Shares Annie’s, Inc. Common Stock UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
Shares
Annie’s, Inc.
Common Stock
[—], 2012
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC,
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters,
c/o Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Eleven Madison Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10010-3629
Ladies and Gentlemen:
1. Introductory. The stockholders listed in Schedule A hereto (“Selling Stockholders”) agree to sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule B hereto (“Underwriters”) an aggregate of outstanding shares (“Firm Securities”) of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Securities”), of Annie’s, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Company”), as set forth below. In addition, the Selling Stockholders agree to sell to the Underwriters, at the option of the Underwriters, an aggregate of not more than additional outstanding shares of the Securities (collectively, “Optional Securities”) as set forth below. The Firm Securities and the Optional Securities are herein collectively called the “Offered Securities”. Solera Partners, L.P. and SCI Partners, L.P. are referred to herein as the “Solera Selling Stockholders”. As used herein, the term “Non-Solera Selling Stockholders” refers to all Selling Stockholders other than the Solera Selling Stockholders.
2. Representations and Warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders. (i) The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters that:
(a) Filing and Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Certain Defined Terms. The Company has filed with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-[—]) covering the registration of the Offered Securities under the Act, including a related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses. At any particular time, this initial registration statement, in the form then on file with the Commission, including all information contained in the registration statement (if any) pursuant to Rule 462(b) and then deemed to be a part of the initial registration statement, and all 430A Information and all 430C Information, that in any case has not then been superseded or modified, shall be referred to as the “Initial Registration Statement”. The Company may also have filed, or may file with the Commission, a Rule 462(b) registration statement covering the registration of Offered Securities. At any particular time, this Rule 462(b) registration statement, in the form then on file with the Commission, including the contents of the Initial Registration Statement incorporated by reference therein and including all 430A Information and all 430C Information, that in any case has not then been superseded or modified, shall be referred to as the “Additional Registration Statement”.
As of the time of execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Initial Registration Statement has been declared effective under the Act and is not proposed to be amended. Any Additional Registration Statement has or will become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) and is not proposed to be amended. The Offered Securities all have been or will be
duly registered under the Act pursuant to the Initial Registration Statement and, if applicable, the Additional Registration Statement.
For purposes of this Agreement:
“430A Information”, with respect to any registration statement, means information included in a prospectus and retroactively deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430A(b).
“430C Information”, with respect to any registration statement, means information included in a prospectus then deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430C.
“Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Applicable Time” means [—]:00 [a/p].m. (New York time) on the date of this Agreement.
“Closing Date” has the meaning defined in Section 3 hereof.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Effective Time” with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or, if filed prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Additional Registration Statement means the date and time as of which such Registration Statement was declared effective by the Commission or has become effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(c). If an Additional Registration Statement has not been filed prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement but the Company has advised the Representatives that it proposes to file one, “Effective Time” with respect to such Additional Registration Statement means the date and time as of which such Registration Statement is filed and becomes effective pursuant to Rule 462(b).
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Final Prospectus” means the Statutory Prospectus that discloses the public offering price, other 430A Information and other final terms of the Offered Securities and otherwise satisfies Section 10(a) of the Act.
“General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being so specified in Schedule C to this Agreement.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, relating to the Offered Securities in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
“Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
The Initial Registration Statement and the Additional Registration Statement are referred to collectively as the “Registration Statements” and individually as a “Registration Statement”. A “Registration Statement” with reference to a particular time means the Initial Registration Statement and any Additional Registration Statement as of such time. A “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such Registration Statement as of its Effective Time. For purposes of the foregoing definitions, 430A Information with respect to a Registration Statement shall be considered to be included in such Registration Statement as of the time specified in Rule 430A.
“Rules and Regulations” means the rules and regulations of the Commission.
“Securities Laws” means, collectively, the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002 (“▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇”), the Act, the Exchange Act, the Rules and Regulations, the auditing principles, rules, standards and practices applicable to auditors of “issuers” (as defined in ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇) promulgated or
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approved by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as applicable, the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ Stock Market, including any applicable phase-in periods specified by the rules of each such exchange (“Exchange Rules”).
“Statutory Prospectus” with reference to a particular time means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including any 430A Information or 430C Information with respect to such Registration Statement. For purposes of the foregoing definition, 430A Information shall be considered to be included in the Statutory Prospectus as of the actual time that form of prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or Rule 462(c) and not retroactively.
“Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Act.
“Testing-the-Waters Writing” means any written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act relating to the Securities that would, but for the provisions of Section 5(d) of the Act, be a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act but without regard to whether a registration statement has been filed.
Unless otherwise specified, a reference to a “rule” is to the indicated rule under the Act.
(b) Compliance with Securities Act Requirements. (i) (A) At their respective Effective Times, (B) on the date of this Agreement and (C) on each Closing Date, each of the Initial Registration Statement and the Additional Registration Statement (if any) conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and (ii) on its date, at the time of filing of the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) or (if no such filing is required) at the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement in which the Final Prospectus is included, and on each Closing Date, the Final Prospectus will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document based upon written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described as such in Section 8(c) hereof.
(c) Ineligible Issuer Status. (i) At the time of the initial filing of the Initial Registration Statement and (ii) at the date of this Agreement, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, including (x) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, as such term is defined below, in the preceding three years not having been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or having been made the subject of a judicial or administrative decree or order as described in Rule 405 and (y) the Company in the preceding three years not having been the subject of a bankruptcy petition or insolvency or similar proceeding, not having had a registration statement be the subject of a proceeding under Section 8 of the Act and not being the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities, all as described in Rule 405.
(d) General Disclosure Package. As of the Applicable Time, none of (i) the General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the preliminary prospectus, dated [—], 2012 (which is the most recent Statutory Prospectus distributed to investors generally) and the other information, if any, stated in Schedule C to this Agreement to be included in the General Disclosure Package, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), (ii) any individual Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, and (iii) any individual Testing-the-Waters Writing, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a
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material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Statutory Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(c) hereof.
