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EXHIBIT 1
DRAFT: 6/25/96
____________________ SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
RIVIERA TOOL COMPANY
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Grand Rapids, Michigan
July ________, 1996
National Securities Corporation
As Representative of the Several Underwriters
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Ladies and Gentlemen:
Riviera Tool Company, a Michigan corporation (the
"Company"), hereby agrees with National Securities Corporation ("National") and
each of the underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the
"Underwriters," which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as
hereinafter provided in Section 11), for whom National is acting as
representative (in such capacity, National shall hereinafter be referred to as
"you" or the "Representative") with respect to the sale by the Company and the
purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the
respective amount of shares set forth in said Schedule A of the Company's
common stock, no par value (the "Common Stock") which aggregate to
_______________ shares (the "Shares"). Upon your request, as provided in
Section 2(b) of this Agreement, the Company shall also issue and sell to the
Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, up to an additional aggregate
of ______________ shares of Common Stock for the purpose of covering
over-allotments, if any. Such shares of Common Stock are hereinafter referred
to as the "Option Shares." The Company also proposes to issue and sell to you
warrants (the "Representative's Warrants") pursuant to the Representative's
Warrant Agreement (the "Representative's Warrant Agreement") for the purchase
of an additional 110,000 shares of Common Stock. The shares of Common Stock
issuable upon exercise of the Representative's Warrants are hereinafter
referred to as the "Representative's Shares." The Shares, Option Shares, the
Representative's Warrants, and the Representative's Shares are more fully
described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus referred to below.
1. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The
Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters
as of the date hereof, and as of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date,
if any, as follows:
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(a) The Company has prepared and filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement,
and an amendment or amendments thereto, on Form 1 (No. 333-_______________),
including any related preliminary prospectus (the "Preliminary Prospectus"),
for the registration of the Shares, the Option Shares, the Representative's
Warrants, and the Representative's Shares (collectively, hereinafter referred
to as the "Registered Securities") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the "Act"), which registration statement and amendment or amendments have been
prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Act, and the
Regulations (as defined below) of the Commission under the Act. The Company
will not file any other amendment thereto to which the Underwriters shall have
objected in writing after having been furnished with a copy thereof. Except as
the context may otherwise require, such registration statement, as amended, on
file with the Commission at the time the registration statement becomes
effective (including the prospectus, financial statements, schedules, exhibits
and all other documents filed as a part thereof or incorporated therein and all
information deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to paragraph
(b) of Rule 430(A) of the Regulations), is hereinafter called the "Registration
Statement," and the form of prospectus in the form first filed with the
Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Regulations, is hereinafter called
the "Prospectus." For purposes hereof, "Regulations" mean the rules and
regulations adopted by the Commission under either the Act or the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as applicable.
(b) Neither the Commission nor any state regulatory
authority has issued any order preventing or suspending the use of any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and no
proceedings for a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement have been instituted, or, to the Company's knowledge, are threatened.
Each of the Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus at the time of filing thereof conformed in all material respects
with the requirements of the Act and Regulations, and none of the Preliminary
Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus at the time of filing
thereof contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
material fact required to be stated therein and necessary to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading, except that this representation and warranty does not apply to
statements made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company with respect to the Underwriters by or on behalf of
the Underwriters expressly for use in such Preliminary Prospectus, Registration
Statement or Prospectus.
(c) When the Registration Statement becomes effective
and at all times subsequent thereto up to the Closing Date (as defined in
Section 2(c) hereof) and each Option Closing Date (as defined in Section 2(b)
hereof), if any, and during such longer period as the Prospectus may be
required to be delivered in connection with sales by the Underwriters or a
dealer, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended or
supplemented as required, will contain all statements which are required to be
stated therein in accordance with the Act and the Regulations, and will conform
in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Regulations;
neither the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus, nor any amendment or
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supplement thereto, will contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading, provided, however, that this representation and
warranty does not apply to statements made or statements omitted in reliance
upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by
or on behalf of any Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement
or the Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto.
(d) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been
duly organized and are validly existing as corporations in good standing under
the laws of the respective states of their incorporation. The Company does not
own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, partnership, trust,
joint venture or other business entity other than the subsidiaries listed in
Exhibit 21 of the Registration Statement. Each of the Company and its
subsidiaries is duly qualified and licensed and in good standing as a foreign
corporation in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or leasing of any
properties or the character of its operations require such qualification or
licensing. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has all requisite power
and authority (corporate and other), and has obtained any and all necessary
authorizations, approvals, orders, licenses, certificates, franchises and
permits of and from all governmental or regulatory officials and bodies
(including, without limitation, those having jurisdiction over environmental or
similar matters), to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as
described in the Prospectus; the Company and each of its subsidiaries have been
doing business in compliance with all such authorizations, approvals, orders,
licenses, certificates, franchises and permits and all federal, state, local
and foreign laws, rules and regulations; and neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries have received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation
or modification of any such authorization, approval, order, license,
certificate, franchise, or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the
subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would materially and
adversely affect the condition, financial or otherwise, or the business
affairs, operations, properties, or results of operations of the Company and
its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. The disclosures in the Registration
Statement concerning the effects of federal, state, local, and foreign laws,
rules and regulations on the Company's business as currently conducted and as
contemplated are correct in all material respects and do not omit to state a
material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein not misleading
in light of the circumstances in which they were made.
(e) The Company has a duly authorized, issued and
outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Prospectus under the headings
"Capitalization" and "Description of Capital Stock" and will have the adjusted
capitalization set forth therein on the Closing Date and the Option Closing
Date, if any, based upon the assumptions set forth therein, and the Company is
not a party to or bound by any instrument, agreement or other arrangement
providing for it to issue any capital stock, rights, warrants, options or other
securities, except for this Agreement and as described in the Prospectus. The
Registered Securities and all other securities issued or issuable by the
Company conform or, when issued and paid for, will conform, in all material
respects to all statements with respect thereto contained in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus. All issued and outstanding shares of capital
stock of each subsidiary of the
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Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and
nonassessable. Except as disclosed in or contemplated by the Prospectus and
the financial statements of the Company and the related notes thereto included
in the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any subsidiary has outstanding any
options to purchase, or any preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for
or to purchase, any securities or obligations convertible into, or any
contracts or commitments to issue or sell, shares of its capital stock or any
such options, rights, convertible securities or obligations. The description
of the Company's stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or
arrangements and the options or other rights granted and exercised thereunder
as set forth in the Prospectus conforms in all material respects with the
requirements of the Act. All issued and outstanding securities of the Company
have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and
nonassessable, and the holders thereof have no rights of rescission with
respect thereto and are not subject to personal liability by reason of being
such holders; and none of such securities were issued in violation of the
preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar
contractual rights granted by the Company.
(f) The Registered Securities are not and will not be
subject to any preemptive or other similar rights of any stockholder, have been
duly authorized and, when issued, paid for and delivered in accordance with the
terms hereof, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and will
conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the
Prospectus; the holders thereof will not be subject to any liability solely as
such holders; all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization,
issue and sale of the Registered Securities has been duly and validly taken;
and the certificates representing the Registered Securities will be in due and
proper form. Upon the issuance and delivery pursuant to the terms hereof of
the Registered Securities to be sold by the Company hereunder, the Underwriters
or the Representative, as the case may be, will acquire good and marketable
title to such Registered Securities free and clear of any lien, charge, claim,
encumbrance, pledge, security interest, defect, or other restriction or equity
of any kind whatsoever. No stockholder of the Company has any right which has
not been waived in writing to require the Company to register the sale of any
shares owned by such stockholder under the Act in the public offering
contemplated by this Agreement. No further approval or authority of the
stockholders or the Board of Directors of the Company will be required for the
issuance and sale of the Shares, the Option Shares and the Representative's
Warrants to be sold by the Company as contemplated herein.
(g) The financial statements of the Company, together
with the related notes and schedules thereto, included in the Registration
Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus fairly present the
financial position, changes in stockholders' equity and the results of
operations of the Company at the respective dates and for the respective
periods to which they apply and such financial statements have been prepared in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and the Regulations,
consistently applied throughout the periods involved. There has been no
material adverse change or development involving a material prospective change
in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the business, affairs,
operations, properties, or results of operation of the Company and its
subsidiaries taken as a whole whether or not arising in the ordinary course of
business since the date of the financial
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statements included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and the
outstanding debt, the property, both tangible and intangible, and the business
of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole conform in all material
respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement
and the Prospectus. Financial information set forth in the Prospectus under
the headings "Prospectus Summary - Selected Financial Data," "Capitalization,"
and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations," fairly present, on the basis stated in the Prospectus, the
information set forth therein and have been derived from or compiled on a basis
consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the
Prospectus.
(h) The Company (i) has paid all federal, state, local,
franchise, and foreign taxes for which it is liable, including, but not limited
to, withholding taxes and amounts payable under Chapters 21 through 24 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and has furnished all
information returns it is required to furnish pursuant to the Code, (ii) has
established adequate reserves for such taxes which are not due and payable, and
(iii) does not have any tax deficiency or claims outstanding, proposed or
assessed against it.
(i) No transfer tax, stamp duty or other similar tax is
payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters in connection with (i) the issuance
by the Company of the Registered Securities, (ii) the purchase by the
Underwriters of the Registered Securities from the Company and the purchase by
the Representative of the Representative's Warrants from the Company, (iii) the
consummation by the Company of any of its obligations under this Agreement, or
(iv) resales of the Registered Securities in connection with the distribution
contemplated hereby.
