GeoMet, Inc. Common Stock UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT dated July 27, 2006 Banc of America Securities LLC A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
EXHIBIT 1.1
EXECUTION VERSION
Common Stock
dated July 27, ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Sons, Inc.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc.
July 27, ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ SECURITIES LLC
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & SONS, INC.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & ASSOCIATES, INC.
c/o BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Introductory. GeoMet, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A (the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of 5,000,000 shares of its Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”). The 5,000,000 shares of Common Stock to be sold by the Company are called the “Firm Shares.” In addition, the Company has granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 750,000 shares (the “Optional Shares”) of Common Stock, as provided in Section 2. The Firm Shares and, if and to the extent such option is exercised, the Optional Shares are collectively called the “Shares.” Banc of America Securities LLC (“BAS”), ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Sons, Inc. and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc. have agreed to act as representatives of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representatives”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
To the extent there are no additional Underwriters listed on Schedule A other than you, the terms Representatives and Underwriters as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriters. The terms Representatives and Underwriters shall mean either the singular or plural as the context requires.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that up to 257,325 of the Firm Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters (the “Directed Shares”) shall be reserved for sale by the Underwriters to certain eligible directors, officers and employees of the Company and persons having business relationships with the Company, and friends and family members of certain officers, employees and directors of the Company (collectively, the “DSP Participants”), as part of the distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters (the “Directed Share Program”) subject to the terms of this Agreement, the applicable rules, regulations and interpretations of the NASD, Inc. (the “NASD”) and all other applicable laws, rule and regulations. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc. (the “DSP Underwriter”) shall be selected to process the sales to the DSP Participants under the Directed Share Program. To the extent that such Directed Shares are not orally confirmed for purchase by the DSP Participants by 9:30 A.M. New York City time on the first business day after the date of this Agreement, such Directed Shares may be offered to the public as set forth in the Prospectus (as defined below).
The Company hereby confirms its engagement of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc. (“▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇”) as, and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ hereby confirms its agreement with the Company to render services as, a “qualified independent underwriter,” within the meaning of
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Section (b)(15) of Rule 2720 of the NASD with respect to the offering and sale of the Shares. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, solely in its capacity as the qualified independent underwriter and not otherwise, is referred to herein as the “QIU.” The price at which the Shares will be sold to the public shall not be higher than the maximum price recommended by the QIU.
The Company hereby confirms its agreements with the Underwriters and the QIU as follows:
Section 1. Representations and Warranties. The Company hereby represents and warrants to, and covenants with, each Underwriter as follows:
(a) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-134070), which contains a form of prospectus to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of the Shares. Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in the form in which it was declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), including any required information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act, is called the “Registration Statement”. Any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act is called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”, and from and after the date and time of filing of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. Any preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement is hereinafter called a “preliminary prospectus.” The term “Prospectus” shall mean the final prospectus relating to the Shares that is first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto (the “Execution Time”) or, if no filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) is required, shall mean the form of final prospectus relating to the Shares included in the Registration Statement at the effective date. All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, a preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“▇▇▇▇▇”).
(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act. The Company has complied to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, the Commission has not issued any order or notice preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission.
Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus when filed with the Commission complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and the rules thereunder. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective and at the date hereof, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act
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and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus (including any Prospectus wrapper), as amended or supplemented, as of its date, at the date hereof, at the time of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b), at the Closing Date (as defined herein) and at any Subsequent Closing Date (as defined herein), did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties set forth in the two immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Representatives consists of the information described as such in Section 8 hereof. There is no contract or other document required to be described in the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement that has not been described or filed as required.
(c) Disclosure Package. The term “Disclosure Package” shall mean (i) the preliminary prospectus, if any, as amended or supplemented, (ii) the issuer free writing prospectuses as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act (each, an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”), if any, identified in Schedule B hereto, (iii) any other free writing prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package and (iv) the information conveyed orally to investors at the time of pricing identified in Schedule C hereto. As of 5:00 pm (Eastern time) on the date of execution and delivery of this Agreement (the “Applicable Time”), the Disclosure Package did 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. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package based 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 or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8 hereof.
(d) Company Not Ineligible Issuer. (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (ii) as of the date of the execution and delivery of this Agreement (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act), without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 of the Securities Act that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible Issuer.
(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 offering of Shares under this Agreement 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 contained in the Registration Statement, including any prospectus that is or becomes part of the Registration Statement. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or
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development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and has promptly amended or supplemented or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict. The foregoing two sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based 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 hereof.
(f) Accuracy of Statements in Prospectus. The statements in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the headings “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Credit Facility,” “Business—Legal Proceedings,” “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions,” “Description of Capital Stock,” “Material United States Federal Income Tax Consideration for Non-United States Holders” and “Underwriting” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings.
(g) Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the last Subsequent Closing Date (as defined below) and the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than a preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representatives or included in Schedule B hereto or the Registration Statement.
(h) The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(i) Authorization of the Shares. The Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement on the Closing Date or any Subsequent Closing Date, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and the issuance of such Shares will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights.
(j) No Transfer Taxes. There are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under federal law or the laws of any state, or any political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance by the Company or sale by the Company of the Shares.
(k) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. Except as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.
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(l) No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package: (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, properties, operations or prospects, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (any such change is called a “Material Adverse Change”); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, nor entered into any material transaction or agreement; and (iii) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or, except for dividends paid to the Company or other subsidiaries, any of its subsidiaries on any class of capital stock or repurchase or redemption by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any class of capital stock.
(m) Independent Accountants. Deloitte and Touche LLP, who have expressed their opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) and supporting schedules filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are independent public accountants with respect to the Company as required by the Securities Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder.
(n) Preparation of the Financial Statements. The financial statements filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of and at the dates indicated and the results of their operations and cash flows for the periods specified. The supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein. Such financial statements and supporting schedules comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement. The financial data set forth in the preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus under the headings “Summary—Summary of Financial, Reserve and Operating Data”, “Capitalization” and “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial and Operating Data” fairly present the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements contained in the Registration Statement.