(e) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representatives as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement or as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if republished immediately following such event or development, would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would 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, (i) the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and (ii) the Company has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission. The first sentence of this paragraph does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(c) hereof.
(f) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package; and the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (“Material Adverse Effect”).
(g) Subsidiaries. Each Subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated and is existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package; and each Subsidiary of the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where failure to be so qualified would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each Subsidiary of the Company has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and nonassessable; and the capital stock of each Subsidiary owned by the Company, directly or through Subsidiaries, is owned free from liens, encumbrances and defects. The subsidiaries of the Company listed on Schedule D hereto (each, a “Subsidiary”) are the only subsidiaries, direct or indirect, of the Company and, except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, each Subsidiary of the Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary, direct or indirect, of the Company.
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(h) Offered Securities. The Offered Securities and all other outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized; the authorized equity capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the General Disclosure Package; all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are, and, when the Offered Securities have been delivered and paid for in accordance with this Agreement on each Closing Date, such Offered Securities will have been, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, will conform to the information in the General Disclosure Package and to the description of such Offered Securities contained in the Final Prospectus; the stockholders of the Company have no preemptive rights with respect to the Securities; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been issued in violation of any preemptive or similar rights of any security holder. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, there are no outstanding (i) securities or obligations of the Company convertible into or exchangeable for any capital stock of the Company, (ii) warrants, rights or options to subscribe for or purchase from the Company any such capital stock or any such convertible or exchangeable securities or obligations or (iii) obligations of the Company to issue or sell any shares of capital stock, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or obligations or any such warrants, rights or options. The Company has not, directly or indirectly, offered or sold any of the Offered Securities by means of any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Act and the Rules and Regulations) or used any “prospectus” or made any offer (within the meaning of the Act and the Rules and Regulations) in connection with the offer or sale of the Offered Securities, in each case other than the preliminary prospectus referred to in Section 2(i)(d) hereof.
(i) Other Offerings. The Company has not sold, issued or distributed any common shares during the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulation D or S of, the Act, other than (x) the 950,000 common shares issued and sold in connection with the Company’s initial public offering and (y) common shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants.
(j) No Finder’s Fee. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this offering.
(k) Registration Rights. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company or any Subsidiary thereof, on the one hand, and any person, on the other hand, granting such person the right to require the Company or such Subsidiary to file a registration statement under the Act with respect to any securities of the Company or such Subsidiary owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to a Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Act (collectively, “Registration Rights”), and any person to whom the Company has granted Registration Rights has agreed not to exercise such rights until after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period referred to in Section 5(k) hereof, other than the exercise of any such rights by a Selling Stockholder with respect to the Offered Securities sold by such Selling Stockholder to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement.
(l) Listing. The Offered Securities have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
(m) Absence of Further Requirements. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing or registration with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is required to be obtained or made by the Company for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities,
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except such as have already been obtained or made or as may be required under the state securities laws or the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
(n) Title to Property. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, the Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real properties and all other properties and assets owned by them, in each case free from liens, charges, encumbrances and defects that would materially affect the value thereof or materially interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them, and, except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, the Company and its Subsidiaries hold any leased real or personal property under valid and enforceable leases with no terms or provisions that would materially interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them. The preceding sentence does not apply to any intellectual property rights, which are covered by the representations and warranties contained in Section 2(t) hereof.
(o) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, and the offering and sale of the Offered Securities will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to (i) the charter or by-laws of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) any statute, rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their properties or (iii) any agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, except, for purposes of clause (iii), any such lien, charge or encumbrance that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(p) Absence of Existing Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of its respective charter or by-laws or in default (or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would be in default) under any existing obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, loan agreement, mortgage, lease or other agreement or instrument to which any of them is a party or by which any of them is bound or to which any of the properties of any of them is subject, except such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(r) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its Subsidiaries possess, and are in compliance with the terms of, all adequate certificates, authorizations, franchises, licenses and permits (“Licenses”) necessary or material to the conduct of the business now conducted or proposed in the General Disclosure Package to be conducted by them, except where the failure to possess or be in compliance with any such Licenses would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and have not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Licenses that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.
(s) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent that could have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(t) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess adequate trademarks, trade names and other rights to inventions, know-how, patents, copyrights, confidential information and other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, or presently employed by them, and have not received any notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property Rights that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) Environmental Laws. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, (a)(i) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of, or has any liability or cost under, any federal, state, local or non-U.S. statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, other requirement or rule of law (including common law), or decision or order of any domestic or foreign governmental agency, governmental body or court, relating to pollution, to the use, handling, transportation, treatment, storage, discharge, disposal or release of Hazardous Substances, to the protection or restoration of the environment, or natural resources (including biota) or endangered species, or to health and safety including as such relates to exposure to Hazardous Substances (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries owns, occupies, operates or uses any real property contaminated with Hazardous Substances at concentrations or under other conditions that require or could be reasonably expected to require remediation under applicable Environmental Laws or could pose a significant risk of liability for personal injury or property damage, (iii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is conducting or funding any investigation, remediation, remedial action or monitoring of actual or suspected Hazardous Substances in the environment, (iv) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is liable or allegedly liable for any release or threatened release of Hazardous Substances, including at any off-site treatment, storage or disposal site, (v) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any claim by any governmental agency or governmental body or person relating to Environmental Laws or Hazardous Substances, and (vi) the Company and its Subsidiaries have received and are in compliance with all, and have no liability under any, permits, licenses, authorizations, identification numbers or other approvals required under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, except in each case covered by clauses (i) – (vi) such as would not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; (b) to the knowledge of the Company, there are no facts or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to result in a violation of, liability under, or claim pursuant to, or to interfere with or prevent compliance by the Company or its Subsidiaries with, any Environmental Law that would have a Material Adverse Effect; and (c) to the knowledge of the Company there are no requirements proposed for adoption or implementation under any Environmental Law that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this subsection “Hazardous Substances” means (A) petroleum and petroleum products, by-products or breakdown products, radioactive materials, asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls and mold, and (B) any other chemical, material or substance prohibited or regulated under Environmental Laws.
