EXHIBIT 1.1
5,250,000 Shares
AVENUE A, INC.
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
__________, 2000
_____________, 2000
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Barney Inc.
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Partners LLC
c/o Morgan ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Dear Sirs and Mesdames:
Avenue A, Inc., a Washington corporation (the "Company"), proposes to issue
and sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the
"Underwriters") 5,250,000 shares of its common stock, $0.01 par value per share
(the "Firm Shares"). The Company also proposes to issue and sell to the several
Underwriters not more than an additional 787,500 shares of its common stock,
$0.01 par value per share (the "Additional Shares"), if and to the extent that
you, as Managers of the offering, shall have determined to exercise, on behalf
of the Underwriters, the right to purchase such shares of common stock granted
to the Underwriters in Section 2 hereof. The Firm Shares and the Additional
Shares are hereinafter collectively referred to as the "Shares." The shares of
common stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company to be outstanding after
giving effect to the sales contemplated hereby are hereinafter referred to as
the "Common Stock."
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") a registration statement, including a prospectus, relating to the
Shares. The registration statement as amended at the time it becomes effective,
including the information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration
statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), is hereinafter
referred to as the "Registration Statement;" the prospectus in the form first
used to confirm sales of Shares is hereinafter referred to as the "Prospectus."
If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement to register
additional shares of Common Stock pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities
Act (the "Rule 462 Registration Statement"), then any reference herein to the
term "Registration Statement" shall be deemed to include such Rule 462
Registration Statement.
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated ("▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇") and its affiliates
have agreed to reserve a portion of the Shares to be purchased by it under this
Agreement for sale to the Company's employees and business associates and other
parties related to the Company (collectively, "Participants"), as described in
the Prospectus under the heading "Underwriters" (the "Directed Share Program").
The Shares to be sold by ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and its affiliates pursuant to the
Directed Share Program are referred to hereinafter as the "Directed Shares."
Any Directed Shares not orally confirmed for purchase by any Participants by the
end of the business day on which this Agreement is executed will be offered to
the public by the Underwriters as set forth in the Prospectus.
1. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants
to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:
(a) The Registration Statement has become effective; no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no
proceedings for such purpose are pending before or, to the Company's knowledge,
threatened by the Commission.
(b) (i) The Registration Statement, when it became effective, did
not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
(ii) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply and, as amended or
supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the
Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder (the "Rules") and (iii) the Prospectus does not contain and, as
amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of
a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth
in this paragraph do not apply to statements or omissions in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus based upon information relating to any Underwriter
furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly
for use therein.
(c) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a
corporation under the laws of the State of Washington, has the corporate power
and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in
the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good
standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its
ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the
extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have
a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(d) Each corporate subsidiary of the Company has been duly
incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the
jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own
its property and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is
duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction
in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property
requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so
qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the
Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; all of the issued shares of
capital stock of each corporate subsidiary of the Company have been duly and
validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned
directly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or
claims. Each subsidiary of the Company that is a limited liability company has
been duly organized, is validly existing as a limited liability company in good
standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, has the power and
authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the
Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in
each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or
leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the
failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material
adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; all of the
membership units of each such subsidiary of the Company
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have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-
assessable and are owned directly by the Company, free and clear of all liens,
encumbrances, equities or claims.
(e) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered
by the Company.
(f) The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal
matters to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus. Other than the
1,149,225 shares of Common Stock it holds, Pacific Coast Feather Company, a
Washington corporation ("PCF"), does not hold any right, title or interest in
the Company, its assets or its capital stock. Other than such shares and other
than shares of Common Stock held by shareholders of PCF in their capacity as
shareholders of the Company as reflected in the stock records of the Company,
neither PCF nor its shareholders hold any right, title or interest in the
Company, its assets or its capital stock as a result of the activities performed
or advances made by PCF on behalf of the Company.
(g) The shares of Common Stock outstanding prior to the issuance of
the Shares have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-
assessable.
(h) The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and
delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly
issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of such Shares will not
be subject to any preemptive or similar rights.
(i) The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance
by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement will not contravene any
provision of applicable law or the amended and restated articles of
incorporation or amended and restated bylaws of the Company or any agreement or
other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is
material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or any judgment,
order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction
over the Company or any subsidiary, and no consent, approval, authorization or
order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for
the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, except
such as may be required by the Commission and the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD"), and the securities or Blue Sky laws of
the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares.
(j) There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any
development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition,
financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the
Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the
Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the
date of this Agreement).
(k) There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the
knowledge of the Company, threatened to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any
of its subsidiaries is subject that are required to be described in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described or any
statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be
described in the Registration
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Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration
Statement that are not described or filed as required.