(o) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and has corporate power and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, in the case of the Company, to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. Each of the Company and each subsidiary is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except for such jurisdictions where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the
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aggregate, result in a material adverse effect, on the condition, financial or otherwise, or on the earnings, business, properties, operations or prospects, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (a “Material Adverse Effect”). All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or claim. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Registration Statement.
(p) Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization” (other than for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to employee benefit plans described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or upon exercise of outstanding options described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as the case may be). The Common Stock (including the Shares) conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. All of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and have been issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws. None of the outstanding shares of Common Stock were issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. There are no authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus accurately and fairly presents the information required to be shown therein with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.
(q) Quotation. The Shares have been approved for quotation on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., subject only to official notice of issuance.
(r) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation or in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) (“Default”) under its charter or by laws, (ii) in Default under any indenture, mortgage, loan or credit agreement, deed of trust, note, contract, franchise, lease or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which the Company or such subsidiary is a party or by which it may be bound (including, without limitation, the Company’s secured credit facility with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent (the “Credit Facility”), or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”) or (iii) in violation of any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or such subsidiary or any of its properties, as applicable, except with respect to clauses (ii) and (iii), for such Defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
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The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, by the Disclosure Package and by the Prospectus (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any Default under the charter or by laws of the Company or any subsidiary, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or Default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument, and (iii) will not result in any violation of any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its or their properties.
No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency is required for the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, by the Disclosure Package and by the Prospectus, except (A) such as have been obtained or made by the Company and are in full force and effect under the Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue sky laws and from the NASD and (B) such as have been obtained under the laws and regulations of jurisdictions outside the United States in which Directed Shares are offered.
(s) No Material Actions or Proceedings. Except as disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened (i) against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) which has as the subject thereof any officer or director of, or property owned or leased by, the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) relating to environmental or discrimination matters, where in any such case (A) there is a reasonable possibility that such action, suit or proceeding might be determined adversely to the Company or such subsidiary, or any officer or director of, or property owned or leased by, the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (B) any such action, suit or proceeding, if so determined adversely, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(t) Labor Matters. No labor problem or dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or is threatened or imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, that could have a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its subsidiaries own, possess, license or have other rights to use, on reasonable terms, all patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service ▇▇▇▇ registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets, technology, know-how and other intellectual property (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”) necessary for the conduct of the Company’s business as now conducted or as proposed to be conducted in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Except as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (a) no party has been granted an exclusive license to use any portion of such Intellectual Property owned by the Company; (b) there is no material infringement by third parties of any such Intellectual Property owned by or exclusively licensed
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to the Company; (c) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s rights in or to any material Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (d) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; and (e) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company’s business as now conducted infringes or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others, and the Company is unaware of any other fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim, except for such infringements or violations as could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Change.
(v) All Necessary Permits, etc. The Company and each subsidiary possess such valid and current licenses, certificates, authorizations or permits issued by the appropriate state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such license, certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, could have a Material Adverse Effect.
(w) Title to Properties. The Company and its subsidiaries have legal, valid and defensible title to the interests in oil and gas properties underlying the Company’s estimates of its net proved reserves contained in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, to pipeline easement rights and to all other real and personal property reflected in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as assets owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or would not have a Material Adverse Effect; and any other real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries; the working interests derived from oil, gas and mineral leases or mineral interests which constitute a portion of the real property held or leased by the Company or its subsidiaries reflect in all material respects the right of the Company and its subsidiaries to explore, develop or produce hydrocarbons from such real property, and the care taken by the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to acquiring or otherwise procuring such leases or mineral interests was generally consistent with standard industry practices in the areas in which the Company operates for acquiring or procuring leases and interests therein to explore, develop or produce hydrocarbons.
(x) Tax Law Compliance. The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries have filed all necessary federal, state, local and foreign income and franchise tax returns in a timely manner and have paid all taxes required to be paid by any of them and, if due and payable, any related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them, except for any taxes, assessments, fines or penalties as may be being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings, or where the failure to do so could not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has made appropriate provisions in the applicable financial statements included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in respect of all federal, state, local and foreign income and franchise taxes for all current or prior periods as to which the tax liability of the Company or any of its consolidated subsidiaries has not been finally determined.
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(y) Company Not an “Investment Company”. The Company has been advised of the rules and requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). The Company is not, and after receipt of payment for the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as contemplated under the heading “Use of Proceeds” in the preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus will not be, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act and will conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment Company Act.
(z) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries are insured by recognized, financially sound and reputable institutions with policies in such amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks as are generally deemed adequate and customary for their businesses including, but not limited to, policies covering real and personal property owned or leased by the Company and its subsidiaries against theft, damage, destruction, acts of vandalism and earthquakes. 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 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; and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any subsidiary will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(aa) No Restrictions on Dividends. No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, except as described in or contemplated by the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(bb) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters may engage in passive market making transactions in the Shares on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. in accordance with Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
(cc) Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any subsidiary or any other person required to be described in the preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus that have not been described as required.
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(dd) Internal Controls and Procedures. The Company maintains (i) accurate books and records, (ii) effective controls over financial reporting, and (iii) a system of internal control over financial reporting sufficient to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and procedures that (A) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (B) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (C) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
(ee) No Material Weakness in Internal Controls. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated).