(v) Accurate Disclosure. The statements in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the headings “Material U.S. Federal Income and Estate Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders of Common Stock”, “Description of Capital Stock”, “Certain Relationships and Related-Party Transactions”, “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—We may not be able to protect our intellectual property adequately, which may harm the value of our brand” and “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—Our brand and reputation may suffer from real or perceived issues involving the labeling and marketing of our products as ‘natural’”, insofar as such statements purport to summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate in all material respects and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings and present the information required to be shown.
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(w) Absence of Manipulation. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.
(x) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any third-party statistical and market-related data included in a Registration Statement, a Statutory Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or any Testing-the-Waters Writing are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably believes to be reliable and accurate.
(y) Internal Controls and Compliance with the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act. Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the Company, its Subsidiaries and the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) are in compliance in all material respects with ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ and all applicable Exchange Rules. The Company maintains a system of internal controls, including disclosure controls and procedures, internal controls over accounting matters and financial reporting, an internal audit function and legal and regulatory compliance controls (collectively, “Internal Controls”), that comply with the Securities Laws and are 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 the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis 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 the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Internal Controls are, or upon consummation of the offering of the Offered Securities will be, overseen by the Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”) of the Board in accordance with Exchange Rules. The Company has not publicly disclosed or reported to the Audit Committee or the Board, except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus in the fifth sentence of the first paragraph under the heading “Risk Factors—Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock—Any material weaknesses in our internal controls may impede our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements, which could cause us to fail to file our periodic reports timely, result in inaccurate financial reporting or restatements of our financial statements, subject our stock to delisting and materially harm our business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price”, and within the next 135 days the Company does not reasonably expect to publicly disclose or report to the Audit Committee or the Board, a significant deficiency, material weakness, change in Internal Controls or fraud involving management or other employees who have a significant role in Internal Controls, any violation of, or failure to comply with, the Securities Laws, or any matter relating to Internal Controls, which matter, if determined adversely, would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(z) Litigation. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no pending actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) against or affecting the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect, or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, or which are otherwise material in the context of the sale of the Offered Securities; and no such actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) are, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened or contemplated.
(aa) Financial Statements. The financial statements included in each Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of the dates shown and their results of
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operations and cash flows for the periods shown, and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis; the schedules included in each Registration Statement present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein; and the assumptions used in preparing the pro forma financial statements included in each Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant effects directly attributable to the transactions or events described therein, the related pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions, and the pro forma columns therein reflect the proper application of those adjustments to the corresponding historical financial statement amounts. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who has certified the financial statements of the Company included in, or incorporated by reference into, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within the Rules and Regulations and as required by the Act and the applicable rules and guidance from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). The summary and selected financial and statistical data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus presents fairly the information shown therein and such data has been compiled on a basis consistent with the financial statements presented therein and the books and records of the Company. The Company does not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations or any “variable interest entities” within the meaning of Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46), not disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus. There are no financial statements that are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus that are not included as required.
(bb) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, since the end of the period covered by the latest audited financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package (i) there has been no change, nor any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, that is material and adverse, (ii) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock, (iii) there has been no material adverse change in the capital stock, short-term indebtedness, long-term indebtedness, net current assets or net assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, (iv) there has been no material transaction entered into and there is no material transaction that is probable of being entered into by the Company other than transactions in the ordinary course of business, (v) there has been no obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company taken as a whole, incurred by the Company, except obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business, and (vi) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority.
(cc) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the General Disclosure Package, will not be an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.
(dd) Ratings. No “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) (i) has imposed (or has informed the Company that it is considering imposing) any condition (financial or otherwise) on the Company’s retaining any rating assigned to the Company or any securities of the Company or (ii) has indicated to the Company that it is considering any of the actions described in Section 7(c)(ii) hereof.
(ee) Taxes. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax returns that are required to be filed by them or have requested extensions thereof (except in
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any case in which the failure so to file would not have a Material Adverse Effect); and, except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the Company and its Subsidiaries have paid all taxes (including any assessments, fines or penalties) required to be paid by them, except for any such taxes, assessments, fines or penalties currently being contested in good faith or as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ff) Required Filings. The Company has timely made all filings required to be made by it under the Exchange Act.
(gg) Insurance. The Company and its Subsidiaries are insured by insurers with appropriately rated claims paying abilities against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary for the businesses in which they are engaged; all policies of insurance and fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect; the Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; and there are no material claims by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for, other than any such refusal that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package; and the Company will obtain directors’ and officers’ insurance in such amounts as is customary for an initial public offering.
(hh) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any director, officer, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, employee or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977; or (iv) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.
(ii) Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations and guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(jj) Compliance with OFAC. None of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”).
(kk) No Restrictions on Payments by Subsidiaries. No Subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, (i) from paying any dividends to the Company, (ii) from making any other distribution on such Subsidiary’s capital stock, (iii) from repaying to the Company any loans or
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advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or (iv) from transferring any of such Subsidiary’s material properties or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company.
(ll) Emerging Growth Company Status. From the time of initial filing of the Initial Registration Statement with the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or though any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).
(mm) Use of Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company (a) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication and (b) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Underwriters have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Testing-the-Waters Writings.
(ii) Each Selling Stockholder severally represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters that:
(a) Title to Securities. Such Selling Stockholder has and on each Closing Date hereinafter mentioned will have valid title to, or a valid “security entitlement” within the meaning of Section 8-501 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (the “UCC”) in respect of, the Offered Securities to be delivered by such Selling Stockholder on such Closing Date, free of all adverse claims (within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC), and the legal right and power, and all authorization and approval required by applicable law, to enter into this Agreement, and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Offered Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder on such Closing Date hereunder pursuant to this Agreement, and, assuming that each Underwriter acquires its interest in the Offered Securities without notice of any adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the UCC), each Underwriter that has acquired such Offered Securities by making payment therefor as provided in the Underwriting Agreement, and that has had such Offered Securities credited to the securities accounts of such Underwriter maintained with The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or such other securities intermediary will have acquired a security entitlement (within the meaning of Section 8-102(a) of the UCC) with respect to such Offered Securities, and no action based on an adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the UCC) may be asserted against any such Underwriter with respect to such Offered Securities.