(l) Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the registration
statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed
pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, complied when so filed in all
material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(m) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is
given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (i) the Company and its
subsidiaries have not incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or
contingent, nor entered into any material transaction not in the ordinary course
of business; (ii) the Company has not purchased any of its outstanding capital
stock, nor declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any
kind on its capital stock other than ordinary and customary dividends; and (iii)
there has not been any material change in the capital stock, short-term debt or
long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, except in each case as
described in the Prospectus.
(n) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title
in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal
property owned by them which is material to the business of the Company and its
subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects
except such as are described in the Prospectus or such as do not materially
affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and
proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries; and
any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its
subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases
with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made
and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its
subsidiaries, in each case except as described in the Prospectus.
(o) Except as otherwise described in the Prospectus, the Company and
its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, all
material patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how
(including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or
confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and
trade names currently employed by them in connection with the business now
operated by them, and, except as described in the Prospectus, neither the
Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of infringement of
or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any of the foregoing
which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision,
ruling or finding, would have a material adverse affect on the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(p) No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or
any of its subsidiaries exists, except as described in the Prospectus, or, to
the knowledge of the Company, is imminent; and, without conducting any
independent investigations, the Company is not aware of any existing, threatened
or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its principal
suppliers, manufacturers or contractors that could have a material adverse
effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
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(q) The Company and its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of
recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such
amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are
engaged; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been refused any
insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its
existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain
similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its
business at a cost that would not have a material adverse effect on the Company
and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except as described in the Prospectus.
(r) The Company and its subsidiaries possess all certificates,
authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign
regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective business, and
neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of
proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate,
authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an
unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a material adverse effect on
the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except as described the
Prospectus.
(s) The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of
internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i)
transactions are executed in accordance with management's general or specific
authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to
assets is permitted only in accordance with management's general or specific
authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with
the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with
respect to any differences.
(t) ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP are independent public accountants with
respect to the Company and its subsidiaries as required by the Securities Act.
(u) The consolidated financial statements included in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement
thereto), together with related schedules and notes, present fairly the
consolidated financial position, results of operations and changes in financial
position of the Company and its subsidiaries on the basis stated therein at the
respective dates or for the respective periods to which they apply; such
statements and related schedules and notes have been prepared in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied throughout the
periods involved, except as disclosed therein; the supporting schedules, if any,
included in the Registration Statement present fairly in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles the information required to be stated
therein; and the other financial and statistical information and data set forth
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and any amendment or
supplement thereto) are, in all material respects, accurately presented and
prepared on a basis not inconsistent with such financial statements or the books
and records of the Company.
(v) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and
sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in
the Prospectus, will not be required
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to register as an "investment company" as such term is defined in the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(w) The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any
and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations
relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or
hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants
("Environmental Laws"), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other
approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their
respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions
of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with
Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other
approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits,
licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material
adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(x) There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental
Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures
required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental
Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating
activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) which would, singly
or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(y) There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the
Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to
file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any
securities of the Company or to require the Company to include such securities
with the Shares registered pursuant to the Registration Statement, except such
as have been described in the Prospectus or validly waived.
(z) The Company has reviewed its operations and that of its
subsidiaries to evaluate the extent to which the business or operations of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries will be affected by the Year 2000 Problem
(that is, any significant risk that computer hardware or software applications
used by the Company and its subsidiaries will not, in the case of dates or time
periods occurring after December 31, 1999, function at least as effectively as
in the case of dates or time periods occurring prior to January 1, 2000); as a
result of such review, (i) the Company has no reason to believe, and does not
believe, that (A) there are any issues related to the Company's preparedness to
address the Year 2000 Problem that are of a character required to be described
or referred to in the Registration Statement or Prospectus which have not been
accurately described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus and (B) the
Year 2000 Problem will have a material adverse effect on the condition,
financial or otherwise, or on the earnings, business or operations of the
Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or result in any material loss
or interference with the business or operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and (ii) the Company reasonably believes that
the suppliers, vendors, customers or other material third parties used or served
by the Company and such subsidiaries are addressing or will address the Year
2000 Problem in a timely manner, except to the extent that a failure to address
the Year 2000 Problem by any supplier, vendor, customer or material third party
would not have a material adverse effect on the
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condition, financial or otherwise, or on the earnings, business or operations of
the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(aa) The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. has approved the Common Stock for
listing on the Nasdaq National Market, subject only to official notice of
issuance.
(bb) Except for the Shares, at least __% of the outstanding shares of
Common Stock and shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion, exercise or
exchange of securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for
Common Stock, are subject to "lock-up" agreements substantially in the form of
Exhibit A hereto (collectively, the "Lock-up Agreements") that restrict the
holders thereof from selling, making any short sale of, granting any option for
the purchase of, or otherwise transferring or disposing of, any of such shares
of Common Stock, or any such securities convertible into or exercisable or
exchangeable for Common Stock, for a period of 180 days after the date of the
Prospectus without the prior written consent of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.
Incorporated.
(cc) The Company (i) has notified each holder of a currently
outstanding option issued under the 1998 Stock Incentive Compensation Plan (the
"Option Plan") who is not a party to a Lock-up Agreement and whose option under
the Option Plan is or will be exercisable without restriction during the period
ending 180 days from the date of the Prospectus that, pursuant to the terms of
the Option Plan, none of such options or shares issuable upon exercise of such
options may be sold or otherwise transferred or disposed of for a period of 180
days after the date of the Prospectus and (ii) has imposed a stop-transfer
instruction with the Company's transfer agent in order to enforce the foregoing
lock-up provisions imposed pursuant to the Option Plan.
(dd) The Company (i) has notified each shareholder who is party to the
Investor Rights Agreement dated May 4, 1999, (the "Investor Rights Agreement")
or the Registration Rights Agreement dated September 2, 1999 (the "Registration
Rights Agreement"), that pursuant to the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement
or the Registration Rights Agreement, as the case may be, none of the shares of
the Company's capital stock held by such stockholder or capital stock into which
such shares are convertible may be sold or otherwise transferred or disposed of
for a period of 180 days after the date of the Prospectus and (ii) has imposed a
stop-transfer instruction with the Company's transfer agent in order to enforce
the foregoing lock-up provision imposed pursuant to the Registration Rights
Agreement.
(ee) The Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any preliminary
prospectus comply, and any amendments or supplements thereto will comply, with
any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the
Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if
applicable, are distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program.
(ff) No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification
with, any governmental body or agency, other than those obtained, is required in
connection with the offering of the Directed Shares in any jurisdiction where
the Directed Shares are being offered.
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(gg) The Company has not offered, or caused ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ or its
affiliates to offer, Shares to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program
with the intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the
Company to alter the customer's or supplier's level or type of business with the
Company, or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable
information about the Company or its products.
2. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Company hereby agrees to sell to
the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the
representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions
hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the
Company the respective numbers of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto
opposite the Underwriter's name at $______ a share (the "Purchase Price").
On the basis of the representations and warranties contained in this
Agreement, and subject to its terms and conditions, the Company agrees to sell
to the Underwriters the Additional Shares, and the Underwriters shall have a
one-time right to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to ______ Additional
Shares at the Purchase Price. If you, on behalf of the Underwriters, elect to
exercise such option, you shall so notify the Company in writing not later than
30 days after the date of this Agreement, which notice shall specify the number
of Additional Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and the date on which
such shares are to be purchased. Such date may be the same as the Closing Date
(as defined below) but not earlier than the Closing Date nor later than ten
business days after the date of such notice. Additional Shares may be purchased
as provided in Section 4 hereof solely for the purpose of covering over-
allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm Shares. If any
Additional Shares are to be purchased, each Underwriter agrees, severally and
not jointly, to purchase the number of Additional Shares (subject to such
adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as you may determine) that bears the
same proportion to the total number of Additional Shares to be purchased as the
number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such
Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares.
The Company hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period ending 180
days after the date of the Prospectus, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to
sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract
to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise
transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or
any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock
or (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in
whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common
Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to
be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or
otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Shares to be sold
hereunder, (B) the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the
exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on
the date hereof of which the Underwriters have been advised in writing, (C) any
securities, including, without limitation, shares of Common Stock and options
issued, granted or exercised pursuant to any of the Company's employee benefit
plans described in the Prospectus (including, without limitation, the Company's
1998 Incentive Compensation Plan, 1999 Incentive Compensation Plan and 1999
Employee Stock Purchase Plan) or (D) the issuance by the Company of shares of
Common Stock in connection with a merger or acquisition by the
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Company, if (i) the holder(s) of such shares of Common Stock execute(s) a lock-
up agreement substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, (ii) the
aggregate number of shares of Common Stock issued under this clause (D) for a
particular merger or acquisition does not exceed 1,000,000 shares of Common
Stock and (iii) the aggregate number of all shares of Common Stock issued under
this clause (D) does not exceed 4,000,000 shares of Common Stock.
3. Terms of Public Offering. The Company is advised by you that the
Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of
the Shares as soon after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have
become effective as in your judgment is advisable. The Company is further
advised by you that the Shares are to be offered to the public initially at
$_____________ a share (the "Public Offering Price") and to certain dealers
selected by you at a price that represents a concession not in excess of $______
a share under the Public Offering Price, and that any Underwriter may allow, and
such dealers may reallow, a concession, not in excess of $_____ a share, to any
Underwriter or to certain other dealers.
4. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Firm Shares shall be made to
the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City
against delivery of such Firm Shares for the respective accounts of the several
Underwriters at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on _________, 2000, or at such
other time on the same or such other date, not later than _________, 2000, as
shall be designated in writing by you. The time and date of such payment are
hereinafter referred to as the "Closing Date."
Payment for any Additional Shares shall be made to the Company in Federal
or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such
Additional Shares for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at
10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date specified in the notice described in
Section 2 or at such other time on the same or on such other date, in any event
not later than _______, 2000, as shall be designated in writing by you. The
time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the "Option Closing
Date."
Certificates for the Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be in
definitive form and registered in such names and in such denominations as you
shall request in writing not later than one full business day prior to the
Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be. The certificates
evidencing the Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be delivered to you on
the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the
respective accounts of the several Underwriters, with any transfer taxes payable
in connection with the transfer of the Shares to the Underwriters duly paid,
against payment of the Purchase Price therefor.
5. Conditions to the Underwriters' Obligations. The obligations of the
Company to sell the Shares to the Underwriters and the several obligations of
the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Shares on the Closing Date and the
Option Closing Date, as the case may be, are subject to the condition that the
Registration Statement shall have become effective not later than [_____] (New
York City time) on the date hereof.
The several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the following
further conditions:
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(a) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and
prior to the Closing Date:
(i) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall
any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any
review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the
possible change, in the rating accorded any of the Company's securities by any
"nationally recognized statistical rating organization," as such term is defined
for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act; and
(ii) there shall not have occurred any change, or any
development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or
otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Prospectus (exclusive
of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this
Agreement) that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in
your judgment, impracticable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner
contemplated in the Prospectus.
(b) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a
certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the
Company, to the effect set forth in Section 5(a)(i) above and to the effect that
the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement
are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Company has complied
with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be
performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.
The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best
of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.
(c) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an
opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Coie llp, outside counsel to the Company, dated the Closing
Date, to the effect that:
(i) the Company has been duly incorporated, is validly
existing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Washington, has the
corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as
described in the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in
good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its
ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the
extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have
a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole;
(ii) each corporate subsidiary of the Company has been duly
incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the
jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own
its property and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is
duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction
in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property
requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so
qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the
Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole;
-10-
(iii) I-Balls LLC, a subsidiary of the Company ("I-Balls LLC"),
has been duly organized, is validly existing as a limited liability company in
good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, has the power
and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in
the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good
standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its
ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the
extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have
a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole;
(iv) the authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to
legal matters to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus under the
caption "Description of Capital Stock";
(v) the shares of Common Stock outstanding prior to the
issuance of the Shares have been duly authorized and are validly issued, non-
assessable and, to such counsel's knowledge, fully paid;
(vi) all of the issued shares of capital stock of each
corporate subsidiary of the Company and all of the issued membership interests
of I-Balls LLC have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid
and non-assessable and are owned directly by the Company, free and clear of all
liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;
(vii) the Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and
delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly
issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of such Shares will not
be subject to any preemptive or similar rights pursuant to the Company's amended
and restated articles of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws or, to
such counsel's knowledge, any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company;
(viii) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company;
(ix) the execution and delivery by the Company of, and the
performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement will not
contravene any provision of applicable federal or Washington state law or the
amended and restated articles of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws of
the Company or, to such counsel's knowledge, any agreement or other instrument
binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the
Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or, to such counsel's knowledge,
any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having
jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, and no consent, approval,
authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or
governmental agency is required for the performance by the Company of its
obligations under this Agreement, except such as may be required by the
Commission, the NASD, and the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states
in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares (as to which such counsel
need not opine);
-11-
(x) the statements (A) in the Prospectus under the captions
"Risk Factors--Risks Related to this Offering--Future sales of shares by
existing shareholders could affect our stock price," "Management--Employment
Agreements and Change of Control Agreements," "Management--Employee Benefit
Plans," "Management--Limitation of Director and Officer Liability and
Indemnification," "Description of Capital Stock," "Shares Eligible for Future
Sale" and "Underwriters" (with respect to such statements under the caption
"Underwriters" which relate to this Agreement) and (B) in the Registration
Statement in Items 14 and 15, in each case insofar as such statements constitute
summaries of the legal matters, documents or proceedings referred to therein,
fairly present the information called for with respect to such legal matters,
documents and proceedings and fairly summarize the matters referred to therein;
(xi) such counsel does not know of any legal or governmental
proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any
of its subsidiaries is subject that are required to be described in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described or of any
statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be
described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as
exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as
required;
(xii) the Company is not and, after giving effect to the
offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as
described in the Prospectus, will not be required to register as an "investment
company" as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended; and
(xiii) such counsel (A) is of the opinion that the Registration
Statement and Prospectus (except for financial statements and schedules included
therein and financial and statistical data included in the Registration
Statement or Prospectus and derived from the financial statements or schedules,
as to which such counsel need not express any opinion) comply as to form in all
material respects with the Securities Act and the Rules, (B) has no reason to
believe that (except for financial statements and schedules included therein and
financial and statistical data included in the Registration Statement or
Prospectus and derived from the financial statements or schedules, as to which
such counsel need not express any belief) the Registration Statement and the
prospectus included therein at the time the Registration Statement became
effective 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 and (C) has no reason to believe that (except
for financial statements and schedules included therein and financial and
statistical data included in the Registration Statement or Prospectus and
derived from the financial statements or schedules, as to which such counsel
need not express any belief) the Prospectus contains any untrue statement of a
material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading.
(d) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an
opinion of Blakely, Sokoloff, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ and Zafman LLP, intellectual property
counsel to the Company, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that such counsel
has reviewed the statements in the Prospectus under the captions "Risk Factors--
Risks Related to Our Company and Business--Some of our competitors
-12-
have obtained patents and have sued other parties to enforce their rights under
these patents, and we may also be subject to patent infringement claims,
including claims that our ad serving technologies, processes or methods infringe
these or other patents," and "Business--Intellectual Property", and, insofar as
such statements constitute summaries of the legal matters, documents or
proceedings referred to therein, these statements are accurate and fairly and
completely present the information called for with respect to such legal matters
and fairly summarize the matters referred to therein.
(e) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an
opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Professional Corporation, counsel
for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, covering the matters referred to
in Sections 5(c)(vi), 5(c)(vii), 5(c)(ix) (but only as to the statements in the
Prospectus under "Description of Capital Stock" and "Underwriters") and
5(c)(xiii) above.
With respect to Section 5(c)(xiii) above, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Coie LLP and ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Professional Corporation, may state that their
opinion and belief are based upon their participation in the preparation of the
Registration Statement and Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto
and review and discussion of the contents thereof, but are without independent
check or verification, except as specified.
The opinions of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Coie LLP and Blakely, Sokoloff, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ and Zafman
LLP described in Section 5(c) and Section 5(d) above, respectively, shall be
rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company and shall so state
therein.
(f) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof
and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the
case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, independent public accountants, containing statements and
information of the type ordinarily included in accountants' "comfort letters" to
underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial
information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; provided
that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a "cut-off date" not
earlier than the date hereof.
(g) The Lock-up Agreements between you and the securityholders,
officers and directors of the Company relating to sales and certain other
dispositions of shares of Common Stock or certain other securities, delivered to
you on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the
Closing Date.
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Additional Shares
hereunder are subject to the delivery to you on the Option Closing Date of such
documents as you may reasonably request with respect to the existence of the
Company, the due authorization and issuance of the Additional Shares and other
matters related to the issuance of the Additional Shares.
6. Covenants of the Company. In further consideration of the agreements
of the Underwriters herein contained, the Company covenants with each
Underwriter as follows:
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(a) To furnish to you, without charge, five (5) signed copies of the
Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and for delivery to each
other Underwriter a conformed copy of the Registration Statement (without
exhibits thereto) and to furnish to you in New York City, without charge, prior
to 3:00 p.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of
this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 6(c) below, as many
copies of the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the
Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.
(b) Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus, to furnish to you a copy of each such proposed amendment or
supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which
you reasonably object, and to file with the Commission within the applicable
period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required
to be filed pursuant to such Rule.
(c) If, during such period after the first date of the public
offering of the Shares as in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the
Underwriters the Prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection
with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist
as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the
Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of
counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the
Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the
Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the
dealers (whose names and addresses you will furnish to the Company) to which
Shares may have been sold by you on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other
dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that
the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the
light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be
misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply
with law.
(d) To endeavor to qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the
securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as you shall reasonably
request.
(e) To make generally available to the Company's security holders and
to you as soon as practicable an earning statement covering the twelve-month
period ending March 31, 2001 that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of
the Securities Act and the Rules.
(f) Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement
are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company agrees to pay or
cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations
under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the
Company's counsel and the Company's accountants in connection with the
registration and delivery of the Shares under the Securities Act and all other
fees or expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the
Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and
amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs
associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the
Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all
costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Shares to the
Underwriters, including any transfer or other
-14-
taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky
memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares under state
securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the
Shares for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section
6(d) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in
connection with the Blue Sky memorandum, (iv) all filing fees and the reasonable
fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters incurred in connection
with the review and qualification of the offering of the Shares by the NASD, (v)
all fees and expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the
registration statement on Form 8-A relating to the Common Stock and all costs
and expenses incident to listing the Shares on the Nasdaq National Market, (vi)
the cost of printing certificates representing the Shares, (vii) the costs and
charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (viii) the costs and
expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any "road show"
undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares,
including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road
show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in
connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the
Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the
Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in
connection with the road show, (ix) all reasonable fees and disbursements of
counsel incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share
Program and stamp duties, similar taxes or duties or other taxes, if any,
incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program, and
(x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations
of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this
Section. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section,
Section 7 entitled "Indemnity and Contribution," Section 8 entitled "Directed
Share Program Indemnification," and the last paragraph of Section 10 below, the
Underwriters will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and
disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer taxes payable on resale of any of
the Shares by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they
may make.
(g) To place stop transfer orders on any Directed Shares that have
been sold to Participants subject to the three month restriction on sale,
transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation imposed by NASD Regulation, Inc.
under its Interpretative Material 2110-1 on free-riding and withholding to the
extent necessary to ensure compliance with the three month restrictions.
(h) To comply with all applicable securities and other applicable
laws, rules and regulations in each jurisdiction in which the Directed Shares
are offered in connection with the Directed Share Program.
(i) That the Company will not amend or terminate or waive any right
under the Option Plan or give its written consent to any optionee or stockholder
(or the Company's transfer agent for the benefit of any optionee or stockholder)
that would allow any holder of Common Stock or securities convertible into or
exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock under the Option Plan to sell or
otherwise transfer or dispose of shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to the
Option Plan during the period ending 180 days after the date of the Prospectus.
The Company further agrees
-15-
to maintain stop-transfer instructions with the Company's transfer agent to
enforce the lock-up provisions imposed pursuant to the Option Plan.
7. Indemnity and Contribution.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each
Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the
meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), from and
against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without
limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with
defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus or
the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished
any amendments or supplements thereto), or caused by any omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement
or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information
relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such
Underwriter through you expressly for use therein; provided, however, that the
foregoing indemnity agreement with respect to any preliminary prospectus shall
not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter from whom the person asserting any
such losses, claims, damages or liabilities purchased Shares, or any person
controlling such Underwriters, if a copy of the Prospectus (as then amended or
supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements
thereto) was not sent or given by or on behalf of such Underwriter to such
person, if required by law so to have been delivered, at or prior to the written
confirmation of the sale of the Shares to such person, and if the Prospectus (as
amended or supplemented) would have cured the defect giving rise to such losses,
claims, damages or liabilities, unless such failure is the result of
noncompliance by the Company with Section 6(a) hereof.
(b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify
and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the
Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within
the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the
Exchange Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to
such Underwriter, but only with reference to information relating to such
Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you
expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the
Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto.
(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation)
shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be
sought pursuant to Section 7(a) or 7(b), such person (the "indemnified party")
shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the
"indemnifying party") in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the
indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the
indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the
indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and
disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such
proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own
counsel, but the fees
-16-
and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party
unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually
agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such
proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party
and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel
would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between
them. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the
legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or
related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and
expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for
all such indemnified parties and that all such fees and expenses shall be
reimbursed as they are incurred. Such firm shall be designated in writing by
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(a), and
by the Company, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(b). The
indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding
effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if
there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to
indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason
of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at
any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to
reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated
by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party
agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected
without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30
days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii)
such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in
accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No
indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified
party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect
of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could
have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement
includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability
on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.
(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 7(a) or
7(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any
losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each
indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such
indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by
such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative
benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the
other hand from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by
clause 7(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as
is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause
7(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of
the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or
omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well
as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received
by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in
connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be in the same
respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Shares
(before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting
discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set
forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate Public
Offering Price of the Shares. The relative fault of the
-17-
Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand 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 statement or omission. The
Underwriters' respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7
are several in proportion to the respective number of Shares they have purchased
hereunder, and not joint.
(e) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just
or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro
rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such
purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the
equitable considerations referred to in Section 7(d). The amount paid or payable
by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and
liabilities referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed
to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, 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 Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any
amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares
underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public
exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been
required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission
or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within
the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to
contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 7 are not exclusive
and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to
any indemnified party at law or in equity.
(f) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this
Section 7 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the
Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and
effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any
investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any person controlling
any Underwriter or by or on behalf of the Company, its officers or directors or
any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any
of the Shares.
8. Directed Share Program Indemnification. Contribution.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇,
its affiliates and each person, if any, who controls ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ or its
affiliates within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or
Section 20 of the Exchange Act ("▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities"), from and against any
and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation,
any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or
investigating any such action or claim) (i) caused by any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any material prepared
by or with the consent of the Company for distribution to Participants in
connection with the Directed Share Program, or caused by any omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) caused by the
failure of any Participant to pay for
-18-
and accept delivery of Directed Shares that the Participant has agreed to
purchase; or (iii) related to, arising out of, or in connection with the
Directed Share Program other than losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or
expenses relating thereto) that are finally judicially determined to have
resulted from the bad faith or gross negligence of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities.
(b) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation)
shall be instituted involving any ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity in respect of which
indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a), the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity
seeking indemnity shall promptly notify the Company in writing and the Company,
upon request of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity, shall retain counsel reasonably
satisfactory to the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity to represent the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity
and any others the Company may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the
fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such
proceeding, any ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity shall have the right to retain its own
counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of
such ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity unless (i) the Company shall have agreed to the
retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding
(including any impleaded parties) include both the Company and the ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be
inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. The
Company shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Entities in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same
jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm
(in addition to any local counsel) for all ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities. Any such
firm for the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities shall be designated in writing by ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding
effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if
there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Company agrees to indemnify the
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities from and against any loss or liability by reason of such
settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time a
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity shall have requested the Company to reimburse it for fees
and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of
this paragraph, the Company agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of
any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is
entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Company of the aforesaid
request and (ii) the Company shall not have reimbursed the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity
in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. The
Company shall not, without the prior written consent of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, effect
any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity is or could have been a party and indemnity could have
been sought hereunder by such ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity, unless such settlement
includes an unconditional release of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities from all
liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.
(c) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) is
unavailable to a ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity or insufficient in respect of any losses,
claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then the Company, in lieu of
indemnifying the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity thereunder, shall contribute to the
amount paid or payable by the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity as a result of such losses,
claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to
reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities on the other hand from the offering of the Directed
Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 8(c)(i) above is not
permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not
only the relative
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benefits referred to in clause 8(c)(i) above but also the relative fault of the
Company on the one hand and of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities on the other hand in
connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses,
claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable
considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand
and the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities on the other hand in connection with the
offering of the Directed Shares shall be deemed to be in the same respective
proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Directed Shares (before
deducting expenses) and the total underwriting discounts and commissions
received by the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities for the Directed Shares, bear to the
aggregate Public Offering Price of the Shares. If the loss, claim, damage or
liability is caused by an untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact, the relative fault
of the Company on the one hand and the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities on the other hand
shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or
alleged untrue statement or the omission or alleged omission relates to
information supplied by the Company or by the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities and the
parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to
correct or prevent such statement or omission.
(d) The Company and the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities agree that it would
not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 were
determined by pro rata allocation (even if the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities were
treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation
that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in
Section 8(c). The amount paid or payable by the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities as a
result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in the
immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the
limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by
the ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entities in connection with investigating or defending any
such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of
the amount by which the total price at which the Directed Shares distributed to
the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that
such ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such
untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. The remedies
provided for in this Section 8 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights
or remedies which may otherwise be available to any ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity at law
or in equity.
(e) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this
Section 8 shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i)
any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf
of any ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Entity or the Company, its officers or directors or any
person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of
the Directed Shares.
9. Termination. This Agreement shall be subject to termination by notice
given by you to the Company, if (a) after the execution and delivery of this
Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been
suspended or materially limited on or by, as the case may be, any of the New
York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc., the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago
Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any
securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any
over-the-counter market, (iii) a general moratorium on
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commercial banking activities in New York shall have been declared by either
Federal or New York State authorities or (iv) there shall have occurred any
outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any
calamity or crisis that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and (b) in
the case of any of the events specified in clauses 9(a)(i) through 9(a)(iv),
such event, singly or together with any other such event, makes it, in your
judgment, impracticable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner
contemplated in the Prospectus.
10. Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall become
effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
If, on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any
one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares that it
has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate
number of Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but
failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number
of the Shares to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be
obligated severally in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth
opposite their respective names in Schedule I bears to the aggregate number of
Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting
Underwriters, or in such other proportions as you may specify, to purchase the
Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or
refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the number of
Shares that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be
increased pursuant to this Section 10 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of
such number of Shares without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on
the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to
purchase Firm Shares and the aggregate number of Firm Shares with respect to
which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm
Shares to be purchased, and arrangements satisfactory to you and the Company for
the purchase of such Firm Shares are not made within 36 hours after such
default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any
non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any such case either you or the
Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for
longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the
Registration Statement and in the Prospectus or in any other documents or
arrangements may be effected. If, on the Option Closing Date, any Underwriter
or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Additional Shares and the
aggregate number of Additional Shares with respect to which such default occurs
is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Additional Shares to be
purchased, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall have the option (i) to
terminate their obligation hereunder to purchase Additional Shares or (ii) to
purchase not less than the number of Additional Shares that such non-defaulting
Underwriters would have been obligated to purchase in the absence of such
default. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting
Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under
this Agreement.
If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them,
because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the
terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any
reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this
Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as
have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all
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out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel)
reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or
the offering contemplated hereunder.
11. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more
counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the
signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
12. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
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13. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been
inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of
this Agreement.
Very truly yours,
AVENUE A, INC.
By:
-----------------------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Chief Executive Officer
Accepted as of the date hereof
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Barney Inc.
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Partners LLC
Acting severally on behalf
of themselves and the
several Underwriters named
in Schedule I hereto.
By: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated
By:
----------------------------------
Name:
Title:
SCHEDULE I
Underwriter Number of Shares to be
Purchased
-------------------------------------------- -------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Barney Inc.
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Partners LLC
----------------
Total................
Exhibit A
Lock-up Agreement
-----------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Partners LLC
c/o Morgan ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Dear Sirs and Mesdames:
The undersigned understands that ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated ("▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇") proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the "Underwriting
Agreement") with Avenue A, Inc., a Washington corporation (the "Company"),
providing for the public offering (the "Public Offering") by the several
Underwriters, including ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ (the "Underwriters"), of shares (the
"Shares") of the Common Stock ($0.01 par value per share) of the Company (the
"Common Stock").
To induce the Underwriters that may participate in the Public Offering to
continue their efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned
hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ on
behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period commencing on the
date hereof and ending 180 days after the date of the final prospectus relating
to the Public Offering (the "Prospectus"), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to
sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract
to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise
transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or
any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock
or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in
whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common
Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to
be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or
otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) the sale of any Shares
to the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement or (b) transactions
relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in open market
transactions after the completion of the Public Offering.
In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, the following transfers shall
not be restricted by this agreement.
(1) if the undersigned is an individual, any transfer by the undersigned of
shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or
exercisable for Common Stock (a) by bona fide gift, or (b) either during
the undersigned's lifetime or on death by will or intestacy to the
undersigned's immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiaries of which
are exclusively the undersigned and/or a member or members of the
undersigned's immediate family, or
(2) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership or other business entity,
any transfer by the undersigned of shares of Common Stock or securities
convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock (a) in
connection with the sale or other bona fide transfer in a single
transaction of all or substantially all of the undersigned's assets not
undertaken for the purpose of avoiding the restrictions
imposed hereby; (b) to another corporation, partnership or other business
entity if the transferee and the undersigned are direct or indirect
affiliates or otherwise related; or (c) as a part of a distribution without
consideration from the undersigned to its equity holders on a pro rata
basis;
provided that (x) the donee or transferee agrees in writing to be bound by the
foregoing in the same manner as it applies to the undersigned and (y) if the
donor or transferor is a reporting person subject to Section 16(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), any gifts or transfers
made in accordance with this paragraph shall not require such person to, and
such person shall not voluntarily, file a report of such transaction on Form 4
under the Exchange Act. "Immediate family" shall mean spouse, lineal
descendants, father, mother, brother or sister of the transferor and father,
mother, brother or sister of the transferor's spouse.
The undersigned further agrees that, without the prior written consent of
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period
commencing on the date hereof and ending 180 days after the date of the
Prospectus, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the
registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or
exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.
Whether or not the Public Offering actually occurs depends on a number of
factors, including market conditions. Any Public Offering will only be made
pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to
negotiation between the Company and the Underwriters. It is understood that if
(1) the registration statement on Form S-1 relating to the Prospectus does not
become effective by August 31, 2000 or ceases to be effective, (2) the Public
Offering does not close by August 31, 2000, or (3) for any reason the
Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof that survive
termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery
of the shares that are the subject of the Public Offering, then in any such case
this agreement will automatically terminate and be of no further force or
effect.
Very truly yours,
----------------------------
(Signature)
----------------------------
(Name--Please print clearly)
----------------------------
(Address)
----------------------------