Stock Exchange Listing. The Shares shall have been approved for
inclusion on the Nasdaq National Market, subject only to official notice of
issuance.
(m) Compliance with Prospectus Delivery Requirements. The Company shall
have complied with the provisions of Sections 2(g) and 3(e) hereof with respect
to the furnishing of Prospectuses.
(n) Additional Documents. On or before each of the First Closing Date
and the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the Representatives and counsel
for the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and
opinions as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to
pass upon the issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated herein, or in
order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or
the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.
If any condition specified in this Section 4 is not satisfied when and as
required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the
Representatives by notice to the Company and the Selling Shareholders at any
time on or prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Option
Shares, at any time prior to the Second Closing Date, which termination shall be
without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that
Section 5 (Payment of Expenses), Section 6 (Reimbursement of Underwriters'
Expenses), Section 7 (Indemnification and Contribution) and Section 10
(Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery) shall at all times be
effective and shall survive such termination.
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Section 5. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees
and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its and the Selling
Shareholders' obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to
the issuance and delivery of the Common Shares (including all printing and
engraving costs), (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent
of the Common Stock, (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes
in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares to the Underwriters, (iv)
all fees and expenses of the Company's counsel, independent public or certified
public accountants and other advisors, (v) all costs and expenses incurred in
connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of
the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules,
consents and certificates of experts), each preliminary prospectus and the
Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (vi)
all filing fees, attorneys' fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the
Underwriters in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining
exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the
Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the
provincial securities laws of Canada or any other country, and, if requested by
the Representatives, preparing and printing a "Blue Sky Survey", an
"International Blue Sky Survey" or other memorandum, and any supplements
thereto, advising the Underwriters of such qualifications, registrations and
exemptions, (vii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and
expenses of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, the National
Association of Securities Dealers, LLC review and approval of the Underwriters'
participation in the offering and distribution of the Shares, (viii) the fees
and expenses associated with including the Common Stock on the Nasdaq National
Market, (ix) all costs and expenses incident to the preparation and undertaking
of "road show" preparations to be made to prospective investors, and (x) all
other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 13 of Part II of the
Registration Statement. Except as provided in this Section 5, Section 6, and
Section 7 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the
fees and disbursements of their counsel.
Each Selling Shareholder shall pay (i) fees and expenses of counsel and
other advisors for such Selling Shareholder, and (ii) transfer taxes, if any,
incident to the sale and delivery of the Common Shares to be sold by such
Selling Shareholder to the Underwriters hereunder (which taxes, if any, may be
deducted by the Custodian under the provisions of Section 2 of this Agreement).
Section 6. Reimbursement of Underwriters' Expenses. If this Agreement is
terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 4, Section 7, Section 8,
Section 9 or Section 15, or if the sale to the Underwriters of the Shares on the
First Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or
failure on the part of the Company or the Selling Shareholders to perform any
agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees to
reimburse the Representatives and the other Underwriters (or such Underwriters
as have terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves), severally, upon
demand for all out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred
by the Representatives and the Underwriters in connection with the proposed
purchase and the offering and sale of the Shares, including but not limited to
fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage,
facsimile and telephone charges.
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Section 7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters.
(1) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each
Underwriter, its officers and employees, and each person, if any, who controls
any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act
against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which
such Underwriter or such controlling person may become subject, under the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or
regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any
litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the
Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), insofar as such
loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as
contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration
Statement, or any amendment thereto, including any information deemed to be a
part thereof pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 434 under the Securities Act, or the
omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) upon
any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in
any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (iii) in whole or
in part upon any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of the Company
contained herein; or (iv) in whole or in part upon any failure of the Company to
perform its obligations hereunder or under law; or (v) any act or failure to act
or any alleged act or failure to act by any Underwriter in connection with, or
relating in any manner to, the Shares or the offering contemplated hereby, and
which is included as part of or referred to in any loss, claim, damage,
liability or action arising out of or based upon any matter covered by clause
(i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above, provided that the Company shall not be liable
under this clause (v) to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction shall
have determined by a final judgment that such loss, claim, damage, liability or
action resulted directly from any such acts or failures to act undertaken or
omitted to be taken by such Underwriter through its bad faith or willful
misconduct; and to reimburse each Underwriter and each such controlling person
for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen
by BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.) as such expenses are reasonably incurred
by such Underwriter or such controlling person in connection with investigating,
defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage,
liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity
agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to
the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in
reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the
Company by the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement,
any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto); and provided, further, that with respect to any preliminary
prospectus, the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not inure to the benefit of
any Underwriter from whom the person asserting any loss, claim, damage,
liability or expense purchased Shares, or any person controlling such
Underwriter, if copies of the Prospectus were timely delivered to the
Underwriter pursuant to Section 2 and a copy of the Prospectus (as then amended
or
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supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements
thereto) was not sent or given by or on behalf of such Underwriter to such
person, if required by law so to have been delivered, at or prior to the written
confirmation of the sale of the Shares to such person, and if the Prospectus (as
so amended or supplemented) would have cured the defect giving rise to such
loss, claim, damage, liability or expense. The indemnity agreement set forth in
this Section 7(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may
otherwise have.
