EXHIBIT 1.1
AstroPower, Inc.
_________Shares/1/
Common Stock
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
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________ __, ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLC
CIBC World Markets Corp.
FAC/Equities, a division of First Albany Corporation
▇/▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLC
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Ladies and Gentlemen:
AstroPower, Inc., a Delaware corporation (herein called the Company),
proposes to issue and sell ____ shares of its authorized but unissued Common
Stock, $.01 par value (herein called the Common Stock), and the stockholders of
the Company named in Schedule II hereto (herein collectively called the Selling
Securityholders) propose to sell an aggregate of ______ shares of Common Stock
of the Company (said ____ shares of Common Stock being herein called the
Underwritten Stock). The Company proposes to grant to the Underwriters (as
hereinafter defined) an option to purchase up to ___ additional shares of Common
Stock (herein called the Option Stock and with the Underwritten Stock herein
collectively called the Stock). The Common Stock is more fully described in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus hereinafter mentioned.
The Company and the Selling Securityholders severally hereby confirm the
agreements made with respect to the purchase of the Stock by the several
underwriters, for whom you are acting, named in Schedule I hereto (herein
collectively called the Underwriters, which term shall also include any
underwriter purchasing Stock pursuant to Section 3(b) hereof). You represent
and warrant that you have been authorized by each of the other Underwriters to
enter into this Agreement on its behalf and to act for it in the manner herein
provided.
1. Registration Statement. The Company has filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (herein called the Commission) a registration statement on
Form S-1 (No. 333-_____), including the related preliminary prospectus, for the
registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (herein called the
Securities Act), of the Stock. Copies of such registration statement and of each
amendment thereto, if any, including the related preliminary prospectus (meeting
the requirements of Rule 430A of the rules and regulations of the Commission)
heretofore filed by the Company with the Commission have been delivered to you.
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/1/ Plus an option to purchase from the Company up to __________ additional
shares to cover over-allotments.
The term Registration Statement as used in this agreement shall mean such
registration statement, including all exhibits and financial statements, all
information omitted therefrom in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in the
Prospectus referred to below, in the form in which it became effective, and any
registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the rules and
regulations of the Commission with respect to the Stock (herein called a Rule
462(b) registration statement), and, in the event of any amendment thereto after
the effective date of such registration statement (herein called the Effective
Date), shall also mean (from and after the effectiveness of such amendment) such
registration statement as so amended (including any Rule 462(b) registration
statement). The term Prospectus as used in this Agreement shall mean the
prospectus relating to the Stock first filed with the Commission pursuant to
Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A (or if no such filing is required, as included in the
Registration Statement) and, in the event of any supplement or amendment to such
prospectus after the Effective Date, shall also mean (from and after the filing
with the Commission of such supplement or the effectiveness of such amendment)
such prospectus as so supplemented or amended. The term Preliminary Prospectus
as used in this Agreement shall mean each preliminary prospectus included in
such registration statement prior to the time it becomes effective.
The Registration Statement has been declared effective under the Securities
Act, and no post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has been
filed as of the date of this Agreement. The Company has caused to be delivered
to you copies of each Preliminary Prospectus and has consented to the use of
such copies for the purposes permitted by the Securities Act.
2. Representations and Warranties of the Company and the Selling
Securityholders.
(a) Each of the Company and the Selling Securityholders hereby represents
and warrants as follows:
(i) Each of the Company and its subsidiary has been duly incorporated or
organized and is validly existing as a corporation or a limited liability
company, as the case may be, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction
of its incorporation or organization, has full corporate or limited liability
company power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its
business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and as
being conducted, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation and in good
standing in all jurisdictions in which the character of the property owned or
leased or the nature of the business transacted by it makes qualification
necessary (except where the failure to be so qualified would not have a material
adverse effect on the business, properties, financial condition or results of
operations of the Company and its subsidiary, taken as a whole).
(ii) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has not been any materially
adverse change in the business, properties, financial condition or results of
operations of the Company and its subsidiary, taken as a whole, whether or not
arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, other than as set
forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and since such dates,
except in the ordinary course of business, neither the Company nor its
subsidiary has entered into any material transaction not referred to in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(iii) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply, and on the
Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) and any later date on which Option Stock
is to be purchased, the Prospectus will comply, in all material respects, with
the provisions of the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (herein called the Exchange Act), and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder; on the
Effective Date, the Registration Statement did not contain any untrue statement
of a material fact and did not omit to state any material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not
misleading; and, on the Effective Date the Prospectus did not and, on the
Closing Date and any later date on which Option Stock is to be purchased, will
not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however,
that none of the representations and warranties in this subparagraph (iii) shall
apply to statements in, or omissions from, the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information herein or
otherwise furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of the
Underwriters for use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
(iv) The Stock is duly and validly authorized, is (or, in the case of
shares of the Stock to be sold by the Company, will be, when issued and sold to
the Underwriters as provided herein) duly and validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable and conforms to the description thereof in the Prospectus. No
further approval or authority of the stockholders or the Board of Directors of
the Company will be required for the transfer and sale of the Stock to be sold
by the Selling Securityholders or the issuance and sale of the Stock as
contemplated herein.
(v) The Stock to be sold by the Selling Securityholders is listed and
duly admitted to trading on the Nasdaq National Market, and prior to the Closing
Date the Stock to be issued and sold by the Company will be authorized for
listing by the Nasdaq National Market upon official notice of issuance.
(vi) The Company owns or has sufficient rights to all patents, patent
applications and, to the Company's knowledge, other proprietary intellectual
property rights (herein called Intellectual Property) necessary to the conduct
of the Company's business as now conducted, and as proposed to be conducted as
described in the Prospectus, without any conflict with the rights of others. To
the knowledge of the Company, it has conducted its business without infringement
or claim of infringement of any Intellectual Property of others and the Company
has not received any notice from any other person pertaining to or challenging
the right of the Company to use any Intellectual property or any trademarks or
trade names owned or used by or licensed to the Company. The Company has duly
and properly filed the patent applications referred to in the Prospectus under
the caption "Business -- Patents and Proprietary Technology", and, to the
knowledge of the Company, there is no infringement or claim of infringement by
others of any Intellectual Property of the Company.