(b) Good Standing of the Selling Stockholders. To the extent such Selling Stockholder is an entity, such Selling Stockholder is validly existing and, to the extent such concept exists in the relevant jurisdiction, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization.
(c) No Distribution of Offering Material. No such Selling Stockholder has distributed or will distribute any prospectus or other offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities.
(d) Absence of Further Requirements. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is required to be obtained or made by such Selling Stockholder for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Power of Attorney and related Custody Agreement (as defined herein) of such Selling Stockholder or this Agreement in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities sold by such Selling Stockholder, except such as have already been obtained or made (including under the Securities Laws) or as may be required under the state securities laws or the rules of FINRA.
(e) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution, delivery and performance of the Power of Attorney and related Custody Agreement and this Agreement
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and the consummation of the transactions therein and herein contemplated will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of such Selling Stockholder pursuant to, (i) any statute, any rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court having jurisdiction over such Selling Stockholder or any of his, her or its properties, (ii) any agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the properties of such Selling Stockholder is subject or (iii) the charter or by-laws of such Selling Stockholder (in the event such Selling Stockholder is a corporation) or the constituent documents of such Selling Stockholder (in the event such Selling Stockholder is not a natural person or a corporation), except, in the case of clause (ii) above, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, materially adversely affect such Selling Stockholder’s ability to perform its obligations hereunder and under the Power of Attorney and related Custody Agreement or materially impair the validity or enforceability hereof and thereof.
(f) Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement. The Power of Attorney and related Custody Agreement with respect to such Selling Stockholder have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Selling Stockholder and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by each other party thereto, constitute valid and legally binding obligations of such Selling Stockholder enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles.
(g) Compliance with Securities Act Requirements; General Disclosure Package. (i) (A) At their respective Effective Times, (B) on the date of this Agreement and (C) on each Closing Date, each of the Initial Registration Statement and the Additional Registration Statement (if any) conformed and will conform in all respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) on its date, at the time of filing of the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) or (if no such filing is required) at the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement in which the Final Prospectus is included, and on each Closing Date, the Final Prospectus will conform in all respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (iii) as of the Applicable Time, neither (1) the General Disclosure Package nor (2) any individual Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document based upon written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described as such in Section 8(c) hereof. Notwithstanding anything in this paragraph (h) to the contrary, with respect to each Non-Solera Selling Stockholder, (i) the provision of this paragraph (h) shall apply only to the extent that any statements in or omissions from any such document are based upon information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Non-Solera Selling Stockholder specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information contained in any Registration Statement or such Statutory Prospectus is the information in such Registration Statement or such Statutory Prospectus with respect to such Non-Solera Selling Stockholder (excluding percentages) that appears in the table (and corresponding footnotes) under the heading “Principal and Selling Stockholder” (the “Non-Solera Selling Stockholder Information”), and (ii) the provisions of this paragraph (h) relating specifically to “compliance” or
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“conformity” with “the Act and the Rules and Regulations” or “the laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions” shall not be applicable to such Non-Solera Selling Stockholders.
(h) No Undisclosed Material Information. The sale of the Offered Securities by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement is not prompted by any material information concerning the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is not set forth in the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus.
(i) No Material Agreements or Arrangements. There are no material agreements or arrangements relating to the Company or its subsidiaries to which such Selling Stockholder (or, to such Selling Stockholder’s knowledge, any direct or indirect partner or member of such Selling Stockholder) is a party, which are required to be described in the Registration Statements, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits thereto that are not so described or filed.
(j) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder.
(k) No Finder’s Fee. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between such Selling Stockholder and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against such Selling Stockholder or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this offering.
(l) Absence of Manipulation. Such Selling Stockholder has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.
3. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Offered Securities. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Selling Stockholder agrees, severally and not jointly, to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from each Selling Stockholder, at a purchase price of $[—] per share, that number of Firm Securities (rounded up or down, as determined by the Representatives in their discretion, in order to avoid fractions) obtained by multiplying the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite the name of such Selling Stockholder in Schedule A hereto by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule B hereto and the denominator of which is the total number of Firm Securities.
Certificates in negotiable form for the Offered Securities to be sold by the Selling Stockholders hereunder have been placed in custody, for delivery under this Agreement, under Custody Agreements (“Custody Agreements”) made with the Company, as custodian (“Custodian”). Each Selling Stockholder agrees that the shares represented by the certificates held in custody for the Selling Stockholders under such Custody Agreements are subject to the interests of the Underwriters hereunder, that the arrangements made by the Selling Stockholders for such custody are to that extent irrevocable, and that the obligations of the Selling Stockholders hereunder shall not be terminated by operation of law, whether by the death of any individual Selling Stockholder or the occurrence of any other event, or in the case of a trust, by the death of any trustee or trustees or the termination of such trust. If any individual Selling Stockholder or any such trustee or trustees should die, or if any other such event should occur, or if any of such trusts should terminate, before the delivery of the Offered Securities hereunder, certificates for such Offered Securities shall be delivered by the Custodian in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement as if such death or other event or termination had not occurred, regardless of whether or not the Custodian shall have received notice of such death or other event or termination.
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The Custodian will deliver the Firm Securities to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives against payment of the purchase price in Federal (same day) funds by official bank check or checks or wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Custodian, at the office of Cravath, Swaine & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ at [—] a.m., New York time, on [—], 2012, or at such other time not later than seven full business days thereafter as the Representatives and the Company determine, such time being herein referred to as the “First Closing Date”. For purposes of Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act, the First Closing Date (if later than the otherwise applicable settlement date) shall be the settlement date for payment of funds and delivery of securities for all the Offered Securities sold pursuant to the offering. The Firm Securities so to be delivered or evidence of their issuance will be made available for checking at the above office of Cravath, Swaine & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLP at least 24 hours prior to the First Closing Date.