(j) There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry,
arbitration, mediation, investigation, litigation or governmental proceeding
(including, without limitation, those having jurisdiction over environmental or
similar matters), domestic or foreign, pending or threatened against (or
circumstances that may give rise to the same), or involving the properties or
businesses of, the Company which (i) questions the validity of the capital
stock of the Company, this Agreement or the Representative's Warrant Agreement,
or of any action taken or to be taken by the Company pursuant to or in
connection with this Agreement or the Representative's Warrant Agreement, (ii)
is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement which is not so
disclosed (and such proceedings as are summarized in the Registration Statement
are accurately summarized in all material respects), or (iii) might materially
and adversely affect the condition, financial or otherwise, or the business,
affairs, position, stockholders' equity, operation, properties, or results of
operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.
(k) The Company has the corporate power and authority to
authorize, issue, deliver, and sell the Registered Securities and to enter into
this Agreement and the Representative's Warrant Agreement, and to consummate
the transactions provided for in such agreements; and this Agreement and the
Representative's Warrant Agreement have each been duly and properly authorized,
executed, and delivered by the Company. Each of this Agreement and the
Representative's Warrant Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding
obligation of
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the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its respective
terms (except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws of general
application relating to or affecting enforcement of creditors' rights and the
application of equitable principles in any action, legal or equitable, and
except as rights to indemnity or contribution may be limited by applicable
law), and none of the issue and sale of the Registered Securities, execution by
the Company, delivery or performance of this Agreement and the Representative's
Warrant Agreement, the consummation by the Company of the transactions
contemplated herein and therein, or the conduct of the Company's businesses as
described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and any amendments or
supplements thereto, conflicts with or will conflict with or results or will
result in any breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or
constitutes or will constitute a default under, or result in the creation or
imposition of any lien, charge, claim, encumbrance, pledge, security interest,
defect or other restriction or equity of any kind whatsoever upon, any property
or assets (tangible or intangible) of the Company pursuant to the terms of (i)
the articles of incorporation or by-laws of the Company, as amended and
restated, (ii) any license, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust,
voting trust agreement, stockholders agreement, note, loan or credit agreement
or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by
which it is or may be bound or to which its properties or assets (tangible or
intangible) is or may be subject, or any indebtedness, or (iii) any statute,
judgment, decree, order, rule or regulation applicable to the Company of any
arbitrator, court, regulatory body or administrative agency or other
governmental agency or body (including, without limitation, those having
jurisdiction over environmental or similar matters), domestic or foreign,
having jurisdiction over the Company of any of their activities or properties.
(l) No consent, approval, authorization or order of, and
no filing with, any court, regulatory body, government agency or other body,
domestic or foreign, is required for the issuance of the Registered Securities
pursuant to the Prospectus and the Registration Statement, the performance of
this Agreement, the Representative's Warrant Agreement, and the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby, including without limitation, any waiver of
any preemptive, first refusal or other rights that any entity or person may
have for the issue and/or sale of any of the Registered Securities, except such
as have been or may be obtained under the Act or may be required under state
securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the Underwriters' purchase and
distribution of the Registered Securities to be sold by the Company hereunder.
(m) All executed agreements, contracts or other
documents or copies of executed agreements, contracts or other documents filed
as exhibits to the Registration Statement to which the Company is a party or by
which it may be bound or to which its assets, properties or businesses may be
subject have been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company and constitute the legal, valid and binding agreements of the Company
enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms
(except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws of general application
relating to or affecting enforcement of creditors' rights and the application
of equitable principles in any action, legal or equitable, and except as rights
to indemnity or
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contribution may be limited by applicable law). The descriptions in the
Registration Statement of such agreements, contracts and other documents are
accurate in all material respects and fairly present the information required
to be shown with respect thereto by Form 1, and there are no contracts or other
documents which are required by the Act to be described in the Registration
Statement or filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which are not
described or filed as required, and the exhibits which have been filed are
complete and correct copies of the documents of which they purport to be
copies.
(n) Since the respective dates as of which information
is given in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, and except as described
in or specifically contemplated by the Prospectus (i) the Company has not
incurred any material liabilities or obligations, indirect, direct or
contingent, or entered into any material verbal or written agreement or other
transaction which is not in the ordinary course of business or which could
result in a material reduction in the future earnings of the Company; (ii) the
Company has not sustained any material loss or interference with its business
or properties from fire, flood, windstorm, accident or other calamity, whether
or not covered by insurance; (iii) the Company has not paid or declared any
dividends or other distributions with respect to its capital stock, and the
Company is not in default in the payment of principal or interest on any
outstanding debt obligations; (iv) there has not been any change in the capital
stock (other than upon the sale of the Shares, the Option Shares and the
Representative's Shares hereunder and upon the exercise of options and warrants
described in the Registration Statement) of, or indebtedness material to, the
Company (other than in the ordinary course of business); (v) the Company has
not issued any securities or incurred any liability or obligation, primary or
contingent, for borrowed money; and (vi) there has not been any material
adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise), business, properties,
results of operations, or prospects of the Company.
(o) Except as disclosed in or specifically contemplated
by the Prospectus, (i) the Company has sufficient trademarks, trade names,
patent rights, copyrights, licenses, approvals and governmental authorizations
to conduct its business as now conducted; (ii) the expiration of any
trademarks, trade names, patent rights, copyrights, licenses, approvals or
governmental authorizations would not have a material adverse effect on the
condition (financial or otherwise), business, results of operations or
prospects of the Company; (iii) the Company has no knowledge of any
infringement by it or its subsidiaries of trademark, trade name rights, patent
rights, copyrights, licenses, trade secret or other similar rights of others;
and (iv) there is no claim being made against the Company regarding trademark,
trade name, patent, copyright, license, trade secret or other infringement
which could have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or
otherwise), business, results of operations or prospects of the Company.
(p) No default exists in the due performance and
observance of any term, covenant or condition of any license, contract,
indenture, mortgage, installment sale agreement, lease, deed of trust, voting
trust agreement, stockholders agreement, note, loan or credit agreement, or any
other material agreement or instrument evidencing an obligation for borrowed
money, or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company is a
party or by
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which the Company may be bound or to which the property or assets (tangible or
intangible) of the Company is subject or affected.
(q) To the Company's knowledge, there are no pending
investigations involving the Company by the U.S. Department of Labor, or any
other governmental agency responsible for the enforcement of such federal,
state, local, or foreign laws and regulations. There is no unfair labor
practice charge or complaint against the Company pending before the National
Labor Relations Board or any strike, picketing, boycott, dispute, slowdown or
stoppage pending or to its knowledge threatened against or involving the
Company. No representation question exists respecting the employees of the
Company. No collective bargaining agreement, or modification thereof is
currently being negotiated by the Company. No grievance or arbitration
proceeding is pending under any expired or existing collective bargaining
agreements of the Company. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company
exists or to its knowledge is imminent.
(r) Except as described in the Prospectus, the Company
does not maintain, sponsor or contribute to any program or arrangement that is
an "employee pension benefit plan," an "employee welfare benefit plan," or a
"multiemployer plan" as such terms are defined in Sections 3(2), 3(1) and
3(37), respectively, of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended ("ERISA") ("ERISA Plans"). The Company does not maintain or contribute
to a defined benefit plan, as defined in Section 3(35) of ERISA. No ERISA Plan
(or any trust created thereunder) has engaged in a "prohibited transaction"
within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, which
could subject the Company to any tax penalty on prohibited transactions and
which has not adequately been corrected. Each ERISA Plan is in compliance with
all material reporting, disclosure and other requirements of the Code and ERISA
as they relate to any such ERISA Plan. Determination letters have been
received from the Internal Revenue Service with respect to each ERISA Plan
which is intended to comply with Code Section 401(a), stating that such ERISA
Plan and the attendant trust are qualified thereunder. The Company has never
completely or partially withdrawn from a "multiemployer plan."
(s) None of the Company, nor any of its employees,
directors, stockholders, or affiliates (within the meaning of the Regulations)
of any of the foregoing has taken or will take directly or indirectly, any
action designed to or which has constituted or which might be expected to cause
or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the
Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Registered Securities.
(t) The Company has good and marketable title to, or
valid and enforceable leasehold estates in, all items of real and personal
property stated in the Prospectus to be owned or leased by it, free and clear
of all liens, charges, claims, encumbrances, pledges, security interests, or
other restrictions or equities of any kind whatsoever other than those referred
to in the Prospectus and liens for taxes not yet due and payable.
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(u) ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇, L.L.P. ("▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇"), whose
report is filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement,
are independent certified public accountants as required by the Act and the
Regulations.
(v) The Company has caused to be duly executed legally
binding and enforceable agreements pursuant to which all persons or entities
that directly or beneficially own Common Stock, as of the effective date of the
Registration Statement, have agreed not to, directly or indirectly, offer,
offer to sell, sell, grant any option for the sale of, transfer, assign,
pledge, hypothecate or otherwise encumber or dispose of any shares of Common
Stock or securities convertible into Common Stock, exercisable or exchangeable
for or evidencing any right to purchase or subscribe for any shares of Common
Stock (either pursuant to Rule 144 of the Regulations or otherwise) or dispose
of any interest therein for a period from the date of the Prospectus until nine
(9) months following the date that the Registration Statement becomes
effective, without the prior written consent of National (the "Lock-up
Agreements"), except that after six (6) months from the effective date of the
Registration Statement each such entity may sell up to ten percent (10%) of
his, her or its shares of Common Stock pursuant to Rule 144 of the Regulations.
The Company will cause the Transfer Agent (as defined herein) to place "stop
transfer" orders on the Company's stock ledgers in order to effect the Lock-up
Agreements.
(w) There are no claims, payments, arrangements or
understandings, whether oral or written, for services in the nature of a
finder's or origination fee with respect to the sale of the Registered
Securities hereunder or any other arrangements, agreements, understandings,
payments or issuance with respect to the Company or any of its officers,
directors, stockholders, employees or affiliates that may affect the
Underwriters' compensation as determined by the Commission and the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD").
(x) The Registered Securities have been approved for
quotation on the Nasdaq National Market.
(y) Neither the Company nor any of its officers,
employees, agents or any other person acting on behalf of the Company has,
directly or indirectly, given or agreed to give any money, gift or similar
benefit (other than legal price concessions to customers in the ordinary course
of business) to any customer, supplier, employee or agent of a customer or
supplier, or official or employee of any governmental agency (domestic or
foreign) or instrumentality of any government (domestic or foreign) or any
political party or candidate for office (domestic or foreign) or other person
who was, is, or may be in a position to help or hinder the business of the
Company (or assist the Company in connection with any actual or proposed
transaction) which might subject the Company or any other such person to any
damage or penalty in any civil, criminal or governmental litigation or
proceeding (domestic or foreign). The Company's internal accounting controls
are sufficient to cause the Company to comply with the Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
(z) Except as set forth in the Prospectus, no officer,
director or stockholder of the Company, or any "affiliate" or "associate" (as
these terms are defined in Rule 405
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promulgated under the Regulations) of any of the foregoing persons or entities
has or has had, either directly or indirectly, (i) an interest in any person or
entity which (A) furnishes or sells services or products which are furnished or
sold or are proposed to be furnished or sold by the Company, or (B) purchases
from or sells or furnishes to the Company any goods or services, or (ii) a
beneficiary interest in any contract or agreement to which the Company is a
party or by which it may be bound or affected. Except as set forth in the
Prospectus there are no existing agreements, arrangements, understandings or
transactions, or proposed agreements, arrangements, understandings or
transactions, between or among the Company, and any officer, director,
principal shareholder (as such term is used in the Prospectus) of the Company,
or any affiliate or associate of any of the foregoing persons or entities.
(aa) The Company is not, and does not intend to conduct
its business in a manner in which it would become an "investment company"
within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(ab) Any certificate signed by any officer of the
Company and delivered to the Underwriters or to the Underwriters' Counsel (as
defined in Section 4(d) herein) shall be deemed a representation and warranty
by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.
(ac) The minute books of the Company have been made
available to the Underwriters and contain a complete summary of all meetings
and actions of the directors and stockholders of the Company, since the time of
its incorporation, and reflect all transactions referred to in such minutes
accurately in all material respects.
(ad) The Company has not distributed and will not
distribute prior to the Closing Date any offering material in connection with
the offering and sale of the Shares in this offering other than the Prospectus,
the Registration Statement and the other materials permitted by the Act.
Except as described in the Prospectus, no holders of any securities of the
Company or of any options, warrants or other convertible or exchangeable
securities of the Company have the right to include any securities issued by
the Company as part of the Registration Statement or to require the Company to
file a registration statement under the Act and no person or entity holds any
anti-dilution rights with respect to any securities of the Company.
(ae) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries maintains
insurance by insurers of recognized financial responsibility of the types and
in the amounts as are prudent, customary and adequate for the business in which
it is engaged, including, but not limited to, insurance covering real and
personal property owned or leased by the Company and its subsidiaries against
theft, damage, destruction, acts of vandalism and all other risks customarily
insured against, all of which insurance is in full force and effect. The
Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able to renew existing
insurance coverage with respect to the Company as and when such coverage
expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary
to continue its business, in either case, at a cost that would not have a
material adverse effect on the financial condition, operations, business,
assets or properties of
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the Company. The Company has not failed to file any claims, has no material
disputes with its insurance company regarding any claims submitted under its
insurance policies, and has complied with all material provisions contained in
its insurance policies.
2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Registered Securities.
(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties,
covenants and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and
conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter,
and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly agrees to purchase from the
Company, at a price equal to $_______________ per share, that number of Shares
set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, subject to such
adjustment as the Representative in its discretion shall make to eliminate any
sales or purchases of fractional shares, plus any additional numbers of Shares
which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the
provisions of Section 11 hereof.
(b) In addition, on the basis of the representations,
warranties, covenants and agreements, herein contained, but subject to the
terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to
the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase all or any part of the
Option Shares at a price equal to $_______________ per share. The option
granted hereby will expire 45 days after (i) the date the Registration
Statement becomes effective, if the Company has elected not to rely on Rule
430A under the Regulations, or (ii) the date of this Agreement if the Company
has elected to rely upon Rule 430A under the Regulations, and may be exercised
in whole or in part from time to time (but not on more than two (2) occasions)
only for the purpose of covering over-allotments which may be made in
connection with the offering and distribution of the Shares upon notice by the
Representative to the Company setting forth the number of Option Shares as to
which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and
date of payment and delivery for any such Option Shares. Any such time and
date of delivery (an "Option Closing Date") shall be determined by the
Representative, but shall not be later than three full business days after the
exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Date, as
hereinafter defined, unless otherwise agreed upon by the Representative and the
Company. Nothing herein contained shall obligate the Underwriters to exercise
the over-allotment option described above. No Option Shares shall be delivered
unless the Shares shall be simultaneously delivered or shall theretofore have
been delivered as herein provided.
(c) Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of
certificates for, the Shares shall be made at the offices of National, at ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, or at such other place as shall
be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company. Such delivery and
payment shall be made at 11:00 p.m. (New York time) on ______________, 1996, or
at such other time and date as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and
the Company, but no more than four (4) business days after the date hereof
(such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the "Closing
Date"). In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Shares are
purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery
of certificates for, such Option Shares shall be made at the above mentioned
office of National or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the
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Representative and the Company on each Option Closing Date as specified in the
notice from the Representative to the Company. Delivery of the certificates
for the Shares and the Option Shares, if any, shall be made to the Underwriters
against payment by the Underwriters, of the purchase price for the Shares and
the Option Shares, if any, to the order of the Company. In the event such
option is exercised, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not
jointly, shall purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Shares
then being purchased which the number of Shares set forth in Schedule A hereto
opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Shares,
subject in each case to such adjustments as the Representative in their
discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.
Certificates for the Shares and the Option Shares, if any, shall be in
definitive, fully registered form, shall bear no restrictive legends and shall
be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Underwriters may
request in writing at least three (3) business days prior to Closing Date or
the relevant Option Closing Date, as the case may be. The certificates for the
Shares and the Option Shares, if any, shall be made available to the
Representative at such office or such other place as the Representative may
designate for inspection, checking and packaging no later than 9:30 a.m. on the
last business day prior to Closing Date or the relevant Option Closing Date, as
the case may be.
(d) On the Closing Date, the Company shall issue and
sell to the Representative Representative's Warrants at a purchase price of
$0.0001 per warrant, which warrants shall entitle the holders thereof to
purchase an aggregate of _______ shares of Common Stock. The Representative's
Warrants shall expire five (5) years after the effective date of the
Registration Statement and shall be exercisable for a period of four (4) years
commencing one (1) year from the effective date of the Registration Statement
at a price equaling one hundred twenty percent (120%) of the initial public
offering price of the Shares. The Representative's Warrant Agreement and form
of Warrant Certificate shall be substantially in the form filed as Exhibit 4.2
to the Registration Statement. Payment for the Representative's Warrants shall
be made on the Closing Date.
3. Public Offering of the Shares. As soon after the
Registration Statement becomes effective as the Representative deems advisable,
the Underwriters shall make a public offering of the Shares (other than to
residents of or in any jurisdiction in which qualification of the Shares is
required and has not become effective) at the price and upon the other terms
set forth in the Prospectus. The Representative may from time to time increase
or decrease the public offering price after distribution of the Shares has been
completed to such extent as the Representative, in its sole discretion, deems
advisable. The Underwriters may enter into one or more agreements as the
Underwriters, in each of their sole discretion, deem advisable with one or more
broker-dealers who shall act as dealers in connection with such public
offering.
4. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and
agrees with each of the Underwriters as follows:
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(a) The Company shall use its best efforts to cause the
Registration Statement and any amendments thereto to become effective as
promptly as practicable and will not at any time, whether before or after the
effective date of the Registration Statement, file any amendment to the
Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or file any document
under the Act or Exchange Act before termination of the offering of the Shares
by the Underwriters of which the Representative shall not previously have been
advised and furnished with a copy, or to which the Representative shall have
objected or which is not in compliance with the Act, the Exchange Act or the
Regulations.
(b) As soon as the Company is advised or obtains
knowledge thereof, the Company will advise the Representative and confirm the
notice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement, as amended, becomes
effective, if the provisions of Rule 430A promulgated under the Act will be
relied upon, when the Prospectus has been filed in accordance with said Rule
430A and when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement
becomes effective, (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or
of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding, suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any order preventing or
suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any
amendment or supplement thereto, or the institution of proceedings for that
purpose, (iii) of the issuance by the Commission or by any state securities
commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of any of
the Registered Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the
initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose, (iv) of the
receipt of any comments from the Commission; and (v) of any request by the
Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or
supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information. If the Commission
or any state securities commission authority shall enter a stop order or
suspend such qualification at any time, the Company will use its best efforts
to obtain promptly the lifting of such order.
(c) The Company shall file the Prospectus (in form and
substance satisfactory to the Representative) in accordance with the
requirements of the Act.
(d) The Company will give the Representative notice of
its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement
(including any post-effective amendment) or any amendment or supplement to the
Prospectus (including any revised prospectus which the Company proposes for use
by the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Registered
Securities which differs from the corresponding prospectus on file at the
Commission at the time the Registration Statement becomes effective, whether or
not such revised prospectus is required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of
the Regulations), and will furnish the Representative with copies of any such
amendment or supplement a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed
filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file any such amendment or
supplement to which the Representative or Camhy ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLP
("Underwriters' Counsel") shall reasonably object.
-13-
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(e) The Company shall endeavor in good faith, in
cooperation with the Representative, at or prior to the time the Registration
Statement becomes effective, to qualify the Registered Securities for offering
and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative
may reasonably designate to permit the continuance of sales and dealings
therein for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution, and shall
make such applications, file such documents and furnish such information as may
be required for such purpose; provided, however, the Company shall not be
required to qualify as a foreign corporation or become subject to service of
process in any such jurisdiction. In each jurisdiction where such
qualification shall be effected, the Company will, unless the Representative
agree that such action is not at the time necessary or advisable, use all
reasonable efforts to file and make such statements or reports at such times as
are or may reasonably be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue
such qualification.
(f) During the time when a prospectus is required to be
delivered under the Act, the Company shall use all reasonable efforts to comply
with all requirements imposed upon it by the Act, as now and hereafter amended,
and by the Regulations, as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to
permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in the Registered Securities in
accordance with the provisions hereof and the Prospectus, or any amendments or
supplements thereto. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the
Registered Securities is required to be delivered under the Act, any event
shall have occurred as a result of which, in the opinion of counsel for the
Company or Underwriters' Counsel, the Prospectus, as then amended or
supplemented, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state
any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement
the Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will notify the
Representative promptly and prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate
amendment or supplement in accordance with Section 10 of the Act, each such
amendment or supplement to be satisfactory to Underwriters' Counsel, and the
Company will furnish to the Underwriters copies of such amendment or supplement
as soon as available and in such quantities as the Underwriters may request.
(g) As soon as practicable, but in any event not later
than 45 days after the end of the 12-month period beginning on the day after
the end of the fiscal quarter of the Company during which the effective date of
the Registration Statement occurs (90 days in the event that the end of such
fiscal quarter is the end of the Company's fiscal year), the Company shall make
generally available to its security holders, in the manner specified in Rule
158(b) of the Regulations, and to the Representative, an earnings statement
which will be in the detail required by, and will otherwise comply with, the
provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158(a) of the Regulations,
which statement need not be audited unless required by the Act, covering a
period of at least 12 consecutive months after the effective date of the
Registration Statement.
-14-
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(h) During a period of five (5) years after the date
hereof, the Company will furnish to its stockholders, as soon as practicable,
annual reports (including financial statements audited by independent public
accountants) and will make available to its stockholders unaudited quarterly
reports of earnings, and will deliver to the Representative:
(i) concurrently with furnishing such quarterly
reports to its stockholders, statements of income of the
Company for each quarter in the form furnished to the
Company's stockholders;
(ii) concurrently with furnishing such annual
reports to its stockholders, a balance sheet of the Company as
at the end of the preceding fiscal year, together with
statements of operations, stockholders' equity, and cash flows
of the Company for such fiscal year, accompanied by a copy of
the certificate thereon of independent certified public
accountants;
(iii) as soon as they are available, copies of
all reports (financial or other) mailed to stockholders;
(iv) as soon as they are available, copies of all
reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with
the Commission, the Nasdaq National Market or any securities
exchange;
(v) every press release and every material news
item or article of interest to the financial community in
respect of the Company or its affairs which was released or
prepared by or on behalf of the Company; and
(vi) any additional information of a public
nature concerning the Company (and any future subsidiaries) or
its businesses which the Representative may reasonably
request.
During such five-year period, if the Company has active
subsidiaries, the foregoing financial statements will be on a consolidated
basis to the extent that the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries are
consolidated, and will be accompanied by similar financial statements for any
significant subsidiary which is not so consolidated.
(i) The Company will maintain a transfer agent (the
"Transfer Agent") and, if necessary under the jurisdiction of incorporation of
the Company, a registrar (which may be the same entity as the transfer agent)
for the Common Stock and the Representative's Warrants.
(j) The Company will furnish to the Representative or on
the Representative's order, without charge, at such place as the Representative
may designate, copies of each Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
Statement and any pre-effective or post-effective amendments thereto (two of
which copies will be signed and will include all financial statements and
exhibits), each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, and all amendments and
supplements
-15-
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thereto, including any prospectus prepared after the effective date of the
Registration Statement, in each case as soon as available and in such
quantities as the Representative may reasonably request.
(k) On or before the effective date of the Registration
Statement, the Company shall provide the Representative with true copies of
duly executed, legally binding and enforceable Lock-up Agreements. On or
before the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver instructions to the Transfer
Agent authorizing it to place appropriate stop transfer orders on the Company's
ledgers.
(l) The Company shall use its best efforts to cause its
officers, directors, stockholders or affiliates (within the meaning of the
Regulations) not to take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to, or
which might in the future reasonably be expected to cause or result in,
stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.
(m) The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the
sale of the Registered Securities substantially in the manner, and subject to
the conditions, set forth under "Use of Proceeds" in the Prospectus.
(n) The Company shall timely file all such reports,
forms or other documents as may be required (including, but not limited to, a
Form SR as may be required pursuant to Rule 463 under the Act) from time to
time, under the Act, the Exchange Act, and the Regulations, and all such
reports, forms and documents filed will comply as to form and substance with
the applicable requirements under the Act, the Exchange Act, and the
Regulations.
(o) The Company shall cause the Registered Securities to
be quoted on the Nasdaq National Market, and for a period of two (2) years from
the date hereof shall use its best efforts to maintain the quotation of the
Registered Securities to the extent outstanding.
(p) For a period of two (2) years from the Closing Date,
the Company shall furnish to the Representative, at the Company's sole expense,
daily consolidated transfer sheets relating to the Common Stock.
(q) For a period of five (5) years after the effective
date of the Registration Statement the Company shall, at the Company's sole
expense, take all necessary and appropriate actions to further qualify the
Company's securities in all jurisdictions of the United States in order to
permit secondary sales of such securities pursuant to the Blue Sky laws of
those jurisdictions which do not require the Company to qualify as a foreign
corporation or to file a general consent to service of process.
(r) The Company (i) prior to the effective date of the
Registration Statement, has filed a Form 8-A with the Commission providing for
the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act and (ii) as soon as
practicable, will use its best efforts to take all
-16-
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necessary and appropriate actions to be included in Standard and Poor's
Corporation Descriptions and ▇▇▇▇▇'▇ OTC Manual and to continue such inclusion
for a period of not less than five (5) years.
(s) The Company agrees that for a period of nine (9)
months following the effective date of the Registration Statement it will not,
without the prior written consent of National, offer, issue, sell, contract to
sell, grant any option for the sale of or otherwise dispose of any Common
Stock, or securities convertible into Common Stock, except for the issuance of
the Option Shares, the Representative's Warrants, and shares of Common Stock
issued upon the exercise of currently outstanding warrants or options issued
under any stock option plan in effect on the Closing Date, shares of Common
Stock automatically granted pursuant to any stock option plan in effect on the
Closing Date, or shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to any employee stock
purchase plan in effect on the Closing Date.
(t) Until the completion of the distribution of the
Registered Securities, the Company shall not without the prior written consent
of National or Underwriters' Counsel, issue, directly or indirectly any press
release or other communication or hold any press conference with respect to the
Company or its activities or the offering contemplated hereby, other than trade
releases issued in the ordinary course of the Company's business consistent
with past practices with respect to the Company's operations.
(u) For a period equal to the lesser of (i) five (5)
years from the date hereof, and (ii) the sale to the public of the
Representative's Shares, the Company will not take any action or actions which
may prevent or disqualify the Company's use of Form 1 (or other appropriate
form) for the registration under the Act of the Representative's Shares.
(v) The Company agrees that it shall use its best
efforts, which shall include, but shall not be limited to, the solicitation of
proxies, to elect one (1) designee of National to the Company's Board of
Directors for a period of five (5) years following the Closing, provided that
such designee is reasonably acceptable to the Company.
(w) The Company agrees that within forty-five (45) days
after the Closing it shall retain a public relations firm which is acceptable
to National. The Company shall keep such public relations firm, or any
replacement, for a period of three (3) years from the Closing. Any replacement
public relations firm shall be retained only with the consent of National.
(x) The Company agrees that any and all future
transactions between the Company and its officers, directors, principal
stockholders and the affiliates of the foregoing persons will be on terms no
less favorable to the Company than could reasonably be obtained in arm's length
transactions with independent third parties, and that any such transactions
also be approved by a majority of the Company's outside independent directors
disinterested in the transaction.
-17-
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(y) The Company shall prepare and deliver, at the
Company's sole expense, to National within the one hundred and twenty (120) day
period after the later of the effective date of the Registration Statement or
the latest Option Closing Date, as the case may be, one bound volume containing
all correspondence with regulatory officials, agreements, documents and all
other materials in connection with the offering as requested by the
Underwriters' Counsel.
5. Payment of Expenses.
(a) The Company hereby agrees to pay on each of the
Closing Date and each Option Closing Date (to the extent not previously paid)
all expenses and fees (other than fees of Underwriters' Counsel, except as
provided in (iv) below) incident to the performance of the obligations of the
Company under this Agreement and the Representative's Warrant Agreement,
including, without limitation, (i) the fees and expenses of accountants and
counsel for the Company, (ii) all costs and expenses incurred in connection
with the preparation, duplication, printing, filing, delivery and mailing
(including the payment of postage with respect thereto) of the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto and the
duplication, mailing (including the payment of postage with respect thereto)
and delivery of this Agreement, the Agreement Among Underwriters, the Selected
Dealers Agreements, the Powers of Attorney, and related documents, including
the cost of all copies thereof and of the Preliminary Prospectuses and of the
Prospectus and any amendments thereof or supplements thereto supplied to the
Underwriters and such dealers as the Underwriters may request, in quantities as
hereinabove stated, (iii) the printing, engraving, issuance and delivery of
the certificates representing the Registered Securities, (iv) the qualification
of the Registered Securities under state or foreign securities or "Blue Sky"
laws and determination of the status of such securities under legal investment
laws, including the costs of printing and mailing the "Preliminary Blue Sky
Memorandum," the "Supplemental Blue Sky Memorandum" and "Legal Investments
Survey," if any, and reasonable disbursements and fees of counsel in connection
therewith, (v) advertising costs and expenses, including but not limited to the
costs and expenses incurred by the Company and the Representative in connection
with the "road show," information meetings and presentations, bound volumes and
prospectus memorabilia and "tombstone" advertisement expenses, (vi) experts,
(vii) fees and expenses of the transfer agent and registrar, (viii) the fees
payable to the Commission and the NASD, (ix) issue and transfer taxes, if any
and (x) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the
Common Stock on the Nasdaq National Market and any other market or exchange.
(b) If this Agreement is terminated by the Underwriters
in accordance with the provisions of Section 6, Section 10(a) or Section 12,
the Company shall reimburse and indemnify the Representative for all of its
actual out-of-pocket expenses on an accountable basis, including the fees and
disbursements of Underwriters' Counsel, less any amounts already paid pursuant
to Section 5(c) hereof.
(c) The Company further agrees that, in addition to the
expenses payable pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 5, it will pay to
the Representative on the Closing Date
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by certified or bank cashier's check or, at the election of the Representative,
by deduction from the proceeds of the offering contemplated herein a
non-accountable expense allowance equal to three percent (3%) of the gross
proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Shares, $25,000 of which
has been paid to date. In the event the Representative elects to exercise the
over-allotment option described in Section 2(b) hereof, the Company further
agrees to pay to the Representative on the Option Closing Date (by certified or
bank cashier's check or, at the Representative's election, by deduction from
the proceeds of the offering) a non-accountable expense allowance equal to
three percent (3%) of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale
of the Option Shares.
6. Conditions of the Underwriters' Obligations. The
obligations of the Underwriters hereunder shall be subject to the continuing
accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein as of the
date hereof and as of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, as
if they had been made on and as of the Closing Date or each Option Closing
Date, as the case may be; the accuracy on and as of the Closing Date or Option
Closing Date, if any, of the statements of officers of the Company made
pursuant to the provisions hereof; and the performance by the Company on and as
of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, of its covenants and
obligations hereunder and to the following further conditions:
(a) The Registration Statement shall have become
effective not later than 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date prior to
the date of this Agreement or such later date and time as shall be consented to
in writing by the Representative, and, at Closing Date and each Option Closing
Date, if any, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have
been instituted or shall be pending or contemplated by the Commission and any
request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have
been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of Underwriters' Counsel. If
the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 430A of the Regulations, the price of
the Shares and any price-related information previously omitted from the
effective Registration Statement pursuant to such Rule 430A shall have been
transmitted to the Commission for filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the
Regulations within the prescribed time period, and prior to Closing Date the
Company shall have provided evidence satisfactory to the Representative of such
timely filing, or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall
have been promptly filed and declared effective in accordance with the
requirements of Rule 430A of the Regulations.
(b) The Representative shall not have advised the
Company that the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, contains an
untrue statement of fact which, in the Representative's opinion, is material,
or omits to state a fact which, in the Representative's opinion, is material
and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, or that the Prospectus, or any supplement thereto,
contains an untrue statement of fact which, in the Representative's reasonable
opinion, is material, or omits to state a fact which, in the Representative's
reasonable opinion, is material and is
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required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein,
in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(c) On or prior to the Closing Date, the Underwriters
shall have received from Underwriters' Counsel such opinion or opinions with
respect to the organization of the Company, the validity of the Registered
Securities, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and other related
matters as the Representative may request and Underwriters' Counsel shall have
received from the Company such papers and information as they request to enable
them to pass upon such matters.
(d) At Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have
received the favorable opinion of Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
("▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇"), counsel to the Company, dated the Closing Date,
addressed to the Underwriters and in form and substance satisfactory to
Underwriters' Counsel, to the effect that:
(i) the Company (A) has been duly organized and
is validly existing as a corporation in good standing
under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, (B)
is duly qualified and licensed and in good standing as a
foreign corporation in each jurisdiction in which its
ownership or leasing of any properties or the character
of its operations requires such qualification or
licensing, and (C) to the best of such counsel's
knowledge, has all requisite corporate power and
authority and has obtained any and all necessary
authorizations, approvals, orders, licenses,
certificates, franchises and permits of and from all
governmental or regulatory officials and bodies
(including, without limitation, those having
jurisdiction over environmental or similar matters), to
own or lease its properties and conduct its business as
described in the Prospectus.
(ii) except as described in the Prospectus, and
to the best of such counsel's knowledge after reasonable
investigation, the Company does not own an interest in
any corporation, limited liability company, partnership,
joint venture, trust or other business entity;
(iii) the Company has a duly authorized, issued
and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the
Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto,
under "Capitalization" and "Description of Capital
Stock," and to the knowledge of such counsel, the
Company is not a party to or bound by any instrument,
agreement or other arrangement providing for it to issue
any capital stock, rights, warrants, options or other
securities, except for this Agreement, the
Representative's Warrant Agreement, and as described in
the Prospectus. The Registered Securities and all other
securities issued or issuable by the Company conform in
all material respects to the statements with respect
thereto contained in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus. All issued and outstanding securities of
the
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Company have been duly authorized and validly issued
and are fully paid and nonassessable; the holders
thereof are not subject to personal liability by reason
of being such holders; and none of such securities were
issued in violation of the preemptive rights of any
holders of any security of the Company. The Registered
Securities to be sold by the Company hereunder and under
the Representative's Warrant Agreement are not and will
not be subject to any preemptive or other similar rights
of any stockholder, have been duly authorized and, when
issued, paid for and delivered in accordance with their
terms, will be validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable and will conform in all material respects
to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus;
the holders thereof will not be subject to any liability
solely as such holders; all corporate action required to
be taken for the authorization, issue and sale of the
Registered Securities has been duly and validly taken;
and the certificates representing the Registered
Securities are in due and proper form. The
Representative's Warrants constitute valid and binding
obligations of the Company to issue and sell, upon
exercise thereof and payment therefor, the number and
type of securities of the Company called for thereby
(except as such enforceability may be limited by
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium or other laws of general application relating
to or affecting enforcement of creditors' rights and the
application of equitable principles in any action, legal
or equitable, and except as rights to indemnity or
contribution may be limited by applicable law). Upon
the issuance and delivery pursuant to this Agreement of
the Registered Securities to be sold by the Company, the
Company will convey, against payment therefor as
provided herein, to the Underwriters and the
Representative, respectively, good and marketable title
to the Registered Securities free and clear of all liens
and other encumbrances
(iv) the Registration Statement is effective
under the Act, and, if applicable, filing of all pricing
information has been timely made in the appropriate form
under Rule 430A, and no stop order suspending the use of
the Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement
or Prospectus or any part of any thereof or suspending
the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been
issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been
instituted or are pending or, to the best of such
counsel's knowledge, threatened or contemplated under
the Act;
(v) each of the Preliminary Prospectus, the
Registration Statement, and the Prospectus and any
amendments or supplements thereto (other than the
financial statements and other financial and statistical
data included therein as to which no opinion need be
rendered) comply as to form in all material respects
with the requirements of the Act and the Regulations.
Such counsel shall state that such counsel has
participated in conferences
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with officers and other representatives of the Company
and the Representative and representatives of the
independent public accountants for the Company, at which
conferences the contents of the Preliminary Prospectus,
the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and any
amendments or supplements thereto 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
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement and
Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto,
on the basis of the foregoing, no facts have come to the
attention of such counsel which lead them to believe
that either the Registration Statement or any amendment
thereto, at the time such Registration Statement or
amendment became effective or the Preliminary Prospectus
or Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto as of
the date of such opinion contained any untrue statement
of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading (it being understood
that such counsel need express no opinion with respect
to the financial statements and schedules and other
financial and statistical data included in the
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or
Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto);
(vi) to the best of such counsel's knowledge
after reasonable investigation, (A) there are no
agreements, contracts or other documents required by the
Act to be described in the Registration Statement and
the Prospectus and filed as exhibits to the Registration
Statement other than those described in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus and filed as exhibits
thereto; (B) the descriptions in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus and any supplement or
amendment thereto of contracts and other documents to
which the Company is a party or by which it is bound are
accurate in all material respects and fairly represent
the information required to be shown by Form 1; (C)
there is not pending or threatened against the Company
any action, arbitration, suit, proceeding, litigation,
governmental or other proceeding (including, without
limitation, those having jurisdiction over environmental
or similar matters), domestic or foreign, pending or
threatened against the Company which (x) is required to
be disclosed in the Registration Statement which is not
so disclosed (and such proceedings as are summarized in
the Registration Statement are accurately summarized in
all material respects), (y) questions the validity of
the capital stock of the Company or this Agreement, or
the Representative's Warrant Agreement, or of any action
taken or to be taken by the Company pursuant to or in
connection with any of the foregoing; and (D) there is
no action, suit or proceeding pending or threatened
against the Company before any court or arbitrator or
governmental body, agency or official in which there is
a reasonable possibility of an adverse decision which
may result in a material
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adverse change in the financial condition, business,
affairs, stockholders' equity, operations, properties,
business or results of operations of the Company, which
could adversely affect the present or prospective
ability of the Company to perform its obligations under
this Agreement or the Representative's Warrant Agreement
or which in any manner draws into question the validity
or enforceability of this Agreement or the
Representative's Warrant Agreement;
(vii) the Company has the corporate power and
authority to enter into each of this Agreement and the
Representative's Warrant Agreement and to consummate the
transactions provided for therein; and each of this
Agreement and the Representative's Warrant Agreement has
been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company. Each of this Agreement and the
Representative's Warrant Agreement, assuming due
authorization, execution and delivery by each other
party thereto, constitutes a legal, valid and binding
obligation of the Company enforceable against the
Company in accordance with its terms (except as the
enforceability thereof may be limited by applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or
other laws of general application relating to or
affecting enforcement of creditors' rights and the
application of equitable principles in any action, legal
or equitable, and except as rights to indemnity or
contribution may be limited by applicable law), and none
of the Company's execution, delivery or performance of
this Agreement and the Representative's Warrant
Agreement, the consummation by the Company of the
transactions contemplated herein or therein, or the
conduct of the Company's business as described in the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and any
amendments or supplements thereto conflicts with or
results in any breach or violation of any of the terms
or provisions of, or constitutes a default under, or
result in the creation or imposition of any lien,
charge, claim, encumbrance, pledge, security interest,
defect or other restriction or equity of any kind
whatsoever upon, any property or assets (tangible or
intangible) of the Company pursuant to the terms of (A)
the articles of incorporation or by-laws of the Company,
as amended, (B) any license, contract, indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, voting trust agreement,
stockholders' agreement, note, loan or credit agreement
or any other agreement or instrument known to such
counsel to which the Company is a party or by which it
is bound, or (C) any federal, state or local statute,
rule or regulation applicable to the Company or any
judgment, decree or order known to such counsel of any
arbitrator, court, regulatory body or administrative
agency or other governmental agency or body (including,
without limitation, those having jurisdiction over
environmental or similar matters), domestic or foreign,
having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its
activities or properties;
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(viii) no consent, approval, authorization or
order, and no filing with, any court, regulatory body,
government agency or other body (other than such as may
be required under Blue Sky laws, as to which no opinion
need be rendered or under federal securities laws, as to
which no opinion need be rendered pursuant to this
subsection (viii) is required in connection with the
issuance of the Registered Securities pursuant to the
Prospectus, and the Registration Statement, the
performance of this Agreement and the Representative's
Warrant Agreement, and the transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby;
(ix) to the best of such counsel's knowledge
after reasonable investigation, the properties and
business of the Company conform in all material respects
to the description thereof contained in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus;
(x) to the best knowledge of such counsel, and
except as disclosed in Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, the Company is not in breach of, or in
default under, any term or provision of any license,
contract, indenture, mortgage, installment sale
agreement, deed of trust, lease, voting trust agreement,
stockholders' agreement, note, loan or credit agreement
or any other agreement or instrument evidencing an
obligation for borrowed money, or any other agreement or
instrument to which the Company is a party or by which
the Company is bound or to which the property or assets
(tangible or intangible) of the Company is subject; and
the Company is not in violation of any term or provision
of its articles of incorporation or by-laws, as amended,
and to the best of such counsel's knowledge after
reasonable investigation, not in violation of any
franchise, license, permit, judgment, decree, order,
statute, rule or regulation;
(xi) the statements in the Prospectus under
"Dividend Policy," "Description of Capital Stock," and
"Shares Eligible for Future Sale" have been reviewed by
such counsel, and insofar as they refer to statements of
law, descriptions of statutes, licenses, rules or
regulations or legal conclusions, are correct in all
material respects;
(xii) the Common Stock has been accepted for
quotation on the Nasdaq National Market;
(xiii) to the best of such counsel's knowledge
and based upon a review of the outstanding securities
and the contracts furnished to such counsel by the
Company, no person, corporation, trust, partnership,
association or other entity has the right to include
and/or register any securities of the Company in the
Registration Statement, require the Company to file any
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registration statement or, if filed, to include any
security in such registration statement;
(xiv) assuming due execution by the parties
thereto other than the Company, each Lock-up Agreement
is a legal, valid and binding obligation of the party
thereto, enforceable against the party and any
subsequent holder of the securities subject thereto in
accordance with its terms (except as such enforceability
may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or other laws of general
application relating to or affecting enforcement of
creditors' rights and the application of equitable
principles in any action, legal or equitable, and except
as rights to indemnity or contribution may be limited by
applicable law);
In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to
matters involving the application of laws other than the laws, rules and
regulations of the United States and the laws, rules and regulations of the
State of Michigan, to the extent such counsel deems proper and to the extent
specified in such opinion, if at all, upon an opinion or opinions (in form and
substance satisfactory to Underwriters' Counsel) of other counsel acceptable to
Underwriters' Counsel, familiar with the applicable laws; (B) as to matters of
fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates and written statements of
responsible officers of the Company and certificates or other written
statements of officers of departments of various jurisdictions having custody
of documents respecting the corporate existence or good standing of the
Company, provided that copies of any such statements or certificates shall be
delivered to Underwriters' Counsel if requested. The opinion of such counsel
shall state that knowledge shall not include the knowledge of a director or
officer of the Company who is affiliated with such firm in his or her capacity
as an officer or director of the Company. The opinion of such counsel for the
Company shall state that the opinion of any such other counsel is in form
satisfactory to such counsel.
At each Option Closing Date, if any, the Underwriters shall
have received the favorable opinion of Dickinson, Wright, counsel to the
Company, dated the Option Closing Date, addressed to the Underwriters and in
form and substance satisfactory to Underwriters' Counsel confirming as of such
Option Closing Date the statements made by ▇'▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ in their opinion
delivered on the Closing Date.
(e) On or prior to each of the Closing Date and the
Option Closing Date, if any, Underwriters' Counsel shall have been furnished
such documents, certificates and opinions as they may reasonably require for
the purpose of enabling them to review or pass upon the matters referred to in
subsection (c) of this Section 6, or in order to evidence the accuracy,
completeness or satisfaction of any of the representations, warranties or
conditions of the Company or herein contained.
(f) Prior to each of the Closing Date and each Option
Closing Date, if any, (i) there shall have been no material adverse change nor
development involving a prospective
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change in the condition, financial or otherwise, prospects, stockholders'
equity or the business activities of the Company, whether or not in the
ordinary course of business, from the latest dates as of which such condition
is set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus; (ii) there shall
have been no transaction, not in the ordinary course of business, entered into
by the Company, from the latest date as of which the financial condition of the
Company is set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus which is
adverse to the Company; (iii) the Company shall not be in default under any
provision of any instrument relating to any outstanding indebtedness which
default has not been waived; (iv) the Company shall not have issued any
securities (other than the Registered Securities) or declared or paid any
dividend or made any distribution in respect of its capital stock of any class
and there has not been any change in the capital stock, or any material
increase in the debt (long or short term) or liabilities or obligations of the
Company (contingent or otherwise); (v) no material amount of the assets of the
Company shall have been pledged or mortgaged, except as set forth in the
Registration Statement and Prospectus; (vi) no action, suit or proceeding, at
law or in equity, shall have been pending or threatened (or circumstances
giving rise to same) against the Company, or affecting any of its respective
properties or businesses before or by any court or federal, state or foreign
commission, board or other administrative agency wherein an unfavorable
decision, ruling or finding may materially adversely affect the business,
operations, prospects or financial condition or income of the Company, except
as set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus; and (vii) no stop
order shall have been issued under the Act and no proceedings therefor shall
have been initiated, threatened or contemplated by the Commission.
(g) At each of the Closing Date and each Option Closing
Date, if any, the Underwriters shall have received a certificate of the Company
signed on behalf of the Company by the principal executive officer of the
Company, dated the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, to
the effect that such executive has carefully examined the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus and this Agreement, and that:
(i) The representations and warranties of the
Company in this Agreement are true and correct, as if
made on and as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing
Date, as the case may be, and the Company has complied
with all agreements and covenants and satisfied all
conditions contained in this Agreement on its part to be
performed or satisfied at or prior to such Closing Date
or Option Closing Date, as the case may be;
(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness
of the Registration Statement or any part thereof has
been issued, and no proceedings for that purpose have
been instituted or are pending or, to the best of each
of such person's knowledge after due inquiry, are
contemplated or threatened under the Act;
(iii) The Registration Statement and the
Prospectus and, if any, each amendment and each
supplement thereto, contain all statements and
information required by the Act to be included therein,
and none of the
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Registration Statement, the Prospectus nor any amendment
or supplement thereto includes any untrue statement of a
material fact or omits to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading and neither the
Preliminary Prospectus or any supplement, as of their
respective dates, thereto included any untrue statement
of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading; and
(iv) Subsequent to the respective dates as of
which information is given in the Registration Statement
and the Prospectus, (a) the Company has not incurred up
to and including the Closing Date or the Option Closing
Date, as the case may be, other than in the ordinary
course of its business, any material liabilities or
obligations, direct or contingent; (b) the Company has
not paid or declared any dividends or other
distributions on its capital stock; (c) the Company has
not entered into any transactions not in the ordinary
course of business; (d) there has not been any change in
the capital stock or material increase in long-term debt
or any increase in the short-term borrowings (other than
any increase in the short-term borrowings in the
ordinary course of business) of the Company, (e) the
Company has not sustained any loss or damage to its
property or assets, whether or not insured, (f) there is
no litigation which is pending or threatened (or
circumstances giving rise to same) against the Company
or any affiliated party of any of the foregoing which is
required to be set forth in an amended or supplemented
Prospectus which has not been set forth, and (g) there
has occurred no event required to be set forth in an
amended or supplemented Prospectus which has not been
set forth.
References to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus in this subsection
(g) are to such documents as amended and supplemented at the date of such
certificate.
(h) By the Closing Date, the Underwriters will have
received clearance from the NASD as to the amount of compensation allowable or
payable to the Underwriters.
(i) At the time this Agreement is executed, the
Underwriters shall have received a letter, dated such date, addressed to the
Underwriters in form and substance satisfactory in all respects (including the
non-material nature of the changes or decreases, if any, referred to in clause
(iii) below) to the Underwriters and Underwriters' Counsel, from ▇▇▇▇▇▇ &
▇▇▇▇▇:
(i) confirming that they are independent
certified public accountants with respect to the Company
within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules
and Regulations;
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(ii) stating that it is their opinion that the
financial statements and supporting schedules of the
Company included in the Registration Statement comply as
to form in all material respects with the applicable
accounting requirements of the Act and the Regulations
thereunder and that the Representative may rely upon the
opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ with respect to the financial
statements and supporting schedules included in the
Registration Statement;
(iii) stating that, on the basis of a limited
review which included a reading of the latest available
unaudited interim financial statements of the Company
(with an indication of the date of the latest available
unaudited interim financial statements), a reading of
the latest available minutes of the stockholders and
board of directors and the various committees of the
board of directors of the Company, consultations with
officers and other employees of the Company responsible
for financial and accounting matters and other specified
procedures and inquiries, nothing has come to their
attention which would lead them to believe that (A) the
unaudited financial statements and supporting schedules
of the Company included in the Registration Statement,
if any, do not comply as to form in all material
respects with the applicable accounting requirements of
the Act and the Regulations or are not fairly presented
in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles applied on a basis substantially consistent
with that of the audited financial statements of the
Company included in the Registration Statement, or (B)
at a specified date not more than five (5) days prior to
the effective date of the Registration Statement, there
has been any change in the capital stock or material
increase in long-term debt of the Company, or any
material decrease in the stockholders' equity or net
current assets or net assets of the Company as compared
with amounts shown in the _____________, 1996 balance
sheet included in the Registration Statement, other than
as set forth in or contemplated by the Registration
Statement, or, if there was any change or decrease,
setting forth the amount of such change or decrease.
(iv) stating that they have compared specific
dollar amounts, numbers of shares, percentages of
revenues and earnings, statements and other financial
information pertaining to the Company set forth in the
Prospectus in each case to the extent that such amounts,
numbers, percentages, statements and information may be
derived from the general accounting records, including
work sheets, of the Company and excluding any questions
requiring an interpretation by legal counsel, with the
results obtained from the application of specified
readings, inquiries and other appropriate procedures
(which procedures do not constitute an examination in
accordance with generally accepted auditing standards)
set forth in the letter and found them to be in
agreement; and
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(v) statements as to such other material matters
incident to the transaction contemplated hereby as the
Representative may reasonably request.
(j) At the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if
any, the Underwriters shall have received from ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ a letter, dated
as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, to the
effect that they reaffirm that statements made in the letter furnished pursuant
to Subsection (i) of this Section 6, except that the specified date referred to
shall be a date not more than five (5) days prior to Closing Date or the Option
Closing Date, as the case may be, and, if the Company has elected to rely on
Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations, to the further effect that they have
carried out procedures as specified in clause (iv) of Subsection (i) of this
Section 6 with respect to certain amounts, percentages and financial
information as specified by the Representative and deemed to be a part of the
Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A(b) and have found such amounts,
percentages and financial information to be in agreement with the records
specified in such clause (iv).
(k) On each of Closing Date and Option Closing Date, if
any, there shall have been duly tendered to the Representative for the several
Underwriters' accounts the appropriate number of Registered Securities.
(l) No order suspending the sale of the Registered
Securities in any jurisdiction designated by the Representative pursuant to
subsection (e) of Section 4 hereof shall have been issued on either the Closing
Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, and no proceedings for that purpose
shall have been instituted or shall be contemplated.
(m) On or before the Closing Date, the Company shall
have executed and delivered to the Representative, (i) the Representative's
Warrant Agreement, substantially in the form filed as Exhibit 4(b), to the
Registration Statement, in final form and substance satisfactory to the
Representative, and (ii) the Representative's Warrants in such denominations
and to such designees as shall have been provided to the Company.
(n) On or before Closing Date, the Common Stock shall
have been duly approved for quotation on Nasdaq National Market.
(o) On or before Closing Date, there shall have been
delivered to the Representative all of the Lock-up Agreements in final form and
substance satisfactory to Underwriters' Counsel.
If any condition to the Underwriters' obligations
hereunder to be fulfilled prior to or at the Closing Date or the relevant
Option Closing Date, as the case may be, is not so fulfilled, the
Representative may terminate this Agreement or, if the Representative so elect,
they may waive any such conditions which have not been fulfilled or extend the
time for their fulfillment.
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7. Indemnification.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless
each of the Underwriters (for purposes of this Section 7 "Underwriters" shall
include the officers, directors, partners, employees, agents and counsel of the
Underwriters, including specifically each person who may be substituted for an
Underwriter as provided in Section 11 hereof), and each person, if any, who
controls the Underwriter ("controlling person") within the meaning of Section
15 of the Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, from and against any and
all loss, liability, claim, damage, and expense whatsoever (including, but not
limited to, reasonable attorneys' fees and any and all reasonable expense
whatsoever incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any
litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever and any and all
amounts paid in settlement of any claim or litigation provided that the
indemnified persons may not agree to any such settlement without the prior
written consent of the Company), as and when incurred, arising out of, based
upon or in connection with (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained (A) in any Preliminary Prospectus, the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus (as from time to time amended and
supplemented); or (B) in any application or other document or communication (in
this Section 7 collectively called "application") executed by or on behalf of
the Company or based upon written information furnished by or on behalf of the
Company in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Registered Securities under
the securities laws thereof or filed with the Commission, any state securities
commission or agency, The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. or any securities exchange;
or any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (in
the case of the Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made), unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company with respect to
any Underwriter by or on behalf of such Underwriter expressly for use in any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any
amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or in any application, as the case may
be; or (ii) any breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement
of the Company contained in this Agreement. The indemnity agreement in this
subsection (a) shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may have
at common law or otherwise.
(b) Each of the Underwriters agrees severally, but not
jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors,
each of its officers who has signed the Registration Statement, and each other
person, if any, who controls the Company, within the meaning of the Act, to the
same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the Underwriters but
only with respect to statements or omissions, if any, made in any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment thereof
or supplement thereto or in any application made in reliance upon, and in
strict conformity with, written information furnished to the Company with
respect to any Underwriter by such Underwriter or the Representative expressly
for use in such Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or
Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or in any such
application, provided that such written information or omissions only pertain
to disclosures in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or
Prospectus directly relating to the transactions effected
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by the Underwriters in connection with this Offering. The Company acknowledges
that the statements with respect to the public offering of the Registered
Securities set forth under the heading "Underwriting" and the stabilization
legend in the Prospectus have been furnished by the Underwriters expressly for
use therein and constitute the only information furnished in writing by or on
behalf of the Underwriters or the Representative for inclusion in the
Prospectus.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under
this Section 7 of notice of the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding,
such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made
against one or more indemnifying parties under this Section 7, notify each
party against whom indemnification is to be sought in writing of the
commencement thereof (but the failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall
not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise or which it may
have under this Section 7, except to the extent that it has been prejudiced in
any material respect by such failure). In case any such action is brought
against any indemnified party, and it notifies an indemnifying party or parties
of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party or parties will be entitled
to participate therein, and to the extent it may elect by written notice
delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid
notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel
reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to employ its
or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such
counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party or parties unless (i)
the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the
indemnifying parties in connection with the defense of such action at the
expense of the indemnifying party, (ii) the indemnifying parties shall not have
employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party to have
charge of the defense of such action within a reasonable time after notice of
commencement of the action, or (iii) such indemnified party or parties shall
have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them
which are different from or additional to those available to one or all of the
indemnifying parties (in which case the indemnifying parties shall not have the
right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party
or parties), in any of which events the reasonable fees and expenses of one
additional counsel shall be borne by the indemnifying parties. In no event
shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one
counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for
all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but
similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same
general allegations or circumstances. Anything in this Section 7 to the
contrary notwithstanding, an indemnifying party shall not be liable for any
settlement of any claim or action effected without its written consent;
provided, however, that such consent was not unreasonably withheld.
(d) In order to provide for just and equitable
contribution in any case in which (i) an indemnified party makes claim for
indemnification pursuant to this Section 7, but it is judicially determined (by
the entry of a final judgment or decree by a court of competent jurisdiction
and the expiration of time to appeal or the denial of the last right of appeal)
that such indemnification may not be enforced in such case notwithstanding the
fact that the express provisions of this Section 7 provide for indemnification
in such case, or (ii) contribution under
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the Act may be required on the part of any indemnified party, then each
indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid as a result of such
losses, claims, damages, expenses or liabilities (or actions in respect
thereof) (A) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative
benefits received by each of the contributing parties, on the one hand, and the
party to be indemnified on the other hand, from the offering of the Registered
Securities or (B) if the allocation provided by clause (A) above is not
permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect
not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the
relative fault of each of the contributing parties, on the one hand, and the
party to be indemnified on the other hand in connection with the statements or
omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages, expenses or
liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. In any
case where the Company is a contributing party and the Underwriters are the
indemnified party, the relative benefits received by the Company on the one
hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same
proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Registered
Securities (before deducting expenses other than underwriting discounts and
commissions) bear to the total underwriting discounts received by the
Underwriters hereunder, in each case as set forth in the table on the Cover
Page of the Prospectus. Relative fault shall be determined by reference to,
among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact
relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters, and the
parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to
correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The amount paid or
payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages,
expenses or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in
this subdivision (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating
or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
subdivision (d) the Underwriters shall not be required to contribute any amount
in excess of the underwriting discount applicable to the Registered Securities
purchased by the Underwriters hereunder. No person guilty of fraudulent
misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 12(f) of the Act) shall be
entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who
controls the Company within the meaning of the Act, each officer of the Company
who has signed the Registration Statement, and each director of the Company
shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case
to this subparagraph (d). Any party entitled to contribution will, promptly
after receipt of notice of commencement of any action, suit or proceeding
against such party in respect to which a claim for contribution may be made
against another party or parties under this subparagraph (d), notify such party
or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission so to notify
such party or parties shall not relieve the party or parties from whom
contribution may be sought from any obligation it or they may have hereunder or
otherwise than under this subparagraph (d), or to the extent that such party or
parties were not adversely affected by such omission. The contribution
agreement set forth above shall be in addition to any liabilities which any
indemnifying party may have at common law or otherwise.
8. Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. All
representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or
contained in certificates of officers
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of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall be deemed to be
representations, warranties and agreements of the Company at the Closing Date
and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and such representations,
warranties and agreements of the Company and the respective indemnity and
contribution agreements contained in Section 7 hereof shall remain operative
and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on
behalf of any Underwriter, the Company, any controlling person of either the
Underwriter or the Company, and shall survive termination of this Agreement or
the issuance and delivery of the Registered Securities to the Underwriters and
the Representative, as the case may be.
9. Effective Date.
(a) This Agreement shall become effective at 10:00 a.m.,
New York City time, on the date hereof. For purposes of this Section 9, the
Registered Securities to be purchased hereunder shall be deemed to have been so
released upon the earlier of dispatch by the Representative of telegrams to
securities dealers releasing such shares for offering or the release by the
Representative for publication of the first newspaper advertisement which is
subsequently published relating to the Registered Securities.
10. Termination.
(a) Subject to subsection (b) of this Section 10, the
Representative shall have the right to terminate this Agreement, (i) if any
domestic or international event or act or occurrence has disrupted, or in the
Representative's reasonable opinion will in the immediate future disrupt the
financial markets; or (ii) any material adverse change in the financial markets
shall have occurred; or (iii) if trading on the New York Stock Exchange, the
American Stock Exchange, or in the over-the-counter market shall have been
suspended, or minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or
maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been required on the
over-the-counter market by the NASD or by order of the Commission or any other
government authority having jurisdiction; or (iv) if the United States shall
have become involved in a war or major hostilities, or if there shall have been
an escalation in an existing war or major hostilities or a national emergency
shall have been declared in the United States; or (v) if a banking moratorium
has been declared by a state or federal authority; or (vi) if the Company shall
have sustained a loss material or substantial to the Company by fire, flood,
accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage or other calamity or malicious
act which, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, will, in the
Representative's opinion, make it inadvisable to proceed with the delivery of
the Registered Securities; or (viii) if there shall have been such a material
adverse change in the prospects or conditions of the Company, or such material
adverse change in the general market, political or economic conditions, in the
United States or elsewhere as in the Representative's judgment would make it
inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale and/or delivery of the
Registered Securities.
(b) If this Agreement is terminated by the
Representative in accordance with any of the provisions of Section 6, Section
10(a) or Section 12, the Company shall promptly reimburse and indemnify the
Underwriters pursuant to Section 5(b) hereof. Notwithstanding any
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contrary provision contained in this Agreement, any election hereunder or any
termination of this Agreement (including, without limitation, pursuant to
Sections 6, 10, 11 and 12 hereof), and whether or not this Agreement is
otherwise carried out, the provisions of Section 5 and Section 7 shall not be
in any way affected by such election or termination or failure to carry out the
terms of this Agreement or any part hereof.
11. Substitution of the Underwriters. If one or more of the
Underwriters shall fail (otherwise than for a reason sufficient to justify the
termination of this Agreement under the provisions of Section 6, Section 10 or
Section 12 hereof) to purchase the Registered Securities which it or they are
obligated to purchase on such date under this Agreement (the "Defaulted
Securities"), the Representative shall have the right, within 24 hours
thereafter, to make arrangement for one or more of the non-defaulting
Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than
all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon
the terms herein set forth. If, however, the Representative shall not have
completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:
(a) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not
exceed 10% of the total number of Shares to be purchased on such date, the
non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated to purchase the full amount
thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations
hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting
Underwriters, or
(b) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of
the total number of Shares to be purchased on such date, this Agreement shall
terminate without liability on the part of any nondefaulting Underwriters.
No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve
any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default by such
Underwriter under this Agreement.
In the event of any such default which does not result
in a termination of this Agreement, the Representative shall have the right to
postpone the Closing Date for a period not exceeding seven days in order to
effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in
any other documents or arrangements.
12. Default by the Company. If the Company shall fail at the
Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as applicable, to sell and deliver the
number of Registered Securities which it is obligated to sell hereunder on such
date, then this Agreement shall terminate (or, if such default shall occur with
respect to any Option Shares to be purchased on an Option Closing Date, the
Underwriters may at the Representative's option, by notice from the
Representative to the Company, terminate the Underwriters' obligation to
purchase Option Shares from the Company on such date) without any liability on
the part of any non-defaulting party other than pursuant to Section 5, Section
7 and Section 10 hereof. No action taken pursuant to this Section shall
relieve the Company from liability, if any, in respect of such default.
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13. Notices. All notices and communications hereunder,
except as herein otherwise specifically provided, shall be in writing and shall
be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form
of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the
Representative, c/o National Securities Corporation, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, with a copy,
which shall not constitute notice, to Camhy ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇ ▇. Annex, Esq.
Notices to the Company shall be directed to the Company at Riviera Tool
Company, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, with a copy, which shall not constitute notice, to Dickinson,
Wright, Moon, Van Dusen & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇.▇., ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.
14. Parties. This Agreement shall inure solely to the
benefit of and shall be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and the
controlling persons, directors and officers referred to in Section 7 hereof and
their respective successors, legal representatives and assigns, and no other
person shall have or be construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy
or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Agreement or any
provisions herein contained. No purchaser of Registered Securities from any
Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such
purchase.
15. Construction. This Agreement shall be governed by and
construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York
without giving effect to the choice of law or conflict of laws principles.
16. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any
number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and
all of which taken together shall be deemed to be one and the same instrument.
17. Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement and the
Representative's Warrant Agreement constitute the entire agreement of the
parties hereto and supersede all prior written or oral agreements,
understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof.
This Agreement may not be amended except in a writing, signed by the
Representative and the Company.
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If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding
between the Underwriters and the Company, please so indicate in the space
provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a
binding agreement among us.
Very truly yours,
RIVIERA TOOL COMPANY
By:________________________________________
Name:
Title:
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED AS OF THE DATE FIRST ABOVE WRITTEN:
NATIONAL SECURITIES CORPORATION
By:_____________________________________
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Chairman
For itself and as Representative of the Underwriters named in Schedule A
hereto.
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SCHEDULE A
NUMBER OF SHARES
NAME OF UNDERWRITERS TO BE PURCHASED
-------------------- ----------------
National Securities Corporation
TOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SCH. A-1