(b) Each of the Selling Securityholders hereby represents and warrants as
follows:
(i) Such Selling Securityholder has good and marketable title to all the
shares of Stock to be sold by such Selling Securityholder hereunder, free and
clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities, security interests and claims
whatsoever, with full right and authority to deliver the same hereunder,
subject, in the case of each Selling Securityholder, to the rights of [▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇], as Custodian (herein called the Custodian), and that upon the delivery
of and payment for such shares of the Stock hereunder, the several Underwriters
will receive good and marketable title thereto, free and clear of all liens,
encumbrances, equities, security interests and claims whatsoever.
(ii) Certificates in negotiable form for the shares of the Stock to be
sold by such Selling Securityholder have been placed in custody under a Custody
Agreement for delivery under this Agreement with the Custodian; such Selling
Securityholder specifically agrees that the shares of the Stock represented by
the certificates so held in
custody for such Selling Securityholder are subject to the interests of the
several Underwriters and the Company, that the arrangements made by such Selling
Securityholder for such custody, including the Power of Attorney provided for in
such Custody Agreement, are to that extent irrevocable, and that the obligations
of such Selling Securityholder shall not be terminated by any act of such
Selling Securityholder or by operation of law, whether by the death or
incapacity of such Selling Securityholder (or, in the case of a Selling
Securityholder that is not an individual, the dissolution or liquidation of such
Selling Securityholder) or the occurrence of any other event; if any such death,
incapacity, dissolution, liquidation or other such event should occur before the
delivery of such shares of the Stock hereunder, certificates for such shares of
the Stock shall be delivered by the Custodian in accordance with the terms and
conditions of this Agreement as if such death, incapacity, dissolution,
liquidation or other event had not occurred, regardless of whether the Custodian
shall have received notice of such death, incapacity, dissolution, liquidation
or other event.
(iii) Such Selling Securityholder has reviewed the Registration Statement
and Prospectus and, although such Selling Securityholder has not independently
verified the accuracy or completeness of all the information contained therein,
nothing has come to the attention of such Selling Securityholder that would lead
such Selling Securityholder to believe that on the Effective Date, the
Registration Statement contained any untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in
order to make the statements therein not misleading; and, on the Effective Date
the Prospectus contained and, on the Closing Date, contains any untrue statement
of a material fact or omitted or omits 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.
3. Purchase of the Stock by the Underwriters.
(a) On the basis of the representations and warranties and subject to the
terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell
________ shares of the Underwritten Stock to the several Underwriters, each
Selling Securityholder agrees to sell to the several Underwriters the number of
shares of the Underwritten Stock set forth in Schedule II opposite the name of
such Selling Securityholder, and each of the Underwriters agrees to purchase
from the Company and the Selling Securityholders the respective aggregate number
of shares of Underwritten Stock set forth opposite its name in Schedule I. The
price at which such shares of Underwritten Stock shall be sold by the Company
and the Selling Securityholders and purchased by the several Underwriters shall
be $___ per share. The obligation of each Underwriter to the Company and each
of the Selling Securityholders shall be to purchase from the Company and the
Selling Securityholders that number of shares of the Underwritten Stock which
represents the same proportion of the total number of shares of the Underwritten
Stock to be sold by each of the Company and the Selling Securityholders pursuant
to this Agreement as the number of shares of the Underwritten Stock set forth
opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto represents of the
total number of shares of the Underwritten Stock to be purchased by all
Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, as adjusted by you in such manner as
you deem advisable to avoid fractional shares. In making this Agreement, each
Underwriter is contracting severally and not jointly; except as provided in
paragraphs (b) and (c) of this Section 3, the agreement of each Underwriter is
to purchase only the respective number of shares of the Underwritten Stock
specified in Schedule I.
(b) If for any reason one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse
(otherwise than for a reason sufficient to justify the termination of this
Agreement under the provisions of Section 8 or 9 hereof) to purchase and pay for
the number of shares of the Stock agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter or
Underwriters, the Company or the Selling Securityholders shall immediately give
notice thereof to you, and the non-defaulting Underwriters shall have
the right within 24 hours after the receipt by you of such notice to purchase,
or procure one or more other Underwriters to purchase, in such proportions as
may be agreed upon between you and such purchasing Underwriter or Underwriters
and upon the terms herein set forth, all or any part of the shares of the Stock
which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed to purchase. If the
non-defaulting Underwriters fail so to make such arrangements with respect to
all such shares and portion, the number of shares of the Stock which each non-
defaulting Underwriter is otherwise obligated to purchase under this Agreement
shall be automatically increased on a pro rata basis to absorb the remaining
shares and portion which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed to
purchase; provided, however, that the non-defaulting Underwriters shall not be
obligated to purchase the shares and portion which the defaulting Underwriter or
Underwriters agreed to purchase if the aggregate number of such shares of the
Stock exceeds 10% of the total number of shares of the Stock which all
Underwriters agreed to purchase hereunder. If the total number of shares of the
Stock which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed to purchase shall
not be purchased or absorbed in accordance with the two preceding sentences, the
Company and the Selling Securityholders shall have the right, within 24 hours
next succeeding the 24 hour period above referred to, to make arrangements with
other underwriters or purchasers satisfactory to you for purchase of such shares
and portion on the terms herein set forth. In any such case, either you or the
Company and the Selling Securityholders shall have the right to postpone the
Closing Date determined as provided in Section 5 hereof for not more than seven
business days after the date originally fixed as the Closing Date pursuant to
said Section 5 in order that any necessary changes in the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be made. If
neither the non-defaulting Underwriters nor the Company and the Selling
Securityholders shall make arrangements within the 24 hour periods stated above
for the purchase of all the shares of the Stock which the defaulting Underwriter
or Underwriters agreed to purchase hereunder, this Agreement shall be terminated
without further act or deed and without any liability on the part of the Company
or the Selling Securityholders to any non-defaulting Underwriter and without any
liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter to the Company or the
Selling Securityholders. Nothing in this paragraph (b), and no action taken
hereunder, shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of
any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
(c) On the basis of the representations, warranties and covenants herein
contained, and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company
grants an option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not
jointly, up to ______ shares in the aggregate of the Option Stock from the
Company at the same price per share as the Underwriters shall pay for the
Underwritten Stock. Said option may be exercised only to cover over-allotments
in the sale of the Underwritten Stock by the Underwriters and may be exercised
in whole or in part at any time (but not more than once) on or before the
thirtieth day after the date of this Agreement upon written or telegraphic
notice by you to the Company setting forth the aggregate number of shares of the
Option Stock as to which the several Underwriters are exercising the option.
