_______________ SHARES
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ RESTAURANTS WORLDWIDE INC.
CLASS A COMMON STOCK
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
DATED ___________ ___, 2000
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY................................................2
COMPLIANCE WITH REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS.......................................................2
OFFERING MATERIALS FURNISHED TO UNDERWRITERS....................................................2
DISTRIBUTION OF OFFERING MATERIAL BY THE COMPANY................................................3
THE UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT......................................................................3
AUTHORIZATION OF THE COMMON SHARES..............................................................3
NO APPLICABLE REGISTRATION OR OTHER SIMILAR RIGHTS..............................................3
NO MATERIAL ADVERSE CHANGE......................................................................3
INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS.........................................................................3
PREPARATION OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.........................................................4
INCORPORATION AND GOOD STANDING OF THE COMPANY AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES.............................4
CAPITALIZATION AND OTHER CAPITAL STOCK MATTERS..................................................4
STOCK EXCHANGE LISTING;.........................................................................5
NON-CONTRAVENTION OF EXISTING INSTRUMENTS; NO FURTHER AUTHORIZATIONS OR APPROVALS REQUIRED......5
NO MATERIAL ACTIONS OR PROCEEDINGS..............................................................5
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS....................................................................6
ALL NECESSARY PERMITS, ETC......................................................................6
TITLE TO PROPERTIES.............................................................................6
TAX LAW COMPLIANCE..............................................................................6
COMPANY NOT AN INVESTMENT COMPANY...............................................................6
INSURANCE.......................................................................................6
NO PRICE STABILIZATION OR MANIPULATION..........................................................7
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS......................................................................7
NO UNLAWFUL CONTRIBUTIONS OR OTHER PAYMENTS.....................................................7
COMPANY'S ACCOUNTING SYSTEM.....................................................................7
COMPLIANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS..............................................................7
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ERISA COMPLIANCE................................................................................8
SECTION 2. PURCHASE, SALE AND DELIVERY OF COMMON SHARES.................................................9
THE FIRM COMMON SHARES..........................................................................9
THE FIRST CLOSING DATE..........................................................................9
THE OPTIONAL COMMON SHARES; THE SECOND CLOSING DATE.............................................9
PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE COMMON SHARES...........................................................10
PAYMENT FOR THE COMMON SHARES..................................................................10
DELIVERY OF THE COMMON SHARES..................................................................10
DELIVERY OF PROSPECTUS TO THE UNDERWRITERS.....................................................10
SECTION 3. ADDITIONAL COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.........................................................10
REPRESENTATIVE'S REVIEW OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS.................................11
SECURITIES ACT COMPLIANCE......................................................................11
AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS TO THE PROSPECTUS AND OTHER SECURITIES ACT MATTERS..................11
COPIES OF ANY AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS TO THE PROSPECTUS.....................................11
BLUE SKY COMPLIANCE............................................................................12
USE OF PROCEEDS................................................................................12
TRANSFER AGENT.................................................................................12
EARNINGS STATEMENT.............................................................................12
PERIODIC REPORTING OBLIGATIONS.................................................................12
AGREEMENT NOT TO OFFER OR SELL ADDITIONAL SECURITIES...........................................12
FUTURE REPORTS TO THE REPRESENTATIVES..........................................................13
SECTION 4. PAYMENT OF EXPENSES.........................................................................13
SECTION 5. CONDITIONS OF THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE UNDERWRITERS...........................................13
ACCOUNTANTS' COMFORT LETTER....................................................................14
COMPLIANCE WITH REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS; NO STOP ORDER, NO OBJECTION FROM NASD...............14
NO MATERIAL ADVERSE CHANGE.....................................................................14
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OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE COMPANY.............................................................14
OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE UNDERWRITERS........................................................15
OFFICERS' CERTIFICATE..........................................................................15
BRING-DOWN COMFORT LETTER......................................................................15
LOCK-UP AGREEMENT FROM CERTAIN STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY.....................................15
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS...........................................................................16
SECTION 6. REIMBURSEMENT OF UNDERWRITERS' EXPENSES.....................................................16
SECTION 7. EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS AGREEMENT.............................................................16
SECTION 8. INDEMNIFICATION.............................................................................16
INDEMNIFICATION OF THE UNDERWRITERS............................................................17
INDEMNIFICATION OF THE COMPANY, ITS DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.....................................18
NOTIFICATIONS AND OTHER INDEMNIFICATION PROCEDURES.............................................18
SETTLEMENTS....................................................................................19
SECTION 9. CONTRIBUTION................................................................................19
SECTION 10. DEFAULT OF ONE OR MORE OF THE SEVERAL UNDERWRITERS.........................................21
SECTION 11. TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT..............................................................21
SECTION 12. REPRESENTATIONS AND INDEMNITIES TO SURVIVE DELIVERY........................................22
SECTION 13. NOTICES....................................................................................22
SECTION 14. SUCCESSORS.................................................................................23
SECTION 15. PARTIAL UNENFORCEABILITY...................................................................23
SECTION 16. GOVERNING LAW PROVISIONS...................................................................23
SECTION 17. GENERAL PROVISIONS.........................................................................23
SCHEDULES
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Schedule A........ Schedule of Underwriters
EXHIBITS
--------
Exhibit A......... Form of Opinion of Counsel to the Company
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Exhibit B......... Form of Lock-Up Agreement
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UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
[Date]
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
MERRILL, LYNCH, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ INCORPORATED
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & CO. INCORPORATED
[As Representatives of the several Underwriters]
c/o BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Ladies and Gentlemen:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Restaurants Worldwide Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in
SCHEDULE A (the "Underwriters") an aggregate of [___] shares (the "Firm Common
Shares") of its Class A Common Stock, par value $[___] per share (the "Common
Stock"). In addition, the Company has granted to the Underwriters an option to
purchase up to an additional [___] shares (the "Optional Common Shares") of
Common Stock, as provided in Section 2. The Firm Common Shares and, if and to
the extent such option is exercised, the Optional Common Shares are
collectively called the "Common Shares". Banc of America Securities LLC,
Merrill, Lynch, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ Incorporated and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.