(2) Each Selling Shareholder, jointly and severally, agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its officers and employees, and
each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability
or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or such controlling person
may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal
or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including
in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written
consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld),
insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect
thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, including any information
deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 434 under the
Securities Act, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading; or (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any
amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom
of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in the
case of subparagraphs (i) and (ii) of this Section 7(a)(2) to the extent, but
only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or
omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information furnished to the Company or such Underwriter by such Selling
Shareholder, directly or through such Selling Shareholder's representatives,
specifically for use in the preparation thereof; or (iii) in whole or in part
upon any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of such Selling
Shareholder contained herein; or (iv) in whole or in part upon any failure of
such Selling Shareholder to perform his obligations hereunder or under law; or
(v) any act or failure to act or any alleged act or failure to act by any
Underwriter in connection with, or relating in any manner to, the Shares or the
offering contemplated hereby, and which is included as part of or referred to in
any loss, claim, damage, liability or action arising out of or based upon any
matter covered by clause (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above, provided that such
Selling Shareholder shall not be liable under this clause (v) to the extent that
a court of competent jurisdiction shall have determined by a final judgment that
such loss, claim, damage, liability or action resulted directly from any such
acts or failures to act undertaken or omitted to be taken by such Underwriter
through its bad faith or willful misconduct; and to reimburse each Underwriter
and each such controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees
and disbursements of counsel chosen by BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.) as
such expenses are reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or such controlling
person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or
paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided,
however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss,
claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to
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the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished by the Representatives expressly
for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the
Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto); and provided, further, that
with respect to any preliminary prospectus, the foregoing indemnity agreement
shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter from whom the person asserting
any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense purchased Shares, or any person
controlling such Underwriter, if copies of the Prospectus were timely delivered
to the Underwriter pursuant to Section 2 and a copy of the Prospectus (as then
amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or
supplements thereto) was not sent or given by or on behalf of such Underwriter
to such person, if required by law so to have been delivered, at or prior to the
written confirmation of the sale of the Shares to such person, and if the
Prospectus (as so amended or supplemented) would have cured the defect giving
rise to such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense. The indemnity agreement
set forth in this Section 7(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the
Selling Shareholders may otherwise have.
(b) Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers and Selling
Shareholders. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify
and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who
signed the Registration Statement, the Selling Shareholders and each person, if
any, who controls the Company or any Selling Shareholder within the meaning of
the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage,
liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company, or any such director,
officer, Selling Shareholder or controlling person may become subject, under the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or
regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any
litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such
Underwriter), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or
actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon
any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any
amendment or supplement thereto), or arises out of or is based upon the omission
or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case
to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration
Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus (or any amendment or
supplement thereto), in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company by the Representatives expressly for use therein; and
to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer, Selling Shareholder or
controlling person for any legal and other expense reasonably incurred by the
Company, or any such director, officer, Selling Shareholder or controlling
person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or
paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. The indemnity
agreement set forth in this Section 7(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities
that each Underwriter may otherwise have.
(c) Information Provided by the Underwriters. Each of the Company and
each of the Selling Shareholders hereby acknowledges that the only information
that the Underwriters have furnished to the Company expressly for use in the
Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any
amendment or supplement thereto) are the statements set forth
-27-
in the table and in the first paragraph and the second paragraph under the table
under the caption "Underwriting" in the Prospectus; and the Underwriters confirm
that such statements are correct.
(d) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after
receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 7 of notice of the
commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect
thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 7, notify
the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission
so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which
it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than under
the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 7 or to the extent it is not
prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure. In case any such action is
brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or
intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party
will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect,
jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, 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; provided, however, if the
defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the
indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded
that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and
the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there
may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are
different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the
indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to
assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such
action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice
from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying
party's election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the
indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such
indemnified party under this Section 7 for any legal or other expenses
subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense
thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in
accordance with the proviso to the next preceding sentence (it being understood,
however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of
more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), approved by the
indemnifying party (BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc. in the case of Section
7(b) and Section 8), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to
such action), (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel
satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within
a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, or (iii) the
indemnifying party has authorized the employment of counsel for the indemnified
party at the expense of the indemnifying party, in each of which cases the fees
and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party.
(e) Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 7 shall not be
liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written
consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, but if settled with
such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying
party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage,
liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding
the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested
an indemnifying party to
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reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated
by Section 7(d) hereof, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable
for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i)
such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such
indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party
shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request
prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the
prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement,
compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened
action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could
have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such
indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes (i) an
unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims
that are the subject matter of such 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.
(f) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7
is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under
Section 7(a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) then each
indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by
such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders on the
one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares. If,
however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not
permitted by applicable law then each indemnifying party shall contribute to
such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative
fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholders on the one hand and the
Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which
resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, (or actions or
proceedings in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable
considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling
Shareholders on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other shall be deemed to
be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before
deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders bears
to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the
Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the
Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other
things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the
omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information
supplied by the Company or the Selling Shareholders on the one hand or the
Underwriters on the other and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to
information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company, each Selling Shareholder and Underwriters agree that it would
not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 7(f) were
determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one
entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not
take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section
7(f). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect
thereof) referred to above in this Section 7(f) shall be deemed to include any
legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in
-29-
connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (f), (i) no Underwriter shall
be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and
commissions applicable to the Shares purchased by such Underwriter and (ii) no
person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section
11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person
who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters'
obligations in this Section 7(f) to contribute are several in proportion to
their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
(g) Timing of Any Payments of Indemnification. Any losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses for which an indemnified party is entitled to
indemnification or contribution under this Section 7 shall be paid by the
indemnifying party to the indemnified party as such losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or expenses are incurred, but in all cases, no later than thirty
(30) days of invoice to the indemnifying party.
(h) Survival. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this
Section 7 and the representation and warranties of the Company and the Selling
Shareholders set forth in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full
force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of
any Underwriter or any person controlling any Underwriter, any Selling
Shareholder or any person controlling any Selling Shareholder, or the Company,
its directors or officers or any persons controlling the Company, (ii)
acceptance of any Shares and payment therefor hereunder, and (iii) any
termination of this Agreement. A successor to any Underwriter, to any Selling
Shareholder or to the Company, its directors or officers, or any person
controlling any Underwriter, any Selling Shareholder or the Company, shall be
entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement
agreements contained in this Section 7.
(i) Acknowledgements of Parties. The parties to this Agreement hereby
acknowledge that they are sophisticated business persons who were represented by
counsel during the negotiations regarding the provisions hereof including,
without limitation, the provisions of this Section 7, and are fully informed
regarding said provisions. They further acknowledge that the provisions of this
Section 7 fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to
investigate the Company and its business in order to assure that adequate
disclosure is made in the Registration Statement and Prospectus as required by
the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
(j) Limit on Liability. The liability of each Selling Shareholder
pursuant to this Section 7 shall be limited to an amount equal to the gross
proceeds received by such Selling Shareholder from the sale of Shares hereunder.
Section 8. Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters. If, on the
First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or
more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares that it
or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number
of Common Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but
failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate number of the
Shares to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated,
severally, in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite
their respective names on Schedule A bears to the
-30-
aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-
defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the
Representatives with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase
the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed
or refused to purchase on such date. If, on the First Closing Date or the Second
Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail
or refuse to purchase Shares and the aggregate number of Shares with respect to
which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Shares to be
purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and
the Company for the purchase of such Shares are not made within 48 hours after
such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to
any other party except that the provisions of Section 4, and Section 7 shall at
all times be effective and shall survive such termination. In any such case
either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the
First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no
event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or
arrangements may be effected.