In addition, upon written notice from the Representatives given to the Company and the Selling Stockholders from time to time not more than 30 days subsequent to the date of the Final Prospectus, the Underwriters may purchase all or less than all of the Optional Securities at the purchase price per Security to be paid for the Firm Securities. The Selling Stockholders agree, severally and not jointly, to sell to the Underwriters the respective numbers of Optional Securities obtained by multiplying the number of Optional Securities specified in such notice by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares set forth opposite the names of such Selling Stockholders in Schedule A hereto under the caption “Number of Optional Securities to be Sold” and the denominator of which is the total number of Optional Securities (subject to adjustment by the Representatives to eliminate fractions). Such Optional Securities shall be purchased from each Selling Stockholder for the account of each Underwriter in the same proportion as the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name bears to the total number of Firm Securities (subject to adjustment by the Representatives to eliminate fractions) and may be purchased by the Underwriters only for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the sale of the Firm Securities. No Optional Securities shall be sold or delivered unless the Firm Securities previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered. The right to purchase the Optional Securities or any portion thereof may be exercised from time to time and to the extent not previously exercised may be surrendered and terminated at any time upon notice by the Representatives to the Company and the Selling Stockholders.
Each time for the delivery of and payment for the Optional Securities, being herein referred to as an “Optional Closing Date”, which may be the First Closing Date (the First Closing Date and each Optional Closing Date, if any, being sometimes referred to as a “Closing Date”), shall be determined by the Representatives but shall be not later than five full business days after written notice of election to purchase Optional Securities is given. The Custodian will deliver the Optional Securities being purchased on each Optional Closing Date to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives, against payment of the purchase price therefor in Federal (same day) funds by official bank check or checks or wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Custodian in the case of 476,084 Optional Securities, at the above office of Cravath, Swaine & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLP. The Optional Securities being purchased on each Optional Closing Date or evidence of their issuance will be made available for checking at the above office of Cravath, Swaine & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLP at a reasonable time in advance of such Optional Closing Date.
4. Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Offered Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Final Prospectus.
5. Certain Agreements of the Company and the Selling Stockholders. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters and the Selling Stockholders (and, where applicable, the Selling Stockholders agree with the Company and the several Underwriters) that:
(a) Additional Filings. Unless filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) as part of the Additional Registration Statement in accordance with the second succeeding sentence, the Company will file the Final Prospectus, in a form approved by the Representatives, with the Commission pursuant to
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and in accordance with subparagraph (1) (or, if applicable and if consented to by the Representatives, subparagraph (4)) of Rule 424(b) not later than the earlier of (A) the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement or (B) the fifteenth business day after the Effective Time of the Initial Registration Statement. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly of any such filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and provide satisfactory evidence to the Representatives of such timely filing. If an Additional Registration Statement is necessary to register a portion of the Offered Securities under the Act but the Effective Time thereof has not occurred as of the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will file the additional registration statement or, if filed, will file a post-effective amendment thereto with the Commission pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 462(b) on or prior to 10:00 p.m., New York time, on the date of this Agreement or, if earlier, on or prior to the time the Final Prospectus is finalized and distributed to any Underwriter, or will make such filing at such later date as shall have been consented to by the Representatives.
(b) Filing of Amendments: Response to Commission Requests. The Company will promptly advise the Representatives of any proposal to amend or supplement at any time the Initial Registration Statement, any Additional Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus and will not effect such amendment or supplementation without the Representatives’ consent; and the Company will also advise the Representatives promptly of (i) the effectiveness of any Additional Registration Statement (if its Effective Time is subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement), (ii) any amendment or supplementation of a Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus, (iii) any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment to any Registration Statement, for any supplement to any Statutory Prospectus or for any additional information, (iv) the institution by the Commission of any stop order proceedings in respect of a Registration Statement or the threatening of any proceeding for that purpose, and (v) the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Offered Securities in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceedings for such purpose. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the suspension of any such qualification and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(c) (A) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act by any Underwriter or dealer, any event occurs as a result of which the Final Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives (or, if applicable, the applicable Selling Stockholder will promptly notify the Company and the Representatives) of such event and the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and the dealers and any other dealers upon request of the Representatives, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or an amendment which will effect such compliance. Neither the Representatives’ consent to, nor the Underwriters’ delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 7 hereof.
(B) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws; Testing-the-Waters Writings. If at any time following the distribution of any Testing-the-Waters Writing there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Testing-the-Waters Writing included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Testing-the-Waters Writing to eliminate
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or correct such untrue statement or omission. Neither the Representatives’ consent to, nor the Underwriters’ delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 7 hereof.
(d) Rule 158. As soon as practicable, but not later than the Availability Date (as defined below), the Company will make generally available to its security holders an earnings statement covering a period of at least 12 months beginning after the Effective Time of the Initial Registration Statement (or, if later, the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement) which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act. For the purpose of the preceding sentence, “Availability Date” means the day after the end of the fourth fiscal quarter following the fiscal quarter that includes such Effective Time on which the Company is required to file its Form 10-Q for such fiscal quarter except that, if such fourth fiscal quarter is the last quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, “Availability Date” means the day after the end of such fourth fiscal quarter on which the Company is required to file its Form 10-K.
(e) Furnishing of Prospectuses. The Company will furnish to the Representatives copies of each Registration Statement (three of which will be signed and will include all exhibits), each related Statutory Prospectus, and, so long as a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act, the Final Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each case in such quantities as the Representatives request. The Final Prospectus shall be so furnished on or prior to 3:00 P.M., New York time, on the business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement. All other such documents shall be so furnished as soon as available. The Company will pay the expenses of printing and distributing to the Underwriters all such documents.
(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will arrange for the qualification of the Offered Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives designate and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution.