Incorporated 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.
333-85601), which contains a form of prospectus to be used in connection with
the public offering and sale of the Common 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 Common Shares, is called the
"Prospectus"; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, if the Company has, with the consent of Banc
of America Securities, 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 [___] (such preliminary
prospectus is called the "Rule 434 preliminary prospectus"), together with the
applicable term sheet (the "Term Sheet") prepared
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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 ("▇▇▇▇▇").
The Company hereby confirms its agreements with the Underwriters as
follows:
SECTION 1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.
The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants 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. 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 ▇▇▇▇▇ (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
Common 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 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 the Representatives one complete manually signed copy of the
Registration Statement and
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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 for each of the Underwriters.
(c) DISTRIBUTION OF OFFERING MATERIAL BY THE COMPANY. The Company has
not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Second
Closing Date (as defined below) and the completion of the Underwriters'
distribution of the Common Shares, any offering material in connection
with the offering and sale of the Common 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 COMMON SHARES. The Common 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) 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 except for such
rights as have been duly waived.
(g) NO MATERIAL ADVERSE CHANGE. Except as otherwise disclosed in the
Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is
given 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 is called a
"Material Adverse Change"); (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.
(h) INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, independent
auditors, who have expressed their opinion with respect to the financial
statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related
notes thereto) 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.
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(i) 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. Such financial statements 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 "Summary--Summary Consolidated
Financial Data", and "Capitalization" fairly present the information set
forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial
statements contained in the Registration Statement.
(j) INCORPORATION AND GOOD STANDING OF THE COMPANY AND ITS
SUBSIDIARIES. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly
incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing
under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation except, with
respect to such subsidiaries, where the failure to be duly incorporated
or in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Change. Each
of the Company and its subsidiaries have corporate power and authority to
own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as
described in the Prospectus and, in the case of the Company, to enter
into and perform its obligations under this Agreement, except, with
respect to such subsidiaries, where the lack of such power and authority
would not result in a Material Adverse Change. Each of the Company and
each subsidiary is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact
business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such
qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing
of property or the conduct of business, except such jurisdictions where
the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not,
individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change.
All of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each subsidiary has
been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and nonassessable
and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and
clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or
claim except, with respect to such subsidiaries, where the lack of such
due authorization and valid issuance and full payment and
non-assesibility would not result in a Material Adverse Change. The
Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation,
association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit
22i to the Registration Statement.
(k) 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." The Common Stock
(including the Common Shares) conforms in all material respects to the
description thereof contained in the Prospectus. All of the issued and
outstanding shares of Common Stock 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 shares of Common Stock 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
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arrangements, and the options or other 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.
(l) STOCK EXCHANGE LISTING. The Common Shares have been approved for
listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject only to official notice of
issuance.
(m) NON-CONTRAVENTION OF EXISTING INSTRUMENTS; NO FURTHER
AUTHORIZATIONS OR APPROVALS REQUIRED. Neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws or is in default
(or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default)
("Default") under any indenture, mortgage, loan or credit agreement,
note, contract, franchise, lease or other instrument to which the Company
or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may
be bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any
of its subsidiaries is subject (each, an "Existing Instrument"), except
for such Defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result
in a Material Adverse Change. The Company's execution, delivery and
performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby and by the Prospectus (i) have been duly authorized
by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of
the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any
subsidiary, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or
Default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien,
charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any
of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other
party to, any Existing Instrument, except for such conflicts, breaches,
Defaults, liens, charges or encumbrances as would not, individually or in
the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change and (iii) will not
result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or
administrative or court decree applicable to the Company or any
subsidiary. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or
registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or
regulatory authority or agency, is required for the Company's execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby and by the Prospectus, except such as
have been obtained or made by the Company and are in full force and
effect under the Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue sky
laws and from the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the
"NASD").
(n) NO MATERIAL ACTIONS OR PROCEEDINGS. There are no legal or
governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the best of the
Company's knowledge, threatened (i) against or affecting the Company or
any of its subsidiaries, (ii) which has as the subject thereof any
officer or director of, or property owned or leased by, the Company or
any of its subsidiaries or (iii) relating to environmental or
discrimination matters, where in any such case (A) there is a reasonable
possibility that such action, suit or proceeding might be determined
adversely to the Company or such subsidiary and (B) any such action, suit
or proceeding, if so determined adversely, would reasonably be expected
to result in a Material Adverse Change or adversely affect the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. No
material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, or with the employees of any principal supplier of goods or
services to the Company exists or, to the best of the Company's
knowledge, is threatened or imminent.
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(o) INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. The Company and its subsidiaries own
or possess sufficient trademarks, trade names, patent rights, copyrights,
licenses, approvals, trade secrets and other similar rights
(collectively, "Intellectual Property Rights") reasonably necessary to
conduct their businesses as now conducted; and the expected expiration of
any of such Intellectual Property Rights would not result in a Material
Adverse Change. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has
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 Change.
(p) 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 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.
(q) 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(i) above (or
elsewhere in the Prospectus), in each case free and clear of any security
interests, mortgages, liens, encumbrances, equities, claims and other
defects, 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.
(r) 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 any of them 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(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
consolidated subsidiaries has not been finally determined.
(s) 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 Common Shares will not be, 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.
(t) INSURANCE. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries are insured or
reinsured by recognized, financially sound and reputable institutions with
policies in such amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks
as are generally deemed adequate and
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customary for their businesses including, but not limited to, policies
covering real and personal property owned or leased by the Company and
its subsidiaries against theft, damage, destruction, acts of vandalism
and earthquakes. 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 comparable coverage
from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct
its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a
Material Adverse Change. Neither of the Company nor any subsidiary has
been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it
has applied.
(u) 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 Common Shares.
(v) 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.
(w) NO UNLAWFUL CONTRIBUTIONS OR OTHER PAYMENTS. Neither the Company
nor any of its subsidiaries 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.
(x) COMPANY'S ACCOUNTING SYSTEM. The Company maintains a system of
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 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.
(y) COMPLIANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS. Except as would not,
individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change (i)
neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any
federal, state, local or foreign law or regulation relating to pollution
or protection of human health or the environment (including, without
limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or
subsurface strata) or wildlife, including without limitation, laws and
regulations relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened
releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic
substances, hazardous substances, petroleum and petroleum products
(collectively, "Materials of Environmental Concern"), or otherwise
relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment,
storage, disposal, transport or handling of Materials of Environment
Concern (collectively, "Environmental Laws"), which violation includes,
but is not limited to, noncompliance with any permits or other
governmental authorizations required for the operation of the business of
the Company or its subsidiaries under applicable Environmental Laws, or
noncompliance with the terms and conditions
-7-
thereof, nor has the Company or any of its subsidiaries received any
written communication, whether from a governmental authority, citizens
group, employee or otherwise, that alleges that the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is in violation of any Environmental Law; (ii) there is no
claim, action or cause of action filed with a court or governmental
authority, no investigation with respect to which the Company has
received written notice, and no written notice by any person or entity
alleging potential liability for investigatory costs, cleanup costs,
governmental responses costs, natural resources damages, property
damages, personal injuries, attorneys' fees or penalties arising out of,
based on or resulting from the presence, or release into the environment,
of any Material of Environmental Concern at any location owned, leased or
operated by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, now or in the past
(collectively, "Environmental Claims"), pending or, to the best of the
Company's knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or any person or entity whose liability for any
Environmental Claim the Company or any of its subsidiaries has retained
or assumed either contractually or by operation of law; and (iii) to the
best of the Company's knowledge, there are no past or present actions,
activities, circumstances, conditions, events or incidents, including,
without limitation, the release, emission, discharge, presence or
disposal of any Material of Environmental Concern, that reasonably could
result in a violation of any Environmental Law or form the basis of a
potential Environmental Claim against the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or against any person or entity whose liability for any
Environmental Claim the Company or any of its subsidiaries has retained
or assumed either contractually or by operation of law.
(z) 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 unfunded 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.
Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to
the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed to be a
representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the
matters set forth therein.
-8-
SECTION 2. PURCHASE, SALE AND DELIVERY OF THE COMMON SHARES.
THE FIRM COMMON SHARES. The Company agrees to issue and sell to the
several Underwriters the Firm Common Shares upon the terms herein set forth.
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 the respective number of Firm Common Shares set forth opposite their
names on SCHEDULE A. The purchase price per Firm Common Share to be paid by
the several Underwriters to the Company shall be $[___] per share.
THE FIRST CLOSING DATE. Delivery of certificates for the Firm Common
Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made
at the offices of Banc of America Securities, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company
and the Representatives) at 6:00 a.m. San Francisco time, on _______ __, 2000,
or such other time and date not later than 10:30 a.m. San Francisco time, on
_______ __, 2000, as the Representatives shall designate by notice to the
Company (the time and date of such closing are called the "First Closing
Date"). The Company hereby acknowledges that circumstances under which the
Representatives may provide notice to postpone the First Closing Date as
originally scheduled include, but are in no way limited to, any determination
by the Company or the Representatives to recirculate to the public copies of
an amended or supplemented Prospectus or a delay as contemplated by the
provisions of Section 10.
THE OPTIONAL COMMON 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 [___] Optional Common Shares from the
Company at the purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters for the
Firm Common 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 Common Shares. The option granted hereunder
may be exercised at any time (but not more than once) 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. Such notice shall set forth (i) the
aggregate number of Optional Common Shares as to which the Underwriters are
exercising the option, (ii) the names and denominations in which the
certificates for the Optional Common Shares are to be registered and (iii) the
time, date and place at which such certificates will be delivered (which time
and date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the First Closing
Date; and in such case the term "First Closing Date" shall refer to the time
and date of delivery of certificates for the Firm Common Shares and the
Optional Common Shares). Such time and date of delivery, 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 Optional Common Shares are to be purchased, each Underwriter agrees,
severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Optional Common Shares
(subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the
Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total
number of Optional Common Shares to be purchased as the number of Firm Common
Shares set forth on SCHEDULE A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to
the total number of Firm Common Shares. The Representatives may
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cancel the option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice
of such cancellation to the Company.
PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE COMMON SHARES. The Representatives hereby
advise the Company that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the
public, as described in the Prospectus, their respective portions of the
Common 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.
PAYMENT FOR THE COMMON SHARES. Payment for the Common Shares 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.
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 Common Shares and any Optional Common Shares the Underwriters have agreed
to purchase. Banc of America Securities, individually and not as the
Representatives of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make
payment for any Common 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.
DELIVERY OF THE COMMON SHARES. The Company shall deliver, or cause to
be delivered, to the Representatives for the accounts of the several
Underwriters certificates for the Firm Common Shares 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
shall also deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Representatives for the
accounts of the several Underwriters, certificates for the Optional Common
Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase 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. The certificates for the Common Shares shall be in
definitive form and registered in such names and denominations as the
Representatives shall have requested at least two full business days prior to
the First Closing Date (or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be) and
shall be made available for inspection on the business day preceding the First
Closing Date (or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be) at a location in
New York City as the Representatives may designate. 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.
DELIVERY OF PROSPECTUS TO THE UNDERWRITERS. Not later than 12:00 p.m.
on the second business day following the date the Common Shares are first
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. ADDITIONAL COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.
The Company further covenants and agrees with each
Underwriter as follows:
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(a) REPRESENTATIVE'S REVIEW OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS.
During such 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"), prior to amending or supplementing the
Registration Statement (including any registration statement filed under
Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act) or the Prospectus, the Company
shall furnish to the Representatives for review a copy of each such
proposed amendment or supplement, and the Company shall not file any such
proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably
object.
(b) SECURITIES ACT COMPLIANCE. After the date of this Agreement, the
Company shall promptly advise the Representatives in writing (i) of the
receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental
information from, the Commission, (ii) of the time and date of any filing
of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any
amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus,
(iii) of the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the
Registration Statement becomes effective and (iv) of the issuance by the
Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or of any
order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or
the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate
from listing or quotation the Common Stock from any securities exchange
upon which it is listed for trading or included or designated for
quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any
of such purposes. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at
any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of
such order at the earliest possible moment. Additionally, the Company
agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rules 424(b), 430A and
434, as applicable, under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable
efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule
424(b) were received in a timely manner by the Commission.
(c) AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS TO THE PROSPECTUS AND OTHER SECURITIES
ACT MATTERS. If, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event shall
occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or
supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a
purchaser, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Representatives or
counsel for the Underwriters it is otherwise necessary to amend or
supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company agrees to
promptly prepare (subject to Section 3(a) hereof), file with the
Commission and furnish at its own expense to the Underwriters and to
dealers, amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the
statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in
the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a
purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or
supplemented, will comply with law.
(d) COPIES OF ANY AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS TO THE PROSPECTUS. The
Company agrees to furnish the Representatives, without charge, during the
Prospectus Delivery Period, as many copies of the Prospectus and any
amendments and supplements thereto as the Representatives may request.
-11-
(e) BLUE SKY COMPLIANCE. The Company shall cooperate with the
Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters to qualify or register
the Common Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the
application of) the state securities or blue sky laws or Canadian
provincial Securities laws of those jurisdictions designated by the
Representatives, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such
qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as
required for the distribution of the Common Shares. The Company shall not
be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action
that would subject it to general service of process in any such
jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be
subject to taxation as a foreign corporation. The Company will advise the
Representatives promptly of the suspension of the qualification or
registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Common Shares for
offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat
of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance
of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption,
the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof
at the earliest possible moment.
(f) USE OF PROCEEDS. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the
sale of the Common Shares sold by it in the manner described under the
caption "Use of Proceeds" in the Prospectus.
(g) TRANSFER AGENT. The Company shall engage and maintain, at its
expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Common Stock.
(h) 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 that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the
Securities Act.
(i) PERIODIC REPORTING OBLIGATIONS. During the Prospectus Delivery
Period the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and
the New York Stock Exchange all reports and documents required to be filed
under the Exchange Act. Additionally, the Company shall report the use of
proceeds from the issuance of the Common Shares as may be required under
Rule 463 under the Securities Act.
(j) AGREEMENT NOT TO OFFER OR SELL ADDITIONAL SECURITIES. During the
period of 180 days following the date of the Prospectus, the Company will
not, without the prior written consent of Banc of America Securities
(which consent may be withheld at the sole discretion of Banc of America
Securities), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any
option to sell, pledge, transfer or establish an open "put equivalent
position" within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act, or
otherwise dispose of or transfer, or announce the offering of, or file
any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of, any
shares of Common Stock, options or warrants to acquire shares of the
Common Stock or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible
into shares of Common Stock (other than as contemplated by this Agreement
with respect to the Common Shares); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company
may issue shares of its Common Stock or options to purchase its Common
Stock, or Common Stock upon exercise of options, pursuant to any stock
option, stock bonus or other stock plan or arrangement described in the
Prospectus, but only if the holders of such shares, options, or shares
issued upon exercise of such options, agree in writing not to sell,
offer, dispose of or otherwise
-12-
transfer any such shares or options during such 180 day period without
the prior written consent of Banc of America Securities (which consent
may be withheld at the sole discretion of the Banc of America Securities).
(k) FUTURE REPORTS TO THE REPRESENTATIVES. During the period of five
years hereafter the Company will furnish to the Representatives at ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Attention: [ ] (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, stockholders'
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 NASD 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.
Banc of America Securities, on behalf of the several Underwriters,
may, in its sole discretion, waive in writing the performance by the Company
of any one or more of the foregoing covenants or extend the time for their
performance.
SECTION 4. PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company agrees to pay all costs,
fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its
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 Common 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 Common Shares for offer and sale under
the state securities or blue sky laws or the provincial securities laws of
Canada, and, if requested by the Representatives, preparing and printing a
"Blue Sky Survey" or 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 NASD's review and approval of the
Underwriters' participation in the offering and distribution of the Common
Shares, (viii) the fees and expenses associated with listing the Common Shares
on the New York Stock Exchange, and (ix) all other fees, costs and expenses
referred to in Item 13 of Part II of the Registration Statement. Except as
provided in this Section 4, Section 6, Section 8 and Section 9 hereof, the
Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and
disbursements of their counsel.
SECTION 5. CONDITIONS OF THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE UNDERWRITERS. The
obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Common
Shares as
-13-
provided herein on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional
Common Shares, the Second Closing Date, shall be subject to the accuracy of
the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in
Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof and as of the First Closing Date as
though then made and, with respect to the Optional Common Shares, as of the
Second Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by the
Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the
following additional conditions:
(a) ACCOUNTANTS' COMFORT LETTER. On the date hereof, the
Representatives shall have received from ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, independent
public or certified public accountants for the Company, a letter dated
the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and
information of the type ordinarily included in accountant's "comfort
letters" to underwriters, delivered according to Statement of Auditing
Standards No. 72 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the audited
and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information
contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and the
Representatives shall have received an additional [___] conformed copies
of such accountants' letter for each of the several Underwriters).
(b) COMPLIANCE WITH REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS; NO STOP ORDER; NO
OBJECTION FROM NASD. For the period from and after effectiveness of this
Agreement and prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the
Optional Common Shares, the Second Closing Date:
(i) the Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the
Commission (including the information required by Rule 430A under the
Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by
Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall have filed
a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing
the information required by such Rule 430A, and such post-effective
amendment shall have become effective; or, if the Company elected to
rely upon Rule 434 under the Securities Act and obtained the
Representative's consent thereto, the Company shall have filed a Term
Sheet with the Commission in the manner and within the time period
required by such Rule 424(b);
(ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, shall be in
effect and no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted
or threatened by the Commission; and
(iii) the NASD shall have raised no objection to the fairness
and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
(c) NO MATERIAL ADVERSE CHANGE. For the period from and after the date
of this Agreement and prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to
the Optional Common Shares, the Second Closing Date, in the judgment of
the Representatives there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse
Change.
(d) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE COMPANY. On each of the First Closing
Date and the Second Closing Date the Representatives shall have received
the favorable opinion of Faegre & ▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Company,
dated as of such Closing Date, the form of which is attached as EXHIBIT A
(and the Representatives shall have received an additional
-14-
[___] conformed copies of such counsel's legal opinion for each of the
several Underwriters).
(e) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE UNDERWRITERS. On each of the First
Closing Date and the Second Closing Date the Representatives shall have
received the favorable opinion of Fried, Frank, Harris, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ &
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, counsel for the Underwriters, dated as of such Closing Date,
with respect to the matters set forth in paragraphs (i), (vii) (with
respect to subparagraph (i) only, (viii), (ix), (x) (xi) and (xiii) (with
respect to the captions "Description of Capital Stock" and "Underwriting"
under subparagraph (i) only), (xii), and the next-to-last paragraph of
EXHIBIT A (and the Representatives shall have received an additional [___]
conformed copies of such counsel's legal opinion for each of the several
Underwriters).
(f) OFFICERS' CERTIFICATE. On each of the First Closing Date and the
Second Closing Date the Representatives shall have received a written
certificate executed by the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer
or President of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer or Chief
Accounting Officer of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, to the
effect set forth in subsections (b)(ii) of this Section 5, and further to
the effect that:
(i) for the period from and after the date of this Agreement
and prior to such Closing Date, there has not occurred any Material
Adverse Change;
(ii) the representations, warranties and covenants of the
Company set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement are true and correct
with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of
such Closing Date; and
(iii) the Company has complied with all the agreements
hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed
or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date.
(g) BRING-DOWN COMFORT LETTER. On each of the First Closing Date and
the Second Closing Date the Representatives shall have received from
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, independent public or certified public accountants
for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that they reaffirm the
statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to subsection
(a) of this Section 5, except that the specified date referred to therein
for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business
days prior to the First Closing Date or Second Closing Date, as the case
may be (and the Representatives shall have received an additional [___]
conformed copies of such accountants' letter for each of the several
Underwriters).
(h) LOCK-UP AGREEMENT FROM CERTAIN SECURITYHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY. On
the date hereof, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives
an agreement in the form of EXHIBIT C hereto from each director, officer
and each beneficial owner of Common Stock (as defined and determined
according to Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, except that a one hundred
eighty day period shall be used rather than the sixty day period set
forth therein), and such agreement shall be in full force and effect on
each of the First Closing Date and the Second Closing Date.
-15-
(l) ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS. On or before each of the First Closing Date
and the Second Closing Date, 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 Common 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 5 is not satisfied when
and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the
Representatives by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the First
Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Common 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 4, Section 6,
Section 8 and Section 9 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such
termination.
SECTION 6. REIMBURSEMENT OF UNDERWRITERS' EXPENSES. If this Agreement
is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 5, Section 7, Section
10 or Section 11, or if the sale to the Underwriters of the Common Shares on
the First Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or
failure on the part of the Company 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 Common Shares, including but not limited to
fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses,
postage, facsimile and telephone charges. The Company shall not be obligated
to provide reimbursement pursuant to the provisions of this Section 6 to any
of the Underwriters whose failure or refusal to purchase Common Shares that it
or they have agreed to purchase shall have caused or contributed to a default
under the provisions of Section 10.
SECTION 7. EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS AGREEMENT.
This Agreement shall not become effective until the later of (i) the
execution of this Agreement by the parties hereto and (ii) notification by the
Commission to the Company and the Representatives of the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement under the Securities Act.
Prior to such effectiveness, this Agreement may be terminated by any
party by notice to each of the other parties hereto, and any such termination
shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company to any Underwriter,
except that the Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the
Representatives and the Underwriters pursuant to Sections 4 and 6 hereof, (b)
of any Underwriter to the Company, or (c) of any party hereto to any other
party except that the provisions of Section 8 and Section 9 shall at all times
be effective and shall survive such termination.
SECTION 8. INDEMNIFICATION.
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(a) INDEMNIFICATION OF THE UNDERWRITERS. 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), 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 Common Stock 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) or (ii) 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 Banc of America
Securities) 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
relating to any Underwriter 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 Common 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 Common Shares to
-17-
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 8(a) shall
be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.
(b) INDEMNIFICATION OF THE COMPANY, ITS DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS. 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 and each person, if any, who controls the
Company 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 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 or controlling person for any legal and other expense
reasonably incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer or
controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling,
compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or
action. The Company 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 (A) as
the last [two] paragraphs on the inside front cover page of the Prospectus
concerning stabilization by the Underwriters and (B) in the table after the
first paragraph and in the third paragraph under the caption "Underwriting"
in the Prospectus; and the Underwriters confirm that such statements are
correct. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 8(b) shall be in
addition to any liabilities that each Underwriter may otherwise have.
(c) NOTIFICATIONS AND OTHER INDEMNIFICATION PROCEDURES. Promptly after
receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 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 8, 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 8 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
-18-
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 8 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 (Banc of America Securities in the case of Section
8(b) and Section 9), representing the indemnified parties who are
parties to such action) or (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, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel
shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party.
(d) SETTLEMENTS. The indemnifying party under this Section 8 shall not
be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written
consent, 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 reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses
of counsel as contemplated by Section 8(c) 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 an unconditional
release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the
subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding.
SECTION 9. CONTRIBUTION.
If the indemnification provided for in Section 8 is for any reason held
to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified
party in respect of any
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losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then
each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or
payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the
Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the
offering of the Common Shares pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the
allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law,
in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative
benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the
Company on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in
connection with the statements or omissions or inaccuracies in the
representations and warranties herein which resulted in such losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable
considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one
hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the
offering of the Common Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to
be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the
offering of the Common Shares pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting
expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discount
received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the front cover
page of the Prospectus (or, if Rule 434 under the Securities Act is used, the
corresponding location on the Term Sheet) bear to the aggregate initial
public offering price of the Common Shares as set forth on such cover. The
relative fault of the Company on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the
other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether
any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or
alleged omission to state a material fact or any such inaccurate or alleged
inaccurate representation or warranty relates to information supplied by the
Company, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other hand, and the
parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to
correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses,
claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to
include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 8(c), any legal or
other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with
investigating or defending any action or claim. The provisions set forth in
Section 8(c) with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if
a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 9; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which
notice has been given under Section 8(c) for purposes of indemnification.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and
equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 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 in this Section 9.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, no Underwriter shall
be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions
received by such Underwriter in connection with the Common Shares underwritten
by it and distributed to the public. 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 to contribute
pursuant to this Section 9 are several, and not joint, in proportion to their
respective underwriting commitments
-20-
as set forth opposite their names in SCHEDULE A. For purposes of this Section 9,
each officer and employee of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who
controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the
Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter,
and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the
Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company
within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the
same rights to contribution as the Company.
SECTION 10. 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 Common
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 Common Shares to be purchased on such date, the other
Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in the proportions that the number
of Firm Common Shares set forth opposite their respective names on SCHEDULE A
bears to the aggregate number of Firm Common 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 Common 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 Common Shares and the
aggregate number of Common Shares with respect to which such default occurs
exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Common Shares to be purchased on such
date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for
the purchase of such Common 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, Section 6, Section 8 and
Section 9 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
10. Any action taken under this Section 10 shall not relieve any defaulting
Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under
this Agreement.
SECTION 11. TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT. Prior to the First Closing
Date this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice given to
the Company 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 New
York Stock Exchange, 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 NASD; (ii) a general
banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of federal or New York
authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of
national or international hostilities or any crisis or
-21-
calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial
markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective
substantial 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 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, taken as a whole, regardless of whether or not such loss shall have
been insured. Any termination pursuant to this Section 11 shall be without
liability on the part of (a) the Company to any Underwriter, except that the
Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representatives
and the Underwriters pursuant to Sections 4 and 6 hereof, (b) any Underwriter
to the Company, or (c) of any party hereto to any other party except that the
provisions of Section 8 and Section 9 shall at all times be effective and
shall survive such termination.
SECTION 12. REPRESENTATIONS AND INDEMNITIES TO SURVIVE DELIVERY. The
respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other
statements of the Company, of its officers 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, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment
for the Common Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.
SECTION 13. 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:
Banc of America Securities LLC
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Facsimile: ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
with a copy to:
Banc of America Securities LLC
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Facsimile: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.
If to the Company:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Restaurants Worldwide Inc.
-22-
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving
written notice to the others.
SECTION 14. SUCCESSORS. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and
be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters
pursuant to Section 10 hereof, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and
directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 8 and Section 9, and in
each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right
or obligation hereunder. The term "successors" shall not include any purchaser
of the Common Shares as such from any of the Underwriters merely by reason of
such purchase.
SECTION 15. 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 16. GOVERNING LAW PROVISIONS. 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.
SECTION 17. 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.
Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated
business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations
regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the
indemnification provisions of Section 8 and the contribution provisions of
Section 9, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties
hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Sections 8 and 9 hereto
fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate
the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate
disclosure has been made in the Registration
-23-
Statement, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus (and any amendments
and supplements thereto), as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange
Act.
-24-
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our
agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company 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,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ RESTAURANTS
WORLDWIDE INC.
By:
-----------------------------
[Title]
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and
accepted by the Representatives in San Francisco, California as of the date
first above written.
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
MERRILL, LYNCH, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ INCORPORATED
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & CO. INCORPORATED
Acting as Representatives of the
several Underwriters named in
the attached Schedule A.
-25-
SCHEDULE A
NUMBER OF
FIRM COMMON
UNDERWRITERS SHARES
TO BE PURCHASED
Banc of America Securities LLC ........................... [___]
Merrill, Lynch, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇
& ▇▇▇▇▇ Incorporated...................................... [___]
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated......................... [___]
Total............................................ [___]
-26-
EXHIBIT A
THE FINAL OPINION IN DRAFT FORM SHOULD BE ATTACHED AS EXHIBIT A AT THE TIME
THIS AGREEMENT IS EXECUTED.
Opinion of counsel for the Company to be delivered pursuant to
Section 5(d) of the Underwriting Agreement.
References to the Prospectus in this EXHIBIT A include any
supplements thereto at the Closing Date.
(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing
as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware.
(ii) The Company has corporate power and authority to own, lease and
operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the
Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under the
Underwriting Agreement.
(iii) The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to
transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in
which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or
leasing of property or the conduct of business, except for such
jurisdictions where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing
would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse
Change.
(iv) Each significant subsidiary of the Company (as defined in
Rule 405 under the Securities Act) has been duly incorporated and is
validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the
jurisdiction of its incorporation, except, with respect to such
subsidiaries, where the failure to be duly incorporated or in good standing
would not result in a Material Adverse Change, has corporate power and
authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its
business as described in the Prospectus except, with respect to such
subsidiaries, where the lack of such power and authority would not result
in a Material Adverse Change, and, to the best knowledge of such counsel,
is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in
good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required,
whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of
business, except for such jurisdictions where the failure to so qualify or
to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result
in a Material Adverse Change.
(v) All of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each such
significant subsidiary of the Company has been duly authorized and validly
issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company,
directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest,
mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or, to the best knowledge of such
counsel, any pending or threatened claim, except, with respect to such
subsidiaries, where the lack of such due authorization and valid issuance
and full payment and non-assesability would not result in a Material
Adverse Change.
-1-
(vi) The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the
Company (including the Common Stock) conform to the descriptions thereof
set forth in the Prospectus. All of the outstanding shares of Common Stock
have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and
nonassessable and, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, have been
issued in compliance with the registration and qualification requirements
of federal and state securities laws. The form of certificate used to
evidence the Common Stock is in due and proper form and complies with all
applicable requirements of the charter and by-laws of the Company and the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The description of the
Company's stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements,
and the options or other rights granted and exercised 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.
(vii) No stockholder of the Company or any other person has any
preemptive right, right of first refusal or other similar right to
subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company arising (i) by
operation of the charter or by-laws of the Company or the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or (ii) to the best knowledge of
such counsel, otherwise.
(viii) The Underwriting 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 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.
(ix) The Common Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters from the
Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to the
Underwriting Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company
pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement against payment of the consideration
set forth therein, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(x) The Registration Statement and the Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement, if any, has been declared effective by the Commission under the
Securities Act. To the best knowledge of such counsel, no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of either of the Registration Statement or the
Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued under the
Securities Act and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or
are pending or are contemplated or threatened by the Commission. Any
required filing of the Prospectus and any supplement thereto pursuant to
Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act has been made in the manner and within
the time period required by such Rule 424(b).
(xi) The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement to
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as of their respective
effective or issue dates (other than the financial statements and
supporting schedules included therein or in exhibits to or excluded from
the
-2-
Registration Statement, as to which no opinion need be rendered) comply
as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the
Securities Act.
(xii) The Common Shares have been approved for listing on the New York
Stock Exchange.
(xiii) The statements (i) in the Prospectus under the captions "Risk
Factors--[Our Existing Stockholder Will Retain Significant Control Which
Could Depress The Price of Your Shares", "Risk Factors -- Four of Our
Directors May Have Conflicts of Interest . . ." Risk Factors -- Provisions
of our Certificate of Incorporation, our By-laws and Delaware Law Could
Discourage Potential Acquisition Proposals . . .," "Management -- Incentive
Compensation Plans", "Management -- Deferred Compensation Plans"]",
"Description of Capital Stock", "Management's Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations--Liquidity and Capital
Resources", "Business--Intellectual Property", "Business--Legal
Proceedings", "Relationship with ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Companies and Related
Transactions", "Shares Eligible for Future Sale", and "Underwriting" and
(ii) in Item 14 and Item 15 of the Registration Statement, insofar as such
statements constitute matters of law, summaries of legal matters, the
Company's charter or by-law provisions, documents or legal proceedings, or
legal conclusions, has been reviewed by such counsel and fairly present and
summarize, in all material respects, the matters referred to therein.
(xiv) To the best knowledge of such counsel, there are no legal or
governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or threatened which are
required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, other than those
disclosed therein.
(xv) To the best knowledge of such counsel, there are no Existing
Instruments required to be described or referred to in the Registration
Statement or to be filed as exhibits thereto other than those described or
referred to therein or filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits
thereto; and the descriptions thereof and references thereto are correct in
all material respects.
(xvi) No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or
registration or filing with, any court or other governmental authority or
agency, is required for the Company's execution, delivery and performance
of the Underwriting Agreement and consummation of the transactions
contemplated thereby and by the Prospectus, except as required under the
Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue sky laws and from the
NASD or the New York Stock Exchange.
(xvii) The execution and delivery of the Underwriting Agreement by the
Company and the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder
(other than performance by the Company of its obligations under the
indemnification section of the Underwriting Agreement, as to which no
opinion need be rendered) (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary
corporate action on the part of the Company; (ii) will not result in any
violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any
subsidiary except, with respect to any such subsidiary, for such violations
that would not result in a Material
-3-
Adverse Change; (iii) will not constitute a breach of, or Default under, or
result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance
upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
pursuant to, any material Existing Instrument except, with respect to such
subsidiaries, for such violations that would not result in a Material
Adverse Change; or (iv) to the best knowledge of such counsel, will not
result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or
administrative or court decree applicable to the Company or any subsidiary
except, with respect to any such subsidiary, for such violations that would
not result in a Material Adverse Change.
(xviii) The Company is not, and after receipt of payment for the Common
Shares will not be, an "investment company" within the meaning of
Investment Company Act.
(xix) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, to the best knowledge of
such counsel, 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 the
Underwriting Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.
(xx) To the best knowledge of such counsel, neither the Company nor
any subsidiary is in violation of its charter or by-laws or any law,
administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to
the Company or any subsidiary or is in Default in the performance or
observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in
any material Existing Instrument, except in each such case for such
violations or Defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate,
result in a Material Adverse Change.
In addition, such counsel shall state that they have participated in
conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company,
representatives of the independent public or certified public accountants
for the Company and with representatives of the Underwriters at which the
contents of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and any
supplements or amendments thereto, and related matters were discussed and,
although such counsel is not passing upon and does not assume any
responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements
contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (other than as
specified above), and any supplements or amendments thereto, on the basis
of the foregoing, nothing has come to their attention which would lead them
to believe that either the Registration Statement or any amendments
thereto, at the time the Registration Statement or such amendments became
effective, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading or that the Prospectus, as of its
date or at the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case
may be, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading
(it being understood that such counsel need express no belief as to the
financial statements or schedules or other financial or statistical data
derived therefrom, included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus
or any amendments or supplements thereto).
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In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to
matters involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or the federal law of the
United States, to the extent they deem proper and specified in such opinion,
upon the opinion (which shall be dated the First Closing Date or the Second
Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be satisfactory in form and substance
to the Underwriters, shall expressly state that the Underwriters may rely on
such opinion as if it were addressed to them and shall be furnished to the
Representatives) of other counsel of good standing whom they believe to be
reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that such counsel shall further state that they believe that they
and the Underwriters are justified in relying upon such opinion of other
counsel, and (B) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on
certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials.
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EXHIBIT B
[Date]
Banc of America Securities LLC
Merrill, Lynch, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ Incorporated
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
c/o Banc of America Securities LLC
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
RE: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ RESTAURANTS WORLDWIDE INC. (the "Company")
Ladies & Gentlemen:
The undersigned is an owner of record or beneficially of certain shares of
Common Stock of the Company ("Common Stock") or securities convertible into
or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock. The Company proposes to
carry out a public offering of Common Stock (the "Offering") for which you
will act as the representatives of the underwriters. The undersigned
recognizes that the Offering will be of benefit to the undersigned and will
benefit the Company by, among other things, repaying a portion of existing
intercompany indebtedness. The undersigned acknowledges that you and the
other underwriters are relying on the representations and agreements of the
undersigned contained in this letter in carrying out the Offering and in
entering into underwriting arrangements with the Company with respect to the
Offering.
In consideration of the foregoing, the undersigned hereby agrees that the
undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of Banc of America
Securities (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), directly
or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell (including
without limitation any short sale), pledge, transfer, establish an open "put
equivalent position" within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock,
options or warrants to acquire shares of Common Stock, or securities
exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock
currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially (as defined in
Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) by the
undersigned, or publicly announce the undersigned's intention to do any of
the foregoing, for a period commencing on the date hereof and continuing
through the close of trading on the date 180 days after the date of the
Prospectus. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop
transfer instructions with the Company's transfer agent and registrar against
the transfer of shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or
exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock held by the undersigned except
in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
With respect to the Offering only, the undersigned waives any registration
rights relating to registration under the Securities Act of any Common Stock
owned either of record or beneficially by the undersigned, including any
rights to receive notice of the Offering.
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This agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on the undersigned and the
respective successors, heirs, personal representatives, and assigns of the
undersigned.
[▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ COMPANIES INC.]
------------------------------------
By:
Its:
[Directors and Officers]
-2-