(ff) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act) that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
(gg) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation, order, permit or other requirement relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including without limitation, laws and regulations relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum and petroleum products (collectively, “Materials of Environmental Concern”), or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Materials of Environmental Concern (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), which violation includes, but is not limited to, noncompliance with any permits or other governmental authorizations required for the operation of the business of the Company or its subsidiaries under applicable Environmental Laws, or noncompliance with the terms and conditions thereof, nor has the Company or any of its subsidiaries received any written communication, whether from a governmental authority, citizens group, employee or otherwise, that alleges that the Company or any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any Environmental Law, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) there is no claim, action or cause of action filed with a court or governmental authority, no investigation with respect to which the Company has received written notice, and no written notice by any person or entity alleging potential liability for investigatory costs, cleanup costs, governmental responses costs, natural resources damages, property damages, personal injuries, attorneys’ fees
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or penalties arising out of, based on or resulting from the presence, or release into the environment, of any Material of Environmental Concern at any location owned, leased or operated by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, now or in the past (collectively, “Environmental Claims”), pending or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any person or entity whose liability for any Environmental Claim the Company or any of its subsidiaries has retained or assumed either contractually or by operation of law, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) to the best of the Company’s knowledge, there are no past, present or anticipated future actions, activities, circumstances, conditions, events or incidents, including, without limitation, the release, emission, discharge, presence or disposal of any Material of Environmental Concern, that reasonably could result in a violation of any Environmental Law, require expenditures to be incurred pursuant to Environmental Law, or form the basis of a potential Environmental Claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or against any person or entity whose liability for any Environmental Claim the Company or any of its subsidiaries has retained or assumed either contractually or by operation of law, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iv) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is subject to any pending or threatened proceeding under Environmental Law to which a governmental authority is a party and which is reasonably likely to result in monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more.
(hh) Periodic Review of Costs of Environmental Compliance. In the ordinary course of its business, the Company conducts a periodic review of the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review and the amount of its established reserves, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) Independent Petroleum Engineer. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, whose report dated April 6, 2006 is included as an annex to each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus (the “Reserve Report Letter”), was, as of the date of such Reserve Report Letter, and is, as of the date hereof, an independent petroleum engineer with respect to the Company. The information underlying the estimates of reserves of the Company and its subsidiaries, which was supplied by the Company to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ for purposes of preparing the reserve reports and estimates of the Company and preparing the Reserve Report Letter, including, without limitation, production, costs of operation and development, current prices for production, agreements relating to current and future operations and sales of production, was true and correct in all material respects on the dates such estimates were made and such information was supplied and was prepared in accordance with customary industry practices; other than normal production of the reserves and intervening market commodity price fluctuations described in each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any facts or circumstances that would result in a material adverse change in the reserves, or the present value of future net cash flows therefrom, as described in each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus and as reflected in the Reserve Report Letter; estimates of such reserves and present values as described in each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus and reflected in the Reserve Report Letter comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X and Industry Guide 2 under the Act.
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(jj) Brokers. There is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(kk) No Outstanding Loans or Other Indebtedness. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees or indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the executive officers or directors of the Company or any of the members of any of them, except as disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(ll) ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Compliance. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company and any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any applicable provision of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002 and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act”), including Section 402 related to loans.
(mm) Subsidiaries. GeoMet Operating Company, Inc. and Hudson’s Hope Gas Ltd. are the only significant subsidiaries of the Company as defined by Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X (the “Subsidiaries”).
(nn) Lending Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any Underwriter and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Common Shares hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter.
(oo) Statistical and Market Related Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.
(pp) Directed Share Program. (i) The Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Disclosure Package and any preliminary prospectus comply, and any further amendments or supplements thereto will comply, with any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or any preliminary prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program, and (ii) no authorization, approval, consent, license, order registration or qualification of or with any government, governmental instrumentality or court, other than such as have been obtained, is necessary under the securities laws and regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the Directed Shares are offered outside the United States. The Company has not offered, or caused the Underwriters to offer, any Shares to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or its products.
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Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters set forth therein.
Section 2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Shares.
(a) The Firm Shares. Upon the terms herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of 5,000,000 Firm Shares. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their names on Schedule A. The purchase price per Firm Share to be paid by the several Underwriters to the Company shall be $9.30.
(b) The Closing Date. Delivery of certificates for the Firm Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇ L.L.P. (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Representatives) at 9:00 a.m. New York time, on August 2, 2006, or such other time and date as the Representatives shall designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “Closing Date”).
(c) The Optional Shares; the Subsequent Closing Date. In addition, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to an aggregate of 750,000 Optional Shares from the Company at the purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters for the Firm Shares. The option granted hereunder may be exercised at any time and from time to time upon notice by the Representatives to the Company, which notice may be given at any time within 30 days from the date of this Agreement. Such notice shall set forth (i) the aggregate number of Optional Shares as to which the Underwriters are exercising the option, (ii) the names and denominations in which the certificates for the Optional Shares are to be registered and (iii) the time, date and place at which such certificates will be delivered (which time and date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the Closing Date; and in such case the term “Closing Date” shall refer to the time and date of delivery of certificates for the Firm Shares and the Optional Shares). Each time and date of delivery, if subsequent to the Closing Date, is called a “Subsequent Closing Date” and shall be determined by the Representatives and shall not be earlier than three nor later than five full business days after delivery of such notice of exercise. If any Optional Shares are to be purchased, each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Optional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Optional Shares to be purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth on Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares.
(d) Public Offering of the Shares. The Representatives hereby advise the Company that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, as described in the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Shares as soon after this Agreement has been executed and the Registration Statement has been declared effective as the Representatives, in their sole judgment, have determined is advisable and practicable.
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(e) Payment for the Shares. Payment for the Shares to be sold by the Company shall be made at the Closing Date (and, if applicable, at any Subsequent Closing Date) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company.
It is understood that the Representatives have been authorized, for their own account and the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Firm Shares and any Optional Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase. BAS, individually and not as the Representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any Shares to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by the Representatives by the Closing Date or any Subsequent Closing Date, as the case may be, for the account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.
(f) Delivery of the Shares. The Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Underwriters the Firm Shares to be sold by them, including any certificates representing such Firm Shares if such Shares are held in certificated form, at the Closing Date, against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The Company shall also deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Underwriters for the account of the Underwriters, the Optional Shares that the Underwriters have agreed to purchase at the Closing Date or any Subsequent Closing Date, as the case may be, against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. Delivery of the Shares shall be made through the facilities of DTC unless the Underwriters shall otherwise instruct. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Underwriters.