Delivery of certificates for the shares of Option Stock, and payment therefor,
shall be made as provided in Section 5 hereof. The number of shares of the
Option Stock to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the same percentage of
the total number of shares of the Option Stock to be purchased by the several
Underwriters as such Underwriter is purchasing of the Underwritten Stock, as
adjusted by you in such manner as you deem advisable to avoid fractional shares.
4. Offering by Underwriters.
(a) The terms of the initial public offering by the Underwriters of the
Stock to be purchased by them shall be as set forth in the Prospectus. The
Underwriters may from time to time change the public offering price after the
closing of the initial public offering and increase or decrease the concessions
and discounts to dealers as they may determine.
(b) The information set forth in the last paragraph on the front cover page
and under "Underwriting" in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary
Prospectus and the Prospectus relating to the Stock filed by the Company
(insofar as such information relates to the Underwriters) constitutes the only
information furnished by the Underwriters to the Company for inclusion in the
Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, and the Prospectus, and you
on behalf of the respective Underwriters represent and warrant to the Company
that the statements made therein are correct.
5. Delivery of and Payment for the Stock.
(a) Delivery of certificates for the shares of the Underwritten Stock and
the Option Stock (if the option granted by Section 3(c) hereof shall have been
exercised not later than 7:00 A.M., San Francisco time, on the date two business
days preceding the Closing Date), and payment therefor, shall be made at the
office of __________________________, __________, at 7:00 a.m., San Francisco
time, on the fourth business day after the date of this Agreement, or at such
time on such other day, not later than seven full business days after such
fourth business day, as shall be agreed upon in writing by the Company, the
Selling Securityholders and you. The date and hour of such delivery and payment
(which may be postponed as provided in Section 3(b) hereof) are herein called
the Closing Date.
(b) If the option granted by Section 3(c) hereof shall be exercised after
7:00 a.m., San Francisco time, on the date two business days preceding the
Closing Date, delivery of certificates for the shares of Option Stock, and
payment therefor, shall be made at the office of _________________________,
_________________, at 7:00 a.m., San Francisco time, on the third business day
after the exercise of such option.
(c) Payment for the Stock purchased from the Company shall be made to the
Company or its order, and payment for the Stock purchased from the Selling
Securityholders shall be made to the Custodian, for the account of the Selling
Securityholders, in each case by one or more certified or official bank check or
checks in same day funds. Such payment shall be made upon delivery of
certificates for the Stock to you for the respective accounts of the several
Underwriters against receipt therefor signed by you. Certificates for the Stock
to be delivered to you shall be registered in such name or names and shall be in
such denominations as you may request at least one business day before the
Closing Date, in the case of Underwritten Stock, and at least one business day
prior to the purchase thereof, in the case of the Option Stock. Such
certificates will be made available to the Underwriters for inspection, checking
and packaging at the offices of Lewco Securities Corporation, ▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ on the business day prior to the Closing Date or, in the
case of the Option Stock, by 3:00 p.m., New York time, on the business day
preceding the date of purchase.
It is understood that you, individually and not on behalf of the
Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment to the Company
and the Selling Securityholders for shares to be purchased by any Underwriter
whose check shall not have been received by you on the Closing Date or any later
date on which Option Stock is purchased for the account of such Underwriter.
Any such payment by you shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its
obligations hereunder.
6. Further Agreements of the Company and the Selling Securityholders.
Each of the Company and the Selling Securityholders respectively covenants and
agrees as follows:
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/2/ This assumes that the transaction will be priced after the close of
market and that T+4 will apply to the transaction. If the pricing took place
before or during market hours (which will generally not be the case), the
closing would be three business days after pricing.
(a) The Company will (i) prepare and timely file with the Commission under
Rule 424(b) a Prospectus containing information previously omitted at the time
of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 430A and (ii)
not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the
Prospectus of which you shall not previously have been advised and furnished
with a copy or to which you shall have reasonably objected in writing or which
is not in compliance with the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the
Commission.
(b) The Company will promptly notify each Underwriter in the event of (i)
the request by the Commission for amendment of the Registration Statement or for
supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional information, (ii) the
issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement, (iii) the institution or notice of intended institution
of any action or proceeding for that purpose, (iv) the receipt by the Company of
any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the
Stock for sale in any jurisdiction, or (v) the receipt by it of notice of the
initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company and
the Selling Securityholders will make every reasonable effort to prevent the
issuance of such a stop order and, if such an order shall at any time be issued,
to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.
(c) The Company will (i) on or before the Closing Date, deliver to you a
signed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each
amendment thereto filed prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes
effective and, promptly upon the filing thereof, a signed copy of each post-
effective amendment, if any, to the Registration Statement (together with, in
each case, all exhibits thereto unless previously furnished to you) and will
also deliver to you, for distribution to the Underwriters, a sufficient number
of additional conformed copies of each of the foregoing (but without exhibits)
so that one copy of each may be distributed to each Underwriter, (ii) as
promptly as possible deliver to you and send to the several Underwriters, at
such office or offices as you may designate, as many copies of the Prospectus as
you may reasonably request, and (iii) thereafter from time to time during the
period in which a prospectus is required by law to be delivered by an
Underwriter or dealer, likewise send to the Underwriters as many additional
copies of the Prospectus and as many copies of any supplement to the Prospectus
and of any amended prospectus, filed by the Company with the Commission, as you
may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the Securities Act.
(d) If at any time during the period in which a prospectus is required by
law to be delivered by an Underwriter or dealer any event relating to or
affecting the Company, or of which the Company shall be advised in writing by
you, shall occur as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel
for the Company or of counsel for the Underwriters, to supplement or amend the
Prospectus in order to make the Prospectus not misleading in the light of the
circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser of the Stock,
the Company will forthwith prepare and file with the Commission a supplement to
the Prospectus or an amended prospectus so that the Prospectus as so
supplemented or amended will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact
or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time such Prospectus
is delivered to such purchaser, not misleading. If, after the initial public
offering of the Stock by the Underwriters and during such period, the
Underwriters shall propose to vary the terms of offering thereof by reason of
changes in general market conditions or otherwise, you will advise the Company
in writing of the proposed variation, and, if in the opinion either of counsel
for the Company or of counsel for the Underwriters such proposed variation
requires that the Prospectus be supplemented or amended, the Company will
forthwith prepare and file with the Commission a supplement to the
Prospectus or an amended prospectus setting forth such variation. The Company
authorizes the Underwriters and all dealers to whom any of the Stock may be sold
by the several Underwriters to use the Prospectus, as from time to time amended
or supplemented, in connection with the sale of the Stock in accordance with the
applicable provisions of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and
regulations thereunder for such period.