(g) Reporting Requirements. During the period of five years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and, upon request, to each of the other Underwriters, as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, a copy of its annual report to stockholders for such year; and the Company will furnish to the Representatives (i) as soon as available, a copy of each report and any definitive proxy statement of the Company filed with the Commission under the Exchange Act or mailed to stockholders, and (ii) from time to time, such other information concerning the Company as the Representatives may reasonably request. However, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act and is timely filing reports with the Commission on its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (or any successor system), it is not required to furnish such reports or statements to the Underwriters.
(h) Payment of Expenses. The Company and each Selling Stockholder agree with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholders under this Agreement, including any filing fees and other expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters) incurred in connection with qualification of the Offered Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives designate and the preparation and printing of memoranda relating thereto, costs and expenses related to the review by FINRA of the Offered Securities (including filing fees and the fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters relating to such review), costs and expenses relating to investor presentations or any “road show” in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities including any travel expenses of the Company’s officers and employees and any other expenses of the Company, including fees and expenses incident to listing the Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange and other national and foreign exchanges, fees and expenses in connection with the registration of the
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Offered Securities under the Exchange Act, any transfer taxes on the sale by the Selling Stockholders of the Offered Securities to the Underwriters and expenses incurred in distributing preliminary prospectuses and the Final Prospectus (including any amendments and supplements thereto) to the Underwriters and for expenses incurred for preparing, printing and distributing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses to investors or prospective investors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) each of the several Underwriters will pay its own costs and expenses relating to any such investor presentations or “road show” and (ii) the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, will each pay 50% of the costs and expenses relating to the chartering of airplanes in connection with any such investor presentations or “road show.”
(i) Absence of Manipulation. The Company and the Selling Stockholders will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.
(j) Restriction on Sale of Securities by Company. For the period specified below (the “Lock-Up Period”), the Company will not, directly or indirectly, take any of the following actions with respect to its Securities or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any of its Securities (“Lock-Up Securities”): (i) offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of Lock-Up Securities, (ii) offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, contract to purchase or grant any option, right or warrant to purchase Lock-Up Securities, (iii) enter into any swap, hedge or any other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic consequences of ownership of Lock-Up Securities, (iv) establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position in Lock-Up Securities within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act or (v) file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to Lock-Up Securities, or publicly disclose the intention to take any such action, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, except, in each case, (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) grants of employee stock options authorized for issuance as of the date hereof, pursuant to the terms of a plan in effect on the date hereof and disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, (C) issuances of Lock-Up Securities pursuant to the exercise of such options and the filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-8 in connection therewith or (D) issuances of Lock-Up Securities pursuant to the exercise of any other employee stock options outstanding on the date hereof and disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus. The initial Lock-Up Period will commence on the date hereof and continue for 90 days after the date hereof or such earlier date that the Representatives consent to in writing; provided, however, that if (1) during the last 17 days of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company releases earnings results or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (2) prior to the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the initial Lock-Up Period, then in each case the Lock-Up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of release of the earnings results or the occurrence of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless the Representatives waive, in writing, such extension. The Company will provide the Representatives with notice of any announcement described in clause (2) of the preceding sentence that gives rise to an extension of the Lock-Up Period.
(k) Restriction on Sale of Securities by Selling Stockholders. For the period specified in each of the lock-up letters (the “Selling Stockholder Lock-Up Letters”) previously executed by the Selling Stockholders in the form of Exhibit A hereto, each Selling Stockholder will not take any action in contravention of such Stockholder Lock-Up Letters.
(l) Loss of Emerging Growth Company Status. The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (a) completion of the distribution of the Offered Securities within the meaning of the Act and (b) completion of the 90-day restricted period referred to in Section 5(j) hereof.
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6. Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company and Selling Stockholders represent and agree that, unless they obtain the prior consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Offered Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and the Representatives is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely Commission filing where required, legending and record keeping. The Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.
7. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Firm Securities on the First Closing Date and the Optional Securities to be purchased on each Optional Closing Date will be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders herein (as though made on such Closing Date), to the accuracy of the statements of Company officers made pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company and the Selling Stockholders of their obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions precedent:
(a) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. The Representatives shall have received letters, dated, respectively, the date hereof and each Closing Date, of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP confirming that they are an independent public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Laws and in the form of Schedule E hereto (except that, in any letter dated a Closing Date, the specified date referred to in Schedule E hereto shall be a date no more than three days prior to such Closing Date).
(b) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. If the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement (if any) is not prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, such Effective Time shall have occurred not later than 10:00 p.m., New York time, on the date of this Agreement or, if earlier, the time the Final Prospectus is finalized and distributed to any Underwriter, or shall have occurred at such later time as shall have been consented to by the Representatives. The Final Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with the Rules and Regulations and Section 5(a) hereof. Prior to such Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of any Selling Stockholder, the Company or the Representatives, shall be contemplated by the Commission.
(c) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred (i) any change, or any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole which, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities; (ii) any downgrading in the rating of any debt securities or preferred stock of the Company by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)), or any public announcement that any such organization has under surveillance or review its rating of any debt securities or preferred stock of the Company (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading, and no implication of a possible downgrading, of such rating) or any announcement that the Company has been placed on negative outlook; (iii) any change in U.S. or international financial, political or economic conditions or currency exchange rates or exchange controls the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impractical to market or to enforce contracts
18
for the sale of the Offered Securities, whether in the primary market or in respect of dealings in the secondary market; (iv) any suspension or material limitation of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ Stock Market, or any setting of minimum or maximum prices for trading on such exchange; (v) or any suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market; (vi) any banking moratorium declared by any U.S. federal or New York authorities; (vii) any major disruption of settlements of securities, payment or clearance services in the United States or any other country where such securities are listed or (viii) any attack on, outbreak or escalation of hostilities or act of terrorism involving the United States, any declaration of war by Congress or any other national or international calamity or emergency if, in the judgment of the Representatives, the effect of any such attack, outbreak, escalation, act, declaration, calamity or emergency is such as to make it impractical or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities.
(d) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. The Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated such Closing Date, of K&L Gates LLP, counsel for the Company and its Subsidiaries, in the form set forth on Schedule F hereto.