(g) Delivery of Prospectus to the Underwriters. Not later than 10:00 a.m. on the second business day following the date the Shares are first released by the Underwriters for sale to the public, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered, copies of the Prospectus in such quantities and at such places as the Representatives shall request.
Section 3. Covenants. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) Representatives’ Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements. During the period beginning on the Applicable Time and ending on the later of the Closing Date or such date, as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), prior to amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, subject to Section 3(A)(e), the Company shall furnish to the Representatives for review a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement, and the Company shall not file or use any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object.
(b) Securities Act Compliance. After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Representatives in writing (i) when the Registration Statement, if not
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effective at the Execution Time, shall have become effective, (ii) of the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission, (iii) of the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, (iv) of the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective and (v) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order or notice preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Common Stock from any securities exchange upon which it is listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes. The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or notice of prevention or suspension of such use. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order or issue any such notice at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting or reversal of such order or notice at the earliest possible moment, or, subject to Section 3(A)(a), will file an amendment to the Registration Statement or will file a new registration statement and use its best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rules 424(b) and 430A, as applicable, under the Securities Act, including with respect to the timely filing of documents thereunder, and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) were received in a timely manner by the Commission.
(c) Exchange Act Compliance. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15 of the Exchange Act in the manner and within the time periods required by the Exchange Act.
(d) Amendments and Supplements to the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. If, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event or development shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include 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 or then prevailing, as the case may be, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made or then prevailing, as the case may be, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Representatives it is otherwise necessary or advisable to amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or to file a new registration statement containing the Prospectus, in order to comply with law, including in connection with the delivery of the Prospectus, the Company agrees to (i) notify the Representatives of any such event or condition and (ii) promptly prepare (subject to Section 3(A)(a) and 3(A)(e) hereof), file with the Commission (and use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or any new registration statement to be declared effective) and furnish at its own expense to the Underwriters and to dealers, amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any new registration statement, necessary in order to make the statements in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made or then prevailing, as the case may be, not misleading or so that the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with law.
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(e) Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents that it has not made, and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representatives, it will not make, any offer relating to the Shares that constitutes or would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that otherwise constitutes or would constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) or a portion thereof required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Securities Act; provided, that the prior written consent of the Representatives hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule B hereto and any electronic road show. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representatives is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Securities Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.
(f) Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus. The Company agrees to furnish the Representatives, without charge, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, as many copies of the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto and the Disclosure Package as the Representatives may request.
(g) Copies of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the Act, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplement thereto and the Disclosure Package as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(h) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters to qualify or register the Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws or Canadian provincial Securities laws or other foreign laws of those jurisdictions designated by the Representatives, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Shares. The Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Shares for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.
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(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares sold by it in the manner described under the heading “Use of Proceeds” in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(j) Transfer Agent. The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Common Stock.
(k) Earnings Statement. As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering the twelve-month period ending June 30, 2007 that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 under the Securities Act.
(l) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act. Additionally, the Company shall report the use of proceeds from the issuance of the Shares as may be required under Rule 463 under the Securities Act.
(m) Directed Share Program. In connection with the Directed Share Program, the Company will ensure that the Directed Shares will be restricted to the extent required by the NASD or the NASD rules from sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation for a period of three months following the date of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The DSP Underwriter will notify the Company as to which DSP Participants will need to be so restricted. The Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon such securities for such period of time. Should the Company release, or seek to release, from such restrictions any of the Directed Shares, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for any reasonable expenses (including, without limitation, legal expenses) they incur in connection with such release.
(n) Quotation. The Company will use its best efforts to include, subject to notice of issuance, the Shares on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.
(o) Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Shares. During the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the 180th day following the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of BAS (which consent may be withheld at the sole discretion of BAS), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell, pledge, transfer or establish an open “put equivalent position” or liquidate or decrease a “call equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act, or otherwise dispose of or transfer (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition of), or announce the offering of, or file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of, any shares of Common Stock, options or warrants to acquire shares of the Common Stock or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock (other than as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Shares); provided, however, that the Company may file one or more registration statements on Form S-8 to register shares of its Common Stock that have been or will be issued pursuant to the Company’s stock option or stock incentive plans described in the Prospectus or issue shares of its Common Stock or options to purchase its Common Stock, or
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Common Stock upon exercise of options, pursuant to any stock option, stock bonus or other stock plan or arrangement described in the Prospectus, but only if the holders of such shares, options, or shares issued upon exercise of such options who are executive officers and directors of the Company, agree in writing not to sell, offer, dispose of or otherwise transfer any such shares or options during such 180-day period without the prior written consent of BAS (which consent may be withheld at the sole discretion of the BAS). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (x) during the last 17 days of the 180-day restricted period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs, or (y) prior to the expiration of the 180-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 180-day period, the restrictions imposed in this clause shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event. The Company will provide the Representatives and any co-managers and each individual subject to the restricted period pursuant to the lockup letters described in Section 5(k) with prior notice of any such announcement that gives rise to an extension of the restricted period.
(p) Compliance with ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act. The Company will comply with all applicable securities and other laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act, and use its best efforts to cause the Company’s directors and officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with such laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the provisions of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act.
(q) Future Reports to Stockholders. The Company will furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent public accountants) and, as soon as practicable after the end of each of the first three quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the fiscal quarter ending after the effective date of the Registration Statement), to make available to its stockholders consolidated financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries for such quarter in reasonable detail.
(r) Future Reports to the Representatives. During the period of two years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Representatives at ▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ or otherwise make available to the Representatives: (i) as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, copies of the Annual Report of the Company containing the balance sheet of the Company as of the close of such fiscal year and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended and the opinion thereon of the Company’s independent public or certified public accountants; (ii) as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, copies of each proxy statement, Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other report filed by the Company with the Commission, the NASD or any securities exchange; and (iii) as soon as available, copies of any report or communication of the Company mailed generally to holders of its capital stock.
(s) Investment Limitation. The Company shall not invest, or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
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(t) No Manipulation of Price. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(u) Existing Lock-Up Agreement. The Company will enforce all existing agreements between the Company and any of its security holders that prohibit the sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation of any of the Company’s securities in connection with the Company’s initial public offering. In addition, the Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon any such securities of the Company that are bound by such existing “lock-up” agreements for the duration of the periods contemplated in such agreements.
BAS, on behalf of the several Underwriters, may, in its sole discretion, waive in writing the performance by the Company of any one or more of the foregoing covenants or extend the time for their performance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, BAS, for the benefit of each of the other Representatives, agrees not to consent to any action proposed to be taken by the Company or any holder of the Company’s securities that would otherwise be prohibited by, or to waive compliance by the Company or any such security holder with the provisions of, Section 3(A)(n) or 3(B)(a) above or any lock-up agreement delivered pursuant to Section 6(k) below without giving each of the other Representatives at least 17 days prior notice (or such shorter notice as each of the other Representatives may deem acceptable to permit compliance with applicable provisions of NASD Conduct Rule 2711(f) restricting publication and distribution of research and public appearances by research analysts before and after the expiration, waiver or termination of a lock-up agreement).
Section 4. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Shares (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Common Stock, (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares to the Underwriters, (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors, (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (vi) all filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the provincial securities laws of Canada, and, if requested by the Representatives, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Underwriters of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions, (vii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, the NASD’s review and approval of the Underwriters’ participation in the offering and distribution of the Shares, (viii) the fees and expenses associated with quotation of the Shares on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., (ix) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 13 of Part II of the
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Registration Statement, and (x) all costs and expenses of the Underwriters, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters, in connection with matters related to the Directed Shares which are designated by the Company for sale to DSP Participants and (xii) the fees and expenses of the QIU. The Underwriters shall pay all transportation and other road show expenses of the Company incurred in connection with presentations to prospective purchasers of the Shares. Except as provided in this Section 4, Section 6, Section 8 and Section 9 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel.
Section 5. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Shares as provided herein on the Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, any Subsequent Closing Date, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Sections 1(A) and 1(B), respectively, hereof as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date as though then made and, with respect to the Optional Shares, as of any Subsequent Closing Date as though then made, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the timely performance by the Company of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:
(a) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received from Deloitte and Touche LLP, independent public accountants for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.
(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from NASD. For the period from and after effectiveness of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, any Subsequent Closing Date:
(i) the Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the Commission (including the information required by Rule 430A under the Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall have filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing the information required by such Rule 430A, and such post-effective amendment shall have become effective;
(ii) all material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings under such Rule 433;
(iii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, shall be in effect and no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission; and
(iv) the NASD shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
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(c) No Material Adverse Change or Ratings Agency Change. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, any Subsequent Closing Date:
(i) in the judgment of the Representatives there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change; and
(ii) there shall not have been any change or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (a) of this Section 5 which is, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(d) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. On the Closing Date and any Subsequent Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, the form of which is attached as Exhibit A.
(e) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. On the Closing Date and any Subsequent Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇ L.L.P., counsel for the Underwriters, dated as of such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to, and addressed to, the Representatives, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Shares, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto), the Disclosure Package and other related matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, 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.
(f) Officers’ Certificate. On the Closing Date and any Subsequent Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received a written certificate executed by the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer or President of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Accounting Officer of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and this Agreement, to the effect set forth in subsection (b) of this Section 5, and further to the effect that:
(i) for the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to such Closing Date, there has not occurred any Material Adverse Change;
(ii) the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company set forth in Section 1(A) of this Agreement are true and correct on and as of the Closing Date with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of such Closing Date; and
(iii) the Company has complied with all the agreements hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date.
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(g) Bring-down Accountants’ Comfort Letter. On the Closing Date and any Subsequent Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received from Deloitte and Touche LLP, independent public accountants for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 5, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date or Subsequent Closing Date, as the case may be.
(h) Lock-Up Agreement from Certain Securityholders of the Company. On or prior to the date hereof, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives an agreement in the form of Exhibit B hereto from each director, officer and each beneficial owner of Common Stock (as defined and determined according to Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, except that a 180-day period shall be used rather than the 60-day period set forth therein), and such agreement shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date and any Subsequent Closing Date.
(i) Listing of Shares. The Shares shall have been authorized for quotation on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., and satisfactory evidence of such actions shall have been provided to the Representatives.
(j) Additional Documents. On or before the Closing Date and any Subsequent Closing Date, the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.
(k) Engineer’s Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received from ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, an independent petroleum engineer with respect to the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Representatives, the form of which is attached as Exhibit C.
(l) Bring-down Engineer’s Comfort Letter. On the Closing Date and any Subsequent Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received from ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, an independent petroleum engineer with respect to the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to subsection (n) of this Section 5.
If any condition specified in this Section 5 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, at any time prior to the applicable Subsequent Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 4, Section 6, Section 8 and Section 9 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
Section 6. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 5, Section 10, Section 11 or Section 18, or by the Company pursuant to Section 7, if the sale to the Underwriters of the Shares on the
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Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Representatives and the other Underwriters (or such Underwriters as have terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves), severally, upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Representatives and the Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Shares, including but not limited to fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.
Section 7. Effectiveness of this Agreement. This Agreement shall not become effective until the later of (i) the execution of this Agreement by the parties hereto and (ii) notification by the Commission to the Company of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the Securities Act.
Prior to such effectiveness, this Agreement may be terminated by any party by notice to each of the other parties hereto, and any such termination shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company to any Underwriter, except that the Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representatives and the Underwriters pursuant to Sections 4 and 6 hereof or (b) of any Underwriter to the Company.
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Section 8. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act (each, an “Underwriter Indemnified Person”) against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or such controlling person may become subject, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430A, Rule 430B or Rule 430C under the Securities Act, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433) not constituting an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (a “Non-IFWP Road Show”), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact, in each case, necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and to reimburse each Underwriter Indemnified Person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by BAS) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by such Underwriter Indemnified Person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Non-IFWP Road Show. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 8(a)(i) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.
(b) Indemnification of the Company and its Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Non-IFWP Road Show, or arises out of or is based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, and only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
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thereto) or any Non-IFWP Road Show, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Representatives expressly for use therein; and to reimburse the Company, or any such controlling person for any legal and other expense reasonably incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information that the Underwriters have furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Non-IFWP Road Show are the statements set forth in the Prospectus under the heading “Underwriting” in (i) the table in the first paragraph, (ii) the statements in the third paragraph regarding allowance of a selling concession and reallowance and (iii) the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth paragraphs under the subheading “—Stabilization.” The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 8(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Underwriter may otherwise have.
(c) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the failure to so notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties that are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 8 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (other than local counsel), reasonably approved by the indemnifying party (or by BAS in the case of Section 8(b)), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action) or (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the
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indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party.
(d) Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 8 shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, which shall not be withheld unreasonably, but if settled with such consent or if there is a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by Section 8(c) hereof, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent (x) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding and (y) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(e) Indemnification of the QIU. Without limitation and in addition to its obligation under the other subsections of this Section 8, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the QIU, its officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls the QIU within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act from and against any loss, claim, damage, liabilities or expense, as incurred, arising out of or based upon the QIU’s acting as a “qualified independent underwriter” (within the meaning of Rule 2720 to the NASD’s Conduct Rules) in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified person for any legal or other expense reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense results from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the QIU.
(f) Indemnification for Directed Shares. In connection with the offer and sale of the Directed Shares, the Company agrees, promptly upon a request in writing, to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters from and against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by them as a result of the failure of the DSP Participants to pay for and accept delivery of Directed Shares which, by 9:30 A.M. New York City time on the first business day after the date of this Agreement, were subject to a properly confirmed agreement to purchase. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the DSP Underwriter, its officer and employees, and each person, if any, who controls the DSP Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such DSP Underwriter or such controlling person may become subject, which
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(i) is caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for distribution to Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) is caused by the failure of any Participant to pay for and accept delivery of Directed Shares that such Participant agreed to purchase; or (iii) is related to, arising out of, or in connection with the Directed Share Program. The indemnity agreement set forth in this paragraph shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.
Section 9. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 8 is for any reason unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions or inaccuracies in the representations and warranties herein which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Shares as set forth on such cover. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact or any such inaccurate or alleged inaccurate representation or warranty relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 8(c), any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 9.
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Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several, and not joint, in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments as set forth opposite their names in Schedule A. For purposes of this Section 9, each director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.
Section 10. Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters. If, on the Closing Date or a Subsequent Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Shares that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate number of the Shares to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the Representatives with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase the Shares that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date. If, on the Closing Date or a Subsequent Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares and the aggregate number of Shares with respect to which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for the purchase of such Shares are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 4, Section 6, Section 8 and Section 9 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination. In any such case either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date or a Subsequent Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.
As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section 10. Any action taken under this Section 10 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
Section 11. Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the Closing Date this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice given to the Company if at any time (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., or trading in securities generally on the
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New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or the NASD; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or New York authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States has occurred; or (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Representatives is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Shares in the manner and on the terms described in the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities. Any termination pursuant to this Section 11 shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company to any Underwriter, except that the Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representatives and the Underwriters pursuant to Sections 4 and 6 hereof or (b) any Underwriter to the Company.
Section 12. No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility. The Company acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Shares and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understand and accept the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (ii) in connection with each transaction contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the financial advisor, agent or fiduciary of the Company or its affiliates, stockholders, creditors or employees or any other party; (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory, agency or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement; (iv) the several Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the several Underwriters have no obligation to disclose any of such interests by virtue of any advisory, agency or fiduciary relationship; and (v) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company have consulted their own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent they deemed appropriate.
This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the several Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that it may have against the several Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty.
Section 13. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers, and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement (i) will
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remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any (A) investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the QIU, the officers or employees of any Underwriter or the QIU, or any person controlling any Underwriter or the QIU, the Company, the officers or employees of the Company, any person controlling the Company, as the case may be or (B) acceptance of the Shares and payment for them hereunder and (ii) will survive delivery of and payment for the Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.
Section 14. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:
If to the Representatives:
Banc of America Securities LLC
▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Facsimile: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: Syndicate Department
with a copy to:
▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇ L.L.P.
First City Tower
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Facsimile: ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: T. ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
If to the Company:
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Facsimile: ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
with a copy to:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Knight LLP
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Facsimile: ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.
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Section 15. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters pursuant to Section 10 hereof, and to the benefit of (i) the Company, its directors, any person who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and any officer of the Company who signs the Registration Statement, (ii) the Underwriters, the officers, directors, employees and agents of the Underwriters, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, (iii) the QIU, the QIU’s officers, directors, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls the QIU within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and (iv) the respective successors and assigns of any of the above, all as and to the extent provided in this Agreement, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. The term “successors and assigns” shall not include a purchaser of any of the Shares from any of the several Underwriters merely because of such purchase.
Section 16. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
Section 17. Governing Law Provisions. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
Section 18. General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification provisions of Section 8 and the contribution provisions of Section 9, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Sections 8 and 9 hereto fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements thereto), as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| GEOMET,INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |
| Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||
[Signature Page to GeoMet, Inc. Underwriting Agreement]
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Representatives as of the date first above written.
| BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC | ||
| ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & SONS, INC. | ||
| ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & ASSOCIATES, INC. | ||
| Acting as Representatives of the several Underwriters named in the attached Schedule A. | ||
| By: | Banc of America Securities LLC | |
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ | |
| Managing Director | ||
[Signature Page to GeoMet, Inc. Underwriting Agreement]
SCHEDULE A
| Underwriters |
Number of Firm Shares to be Purchased | |
| Banc of America Securities LLC |
2,500,000 | |
| ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Sons, Inc. |
1,250,000 | |
| ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc. |
1,250,000 | |
| Total |
5,000,000 | |
Sch. A - 1
SCHEDULE B
Schedule of Free Writing Prospectuses included in the Disclosure Package
The electronic road show made available to investors on ▇▇▇▇://▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇
Sch. B - 1
SCHEDULE C
Schedule of Information Orally Conveyed to Investors at the Applicable Time
Number of Shares sold by the Company: 5,000,000
No Shares sold by the Selling Stockholders
Number of Shares subject to over-allotment option: 750,000
Public offering price: $10.00
Trade date: July 27, 2006
Settlement date: August 2, 2006
Sch. C - 1
EXHIBIT A
[Form of Opinion of Counsel for the Company]
The final opinion in draft form should be attached as Exhibit A at the time this Agreement is executed.
Opinion of counsel for the Company to be delivered pursuant to Section 5(d) of the Underwriting Agreement.
References to the Prospectus in this Exhibit A include any supplements thereto at the Closing Date.
(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware.
(ii) The Company has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement.
(iii) The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction set forth in an exhibit to such opinion.
(iv) Each subsidiary of the Company (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction set forth as an exhibit to such opinion.
(v) All of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of (A) any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, except those arising under the Credit Facility or (B) to such counsel’s knowledge, any pending or threatened claim.
(vi) The Company’s authorized capitalization is as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization.” The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Description of Capital Stock.” All of the outstanding shares of Common Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable.
(vii) The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(ix) The Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement and, when issued
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and delivered by the Company to the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth therein, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and the issuance of such shares will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights.
(x) The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act. To such counsel’s knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or are contemplated or threatened by the Commission.
(xi) The Registration Statement, the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as of their respective effective or issue dates (other than the financial statements and supporting schedules included therein or in exhibits to or excluded from the Registration Statement, as to which no opinion need be rendered) comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act.
(xii) The Shares have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.
(xiii) The statements in the preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus under the headings “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Credit Facility,” “Business—Legal Proceedings,” “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions,” “Material United States Federal Income Tax Consideration for Non-United States Holders” and “Underwriting,” insofar as such statements constitute matters of law, summaries of legal matters or legal proceedings, or legal conclusions, have been reviewed by such counsel and accurately and fairly present and summarize, in all material respects, the matters referred to therein.
(xv) Except as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to such counsel’s knowledge, threatened (A) against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (B) which has as the subject thereof any officer or director of, or property owned or leased by, the Company or any of its subsidiaries where in any such case (1) there is a reasonable possibility that such action, suit or proceeding might be determined adversely to the Company or such subsidiary and (2) any such action, suit or proceeding, if so determined adversely, would reasonably be expected to, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect or adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(xvi) No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental authority or agency, is required for the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of the Underwriting Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby and by the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, except (A) as have been obtained or made, or will have been obtained or made, at the Closing Date, (B) any necessary qualification under the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Shares are being offered and (C) such as may be required by the NASD.
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(xvii) The performance by the Company of its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement (other than performance by the Company of its obligations under the indemnification section of the Underwriting Agreement, as to which no opinion need be rendered) (A) will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any subsidiary; (B) will not constitute a breach of, or Default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, (1) the Credit Facility, or (2) to such counsel’s knowledge, any other Existing Instrument; or (C) to the knowledge of such counsel, will not result in any violation of any statute, law, rule, judgment, regulation, order or decree applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its or their properties, except with respect to clauses (B) and (C), for such Defaults or violations as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xviii) The Company is not, and after receipt of payment for the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as contemplated under the heading “Use of Proceeds” in the preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus will not be, an “investment company” within the meaning of Investment Company Act.
(xix) No stockholder of the Company or any other person has any preemptive right, right of first refusal or other similar right to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company arising (A) by operation of the charter or bylaws of the Company or the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or (B) to such counsel’s knowledge, otherwise.
Except as disclosed in the preliminary prospectus and Prospectus under the heading “Shares Eligible for Future Sale,” to such counsel’s knowledge, there are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.
(xx) To such counsel’s knowledge, neither the Company nor any subsidiary (A) is in violation of (1) its charter or bylaws or (2) any statute, law, rule, judgment, regulation, order or decree applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its or their properties or (B) is in Default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any material Existing Instrument, except with respect to clause (B), for such Defaults or violations as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxi) The Company and its subsidiaries possess such valid and current licenses, certificates, authorizations or permits issued by the appropriate state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies (each, a “Permit”) as are material to the conduct of their businesses, and, to such counsel’s knowledge, neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such Permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, could have a Material Adverse Effect.
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In addition, such counsel shall state that they have participated in conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company, representatives of the independent public or certified public accountants for the Company and representatives of the Underwriters at which the contents of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and any supplements or amendments thereto, and related matters were discussed and, although such counsel is not passing upon and does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (other than as specified above), and any supplements or amendments thereto, on the basis of the foregoing, nothing has come to their attention which would lead them to believe that (i) either the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto, at the time the Registration Statement or such amendments became effective, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) the Prospectus, as of its date or at the Closing Date or any Subsequent Closing Date, as the case may be, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (iii) the Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, contained 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 circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (it being understood that such counsel need express no belief as to the financial statements or schedules or other financial data derived therefrom or reserve or engineering data, included in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or any amendments or supplements thereto).
In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (i) as to matters involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the New York Corporation Law or the federal law of the United States, to the extent they deem proper and specified in such opinion, upon the opinion (which shall be dated the Closing Date or any Subsequent Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriters, shall expressly state that the Underwriters may rely on such opinion as if it were addressed to them and shall be furnished to the Representatives) of other counsel of good standing whom they believe to be reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters; provided, however, that such counsel shall further state that they believe that they and the Underwriters are justified in relying upon such opinion of other counsel, and (ii) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials.
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EXHIBIT B
, ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Sons, Inc.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc.
c/o Banc of America Securities LLC
▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Re: GeoMet, Inc. (the “Company”)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned is an owner of record or beneficially of certain shares of Common Stock of the Company (“Common Stock”) or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock. The Company proposes to carry out a public offering of Common Stock (the “Offering”) for which you will act as the representatives of the underwriters. The undersigned recognizes that the Offering will be of benefit to the undersigned and will benefit the Company. The undersigned acknowledges that you and the other underwriters are relying on the representations and agreements of the undersigned contained in this letter in carrying out the Offering and in entering into underwriting arrangements with the Company with respect to the Offering.
In consideration of the foregoing, the undersigned hereby agrees that the undersigned will not, (and will cause any spouse or immediate family member of the spouse or the undersigned living in the undersigned’s household not to), without the prior written consent of Banc of America Securities LLC (“BAS”) (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell (including without limitation any short sale), pledge, transfer, establish an open “put equivalent position” or liquidate or decrease a “call equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise dispose of or transfer (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition of) including the filing (or participation in the filing of) of a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in respect of, any shares of Common Stock, options or warrants to acquire shares of Common Stock, or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) by the undersigned (or such spouse or family member), or publicly announce an intention to do any of the foregoing, for a period commencing on the date hereof and continuing through the close of trading on the date that is 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”). In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of BAS, it will not, during the Lock-Up Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.
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If (i) the Company issues an earnings release or material news, or a material event relating to the Company occurs, during the last 17 days of the Lock-Up Period, or (ii) prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, the restrictions imposed by this agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event, unless BAS waives, in writing, such extension. The undersigned hereby acknowledges that the Company has agreed in the Underwriting Agreement to provide written notice of any event that would result in an extension of the Lock-Up Period pursuant to the previous paragraph to the undersigned (in accordance with Section 14 of the Underwriting Agreement) and agrees that any such notice properly delivered will be deemed to have given to, and received by, the undersigned. The undersigned hereby further agrees that, prior to engaging in any transaction or taking any other action that is subject to the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement during the period from the date of this Lock-Up Agreement to and including the 34th day following the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, it will give notice thereof to the Company and will not consummate such transaction or take any such action unless it has received written confirmation from the Company that the Lock-Up Period (as such may have been extended pursuant to the previous paragraph) has expired. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock held by the undersigned except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
With respect to the Offering only, the undersigned waives any registration rights relating to registration under the Securities Act of any Common Stock owned either of record or beneficially by the undersigned, including any rights to receive notice of the Offering.
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This agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on the undersigned and the respective successors, heirs, personal representatives, and assigns of the undersigned.
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EXHIBIT C
ENGINEER’S COMFORT LETTER
Banc of America Securities LLC
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Sons, Inc.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc.
c/o Banc of America Securities LLC
▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
| Re: | Offering of Common Stock of GeoMet, Inc. |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This letter, which is written at the request of GeoMet, Inc. (the “Company”), is being delivered in connection with the Underwriting Agreement dated , 2006 by and among the Company and you for an offering by the Company of an aggregate of shares of its common stock, par value $.001 per share (the “Common Stock”). The shares of Common Stock to be sold by the Company are collectively called the “Shares.” The Shares are being offered pursuant to the Company’s preliminary prospectus dated , 2006 and final prospectus dated the date hereof (collectively, the “Prospectus”).
Our “Appraisal Report on Proved Reserves as of December 31, 2005 on Certain Properties owned by GeoMet, Inc.—Executive Summary” dated April 6, 2006 to the Company presented our conclusions from our evaluation of the Company’s estimates of proved reserves and future net revenue (including discounted values thereof) attributable to interests of the Company in certain oil and gas properties as of December 31, 2005 (the “Reserves Report”).
In connection with the foregoing, we hereby inform you as follows:
1. We are independent petroleum engineers with respect to the Company. We are familiar with the standards pertaining to the estimating and auditing of oil and gas reserve information promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Neither we, nor to our knowledge, any of our employees, officers or directors, own interests in the Company or any oil and gas properties covered by the Reserves Report. We have not been employed by the Company on a contingent basis.
2. All terms used in this letter, where applicable, conform to the definitions set forth in Rule 4-10 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the SEC.
3. In our opinion, the information relating to estimated proved reserves, estimated future net revenue from proved reserves, and present worth of estimated future net revenue from proved reserves contained in the Reserves Report has been prepared in a manner consistent with the standards and definitions pertaining to the estimating and auditing of oil and gas reserve information promulgated by the SEC. Specifically, such information has been prepared in accordance with Paragraphs 10–13, 15, and 30(a)–(b) of Statement of Financial Accounting
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Standards No. 69 (November 1982) of the FASB and Rules 4–10(a) (1)–(13) of Regulation S–X and Rule 302(b) of Regulation S–K of the SEC; provided, however, that (i) certain estimated data have not been provided with respect to changes in reserves information and (ii) future income tax expenses have not been taken into account in estimating the future net revenue and present worth values set forth in the Reserves Report.
To the extent the above-enumerated rules, regulations, and statements require determinations of an accounting or legal nature or information beyond the scope of the Reserves Report, we are necessarily unable to express an opinion as to whether the above-described information is in accordance therewith or sufficient therefor.
4. The reserves report included in the Prospectus as Annex A is the correct and complete copy of our Reserves Report provided to the Company on April 6, 2006.
5. Although we were not requested to review any subsequent data concerning either the performance of the ▇▇▇▇▇ or field operations as of the date hereof, no additional information has been brought to our attention that would lead us to believe that there would be a material change in the estimates of proved reserves or future net revenues from proved reserves attributable to the Company’s interests in certain oil and gas properties covered by the Reserves Report, not withstanding those changes that would result from a change in product prices and reductions for production since December 31, 2005.
6. You may rely upon our Reserve Report Letter in the same manner as if such report were addressed to you.
We hereby consent to the references to our firm under the heading “Experts” in the Prospectus and the inclusion of the Reserves Report as set forth in the Prospectus.
This letter is solely for the information of the addressees and to assist the addressees in documenting their investigations in connection with the offering of the Shares covered by the Prospectus.
Very truly yours,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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