(e) Prior to the filing thereof with the Commission, the Company will
submit to you, for your information, a copy of any post-effective amendment to
the Registration Statement and any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended
prospectus proposed to be filed.
(f) The Company will cooperate, when and as requested by you, in the
qualifition of the Stock for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky
laws of such jurisdictions as you may designate and, during the period in which
a prospectus is required by law to be delivered by an Underwriter or dealer, in
keeping such qualifications in good standing under said securities or blue sky
laws; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any
general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation in
any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified. The Company will, from time to
time, prepare and file such statements, reports, and other documents as are or
may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period
as you may reasonably request for distribution of the Stock.
(g) During a period of five years commencing with the date hereof, the
Company will furnish to you, and to each Underwriter who may so request in
writing, copies of all periodic and special reports furnished to stockholders of
the Company and of all information, documents and reports filed with the
Commission.
(h) Not later than the 45th day following the end of the fiscal quarter
first occurring after the first anniversary of the Effective Date, the Company
will make generally available to its security holders an earnings statement in
accordance with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder.
(i) The Company and the Selling Securityholders jointly and severally agree
to pay all costs and expenses incident to the performance of their obligations
under this Agreement, including all costs and expenses incident to (i) the
preparation, printing and filing with the Commission and the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (herein called NASD) of the Registration
Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, (ii) the furnishing to
the Underwriters of copies of any Preliminary Prospectus and of the several
documents required by paragraph (c) of this Section 6 to be so furnished, (iii)
the printing of this Agreement and related documents delivered to the
Underwriters, (iv) the preparation, printing and filing of all supplements and
amendments to the Prospectus referred to in paragraph (d) of this Section 6, (v)
the furnishing to you and the Underwriters of the reports and information
referred to in paragraph (g) of this Section 6 and (vi) the printing and
issuance of stock certificates, including the transfer agent's fees. The Selling
Securityholders will pay any transfer taxes incident to the transfer to the
Underwriters of the shares the Stock being sold by the Selling Securityholders.
(j) The Company and the Selling Securityholders jointly and severally agree
to reimburse you, for the account of the several Underwriters, for blue sky fees
and related disbursements (including counsel fees and disbursements and cost of
printing memoranda for the Underwriters) paid by or for the account of the
Underwriters or their
counsel in qualifying the Stock under state securities or blue sky laws and in
the review of the offering by the NASD.
(k) The provisions of paragraphs (i) and (j) of this Section are intended
to relieve the Underwriters from the payment of the expenses and costs which the
Company and the Selling Securityholders hereby agree to pay and shall not affect
any agreement which the Company and the Selling Securityholders may make, or may
have made, for the sharing of any such expenses and costs.
(l) The Company and each of the Selling Securityholders hereby agrees that,
without the prior written consent of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLC on behalf of the
Underwriters, the Company or such Selling Securityholder, as the case may be,
will not, for a period of 90 days following the commencement of the public
offering of the Stock by the Underwriters (herein called the Lock-up Period),
directly or indirectly, (i) offer to sell, contract to sell or otherwise sell,
dispose of, loan, pledge or grant any rights with respect to (herein
collectively called a Disposition) any shares of Common Stock, any options or
warrants to purchase any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible
into or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock (herein collectively called
Securities), now owned or hereafter acquired directly by the undersigned or with
respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of
disposition, otherwise than (A) as a bona fide gift or gifts, provided the donee
or donees thereof agree to be bound by such agreement or (B) as a distribution
to limited partners or shareholders of the undersigned, provided that the
distributees thereof agree in writing to be bound by the terms of such agreement
or (ii) engage in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to or
reasonably expected to lead to or result in a Disposition of Securities during
the Lock-Up Period even if such Securities would be disposed of by someone other
than the undersigned. Such prohibited hedging or other transactions would
include without limitation any short sale (whether or not against the box) or
any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including without limitation any put
or call option) with respect to any Securities or with respect to any security
(other than a broad-based market basket or index) that includes, relates to or
derives any significant part of its value from Securities. The foregoing two
sentences shall not apply to (x) the Stock to be sold to the Underwriters
pursuant to this Agreement, (y) shares of Common Stock issued by the Company
upon the exercise of options granted under the stock option plans of the Company
(herein called the Option Plans), all as described in footnote (_) to the table
under the caption "Capitalization" in the Preliminary Prospectus, and (z)
options to purchase Common Stock granted under the Option Plans.
7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (f) of this Section 7, the
Company and the Selling Securityholders jointly and severally agree to indemnify
and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person (including each partner or
officer thereof) who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15
of the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages or
liabilities, joint or several, to which such indemnified parties or any of them
may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or the common law
or otherwise, and the Company and the Selling Securityholders jointly and
severally agree to reimburse each such Underwriter and controlling person for
any legal or other expenses (including, except as otherwise hereinafter
provided, reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) incurred by the
respective indemnified parties in connection with defending against any such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities or in connection with any investigation
or inquiry of, or other proceeding which may be brought against, the respective
indemnified parties, in each case arising out of or based upon (i) any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement (including the Prospectus as part thereof and any Rule
462(b) registration statement) or any post-effective amendment
thereto (including any Rule 462(b) registration statement), or the omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (ii) any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (as amended or as supplemented if the
Company shall have filed with the Commission any amendment thereof or supplement
thereto) or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however,
that (1) the indemnity agreements of the Company and the Selling Securityholders
contained in this paragraph (a) shall not apply to any such losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses if such statement or omission was made in
reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished as herein stated or
otherwise furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter
for use in any Preliminary Prospectus or the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus or any such amendment thereof or supplement thereto and (2) the
indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph (a) with respect to any
Preliminary Prospectus shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter from
whom the person asserting any such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
expenses purchased the Stock which is the subject thereof (or to the benefit of
any person controlling such Underwriter) if at or prior to the written
confirmation of the sale of such Stock a copy of the Prospectus (or the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented) was not sent or delivered to such person
and the untrue statement or omission of a material fact contained in such
Preliminary Prospectus was corrected in the Prospectus (or the Prospectus as
amended or supplemented) unless the failure is the result of noncompliance by
the Company with paragraph (c) of Section 6 hereof. The indemnity agreements of
the Company and the Selling Securityholders contained in this paragraph (a) and
the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling
Securityholders contained in Section 2 hereof shall remain operative and in full
force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any
indemnified party and shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Stock.
(b) Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the
Company, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement on his own
behalf or pursuant to a power of attorney, each of its directors, each other
Underwriter and each person (including each partner or officer thereof) who
controls the Company or any such other Underwriter within the meaning of Section
15 of the Securities Act, and the Selling Securityholders from and against any
and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such
indemnified parties or any of them may become subject under the Securities Act,
the Exchange Act, or the common law or otherwise and to reimburse each of them
for any legal or other expenses (including, except as otherwise hereinafter
provided, reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) incurred by the
respective indemnified parties in connection with defending against any such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities or in connection with any investigation
or inquiry of, or other proceeding which may be brought against, the respective
indemnified parties, in each case arising out of or based upon (i) any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement (including the Prospectus as part thereof and any Rule
462(b) registration statement) or any post-effective amendment thereto
(including any Rule 462(b) registration statement) or the omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Prospectus (as amended or as supplemented if the Company shall have filed with
the Commission any amendment thereof or supplement thereto) or the omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon
and in conformity with information furnished as herein stated or otherwise
furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of such indemnifying
Underwriter for use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any such
amendment thereof or supplement thereto. The indemnity agreement of each
Underwriter contained in this paragraph (b) shall remain operative and in full
force and
effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any indemnified
party and shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Stock.
(c) Each party indemnified under the provision of paragraphs (a) and (b) of
this Section 7 agrees that, upon the service of a summons or other initial legal
process upon it in any action or suit instituted against it or upon its receipt
of written notification of the commencement of any investigation or inquiry of,
or proceeding against, it in respect of which indemnity may be sought on account
of any indemnity agreement contained in such paragraphs, it will promptly give
written notice (herein called the Notice) of such service or notification to the
party or parties from whom indemnification may be sought hereunder. No
indemnification provided for in such paragraphs shall be available to any party
who shall fail so to give the Notice if the party to whom such Notice was not
given was unaware of the action, suit, investigation, inquiry or proceeding to
which the Notice would have related and was prejudiced by the failure to give
the Notice, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party or parties of
any such service or notification shall not relieve such indemnifying party or
parties from any liability which it or they may have to the indemnified party
for contribution or otherwise than on account of such indemnity agreement. Any
indemnifying party shall be entitled at its own expense to participate in the
defense of any action, suit or proceeding against, or investigation or inquiry
of, an indemnified party. Any indemnifying party shall be entitled, if it so
elects within a reasonable time after receipt of the Notice by giving written
notice (herein called the Notice of Defense) to the indemnified party, to assume
(alone or in conjunction with any other indemnifying party or parties) the
entire defense of such action, suit, investigation, inquiry or proceeding, in
which event such defense shall be conducted, at the expense of the indemnifying
party or parties, by counsel chosen by such indemnifying party or parties and
reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party or parties; provided, however,
that (i) if the indemnified party or parties reasonably determine that there may
be a conflict between the positions of the indemnifying party or parties and of
the indemnified party or parties in conducting the defense of such action, suit,
investigation, inquiry or proceeding or that there may be legal defenses
available to such indemnified party or parties different from or in addition to
those available to the indemnifying party or parties, then counsel for the
indemnified party or parties shall be entitled to conduct the defense to the
extent reasonably determined by such counsel to be necessary to protect the
interests of the indemnified party or parties and (ii) in any event, the
indemnified party or parties shall be entitled to have counsel chosen by such
indemnified party or parties participate in, but not conduct, the defense. If,
within a reasonable time after receipt of the Notice, an indemnifying party
gives a Notice of Defense and the counsel chosen by the indemnifying party or
parties is reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party or parties, the
indemnifying party or parties will not be liable under paragraphs (a) through
(c) of this Section 7 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by
the indemnified party or parties in connection with the defense of the action,
suit, investigation, inquiry or proceeding, except that (A) the indemnifying
party or parties shall bear the legal and other expenses incurred in connection
with the conduct of the defense as referred to in clause (i) of the proviso to
the preceding sentence and (B) the indemnifying party or parties shall bear such
other expenses as it or they have authorized to be incurred by the indemnified
party or parties. If, within a reasonable time after receipt of the Notice, no
Notice of Defense has been given, the indemnifying party or parties shall be
responsible for any legal or other expenses incurred by the indemnified party or
parties in connection with the defense of the action, suit, investigation,
inquiry or proceeding.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable or
insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under paragraph (a) or (b) of
this Section 7, then each indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such
indemnified 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 paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 7 (i) in such proportion as
is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by each indemnifying
party from the offering of the Stock 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
each indemnifying party in connection with the statements or omissions that
resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, or actions in respect
thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative
benefits received by the Company and the Selling Securityholders on the one hand
and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective
proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Stock received by
the Company and the Selling Securityholders and the total underwriting discount
received by the Underwriters, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the
Prospectus, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Stock. 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 each
indemnifying party and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to
information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or
omission.
The parties agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions
pursuant to this paragraph (d) were to be 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 into account the equitable
considerations referred to in the first sentence of this paragraph (d). The
amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages
or liabilities, or actions in respect thereof, referred to in the first sentence
of this paragraph (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigation,
preparing to defend or defending against any action or claim which is the
subject of this paragraph (d). Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph
(d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the
underwriting discount applicable to the Stock purchased by such Underwriter. No
person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section
11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person
who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters'
obligations in this paragraph (d) to contribute are several in proportion to
their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
Each party entitled to contribution agrees that upon the service of a
summons or other initial legal process upon it in any action instituted against
it in respect of which contribution may be sought, it will promptly give written
notice of such service to the party or parties from whom contribution may be
sought, but the omission so to notify such party or parties of any such service
shall not relieve the party from whom contribution may be sought from any
obligation it may have hereunder or otherwise (except as specifically provided
in paragraph (c) of this Section 7).
(e) Neither the Company nor the Selling Securityholders will, without the
prior written consent of each Underwriter, settle or compromise or consent to
the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or
proceeding in respect of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether
or not such Underwriter or any person who controls such Underwriter within the
meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act is
a party to such claim, action, suit or proceeding) unless such settlement,
compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of such Underwriter and
each such controlling person from all liability arising out of such claim,
action, suit or proceeding.
(f) The liability of each Selling Securityholder under such Selling
Securityholder's representations and warranties contained in Section 2 hereof
and under the indemnity and reimbursement agreements contained in the provisions
of this Section 7 and Section 11 hereof shall be limited to an amount equal to
the initial public offering price of the stock sold by such Selling
Securityholder to the Underwriters. The Company and the Selling Securityholders
may agree, as among themselves and without limiting the rights of the
Underwriters under this
Agreement, as to the respective amounts of such liability for which they each
shall be responsible.
8. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by you at any time prior
to the Closing Date by giving written notice to the Company and the Selling
Securityholders if after the date of this Agreement trading in the Common Stock
shall have been suspended, or if there shall have occurred (i) the engagement in
hostilities or an escalation of major hostilities by the United States or the
declaration of war or a national emergency by the United States on or after the
date hereof, (ii) any outbreak of hostilities or other national or international
calamity or crisis or change in economic or political conditions if the effect
of such outbreak, calamity, crisis or change in economic or political conditions
in the financial markets of the United States would, in the Underwriters'
reasonable judgment, make the offering or delivery of the Stock impracticable,
(iii) suspension of trading in securities generally or a material adverse
decline in value of securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the
American Stock Exchange, or The Nasdaq Stock Market, or limitations on prices
(other than limitations on hours or numbers of days of trading) for securities
on either such exchange or system, (iv) the enactment, publication, decree or
other promulgation of any federal or state statute, regulation, rule or order
of, or commencement of any proceeding or investigation by, any court,
legislative body, agency or other governmental authority which in the
Underwriters' reasonable opinion materially and adversely affects or will
materially or adversely affect the business or operations of the Company, (v)
declaration of a banking moratorium by either federal or New York State
authorities or (vi) the taking of any action by any federal, state or local
government or agency in respect of its monetary or fiscal affairs which in the
Underwriters' reasonable opinion has a material adverse effect on the securities
markets in the United States. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to
this Section 8, there shall be no liability of the Company or the Selling
Securityholders to the Underwriters and no liability of the Underwriters to the
Company or the Selling Securityholders; provided, however, that in the event of
any such termination the Company and the Selling Securityholders agree to
indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters from all costs or expenses incident
to the performance of the obligations of the Company and the Selling
Securityholders under this Agreement, including all costs and expenses referred
to in paragraphs (i) and (j) of Section 6 hereof.
9. Conditions of Underwriters' Obligations. The obligations of the
several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Stock shall be subject to the
performance by the Company and by the Selling Securityholders of all their
respective obligations to be performed hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date
or any later date on which Option Stock is to be purchased, as the case may be,
and to the following further conditions:
(a) The Registration Statement shall have become effective; and no stop
order suspending the effectiveness thereof shall have been issued and no
proceedings therefor shall be pending or threatened by the Commission.
(b) The legality and sufficiency of the sale of the Stock hereunder and the
validity and form of the certificates representing the Stock, all corporate
proceedings and other legal matters incident to the foregoing, and the form of
the Registration Statement and of the Prospectus (except as to the financial
statements contained therein), shall have been approved at or prior to the
Closing Date by ▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Underwriters.
(c) You shall have received from Opton Handler ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, LLP,
counsel for the company and the Selling Securityholders, an opinion covering the
matters set forth in Annex A hereto, and from ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, Esq., patent
counsel for the Company, an opinion, the form of which shall have been approved
at or prior to the Closing Date by ▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the
Underwriters, each addressed to the Underwriters and dated the Closing Date, and
if Option Stock is
purchased at any date after the Closing Date, additional opinions from each such
counsel, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such later date, confirming
that the statements expressed as of the Closing Date in such opinions remain
valid as of such later date.
(d) You shall be satisfied that (i) as of the Effective Date, the
statements made in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus were true and
correct and neither the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus omitted to
state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to
make the statements therein, respectively, not misleading, (ii) since the
Effective Date, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a
supplement or amendment to the Prospectus which has not been set forth in such a
supplement or amendment, (iii) since the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Registration Statement in the form in which it
originally became effective and the Prospectus contained therein, there has not
been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective
material adverse change in or affecting the business, properties, financial
condition or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiary, taken as a
whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of
business, and, since such dates, except in the ordinary course of business,
neither the Company nor its subsidiary has entered into any material transaction
not referred to in the Registration Statement in the form in which it originally
became effective and the Prospectus contained therein, (iv) neither the Company
nor its subsidiary has any material contingent obligations which are not
disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (v) there are not
any pending or known threatened legal proceedings to which the Company or its
subsidiary is a party or of which property of the Company or its subsidiary is
the subject which are material and which are not disclosed in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, (vi) there are not any franchises, contracts,
leases or other documents which are required to be filed as exhibits to the
Registration Statement which have not been filed as required, (vii) the
representations and warranties of the Company herein are true and correct in all
material respects as of the Closing Date or any later date on which Option Stock
is to be purchased, as the case may be, and (viii) there has not been any
material change in the market for securities in general or in political,
financial or economic conditions from those reasonably foreseeable as to render
it impracticable in your reasonable judgment to make a public offering of the
Stock, or a material adverse change in market levels for securities in general
(or those of companies in particular) or financial or economic conditions which
render it inadvisable to proceed.
(e) You shall have received on the Closing Date and on any later date on
which Option Stock is purchased a certificate, dated the Closing Date or such
later date, as the case may be, and signed by the President and the Chief
Financial Officer of the Company, stating that the respective signers of said
certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement in the form in
which it originally became effective and the Prospectus contained therein and
any supplements or amendments thereto, and that the statements included in
clauses (i) through (vii) of paragraph (d) of this Section 9 are true and
correct.
(f) You shall have received from KPMG LLP, a letter or letters, addressed
to the Underwriters and dated the Closing Date and any later date on which
Option Stock is purchased, delivered according to Statement of Auditing
Standards No. 72 and Statement of Auditing Standards No. 86 (or any successor
bulletins), confirming that they are independent public accountants with respect
to the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the applicable
published rules and regulations thereunder and based upon the procedures
described in their letter delivered to you concurrently with the execution of
this Agreement (herein called the Original Letter), but carried out to a date
not more than three business days prior to the Closing Date or
such later date on which Option Stock is purchased (i) confirming, to the extent
true, that the statements and conclusions set forth in the Original Letter are
accurate as of the Closing Date or such later date, as the case may be, and (ii)
setting forth any revisions and additions to the statements and conclusions set
forth in the Original Letter which are necessary to reflect any changes in the
facts described in the Original Letter since the date of the Original Letter or
to reflect the availability of more recent financial statements, data or
information. The letters shall not disclose any change, or any development
involving a prospective change, in or affecting the business or properties of
the Company or its subsidiary which, in your sole judgment, makes it impractical
or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering of the Stock or the purchase
of the Option Stock as contemplated by the Prospectus.
(g) You shall have been furnished evidence in usual written or telegraphic
form from the appropriate authorities of the several jurisdictions, or other
evidence satisfactory to you, of the qualification referred to in paragraph (f)
of Section 6 hereof.
(h) On or prior to the Closing Date, you shall have received from all
directors, officers, and certain beneficial holders of more than 5% of the
outstanding Common Stock stockholders agreements, in form reasonably
satisfactory to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLC, stating that without the prior written
consent of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLC on behalf of the Underwriters, such person or
entity will not, for a period of 90 days following the commencement of the
public offering of the Stock by the Underwriters, directly or indirectly, (i)
offer to sell, contract to sell or otherwise sell, dispose of, loan, pledge or
grant any rights with respect to any shares of Common Stock, any options or
warrants to purchase any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible
into or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock, now owned or hereafter acquired
directly by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or
hereafter acquires the power of disposition, otherwise than (A) as a bona fide
gift or gifts, provided the donee or donees thereof agree to be bound by such
agreement or (B) as a distribution to limited partners or shareholders of the
undersigned, provided that the distributees thereof agree in writing to be bound
by the terms of such agreement or (ii) engage in any hedging or other
transaction which is designed to or reasonably expected to lead to or result in
a Disposition of Securities during the Lock-Up Period even if such Securities
would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned. Such prohibited
hedging or other transactions would include without limitation any short sale
(whether or not against the box) or any purchase, sale or grant of any right
(including without limitation any put or call option) with respect to any
Securities or with respect to any security (other than a broad-based market
basket or index) that includes, relates to or derives any significant part of
its value from Securities.
All the agreements, opinions, certificates and letters mentioned above or
elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the
provisions hereof only if ▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, shall
be satisfied that they comply in form and scope.
In case any of the conditions specified in this Section 9 shall not be
fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by you by giving notice to the
Company and to the Selling Securityholders. Any such termination shall be
without liability of the Company or the Selling Securityholders to the
Underwriters and without liability of the Underwriters to the Company or the
Selling Securityholders; provided, however, that (i) in the event of such
termination, the Company and the Selling Securityholders agree to indemnify and
hold harmless the Underwriters from all costs or expenses incident to the
performance of the obligations of the Company and the Selling Securityholders
under this Agreement, including all costs and expenses referred to in paragraphs
(i) and (j) of Section 6 hereof, and (ii) if this Agreement is terminated by you
because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company or the
Selling Securityholders to perform any agreement herein, to fulfill any of the
conditions herein,
or to comply with any provision hereof other than by reason of a default by any
of the Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally upon
demand for all out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable fees and
disbursements of counsel) that shall have been incurred by them in connection
with the transactions contemplated hereby.
10. Conditions of the Obligation of the Company and the Selling
Securityholders. The obligation of the Company and the Selling Securityholders
to deliver the Stock shall be subject to the conditions that (a) the
Registration Statement shall have become effective and (b) no stop order
suspending the effectiveness thereof shall be in effect and no proceedings
therefor shall be pending or threatened by the Commission.
In case either of the conditions specified in this Section 10 shall not be
fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Company and the Selling
Securityholders by giving notice to you. Any such termination shall be without
liability of the Company and the Selling Securityholders to the Underwriters and
without liability of the Underwriters to the Company or the Selling
Securityholders; provided, however, that in the event of any such termination
the Company and the Selling Securityholders jointly and severally agree to
indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters from all costs or expenses incident
to the performance of the obligations of the Company and the Selling
Securityholders under this Agreement, including all costs and expenses referred
to in paragraphs (i) and (j) of Section 6 hereof.
11. Reimbursement of Certain Expenses. In addition to their other
obligations under Section 7 of this Agreement (and subject, in the case of a
Selling Securityholder, to the provisions of paragraph (f) of Section 7), the
Company and the Selling Securityholders hereby jointly and severally agree to
reimburse on a quarterly basis the Underwriters for all reasonable legal and
other expenses incurred in connection with investigating or defending any claim,
action, investigation, inquiry or other proceeding arising out of or based upon
any statement or omission, or any alleged statement or omission, described in
paragraph (a) of Section 7 of this Agreement, notwithstanding the absence of a
judicial determination as to the propriety and enforceability of the obligations
under this Section 11 and the possibility that such payments might later be held
to be improper; provided, however, that (i) to the extent any such payment is
ultimately held to be improper, the persons receiving such payments shall
promptly refund them and (ii) such persons shall provide to the Company, upon
request, reasonable assurances of their ability to effect any refund, when and
if due.
12. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure
to the benefit of the Company, the Selling Securityholders and the several
Underwriters and, with respect to the provisions of Section 7 hereof, the
several parties (in addition to the Company, the Selling Securityholders and the
several Underwriters) indemnified under the provisions of said Section 7, and
their respective personal representatives, successors and assigns. Nothing in
this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give to any other person,
firm or corporation any legal or equitable remedy or claim under or in respect
of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. The term "successors and
assigns" as herein used shall not include any purchaser, as such purchaser, of
any of the Stock from any of the several Underwriters.
13. Notices. Except as otherwise provided herein, all communications
hereunder shall be in writing or by telegraph and, if to the Underwriters, shall
be mailed, telegraphed or delivered to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLC, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, with a copy to ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇
LLP, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇; and if to the Company, shall
be mailed, telegraphed or delivered to it at its office, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, with a copy to ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, Opton, Handler, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, LLP, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇,
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇; and if to the Selling Securityholders, shall be
mailed, telegraphed or delivered to the Selling Securityholders in care of the
Company at ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, with a copy to ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
Opton, Handler, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, LLP, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇. All notices given by telegraph
shall be promptly confirmed by letter.
14. Miscellaneous. The reimbursement, indemnification and contribution
agreements contained in this Agreement and the representations, warranties and
covenants in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of
(a) any termination of this Agreement, (b) any investigation made by or on
behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person thereof, or by or on behalf of
the Company or the Selling Securityholders or their respective directors or
officers, and (c) delivery and payment for the Stock under this Agreement;
provided, however, that if this Agreement is terminated prior to the Closing
-------- -------
Date, the provisions of paragraph (l) of Section 6 hereof shall be of no further
force or effect.
This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which
shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and
the same instrument.
This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the
laws of the State of California.
Please sign and return to the Company and to the Selling Securityholders in
care of the Company the enclosed duplicates of this letter, whereupon this
letter will become a binding agreement among the Company, the Selling
Securityholders and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
ASTROPOWER, INC.
By __________________________
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
President and CEO
SELLING SECURITYHOLDERS:
[List Names]
By __________________________
[Attorney-in-Fact]
The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed
and accepted as of the date first above written.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLC
CIBC World Markets Corp.
FAC/Equities, a division of First Albany Corporation
By ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLC
By __________________________
Managing Director
Acting on behalf of the several Underwriters,
including themselves, named in Schedule I hereto.
SCHEDULE I
UNDERWRITERS
Number of
Shares
to be
Underwriters Purchased
------------ ---------
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CIBC World Markets Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FAC/Equities, a division of First Albany Corporation . . .
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SCHEDULE II
SELLING SECURITYHOLDERS
Name [and Address] Number of Shares
of Selling Securityholders to be Sold
-------------------------- ----------
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ANNEX A
Matters to be Covered in the Opinion of Opton Handler ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, LLP
Counsel for the Company
and the Selling Securityholders
(i) Each of the Company and its subsidiary has been duly incorporated or
organized and is validly existing as a corporation or limited liability company,
as the case may be, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation or organization, is duly qualified as a foreign corporation and in
good standing in each state of the United States of America in which its
ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, and has full
corporate or limited liability company power and authority to own or lease its
properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement;
all the limited liability company membership interests of the subsidiary of the
Company have been validly issued in accordance with its organizational and
operational documents, and are owned by the Company free and clear of all liens,
encumbrances and security interests, and to the best of such counsel's
knowledge, no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other
obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligations into ownership
interests in such subsidiary are outstanding;
(ii) the authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 5,000,000
shares of Preferred Stock, of which there are no shares outstanding, and
25,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $.01 par value, of which there are
outstanding ________ shares (including the Underwritten Stock plus the number of
shares of Option Stock issued on the date hereof); proper corporate proceedings
have been taken validly to authorize such authorized capital stock; all of the
outstanding shares of such capital stock (including the Underwritten Stock and
the shares of Option Stock issued, if any) have been duly and validly issued and
are fully paid and nonassessable; any Option Stock purchased after the Closing
Date, when issued and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters as provided
in the Underwriting Agreement, will have been duly and validly issued and be
fully paid and nonassessable; and no preemptive rights of, or rights of refusal
in favor of, stockholders exist with respect to the Stock, or the issue and sale
thereof, pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company
and, to the knowledge of such counsel, there are no contractual preemptive
rights that have not been waived, rights of first refusal or rights of co-sale
which exist with respect to the Stock being sold by the Selling Securityholders
or the issue and sale of the Stock;
(iii) the Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities
Act and, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or preventing the use
of the Prospectus is in effect and no proceedings for that purpose have been
instituted or are pending or contemplated by the Commission;
(iv) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (except as to the
financial statements and schedules and other financial data contained therein,
as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all
material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act
and with the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;
(v) such counsel have no reason to believe that the Registration Statement
(except as to the financial statements and schedules and other financial and
statistical data contained or incorporated by reference therein, as to which
such counsel need not express any opinion or belief) at the Effective Date
contained any untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the
Prospectus (except as to the financial statements and schedules and other
financial and statistical data contained or incorporated by reference therein,
as to which such counsel need not express any opinion or belief) as of its date
or at the Closing Date (or any later date on which Option Stock is purchased),
contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or
omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading;
(vi) the information required to be set forth in the Registration
Statement in answer to Items 9, 10 (insofar as it relates to such counsel) and
11(c) of Form S-1 is to the best of such counsel's knowledge accurately and
adequately set forth therein in all material respects or no response is required
with respect to such Items the description of the Company's stock option plans
and the options granted and which may be granted thereunder and the options
granted otherwise than under such plans set forth in the Prospectus accurately
and fairly presents the information required to be shown with respect to said
plans and options to the extent required by the Securities Act and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder;
(vii) such counsel do not know of any franchises, contracts, leases,
documents or legal proceedings, pending or threatened, which in the opinion of
such counsel are of a character required to be described in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration
Statement, which are not described and filed as required;
(viii) the Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the
Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms;
(ix) the Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by or
on behalf of the Selling Securityholders and the Custody Agreement between the
Selling Securityholders and [▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇], as Custodian, and the Power of
Attorney referred to in such Custody Agreement have been duly executed and
delivered by the several Selling Securityholders and each of these agreements
constitutes a valid and binding obligation of each of the Selling
Securityholders, enforceable against each of the Selling Securityholders in
accordance with their respective terms;
(x) the issue and sale by the Company of the shares of Stock sold by the
Company as contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement will not conflict with, or
result in a breach of, the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company
or its subsidiary or any agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which
the Company or its subsidiary is a party or any applicable law or regulation, or
so far as is known to such counsel, any order, writ, injunction or decree, of
any jurisdiction, court or governmental instrumentality;
(xi) all holders of securities of the Company having rights to the
registration of shares of Common Stock, or other securities, because of the
filing of the Registration Statement by the Company have waived such rights or
such rights have expired by reason of lapse of time following notification of
the Company's intent to file the Registration Statement;
(xii) good and marketable title to the shares of Stock sold by the Selling
Securityholders under the Underwriting Agreement, free and clear of all liens,
encumbrances, equities, security interests and claims, has been transferred to
the Underwriters who have severally purchased such shares of Stock under the
Underwriting Agreement, assuming for the purpose of this opinion that the
Underwriters purchased the same in good faith without notice of any adverse
claims; and
(xiii) no consent, approval, authorization or order of any court or
governmental agency or body is required for the consummation of the transactions
contemplated in the Underwriting Agreement, except such as have been obtained
under the Securities Act and such as may be required under state securities or
blue sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Stock by
the Underwriters.
____________________________________
Counsel rendering the foregoing opinion may rely as to questions of law not
involving the laws of the United States or of the State of Delaware, upon
opinions of local counsel satisfactory in form and scope to counsel for the
Underwriters. Copies of any opinions so relied upon shall be delivered to the
Representatives and to counsel for the Underwriters and the foregoing opinion
shall also state that counsel knows of no reason the Underwriters are not
entitled to rely upon the opinions of such local counsel.