As used in this Agreement, the term "Underwriter" shall be deemed to
include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section
8. Any action taken under this Section 8 shall not relieve any defaulting
Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under
this Agreement.
Section 9. Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the First Closing
Date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice given to
the Company and the Selling Shareholders if at any time (i) trading or quotation
in any of the Company's securities shall have been suspended or limited by the
Commission or by the Nasdaq Stock Market, or trading in securities generally on
either the Nasdaq Stock Market or the New York Stock Exchange shall have been
suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally
established on any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or the National
Association of Securities Dealers, LLC; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall
have been declared by any of federal, New York, Washington or California
authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of
national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change
in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial
change or development involving a prospective change in United States' or
international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of
the Representatives is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or
inadvisable to market the Common Shares in the manner and on the terms described
in the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in
the judgment of the Representatives there shall have occurred any Material
Adverse Change; or (v) the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire,
flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as in the
judgment of the Representatives may interfere materially with the conduct of the
business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss
shall have been insured. Any termination pursuant to this Section 9 shall be
without liability on the part of (a) the Company or the Selling Shareholders to
any Underwriter, except that the Company and the Selling Shareholders shall be
obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representatives and the Underwriters
pursuant to Sections 5 and 6 hereof, (b) any Underwriter to the Company or the
Selling Shareholders, or (c) of any party hereto
-31-
to any other party except that the provisions of Section 7 shall at all times be
effective and shall survive such termination.
Section 10. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The
respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other
statements of the Company, of its officers, of the Selling Shareholders and of
the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will
remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on
behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of its or their partners,
officers or directors or any controlling person, or the Selling Shareholders, as
the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Shares sold
hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.
Section 11. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and
shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties
hereto as follows:
If to the Representatives:
BANCBOSTON XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX INC.
000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Attention: General Counsel
If to the Company:
Primus Knowledge Solutions, Inc.
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
If to the Selling Shareholders:
ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, LLC
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
with a copy to:
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx
0000 Xxxxxx Xxx., Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
-32-
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving
written notice to the others.
Section 12. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and
be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters
pursuant to Section 9 hereof, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and
directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 7, and to their
respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation
hereunder. The term "successors" shall not include any purchaser of the Shares
as such from any of the Underwriters merely by reason of such purchase.
Section 13. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability
of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the
validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof.
If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason
determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such
minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid
and enforceable.
Section 14. Governing Law Provisions.
(a) Governing Law. This agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the internal laws of the state of New York applicable to
agreements made and to be performed in such state.
(b) Consent to Jurisdiction. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising
out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby
("Related Proceedings") may be instituted in the federal courts of the United
States of America located in the City and County of San Francisco or the courts
of the State of California in each case located in the City and County of San
Francisco (collectively, the "Specified Courts"), and each party irrevocably
submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in
regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court (a "Related
Judgment"), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in
any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or
document by mail to such party's address set forth above shall be effective
service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such
court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the
laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts
and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any
such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such
court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. Each party not located in the
United States irrevocably appoints CT Corporation System, which currently
maintains a San Francisco office at 00 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxx 00000, Xxxxxx Xxxxxx of America, as its agent to receive service of
process or other legal summons for purposes of any such suit, action or
proceeding that may be instituted in any state or federal court in the City and
County of San Francisco.
(c) Waiver of Immunity. With respect to any Related Proceeding, each party
irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all
immunity (whether on the basis of sovereignty or otherwise) from jurisdiction,
service of process, attachment (both before and after judgment) and execution to
which it might otherwise be entitled in the Specified Courts, and with
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respect to any Related Judgment, each party waives any such immunity in the
Specified Courts or any other court of competent jurisdiction, and will not
raise or claim or cause to be pleaded any such immunity at or in respect of any
such Related Proceeding or Related Judgment, including, without limitation, any
immunity pursuant to the United States Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976,
as amended.
Section 15. Failure of One or More of the Selling Shareholders to Sell
and Deliver Common Shares. If one or more of the Selling Shareholders shall fail
to sell and deliver to the Underwriters the Shares to be sold and delivered by
such Selling Shareholders at the First Closing Date pursuant to this Agreement,
then the Underwriters may at their option, by written notice from the
Representatives to the Company and the Selling Shareholders, either (i)
terminate this Agreement without any liability on the part of any Underwriter
or, except as provided in Sections 5, 6, and 7 hereof, the Company or the
Selling Shareholders, or (ii) purchase the shares which the Company and other
Selling Shareholders have agreed to sell and deliver in accordance with the
terms hereof. If one or more of the Selling Shareholders shall fail to sell and
deliver to the Underwriters the Shares to be sold and delivered by such Selling
Shareholders pursuant to this Agreement at the First Closing Date or the Second
Closing Date, then the Underwriters shall have the right, by written notice from
the Representatives to the Company and the Selling Shareholders, to postpone the
First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no
event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or
arrangements may be effected.
Section 16. General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire
agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or
oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations
with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in
two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same
effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the
parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived
unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit.
The Table of Contents and the Section headings herein are for the convenience of
the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this
Agreement.
[The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank.]
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement,
please sign and return to the Company and the Custodian the enclosed copies
hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall
become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
PRIMUS KNOWLEDGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
By:_______________________________________________
[Title]
SELLING SHAREHOLDERS
By:_______________________________________________
Attorney-in-fact for the Selling Shareholders
named in Schedule B hereto
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by
the Representatives as of the date first above written.
BANCBOSTON XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX INC.
XXXXXXXXX & XXXXX LLC
U.S. BANCORP XXXXX XXXXXXX INC.
FIRST ALBANY CORPORATION
On their behalf and on behalf of each of the several underwriters named in
Schedule A hereto.
By BANCBOSTON XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX INC.
By:_________________________________
Authorized Signatory
-35-
SCHEDULE A
Number of Firm Shares
Underwriters To be Purchased
------------------------------------------ ---------------------
BANCBOSTON XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX INC............ [___]
XXXXXXXXX & XXXXX LLC........................ [___]
U.S. BANCORP XXXXX XXXXXXX INC............... [___]
FIRST ALBANY CORPORATION..................... [___]
[___] ....................................... [___]
Total..................................... [___]
S-A
SCHEDULE B
Number of Firm Maximum Number of
Selling Shareholder Shares to be Sold Option Shares to
be Sold
------------------------------------------- ----------------- -----------------
Xxxxx Xxxxxx 100,000 0
[address].....................................
Xxxxx Xxxxxx 50,000 0
[address].....................................
Total:................................... 150,000 0
==========================================
S-B
Exhibit A
PRIMUS KNOWLEDGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
April __, 0000
XxxxXxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.
Xxxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLC
U.S. Bancorp Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Inc.
c/o BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.
000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxx Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that you, as Representatives of the several
underwriters (the "Underwriters"), propose to enter into an Underwriting
Agreement (the "Underwriting Agreement") with Primus Knowledge Solutions, Inc.
(the "Company") providing for the initial public offering (the "Public
Offering") by the Underwriters, including yourselves, of Common Stock of the
Company (the "Common Stock") pursuant to the Company's Registration Statement on
Form S-1 to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Registration Statement").
In consideration of the Underwriters' agreement to purchase and make the
Public Offering of the Common Stock, and for other good and valuable
consideration, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby
agrees, from the date hereof until and including 180 days after the date of the
final prospectus related to the Public Offering (the "Lock-Up Period"), not to
offer to sell, contract to sell or otherwise sell, dispose of, loan, pledge or
grant any rights with respect to (collectively, a "Disposition") any shares of
Common Stock, any options or warrants to purchase any shares of Common Stock or
any securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock
(collectively, "Securities"), now owned or hereafter acquired directly by the
undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires
the power of disposition, otherwise than (i) as a bona fide gift or gifts,
provided the donee or donees thereof agree to be bound by this Lock-Up
Agreement, (ii) as a distribution to limited partners or shareholders of the
undersigned, provided that the distributees thereof agree in writing to be bound
by the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement or (iii) with the prior written consent
of BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc. The foregoing restriction is expressly
agreed to preclude the holder of the Securities from engaging in any hedging or
other transaction which is designed to or reasonably expected to lead to or
result in a Disposition of Securities during the Lock-Up Period even if such
Securities would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned. Such
prohibited hedging or other transactions would include without limitation any
short sale (whether or not against the box) or any purchase,
A-1
sale or grant of any right (including without limitation any put or call option)
with respect to any Securities or with respect to any security (other than a
broad-based market basket or index) that includes, relates to or derives any
significant part of its value from Securities.
Furthermore, the undersigned hereby agrees and consents to the entry of
stop transfer instructions with the Company's transfer agent against the
transfer of the Securities held by the undersigned except in compliance with
this Lock-Up Agreement. In the event that the Registration Statement shall not
have been declared effective on or before September 30, 1999, this Lock-Up
Agreement shall be of no further force or effect.
Very truly yours,
________________________________________
(signature)
Name:___________________________________
(print or type)
Address:________________________________
_______________________________
Accepted as of the date
first set forth above:
BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.
Xxxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLC
U.S. Bancorp Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Inc.
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
By: BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.
By: ________________________________
Name:
Title:
The Company requests that this Lock-Up Agreement be completed and delivered to
the Underwriters' counsel, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxx, 000 Xxxx Xxxx Xxxx,
Xxxx Xxxx, XX 00000, Attn: Xxxxx XxXxxxxx.
A-2
Exhibit B
Matters to be Covered in the Opinion of Company Counsel
(i) The Company and each Significant Subsidiary (as that term is defined
in Regulation S X of the Act) has been duly incorporated and is validly existing
as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation;
(ii) The Company and each Significant Subsidiary has the corporate power
and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its
business as described in the Prospectus;
(iii) The Company and each Significant Subsidiary is duly qualified to do
business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction,
if any, in which the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of
its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so
qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect. To
such counsel's knowledge, the Company does not own or control, directly or
indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than Primus
Knowledge Solutions (UK) Limited;
(iv) The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company
is as set forth in the Prospectus under the caption "Capitalization" as of the
dates stated therein, the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the
Company (including the Selling Shareholder Shares) have been duly and validly
issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, to such counsel's knowledge,
will not have been issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive right,
co-sale right, registration right, right of first refusal or other similar
right;
(v) All issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each
Significant Subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly
issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, to such counsel's knowledge,
have not been issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive right, co-sale
right, registration right, right of first refusal or other similar right and are
owned by the Company free and clear of any pledge, lien, security interest,
encumbrance, claim or equitable interest;
(vi) The Firm Shares or the Option Shares, as the case may be, to be
issued by the Company pursuant to the terms of this Agreement have been duly
authorized and, upon issuance and delivery against payment therefor in
accordance with the terms hereof, will be duly and validly issued and fully paid
and nonassessable, and will not have been issued in violation of or subject to
any preemptive right, co-sale right, registration right, right of first refusal
or other similar right.
(vii) The Company has the corporate power and authority to enter into this
Agreement and to issue, sell and deliver to the Underwriters the Shares to be
issued and sold by it hereunder;
(viii) This Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate
action on the part of the Company and has been duly executed and delivered by
the Company and, assuming due
B-1
authorization, execution and delivery by you, is a valid and binding agreement
of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to
indemnification hereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as
enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium or similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally
or by general equitable principles;
(ix) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and, to
such counsel's knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have
been instituted or are pending or threatened under the Securities Act;
(x) The 8-A Registration Statement complied as to form in all material
respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act; the 8-A Registration
Statement has become effective under the Exchange Act; and the Firm Shares or
the Option Shares have been validly registered under the Securities Act and the
Rules and Regulations of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder;
(xi) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and each amendment or
supplement thereto (other than the financial statements (including supporting
schedules) and financial data derived therefrom as to which such counsel need
express no opinion), as of the effective date of the Registration Statement,
complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act
and the applicable Rules and Regulations;
(xii) The information in the Prospectus under the caption "Description of
Capital Stock," to the extent that it constitutes matters of law or legal
conclusions, has been reviewed by such counsel and is a fair summary of such
matters and conclusions; and the forms of certificates evidencing the Common
Stock and filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement comply with Washington
law;
(xiii) The description in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus of
the charter and bylaws of the Company and of statutes are accurate and fairly
present the information required to be presented by the Securities Act;
(xiv) To such counsel's knowledge, there are no agreements, contracts,
leases or documents to which the Company is a party of a character required to
be described or referred to in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or to be
filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement which are not described or
referred to therein or filed as required;
(xv) The performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions herein contemplated (other than performance of the Company's
indemnification obligations hereunder, concerning which no opinion need be
expressed) will not (a) result in any violation of the Company's charter or
bylaws or (b) to such counsel's knowledge, result in a material breach or
violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under,
any bond, debenture,
B-2
note or other evidence of indebtedness, or any lease, contract, indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, joint venture or other agreement or
instrument known to such counsel to which the Company is a party or by which its
properties are bound, or any applicable statute, rule or regulation known to
such counsel or, to such counsel's knowledge, any order, writ or decree of any
court, government or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the
Company or any of its subsidiaries, or over any of their properties or
operations;
(xvi) No consent, approval, authorization or order of or qualification
with any court, government or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction
over the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or over any of their properties or
operations is necessary in connection with the consummation by the Company of
the transactions herein contemplated, except (i) such as have been obtained
under the Securities Act, (ii) such as may be required under state or other
securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and the distribution
of the Shares by the Underwriters, (iii) such as may be required by the National
Association of Securities Dealers, LLC and (iv) such as may be required under
the federal or provincial laws of Canada;
(xvii) To such counsel's knowledge, there are no legal or governmental
proceedings pending or threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries
of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus by the Securities Act, other than those described therein;
(xviii) To such counsel's knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries is presently (a) in material violation of its respective charter or
bylaws, or (b) in material breach of any applicable statute, rule or regulation
known to such counsel or, to such counsel's knowledge, any order, writ or decree
of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company
or any of its subsidiaries, or over any of their properties or operations; and
(xix) To such counsel's knowledge, except as set forth in the Registration
Statement and Prospectus, no holders of Company Shares or other securities of
the Company have registration rights with respect to securities of the Company
and, except as set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, all
holders of securities of the Company having rights known to such counsel to
registration of such shares of Company Shares or other securities, because of
the filing of the Registration Statement by the Company have, with respect to
the offering contemplated thereby, waived such rights or such rights have
expired by reason of lapse of time following notification of the Company's
intent to file the Registration Statement or have included securities in the
Registration Statement pursuant to the exercise of and in full satisfaction of
such rights.
(xx) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and the
sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in
the Prospectus, will not be, an "investment company" as such term is defined in
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(xxi) To such counsel's knowledge, the Company owns or possesses
sufficient trademarks, trade names, patent rights, copyrights, licenses,
approvals, trade secrets and other similar rights
B-3
(collectively, "Intellectual Property Rights") reasonably necessary to conduct
their business as now conducted; and the expected expiration of any such
Intellectual Property Rights would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The
Company has not received any notice of infringement or conflict with asserted
Intellectual Property Rights of others, which infringement or conflict, if the
subject of an unfavorable decision, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
To such counsel's knowledge, the Company's discoveries, inventions, products, or
processes referred to in the Registration Statement or Prospectus do not
infringe or conflict with any right or patent which is the subject of a patent
application known to the Company.
In addition, such counsel shall state that such counsel has participated in
conferences with officials and other representatives of the Company, the
Representatives, Underwriters' Counsel and the independent certified public
accountants of the Company, at which such conferences the contents of the
Registration Statement and Prospectus and related matters were discussed, and
although they have not verified the accuracy or completeness of the statements
contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, nothing has come to
the attention of such counsel which leads them to believe that, at the time the
Registration Statement became effective and at all times subsequent thereto up
to and on the First Closing Date or Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the
Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto (other than the
financial statements including supporting schedules and other financial and
statistical information derived therefrom, as to which such counsel need express
no comment) 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, or at the First Closing Date or the Second
Closing Date, as the case may be, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and
any amendment or supplement thereto (except as aforesaid) contained any untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading.
B-4
Exhibit C
Matters to be Covered in the Opinion of Underwriters' Counsel
(i) The Shares to be issued by the Company have been duly authorized and,
upon issuance and delivery and payment therefor in accordance with the terms of
the Underwriting Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-
assessable.
(ii) The Registration Statement complied as to form in all material
respects with the requirements of the Act; the Registration Statement has become
effective under the Act and, to such counsel's knowledge, no stop order
proceedings with respect thereto have been instituted or threatened or are
pending under the Act.
(iii) The 8-A Registration Statement complied as to form in all material
respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act; the 8-A Registration
Statement has become effective under the Exchange Act; and the Firm Shares or
the Option Shares have been validly registered under the Securities Act and the
Rules and Regulations of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder;
(iv) The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company.
(v) The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Selling Shareholders.
Such counsel shall state that such counsel has reviewed the opinions
addressed to the Representatives from [list each set of counsel that has
provided an opinion], each dated the date hereof, and furnished to you in
accordance with the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement. Such opinions
appear on their face to be appropriately responsive to the requirements of the
Underwriting Agreement.
In addition, such counsel shall state that such counsel has participated in
conferences with officials and other representatives of the Company, the
Representatives, Underwriters' Counsel and the independent certified public
accountants of the Company, at which such conferences the contents of the
Registration Statement and Prospectus and related matters were discussed, and
although they have not verified the accuracy or completeness of the statements
contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, nothing has come to
the attention of such counsel which leads them to believe that, at the time the
Registration Statement became effective and at all times subsequent thereto up
to and on the First Closing Date or Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the
Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto (other than the
financial statements including supporting schedules and other financial and
statistical information derived therefrom, as to which such counsel need express
no comment) 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
C-1
statements therein not misleading, or at the First Closing Date or the Second
Closing Date, as the case may be, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and
any amendment or supplement thereto (except as aforesaid) contained any untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading.
C-2
Exhibit D
Matters to be Covered in the Opinion of Selling Shareholder Counsel
(i) The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered on behalf of, and is a valid and binding agreement of, such Selling
Shareholder, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to
indemnification thereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the
enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights
generally or by general equitable principles.
(ii) The execution and delivery by such Selling Shareholder of, and the
performance by such Selling Shareholder of its obligations under, the
Underwriting Agreement and its Custody Agreement and its Power of Attorney will
not, to such counsel's knowledge, violate, result in a breach of or constitute a
default under the terms of any other agreement or instrument to which such
Selling Shareholder is a party or by which it is bound, or any judgement, order
or decree applicable to such Selling Shareholder of any court, regulatory body,
administrative agency, governmental body or arbitrator having jurisdiction over
such Selling Shareholder.
(iii) To such counsel's knowledge, each Selling Shareholder has the legal
right and power to enter into the Underwriting Agreement and its Custody
Agreement and its Power of Attorney, to sell, transfer and deliver all of the
Common Shares which may be sold by such Selling Shareholder under the
Underwriting Agreement and to comply with its other obligations under the
Underwriting Agreement, its Custody Agreement and its Power of Attorney.
(iv) Each of the Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney of such Selling
Shareholder has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Selling
Shareholder and is a valid and binding agreement of such Selling Shareholder,
enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification
thereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement
thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or
other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally or by
general equitable principles.
(v) To such counsel's knowledge, no consent, approval, authorization or
other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or governmental
authority or agency, is required for the consummation by such Selling
Shareholder of the transactions contemplated in the Underwriting Agreement,
except as required under the Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue
sky laws, and from the National Association of Securities Dealers, LLC.
(vi) Upon the delivery of and payment for the Shares to be sold by the
Selling Shareholders as provided in the Underwriting Agreement, and upon
registration of such Shares in the stock records of the Company in the names of
the Underwriters or their nominees and the issuance by the Company of stock
certificates therefor, to our knowledge, each of the Underwriters will
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receive good and valid title to the Shares purchased by it from such Selling
Shareholder, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien,
encumbrance, adverse claim as defined in RCW 62A.8.102(1)(a) or other claim
(other than any right, title or interest in or to the Shares granted by the
Underwriters to any person or entity in connection with the sale of such Shares
to the public), provided that (a) the Underwriters are purchasing such Shares in
good faith, and (b) the Underwriters, together with their nominees (if any),
hold such Shares without notice of any adverse claim.
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