(e) Opinion of Local Counsel for the Company. The Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated such Closing Date, of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, PA, counsel for the Company and its Subsidiaries, with respect to matters of Vermont law in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.
(f) Opinion of Counsel for Selling Stockholders. The Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated such Closing Date, of (1) Proskauer Rose LLP, counsel for the Solera Selling Stockholders, in the form set forth on Schedule H hereto, (2) ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, LLP, counsel for Najeti Organics LLC, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ [and ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇], in the form set forth on Schedule H-1 hereto, and (3) ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, P.C., counsel for ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, in the form set forth on Schedule H-2 hereto.
(g) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received from Cravath, Swaine & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may require, and the Selling Stockholders and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(h) Officers’ Certificate from the Company. The Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated such Closing Date, of an executive officer of the Company and a principal financial or accounting officer of the Company in which such officers shall state that: (A) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct; (B) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date; (C) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the best of their knowledge and after reasonable investigation, are contemplated by the Commission; (D) the Additional Registration Statement (if any) satisfying the requirements of subparagraphs (1) and (3) of Rule 462(b) was timely filed pursuant to Rule 462(b), including payment of the applicable filing fee in accordance with Rule 111(a) or (b) of Regulation S-T of the Commission; and (E) subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements in the General Disclosure Package, there has been no material adverse change, nor any development or event involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package or as described in such certificate.
19
(i) Officer’s Certificate from Selling Stockholders. The Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated such Closing Date, of an officer of each of Solera Partners, L.P., SCI Partners, L.P. and Najeti Organics LLC (collectively, “Institutional Selling Stockholders”) in which such officer shall state that: the representations and warranties of such Institutional Selling Stockholder in this Agreement are true and correct, and such Institutional Selling Stockholder has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date.
(j) Lock-Up Agreements. On or prior to the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received lockup letters, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, from each of the executive officers and directors of the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders.
(k) Custodian Tax Letter. The Custodian will deliver to the Representatives a letter stating that they will deliver to each Selling Stockholder a United States Treasury Department Form 1099 (or other applicable form or statement specified by the United States Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof) on or before January 31 of the year following the date of this Agreement.
The Selling Stockholders and the Company will furnish the Representatives with any additional opinions, certificates, letters and documents as the Representatives reasonably request and conformed copies of documents delivered pursuant to this Section 7. The Representatives may in their sole discretion waive on behalf of the Underwriters compliance with any conditions to the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, whether in respect of an Optional Closing Date or otherwise.
8. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) Indemnification of Underwriters by Company. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its partners, members, directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, an “Indemnified Party”), against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Testing-the-Waters Writing, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to any of the above as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or omission or alleged omission from any of such documents in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (c) below.
(b) Indemnification of Underwriters by Selling Stockholders. The Selling Stockholders will indemnify and hold harmless each Indemnified Party against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or
20
any Testing-the-Waters Writing, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to the above as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Selling Stockholders will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or omission or alleged omission from any of such documents in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (c) below; provided further, however, that (i) each Non-Solera Selling Stockholder shall be subject to such liability only to the extent that the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission is based upon the Non-Solera Selling Stockholder Information furnished by or on behalf of such Non-Solera Selling Stockholder and (ii) the liability of each Selling Stockholder pursuant to this subsection (b) shall be limited to an amount equal to the aggregate gross proceeds after underwriting commissions and discounts, but before expenses, to such Selling Stockholder from the sale of Offered Securities sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder (with respect to each Selling Stockholder, such amount being referred to herein as such Selling Stockholder’s “Net Proceeds”). The obligations of the Selling Stockholders set forth in this Section 8(b) shall be several and not joint; provided, however, that such obligations of the Solera Selling Stockholders shall be joint and several between each such Solera Selling Stockholder.
(c) Indemnification of Company and Selling Stockholders. Each Underwriter will severally and not jointly indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors and each of its officers who signs a Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and each Selling Stockholder (each, an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”) against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus at any time, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Testing-the-Waters Writing, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission of 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 reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Underwriter Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission as such expenses are incurred, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Final Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the concession and reallowance figures appearing in the fourth paragraph under the heading “Underwriting” and the information relating to stabilizing transactions, overallotment transactions, penalty bids and syndicate covering transactions contained in the fourteenth paragraph under the heading “Underwriting”.
(d) Actions Against Parties; Notification. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 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 subsection (a), (b) or (c) above, notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof; provided, however, that the failure to notify the
21
indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under subsection (a), (b) or (c) above except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; provided further, however, that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under subsection (a), (b) or (c) above. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies an indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on any claims that are the subject matter of such action and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of an indemnified party.
(e) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a), (b) or (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in subsection (a), (b) or (c) above (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities 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 and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Selling Stockholders bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, the Selling Stockholders or the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (e) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim which is the subject of this subsection (e). Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (e), (i) no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission, and (ii) no Selling Stockholder shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of such Selling Stockholder’s Net Proceeds. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (e) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint. The Selling Stockholders’ obligations in this subsection (e) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective Net Proceeds and not joint. The Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8(e) 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 8(e).
22
9. Default of Underwriters. If any Underwriter or Underwriters default in their obligations to purchase Offered Securities hereunder on either the First or any Optional Closing Date and the aggregate number of shares of Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase does not exceed 10% of the total number of shares of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date, the Representatives may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company and the Selling Stockholders for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons, including any of the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by such Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated severally, in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder, to purchase the Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase on such Closing Date. If any Underwriter or Underwriters so default and the aggregate number of shares of Offered Securities with respect to which such default or defaults occur exceeds 10% of the total number of shares of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives, the Company and the Selling Stockholders for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement will terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter, the Company or the Selling Stockholders, except as provided in Section 10 (provided that if such default occurs with respect to Optional Securities after the First Closing Date, this Agreement will not terminate as to the Firm Securities or any Optional Securities purchased prior to such termination). As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section. Nothing herein will relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
10. Survival of Certain Representations and Obligations. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Selling Stockholders, of the Company or 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, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any Selling Stockholder, the Company or any of their respective representatives, officers or directors or any controlling person, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Securities. If the purchase of the Offered Securities by the Underwriters is not consummated for any reason other than solely because of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 9 hereof, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel) reasonably incurred by them in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities, and the respective obligations of the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8 hereof shall remain in effect. In addition, if any Offered Securities have been purchased hereunder, the representations and warranties in Section 2 and all obligations under Section 5 shall also remain in effect.
11. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and, if sent to the Underwriters, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to the Representatives, c/o Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Eleven ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Attention: LCD-IBD and ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk, with a copy to Cravath, Swaine & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq., or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to Annie’s, Inc., ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, with a copy to K&L Gates LLP, State Street Financial Center, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq., or, if sent to the Solera Selling Stockholders or any of them, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to Solera Capital LLC, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, with copies to Proskauer Rose LLP, Eleven Times Square, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, Esq., or, if sent to the Non-Solera Selling Stockholders or any of them, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, as Attorney-in-Fact, c/o Annie’s, Inc., ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 8 will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to such Underwriter.
12. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective personal representatives and successors and the officers and directors and
23
controlling persons referred to in Section 8, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
13. Representation. The Representatives will act for the several Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and any action under this Agreement taken by the Representatives jointly will be binding upon all the Underwriters. ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ will act for the Solera Selling Stockholders in connection with such transactions, and any action under or in respect of this Agreement taken by ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ will be binding upon all the Solera Selling Stockholders. ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ will act for the Non-Solera Selling Stockholders in connection with such transactions, and any action under or in respect of this Agreement taken by ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ will be binding upon all the Non-Solera Selling Stockholders.
14. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.
15. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company and the Selling Stockholders acknowledge and agree that:
(a) No Other Relationship. The Representatives have been retained solely to act as underwriters in connection with the sale of the Offered Securities and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company or the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Representatives, on the other, has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Final Prospectus, irrespective of whether the Representatives have advised or are advising the Company or the Selling Stockholders on other matters;
(b) Arms’ Length Negotiations. The price of the Offered Securities set forth in this Agreement was established by the Company and the Selling Stockholders following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Representatives and the Company and the Selling Stockholders are capable of evaluating and understanding and understand and accept the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(c) Absence of Obligation to Disclose. The Company and the Selling Stockholders have been advised that the Representatives and their affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company or the Selling Stockholders and that the Representatives have no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company or the Selling Stockholders by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and
(d) Waiver. The Company and the Selling Stockholders waive, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims they may have against the Representatives for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agree that the Representatives shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company or the Selling Stockholders in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, employees or creditors of the Company.
16. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
The Company and the Selling Stockholders hereby submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company and the Selling Stockholders irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with the Representatives’ understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company one of the counterparts hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Selling Stockholders, the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
| ANNIE’S, INC. | ||
| By: |
||
| Name: Title: | ||
| SOLERA PARTNERS, L.P.
By: Solera Capital GP, L.P., as General Partner
By: Solera GP, LLC, as General Partner | ||
| By: |
||
| Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ Title: Managing Member | ||
| SCI PARTNERS, L.P.
By: Solera ▇▇ ▇▇, LLC, as General Partner | ||
| By: |
||
| Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ Title: Managing Member | ||
| SELLING STOCKHOLDERS NAMED IN SCHEDULE A-1 HERETO, | ||
| By: |
||
| Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
As Attorney-in-Fact acting on behalf of each of the Selling Stockholders named in Schedule A-1 to this Agreement. | ||
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The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.
Acting on behalf of themselves and as the Representatives of the several Underwriters.
| By CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC | ||
| By: |
||
| Name: Title: | ||
| By ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ SECURITIES LLC | ||
| By: |
||
| Name: Title: | ||
26
SCHEDULE A
| Selling Stockholder |
Number of Firm Securities to be Sold |
Number of Optional Securities to be Sold |
||||||
| Solera Partners, L.P. |
2,797,845 | 436,464 | ||||||
| SCI Partners, L.P. |
52,155 | 8,136 | ||||||
| Najeti Organics LLC |
202,424 | 31,484 | ||||||
| ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
84,052 | 0 | ||||||
| ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
27,500 | 0 | ||||||
| ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
9,916 | 0 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
| Total |
3,173,892 | 476,084 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
SCHEDULE A-1
Selling Stockholders that have appointed ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ as the Attorney-in-Fact:
Najeti Organics LLC
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
SCHEDULE B
| Underwriter |
Number of Firm Securities to be Purchased | |
| Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC |
||
| ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC |
||
| ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Company, L.L.C |
||
| RBC Capital Markets, LLC |
||
| ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Company, Incorporated |
||
| Canaccord Genuity Inc. |
||
|
| ||
| Total |
||
|
|
SCHEDULE C
1. General Use Free Writing Prospectuses (included in the General Disclosure Package)
“General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” includes each of the following documents:
[ ]
2. Other Information Included in the General Disclosure Package
The following information is also included in the General Disclosure Package:
1. The initial price to the public of the Offered Securities.
SCHEDULE D
Subsidiaries of Annie’s, Inc.
| Subsidiary |
Direct Parent | Jurisdiction of Formation | ||
| Annie’s Homegrown, Inc. |
Annie’s, Inc. | Delaware | ||
| Napa Valley Kitchens, Inc. |
Annie’s, Inc. | California | ||
| Annie’s Enterprises, Inc. |
Annie’s, Inc. | Vermont | ||
SCHEDULE E
[FORM OF PWC COMFORT LETTER]
SCHEDULE F
[FORM OF K&L OPINION]
SCHEDULE G
[RESERVED]
SCHEDULE H
[FORM OF PROSKAUER OPINION]
SCHEDULE H-1
[FORM OF OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR NON-SOLERA SELLING STOCKHOLDERS NAJETI ORGANICS LLC, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ [AND ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇]]
SCHEDULE H-2
[FORM OF OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR NON-SOLERA SELLING STOCKHOLDERS ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ AND ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇]
Exhibit A
[FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT]