DRAFT - 2/19/99
FLASHNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
COMMON STOCK
_______________ SHARES
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
________________ __, 1999
BANCBOSTON ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ INC.
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & CO.
EVEREN SECURITIES, INC.
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o BancBoston ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Ladies and Gentlemen:
FlashNet Communications, Inc., a Texas corporation (hereinafter
called the "Company"), addresses you as the Representatives of each of the
persons, firms and corporations listed in SCHEDULE A hereto (herein
collectively called the "Underwriters") and hereby confirms its respective
agreements with the several Underwriters as follows:
1. DESCRIPTION OF SHARES. The Company proposes to issue and sell
___________ shares of its authorized and unissued Common Stock, no par value
per share (the "Firm Shares"), to the several Underwriters. The Company also
proposes to grant to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to
____________ additional shares of the Company's Common Stock, no par value
per share (the "Option Shares"), as provided in Section 7 hereof. As used in
this Agreement, the term "Shares" shall include the Firm Shares and the
Option Shares. All shares of Common Stock, no par value per share, of the
Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sales contemplated
hereby, including the Shares, are hereinafter referred to as "Common Stock."
2. REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS OF THE COMPANY.
The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each
Underwriter that:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-69277)
with respect to the Shares, including a prospectus subject to completion, has
been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and the applicable rules and
regulations (the "Rules and Regulations") of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") under the Act and has been filed with the
Commission; such amendments to such registration statement, such amended
prospectuses
------------------------
Plus an option to purchase up to _______________ additional shares from
the Company to cover over-allotments.
subject to completion and such abbreviated registration statements pursuant
to Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations as may have been required prior
to the date hereof have been similarly prepared and filed with the
Commission; and the Company will file such additional amendments to such
registration statement, such amended prospectuses subject to completion and
such abbreviated registration statements as may hereafter be required. Copies
of such registration statement and amendments, of each related prospectus
subject to completion (the "Preliminary Prospectuses") and of any abbreviated
registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations
have been delivered to you. The Company and the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement meet the requirements for filing on Form S-1 under the Act.
If the registration statement relating to the Shares has been
declared effective under the Act by the Commission, the Company will prepare
and promptly file with the Commission the information omitted from the
registration statement pursuant to Rule 430A(a) or, if BancBoston ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc., on behalf of the several Underwriters, shall agree to the
utilization of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations, the information
required to be included in any term sheet filed pursuant to Rule 434(b) or
(c), as applicable, of the Rules and Regulations pursuant to subparagraph
(1), (4) or (7) of Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations or as part of a
post-effective amendment to the registration statement (including a final
form of prospectus). If the registration statement relating to the Shares
has not been declared effective under the Act by the Commission, the Company
will prepare and promptly file an amendment to the registration statement,
including a final form of prospectus, or, if BancBoston ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Inc., on behalf of the several Underwriters, shall agree to the utilization
of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations, the information required to be
included in any term sheet filed pursuant to Rule 434(b) or (c), as
applicable, of the Rules and Regulations. The term "Registration Statement"
as used in this Agreement shall mean such registration statement, including
financial statements, schedules and exhibits, in the form in which it became
or becomes, as the case may be, effective (including, if the Company omitted
information from the registration statement pursuant to Rule 430A(a) or files
a term sheet pursuant to Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations, the
information deemed to be a part of the registration statement at the time it
became effective pursuant to Rule 430A(b) or Rule 434(d) of the Rules and
Regulations) and, in the event of any amendment thereto or the filing of any
abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Rules and
Regulations relating thereto after the effective date of such registration
statement, shall also mean (from and after the effectiveness of such
amendment or the filing of such abbreviated registration statement) such
registration statement as so amended, together with any such abbreviated
registration statement. The term "Prospectus" as used in this Agreement
shall mean the prospectus relating to the Shares as included in such
Registration Statement at the time it becomes effective (including, if the
Company omitted information from the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule
430A(a) of the Rules and Regulations, the information deemed to be a part of
the Registration Statement at the time it became effective pursuant to Rule
430A(b) of the Rules and Regulations); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if in reliance
on Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations and with the consent of BancBoston
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc., on behalf of the several Underwriters, the Company
shall have provided to the Underwriters a term sheet pursuant to Rule 434(b)
or (c), as applicable, prior to the time that a confirmation is sent or given
for purposes of Section 2(10)(a) of the Act, the term "Prospectus" shall mean
the "prospectus subject to completion" (as defined in Rule 434(g) of the
Rules and Regulations) last provided to the Underwriters by the Company and
circulated by the Underwriters to all prospective purchasers of the Shares
(including the information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement
at the time it became effective pursuant to Rule 434(d) of the Rules and
Regulations). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any revised prospectus shall
be provided to the Underwriters by the Company for use in connection with the
offering of the Shares that differs from the prospectus referred to in the
immediately preceding sentence (whether or not such revised prospectus is
required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules
and Regulations), the term "Prospectus" shall refer to such revised
prospectus from and after the time it is first provided to the Underwriters
for such use. If in reliance on Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations and
with the consent of BancBoston ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc., on behalf of the
several Underwriters, the Company shall have provided to the Underwriters a
term sheet pursuant to Rule 434(b) or (c), as applicable, prior to the time
that a confirmation is sent or given for purposes of Section 2(10)(a) of the
Act, the Prospectus and the term sheet, together, will not be materially
different from the prospectus in the Registration Statement.
(b) The Commission has not issued any order preventing or
suspending the use of any
Preliminary Prospectus or instituted proceedings for that purpose, and each
such Preliminary Prospectus has conformed in all material respects to the
requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and, as of its date,
has not included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state
a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and at the time the
Registration Statement became or becomes, as the case may be, effective and
at all times subsequent thereto up to and on the Closing Date (hereinafter
defined) and on any later date on which Option Shares are to be purchased,
(i) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and any amendments or
supplements thereto, contained and will contain all material information
required to be included therein by the Act and the Rules and Regulations and
will in all material respects conform to the requirements of the Act and the
Rules and Regulations, (ii) the Registration Statement, and any amendments or
supplements thereto, did not and will not include 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, and (iii) the
Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto, did not and will not
include 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; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that none of the representations and warranties contained in this
subparagraph (b) shall apply to information contained in or omitted from the
Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto,
in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information relating to any
Underwriter furnished to the Company by such Underwriter specifically for use
in the preparation thereof.
(c) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly
incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under
the laws of the State of Texas with full power and authority (corporate and
other) to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as
described in the Prospectus; except as disclosed in the Prospectus, the
Company owns all of the outstanding capital stock of its subsidiaries free
and clear of any pledge, lien, security interest, encumbrance, claim or
equitable interest; each of the Company and its subsidiaries is duly
qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in
each jurisdiction in which the ownership or leasing of its properties or the
conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure
to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse
effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, operations,
business or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered
as one enterprise; no proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction
revoking, limiting or curtailing, or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail,
such power and authority or qualification; each of the Company and its
subsidiaries is in possession of and operating in compliance with all
authorizations, licenses, certificates, consents, orders and permits from
state, federal and other regulatory authorities which are material to the
conduct of its business, all of which are valid and in full force and effect;
each material contract or other instrument to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or by which its properties or business is or may be
bound or affected has been duly and validly executed by the Company or such
subsidiary and is in full force and effect in all material respects and is
enforceable against the parties thereto in accordance with its terms; neither
the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its respective
Articles of Incorporation or bylaws or in efault in the performance or
observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition
contained in any material bond, debenture, note or other evidence of
indebtedness, or in any material lease, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed
of trust, loan agreement, joint venture or other agreement or instrument to
which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound; and
neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in material violation of
any law, order, rule, regulation, writ, injunction, judgment or decree of any
court, government or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, having
jurisdiction over the Company or over its properties. The Company does not
own or control, directly or indirectly, any stock or other ownership interest
in any corporation, association or other entity other than all of the issued
and outstanding capital stock of FlashNet Marketing, Inc., a Texas
corporation, and FlashNet Telecom, Inc., a Texas corporation.
(d) The Company has full legal right, power and authority to
enter into this Agreement and perform the transactions contemplated hereby.
This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company and is a valid and binding agreement on the part of the Company,
enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification
hereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement
hereof may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium or other
similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally or by
general equitable principles; the performance of this Agreement and the
consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not result in a
material breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or
constitute a default under, (i) any bond, debenture, note or other evidence
of indebtedness, or under any lease, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of
trust, loan agreement, license agreement, joint venture or other agreement or
instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by
which it or any of its subsidiaries or their respective properties may be
bound, (ii) the Articles of Incorporation or bylaws of the Company or any of
its subsidiaries, or (iii) any law, order, rule, regulation, writ,
injunction, judgment or decree of any court, government or governmental
agency or body, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or
any of its subsidiaries or over their respective properties. No consent,
approval, authorization or order of or qualification with any court,
government or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, having
jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or over their
respective properties is required for the execution and delivery of this
Agreement and the consummation by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of
the transactions herein contemplated, except such as may be required under
the Act or under state or other securities or Blue Sky laws, all of which
requirements have been satisfied in all material respects.
(e) There is not pending or, to the best of the Company's
knowledge, threatened, any action, suit, claim or proceeding against the
Company, any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective officers or any
of their respective properties, assets or rights before any court, government
or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over
the Company or any of its subsidiaries or over their respective officers or
properties or otherwise which (i) might result in any material adverse change
in the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business or
business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise or might materially and adversely affect their properties, assets
or rights, (ii) might prevent consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby or (iii) is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or
Prospectus and is not so disclosed; and there are no agreements, contracts,
leases or documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries of a character
required to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement or
Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement by the
Act or the Rules and Regulations which have not been accurately described in
all material respects in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or filed as
exhibits to the Registration Statement.
(f) All outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company
have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and
nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state
securities laws, were not issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive
rights or other rights to subscribe for or purchase securities, and the
authorized and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in
the Prospectus under the caption "Capitalization" and conforms in all
material respects to the statements relating thereto contained in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and such statements correctly
state the substance of the instruments defining the capitalization of the
Company); the Firm Shares and the Option Shares to be purchased from the
Company hereunder have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the
Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the
Company against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement, will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and nonassessable,
and will be sold free and clear of any pledge, lien, security interest,
encumbrance, claim or equitable interest; and no preemptive right, co-sale
right, registration right, right of first refusal or other similar right of
shareholders exists with respect to any of the Firm Shares or Option Shares
to be purchased from the Company hereunder or the issuance and sale thereof,
other than those that have been expressly waived prior to the date hereof and
those that will automatically expire upon and will not apply to the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby to be consummated on the
Closing Date. No further approval or authorization of any shareholder, the
Board of Directors of the Company or others is required for the issuance and
sale or transfer of the Shares except as may be required under the Act, the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or under
state or other securities or Blue Sky laws. All issued and outstanding
shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly
authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable and were
not issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive right, or other
rights to subscribe for or purchase shares and, except as disclosed in the
Prospectus, are owned by the Company free and clear of any pledge, lien,
security interest, encumbrance, claim or equitable interest. Except as
disclosed in 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, set forth in the Prospectus accurately and fairly presents, in
all material respects, the information required to be shown with respect to
such plans, arrangements, options and rights.
(g) Deloitte & Touche LLP, which has examined the
consolidated financial statements of the Company, together with the related
schedules and notes, as of December 31, 1998 and 1997 and for each of the
years in the three (3) year period ended December 31, 1998 filed with the
Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the
Prospectus, are independent accountants within the meaning of the Act and the
Rules and Regulations; the audited consolidated financial statements of the
Company, together with the related schedules and notes, and the unaudited
consolidated financial information, forming part of the Registration
Statement and Prospectus, fairly present the financial position and the
results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries at the respective
dates and for the respective periods to which they apply; and all audited
consolidated financial statements of the Company, together with the related
schedules and notes, and the unaudited consolidated financial information,
filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement, have been
prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
consistently applied throughout the periods involved except as may be
otherwise stated therein. The selected, summary and quarterly financial and
statistical data included in the Registration Statement present fairly the
information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with
the audited financial statements presented therein. No other financial
statements or schedules are required to be included in the Registration
Statement.
(h) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, there has
not been (i) any material adverse change in the condition (financial or
otherwise), earnings, operations, business or business prospects of the
Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, (ii) any
transaction that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries considered
as one enterprise, except transactions entered into in the ordinary course of
business, (iii) any obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the
Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise that has been
incurred by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except obligations
incurred in the ordinary course of business, (iv) any change in the capital
stock or outstanding indebtedness of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise, (v) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or
made on the capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (vi)
any loss or damage (whether or not insured) to the property of the Company or
any of its subsidiaries which has been sustained or will have been sustained
which has or is expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition
(financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business or business
prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries as one enterprise.
(i) Except as set forth in the Registration Statement and
Prospectus, (i) each of the Company and its subsidiaries has good and
marketable title to all properties and assets described in the Registration
Statement and Prospectus as owned by it, free and clear of any pledge, lien,
security interest, encumbrance, claim or equitable interest, other than such
as would not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or
otherwise), earnings, operations, business or business prospects of the
Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, (ii) the
agreements to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party
described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus are valid agreements,
enforceable by the Company and its subsidiaries (as applicable), except as
the enforcement thereof may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting
creditors' rights generally or by general equitable principles and, to the
best of the Company's knowledge, the other contracting party or parties
thereto are not in material breach or material default under any of such
agreements, and (iii) each of the Company and its subsidiaries has valid and
enforceable leases for all properties described in the Registration Statement
and Prospectus as leased by it, except as the enforcement thereof may be
limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or
other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally or by
general equitable principles. Except as
set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, the Company owns or
leases all such properties as are necessary to its operations as now
conducted or as proposed to be conducted.
(j) The Company and its subsidiaries have each timely filed
all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns and
have paid all taxes shown thereon as due, and there is no tax deficiency that
has been or, to the best of the Company's knowledge, might be asserted
against the Company or any of its subsidiaries that might have a material
adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings,
operations, business or business prospects of the Company and its
subsidiaries considered as one enterprise; and all tax liabilities are
adequately provided for on the books of the Company and its subsidiaries.
(k) Except as described in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any employee
benefit plans (including, without limitation, profit sharing plans) or
deferred compensation arrangements.
(l) The Company and its subsidiaries maintain insurance with
insurers of recognized financial responsibility of the types and in the
amounts generally deemed adequate for their respective businesses and
consistent with insurance coverage maintained by similar companies in similar
businesses, including, but not limited to, insurance covering real and
personal property owned or leased by the Company or 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; neither
the Company nor any such subsidiary has been refused any insurance coverage
sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has
any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing
insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar
coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business
at a cost that would not materially and adversely affect the condition
(financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business or business
prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise.
(m) To the best of the Company's knowledge, no labor
disturbance by the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists
or is imminent; and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent
labor disturbance by the employees of any of its principal suppliers,
subassemblers, value added resellers, subcontractors, independent software
vendors, original equipment manufacturers, or authorized dealers, franchisees
or distributors that might be expected to result in a material adverse change
in the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business or
business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise. No collective bargaining agreement exists with any of the
Company's employees and, to the best of the Company's knowledge, no such
agreement is imminent.
(n) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries owns or
possesses adequate rights to use all patents, patent rights, inventions,
trade secrets, know-how, trademarks, service marks, trade names and
copyrights which are necessary to conduct its businesses as described in the
Registration Statement and Prospectus; the expiration of any patents, patent
rights, trade secrets, trademarks, service marks, trade names or copyrights
would not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or
otherwise), earnings, operations, business or business prospects of the
Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise; the Company has
not received any notice of, and has no knowledge of, any infringement of or
conflict with asserted rights of the Company by others with respect to any
patent, patent rights, inventions, trade secrets, know-how, trademarks,
service marks, trade names or copyrights; and the Company has not received
any notice of, and has no knowledge of, any infringement of or conflict with
asserted rights of others with respect to any patent, patent rights,
inventions, trade secrets, know-how, trademarks, service marks, trade names
or copyrights which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an
unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, might have a material adverse effect
on the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business or
business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise.
(o) The statements in the Prospectus under the heading
"Certain Transactions" set forth all existing agreements, arrangements,
understandings or transactions or proposed agreements, arrangements,
understandings or transactions, between or among the Company, on the one
hand, and any officer, director or shareholder of the Company, or with any
partner, affiliate or associate of any of the foregoing persons or entities,
on the other hand, required to be set forth or described thereunder.
(p) The Common Stock has been approved for quotation on The
Nasdaq National Market, subject to official notice of issuance.
(q) There are no issues related to the Company's or any of
its subsidiaries' preparedness for the Year 2000 that (i) are of a character
required to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement or
Prospectus by the Act or the Rules and Regulations which have not been
accurately described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or (ii)
might reasonably be expected to result in any material adverse change in the
condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business or
business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise or that might materially affect their properties, assets or
rights. All internal computer systems and each Constituent Component (as
defined below) of those systems and all computer-related products and each
Constituent Component of those products of the Company and each of its
subsidiaries fully comply with the Year 2000 Qualification Requirements.
"Year 2000 Qualification Requirements" means that the internal computer
systems and each Constituent Component of those systems and all
computer-related products and each Constituent Component of these products of
the Company and each of its Subsidiaries (i) have been reviewed to confirm
that they store, process (including sorting and performing mathematical
operations, calculations and computations), input and output data containing
date and information correctly regardless of whether the date contains dates
and times before, on or after January 1, 2000, (ii) have been designated to
ensure date and time entry recognition, calculations that accommodate same
century and multi-century formulas and date values, leap year recognition and
calculations, and date data interface values that reflect the century, (iii)
accurately manage and manipulate data involving dates and times, including
single century formulas and multi-century formulas, and will not cause an
abnormal ending scenario within the application or generate incorrect values
or invalid results involving such dates, (iv) accurately process any date
rollover, and (v) accept and respond to two-digit year date input in a manner
that resolves any ambiguities as to the century. "Constituent Component"
means all software (including operating systems, programs, packages and
utilities), firmware, hardware, networking components, and peripherals
provided as part of the configuration.
(r) The Company has been advised concerning the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and the rules and
regulations thereunder, and has in the past conducted, and intends in the
future to conduct, its affairs in such a manner as to ensure that it will not
become an "investment company" or a company "controlled" by an "investment
company" within the meaning of the 1940 Act and such rules and regulations.
(s) The Company has not distributed and will not distribute
prior to the later of (i) the Closing Date, or any date on which Option
Shares are to be purchased, as the case may be, and (ii) the completion of
the distribution of the Shares, any offering material in connection with the
offering and sale of the Shares other than any Preliminary Prospectuses, the
Prospectus, the Registration Statement and other materials, if any, permitted
by the Act.
(t) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has at
any time during the last five (5) years (i) made any unlawful contribution to
any candidate for foreign office or failed to disclose fully any contribution
in violation of law, or (ii) made any payment to any federal or state
governmental officer or official, or other person charged with similar public
or quasi-public duties, other than payments required or permitted by the laws
of the United States or any jurisdiction thereof.
(u) The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or
indirectly, any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to
cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common
Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(v) Except for __________, each officer and director of the
Company, each beneficial owner of any shares of Common Stock and each holder
of any option or other right to purchase or receive shares of Common Stock
has agreed in writing that such person will not, for a period of 180 days
from the date that the Registration Statement is declared effective by the
Commission (the "Lock-up Period"), offer to sell, contract to sell, or
otherwise sell, dispose of, loan, pledge or grant any rights with respect to
(collectively, a "Disposition") any shares of Common Stock, any options or
warrants to purchase any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible
into or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock (collectively, "Securities")
now owned or hereafter acquired directly by such person or with respect to
which such person has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition,
otherwise than (i) as a bona fide gift or gifts, provided the donee or donees
thereof agree in writing to be bound by this restriction, (ii) as a
distribution to partners or shareholders of such person, provided that the
distributees thereof agree in writing to be bound by the terms of this
restriction, or (iii) with the prior written consent of BancBoston ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc. The foregoing restriction has been expressly agreed to
preclude the holder of the Securities from engaging in any hedging or other
transaction which is designed to or reasonably expected to lead to or result
in a Disposition of Securities during the Lock-up Period, even if such
Securities would be disposed of by someone other than such holder. Such
prohibited hedging or other transactions would include, without limitation,
any short sale (whether or not against the box) or any purchase, sale or
grant of any right (including, without limitation, any put or call option)
with respect to any Securities or with respect to any security (other than a
broad-based market basket or index) that includes, relates to or derives any
significant part of its value from Securities. Such person has also agreed
and consented to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company's
transfer agent against the transfer of the Securities held by such person
except in compliance with this restriction. Furthermore, each such person
has also agreed that, without the prior written consent of BancBoston
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc., such person will not, during the period ending with
the conclusion of the Lock-Up Period, make any demand for or exercise any
right with respect to, the registration of any Securities. The Company has
provided to counsel for the Underwriters a complete and accurate list of all
securityholders of the Company and the number and type of securities held by
each securityholder. The Company has provided to counsel for the
Underwriters true, accurate and complete copies of all of the agreements
pursuant to which its officers, directors and shareholders have agreed to
such or similar restrictions (the "Lock-up Agreements") presently in effect
or effected hereby. The Company hereby represents and warrants that, prior
to the conclusion of the Lock-Up Period, it will not release any of its
officers, directors, shareholders, optionees or holders of any other rights
to purchase or receive shares of Common Stock from any Lock-up Agreements
currently existing or hereafter effected without the prior written consent of
BancBoston ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc.
(w) Except as set forth in the Registration Statement and
Prospectus, (i) the Company is in compliance with all rules, laws and
regulations relating to the use, treatment, storage and disposal of toxic
substances and protection of health or the environment ("Environmental Laws")
which are applicable to its business, (ii) the Company has received no notice
from any governmental authority or third party of an asserted claim under
Environmental Laws, which claim is required to be disclosed in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (iii) the Company will not be
required to make future material capital expenditures to comply with
Environmental Laws and (iv) no property which is owned, leased or occupied by
the Company has been designated as a Superfund site pursuant to the
Comprehensive Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended
(42 U.S.C. Section 9601, ET SEQ.), or otherwise designated as a contaminated
site under applicable state or local law.
(x) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries maintains a
system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable
assurances 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 accountability for
assets, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with
management's general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded
accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable
intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
(y) There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal
advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or
guarantees of indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the
officers or directors of the Company or any of the members of the families of
any of them, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus.
(a) The Company has not incurred any liability for any
finder's fees or similar payments in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereby.
(aa) The Company has complied with all provisions of Section
517.075, Florida Statutes relating to doing business with the Government of
Cuba or with any person or affiliate located in Cuba.
3. PURCHASE, SALE AND DELIVERY OF SHARES. On the basis of the
representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to
the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to the
Underwriters, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to
purchase from the Company at a purchase price of $__.__ per share, the number
of Firm Shares set forth in Section 1 hereof. The obligation of each
Underwriter to the Company shall be to purchase from the Company that number
of Firm Shares which is set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in
Schedule A hereto (subject to adjustment as provided in Section 10).
Delivery of definitive certificates for the Firm Shares to be
purchased by the Underwriters pursuant to this Section 3 shall be made
against payment of the purchase price therefor by the several Underwriters by
Federal or other funds immediately available in San Francisco at the offices
of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Hanger, L.L.P., ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ (or at such other place as may be agreed upon among the
Representatives and the Company), at 7:00 A.M., San Francisco time (a) on the
third (3rd) full business day following the first day that Shares are traded,
(b) if this Agreement is executed and delivered after 1:30 P.M., San
Francisco time, the fourth (4th) full business day following the day that
this Agreement is executed and delivered or (c) at such other time and date
not later than seven (7) full business days following the first day that
Shares are traded as the Representatives and the Company may determine (or at
such time and date to which payment and delivery shall have been postponed
pursuant to Section 10 hereof), such time and date of payment and delivery
being herein called the "Closing Date"; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the
Company has not made available to the Representatives copies of the
Prospectus within the time provided in Section 4(d) hereof, the
Representatives may, in their sole discretion, postpone the Closing Date
until no later than two (2) full business days following delivery of copies
of the Prospectus to the Representatives. The certificates for the Firm
Shares to be so delivered will be made available to you at such office or
such other location including, without limitation, in New York City, as you
may reasonably request for checking at least one (1) full business day prior
to the Closing Date and will be in such names and denominations as you may
request, such request to be made at least two (2) full business days prior to
the Closing Date. If the Representatives so elect, delivery of the Firm
Shares may be made by credit through full fast transfer to accounts at The
Depository Trust Company designated by the Representatives.
It is understood that you, individually, and not as the
Representatives of the several Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated
to) make payment of the purchase price on behalf of any Underwriter or
Underwriters whose check or checks shall not have been received by you prior
to the Closing Date for the Firm Shares to be purchased by such Underwriter
or Underwriters. Any such payment by you shall not relieve any such
Underwriter or Underwriters of any of its or their obligations hereunder.
After the Registration Statement becomes effective, the several
Underwriters intend to make an initial public offering (as such term is
described in Section 11 hereof) of the Firm Shares at an initial public
offering price of $__.__ per share. After the initial public offering, the
several Underwriters may, in their discretion, vary the public offering price.
The information set forth in the last sentence of the last
paragraph on the front cover page (insofar as such information relates to the
Underwriters) and in the second, third and tenth paragraphs under the caption
"Underwriting" in any Preliminary Prospectus and in the Prospectus
constitutes the only information furnished by the Underwriters to the Company
for inclusion in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or the
Registration Statement, and you, on behalf of the respective Underwriters,
represent and warrant to the Company that the
statements made therein do not include 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, in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading.
4. FURTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE COMPANY. The Company agrees with the
several Underwriters that:
(a) The Company will use its best efforts to cause the
Registration Statement and any amendment thereof, if not effective at the
time and date that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties
hereto, to become effective as promptly as possible; the Company will use its
best efforts to cause any abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule
462(b) of the Rules and Regulations as may be required subsequent to the date
the Registration Statement is declared effective to become effective as
promptly as possible; the Company will notify you, promptly after it shall
receive notice thereof, of the time when the Registration Statement, any
subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement or any abbreviated
registration statement has become effective or any supplement to the
Prospectus has been filed; if the Company omitted information from the
Registration Statement at the time it was originally declared effective in
reliance upon Rule 430A(a) of the Rules and Regulations, the Company will
provide evidence satisfactory to you that the Prospectus contains such
information and has been filed, within the time period prescribed, with the
Commission pursuant to subparagraph (1) or (4) of Rule 424(b) of the Rules
and Regulations or as part of a post-effective amendment to such Registration
Statement as originally declared effective which is declared effective by the
Commission; if the Company files a term sheet pursuant to Rule 434 of the
Rules and Regulations, the Company will provide evidence satisfactory to you
that the Prospectus and term sheet meeting the requirements of Rule 434(b) or
(c), as applicable, of the Rules and Regulations, have been filed, within the
time period prescribed, with the Commission pursuant to subparagraph (7) of
Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations; if for any reason the filing of the
final form of Prospectus is required under Rule 424(b)(3) of the Rules and
Regulations, it will provide evidence satisfactory to you that the Prospectus
contains such information and has been filed with the Commission within the
time period prescribed; it will notify you promptly of any request by the
Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus or for additional information; promptly upon your request, it
will prepare and file with the Commission any amendments or supplements to
the Registration Statement or Prospectus which, in the opinion of counsel for
the several Underwriters ("Underwriters' Counsel"), may be necessary or
advisable in connection with the distribution of the Shares by the
Underwriters; it will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, and
promptly notify you of the filing of, any amendments or supplements to the
Registration Statement or Prospectus which may be necessary to correct any
statements or omissions, if, at any time when a prospectus relating to the
Shares is required to be delivered under the Act, any event shall have
occurred as a result of which the Prospectus or any other prospectus relating
to the Shares as then in effect would include 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; in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a
prospectus nine (9) months or more after the effective date of the
Registration Statement in connection with the sale of the Shares, it will
prepare promptly upon request, but at the expense of such Underwriter, such
amendment or amendments to the Registration Statement and such prospectus or
prospectuses as may be necessary to permit compliance with the requirements
of Section 10(a)(3) of the Act; and it will file no amendment or supplement
to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or, prior to the end of the
period of time in which a prospectus relating to the Shares is required to be
delivered under the Act, which shall not previously have been submitted to
you a reasonable time prior to the proposed filing thereof or to which you
shall reasonably object in writing, subject, however, to compliance with the
Act and the Rules and Regulations and the provisions of this Agreement.
(b) The Company will advise you, promptly after it shall
receive notice or obtain knowledge, of the issuance of any stop order by the
Commission suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of
the initiation or threat of any proceeding for that purpose; and it will
promptly use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to
obtain its withdrawal at the earliest possible moment if such stop order
should be issued.
(c) The Company will use its best efforts to qualify the
Shares for offering and sale under the
securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may designate and to continue
such qualifications in effect for so long as may be required for purposes of
the distribution of the Shares, except that the Company shall not be required
in connection therewith or as a condition thereof to qualify as a foreign
corporation or to execute a general consent to service of process in any
jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise required to be so qualified or to
so execute a general consent to service of process. In each jurisdiction in
which the Shares shall have been qualified as above provided, the Company
will make and file such statements and reports in each year as are or may be
required by the laws of such jurisdiction.
(d) The Company will furnish to you, as soon as available,
and, in the case of the Prospectus and any term sheet or abbreviated term
sheet under Rule 434, in no event later than the first (1st) full business
day following the first day that Shares are traded, copies of the
Registration Statement (three of which will be signed and which will include
all exhibits), each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendments
or supplements to such documents, including any prospectus prepared to permit
compliance with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act, all in such quantities as you
may from time to time reasonably request. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if
BancBoston ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc., on behalf of the several Underwriters,
shall agree to the utilization of Rule 434 of the Rules and Regulations, the
Company shall provide to you copies of a Preliminary Prospectus updated in
all respects through the date specified by you in such quantities as you may
from time to time reasonably request.
(e) If the Company elects to rely on Rule 462(b) under the
Securities Act, the Company shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement
with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act
prior to the time confirmations are sent or given, as specified by Rule
462(b)(2) under the Securities Act, and shall pay the applicable fees in
accordance with Rule 111 under the Securities Act.
(f) The Company will make generally available to its
securityholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than the
forty-fifth (45th) day following the end of the fiscal quarter first
occurring after the first anniversary of the effective date of the
Registration Statement, an earnings statement (which will be in reasonable
detail but need not be audited) complying with the provisions of Section
11(a) of the Act and covering a twelve (12) month period beginning after the
effective date of the Registration Statement.
(g) During a period of five (5) years after the date hereof,
the Company will furnish to its shareholders as soon as practicable after the
end of each respective period, annual reports (including financial statements
audited by independent certified public accountants) within one hundred
twenty (120) days after the end of each fiscal year and will make available
unaudited quarterly reports of operations for each of the first three
quarters of the fiscal year within sixty (60) days after the end of each
fiscal quarter, and will furnish to you and the other several Underwriters
hereunder, upon request (i) concurrently with furnishing such reports to its
shareholders, statements of operations of the Company for each of the first
three (3) quarters in the form furnished to the Company's shareholders, (ii)
concurrently with furnishing to its shareholders, a balance sheet of the
Company as of the end of such fiscal year, together with statements of
operations, of shareholders' equity, and of cash flows of the Company for
such fiscal year, accompanied by a copy of the certificate or report thereon
of independent certified public accountants, (iii) as soon as they are
available, copies of all reports (financial or other) mailed to shareholders,
(iv) as soon as they are available, copies of all reports and financial
statements furnished to or filed with the Commission, any securities exchange
or the NASD, (v) every material press release and every material news item or
article in respect of the Company or its affairs which was generally released
to shareholders or prepared by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, and
(vi) any additional information of a public nature concerning the Company,
its subsidiaries or any of their businesses which you may reasonably request.
During such five (5) year period, if the Company shall have active
subsidiaries, the foregoing financial statements shall be on a consolidated
basis to the extent that the accounts of the Company and such subsidiaries
are consolidated, and shall be accompanied by similar financial statements
for any significant subsidiary which is not so consolidated.
(h) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of
the Shares being sold by it in the manner set forth under the caption "Use of
Proceeds" in the Prospectus.
(i) The Company will maintain a 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 its Common Stock.
(j) If the transactions contemplated hereby are not
consummated by reason of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the
Company to perform any agreement on its part to be performed hereunder or to
fulfill any condition of the Underwriters' obligations hereunder, or if the
Company shall terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, or
if the Underwriters shall terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section
11(b)(i), the Company will reimburse the several Underwriters for all
out-of-pocket expenses (including fees and disbursements of Underwriters'
Counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in investigating or
preparing to market or marketing the Shares.
(k) If at any time during the ninety (90) day period after
the Registration Statement becomes effective, any publication or event
relating to or involving the Company shall occur as a result of which in your
opinion the market price of the Common Stock has been or is likely to be
materially affected (regardless of whether such publication or event
necessitates a supplement to or amendment of the Prospectus), the Company
will, after written notice from you advising the Company to the effect set
forth above, forthwith consult with you concerning the substance of and
advisability of disseminating a press release or other public statement,
reasonably satisfactory to you, responding to or commenting on such
publication or event.
(l) For a period of twenty-five (25) days following the date
the Registration Statement is declared effective by the Commission, the
Company will not issue any press release or engage in any other publicity
without the Representatives' prior written consent, other than normal
customary releases issued in the ordinary course of the Company's business or
those releases required by law.
(m) During the Lock-Up Period, the Company will not, without
the prior written consent of BancBoston ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc., effect the
Disposition of, directly or indirectly, any Securities other than (i) the
sale of the Firm Shares and the Option Shares to be sold by the Company
hereunder, (ii) the Company's issuance of options or Common Stock under the
Company's presently authorized 1999 Employee Stock Purchase Plan or its
presently authorized WebSite Management Company, Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive
Plan (together, the "Option Plans"), (iii) issuances of Common Stock upon
conversion of presently outstanding convertible notes or Preferred Stock,
(iv) issuances of Common Stock upon exercise of presently outstanding
warrants and (v) issuances of Common Stock upon exercise of the Common Stock
Purchase Option dated January 15, 1999, presently held by ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Sachs & Co.
(n) During a period of ninety (90) days from the effective
date of the Registration Statement, the Company will not file a registration
statement registering shares under the Option Plans or any other employee
benefit plan.
(o) The Company will conduct its affairs in such a manner so
as to ensure that the Company will not be an "investment company" or a
company "controlled" by an "investment company" within the meaning of the
Investment Company Act.
5. EXPENSES.
(a) The Company agrees with each Underwriter that:
(i) The Company will pay and bear all costs and expenses
in connection with the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration
Statement (including financial statements, schedules and exhibits),
Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements
thereto; the printing of this Agreement, the Agreement Among Underwriters,
the Selected Dealer Agreement, the Preliminary Blue Sky Survey and any
Supplemental Blue Sky Survey, the Underwriters' Questionnaire and Power of
Attorney, and any
instruments related to any of the foregoing; the issuance and delivery of the
Shares hereunder to the several Underwriters, including transfer taxes, if
any; the cost of all certificates representing the Shares and transfer
agents' and registrars' fees; the fees and disbursements of counsel for the
Company; all fees and other charges of the Company's independent certified
public accountants; the cost of furnishing to the several Underwriters copies
of the Registration Statement (including appropriate exhibits), Preliminary
Prospectus and the Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements to any of
the foregoing; NASD filing fees and the cost of qualifying the Shares under
the laws of such jurisdictions as you may designate (including filing fees
and fees and disbursements of Underwriters' Counsel in connection with such
NASD filings and Blue Sky qualifications); and all other expenses directly
incurred by the Company in connection with the performance of its obligations
hereunder. The provisions of this Section 5(a)(i) are intended to relieve
the Underwriters from the payment of the expenses and costs which the Company
hereby agrees to pay.
(ii) In addition to its other obligations under Section
8(a) hereof, the Company agrees that, as an interim measure during the
pendency of any claim, action, investigation, inquiry or other proceeding
described in Section 8(a) hereof, it will reimburse the Underwriters on a
monthly basis for all reasonable legal or other expenses incurred in
connection with investigating or defending any such claim, action,
investigation, inquiry or other proceeding, notwithstanding the absence of a
judicial determination as to the propriety and enforceability of the
Company's obligation to reimburse the Underwriters for such expenses and the
possibility that such payments might later be held to have been improper by a
court of competent jurisdiction. To the extent that any such interim
reimbursement payment is so held to have been improper, the Underwriters
shall promptly return such payment to the Company together with interest,
compounded daily, determined on the basis of the prime rate (or other
commercial lending rate for borrowers of the highest credit standing) listed
from time to time in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL which represents the base rate
on corporate loans posted by a substantial majority of the nation's thirty
(30) largest banks (the "Prime Rate"). Any such interim reimbursement
payments which are not made to the Underwriters within thirty (30) days of a
request for reimbursement shall bear interest at the Prime Rate from the date
of such request.
(b) In addition to their other obligations under Section 8(b)
hereof, the Underwriters severally and not jointly agree that, as an interim
measure during the pendency of any claim, action, investigation, inquiry or
other proceeding described in Section 8(b) hereof, they will reimburse the
Company on a monthly basis for all reasonable legal or other expenses
incurred in connection with investigating or defending any such claim,
action, investigation, inquiry or other proceeding, notwithstanding the
absence of a judicial determination as to the propriety and enforceability of
the Underwriters' obligation to reimburse the Company for such expenses and
the possibility that such payments might later be held to have been improper
by a court of competent jurisdiction. To the extent that any such interim
reimbursement payment is so held to have been improper, the Company shall
promptly return such payment to the Underwriters together with interest,
compounded daily, determined on the basis of the Prime Rate. Any such
interim reimbursement payments which are not made to the Company within
thirty (30) days of a request for reimbursement shall bear interest at the
Prime Rate from the date of such request.
(c) It is agreed that any controversy arising out of the
operation of the interim reimbursement arrangements set forth in Sections
5(a)(ii) and 5(b) hereof, including the amounts of any requested
reimbursement payments, the method of determining such amounts and the basis
on which such amounts shall be apportioned among the reimbursing parties,
shall be settled by arbitration conducted under the provisions of the
Constitution and Rules of the Board of Governors of the New York Stock
Exchange, Inc. or pursuant to the Code of Arbitration Procedure of the NASD.
Any such arbitration must be commenced by service of a written demand for
arbitration or a written notice of intention to arbitrate, therein electing
the arbitration tribunal. In the event the party demanding arbitration does
not make such designation of an arbitration tribunal in such demand or
notice, then the party responding to said demand or notice is authorized to
do so. Any such arbitration will be limited to the operation of the interim
reimbursement provisions contained in Sections 5(a)(ii) and 5(b) hereof and
will not resolve the ultimate propriety or enforceability of the obligation
to indemnify for expenses which is created by the provisions of Sections 8(a)
and 8(b) hereof or the obligation to contribute to expenses which is created
by the provisions of Section 8(d) hereof.
6. CONDITIONS OF UNDERWRITERS' OBLIGATIONS. The obligations of the
several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Shares as provided herein
shall be subject to the accuracy, as of the date hereof and the Closing Date
and any later date on which Option Shares are to be purchased, as the case
may be, of the representations and warranties of the Company herein, to the
performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following
additional conditions:
(a) The Registration Statement shall have become effective
not later than 2:00 P.M., San Francisco time, on the date following the date
of this Agreement, or such later date as shall be consented to in writing by
you; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness thereof shall have been
issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been initiated or, to
the knowledge of the Company or any Underwriter, threatened by the
Commission, and any request of the Commission for additional information (to
be included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise)
shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of Underwriters'
Counsel.
(b) All corporate proceedings and other legal matters in
connection with this Agreement, the form of Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, and the registration, authorization, issue, sale and delivery of
the Shares, shall have been reasonably satisfactory to Underwriters' Counsel,
and such counsel shall have been furnished with such papers and information
as they may reasonably have requested to enable them to pass upon the matters
referred to in this Section.
(c) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this
Agreement and prior to the Closing Date, or any later date on which Option
Shares are to be purchased, as the case may be, there shall not have been any
change in the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, operations,
business or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered
as one enterprise from that set forth in the Registration Statement or
Prospectus, which, in your sole judgment, is material and adverse and that
makes it, in your sole judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with
the public offering of the Shares as contemplated by the Prospectus.
(d) You shall have received on the Closing Date and on any
later date on which Option Shares are to be purchased, as the case may be,
the following opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Hanger, L.L.P., counsel for the Company,
dated the Closing Date or such later date on which Option Shares are to be
purchased addressed to the Underwriters and with reproduced copies or signed
counterparts thereof for each of the Underwriters, to the effect that:
(i) The Company and each Significant Subsidiary (as
that term is defined in Regulation S-X of the Act) has been duly incorporated
and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of
the State of Texas;
(ii) The Company and each Significant Subsidiary has
the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties
and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus;
(iii) The Company and each Significant Subsidiary is
duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good
standing in each jurisdiction, if any, in which the ownership or leasing of
its properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification,
except where the failure to be so qualified or to be in good standing would
not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise),
earnings, operations or business of the Company and its subsidiaries
considered as one enterprise;
(iv) To such counsel's knowledge, the Company does not
own or control, directly or indirectly, any stock or other ownership interest
in any corporation, association or other entity other than all of the issued
and outstanding capital stock of each of FlashNet Marketing, Inc. and
FlashNet Telecom, Inc.;
(v) The authorized, issued and outstanding capital
stock of the Company is as set forth in the Prospectus under the caption
"Capitalization" as of the date stated therein, and the issued and
outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly
issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, to such counsel's
knowledge, will not have been issued in violation of or subject to any
preemptive right, co-sale right, registration right, right of first refusal
or other similar right;
(vi) All issued and outstanding shares of capital stock
of each Significant Subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and
validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, to such counsel's
knowledge, have not been issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive
right, co-sale right, registration right, right of first refusal or other
similar right and, except as disclosed in the Prospectus, are owned by the
Company free and clear of any pledge, lien, security interest, encumbrance,
claim or equitable interest;
(vii) The Firm Shares or the Option Shares, as the case
may be, to be issued by the Company pursuant to the terms of this Agreement
have been duly authorized
and, upon issuance and delivery against payment therefor in accordance with
the terms hereof, will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and
nonassessable, and will not have been issued in violation of or subject to
any preemptive right, co-sale right, registration right, right of first
refusal or other similar right;
(viii) The Company has the corporate power and authority
to enter into this Agreement and to issue, sell and deliver to the
Underwriters the Shares to be issued and sold by it hereunder;
(ix) The information in the Prospectus under the
captions "Description of Capital Stock," to the extent that it constitutes a
summary of matters of law or legal conclusions, has been reviewed by such
counsel and is a fair summary of such matters and conclusions; and the form
of certificate evidencing the Common Stock and filed as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement complies with Texas law;
(x) The description in the Registration Statement and
the Prospectus of the Restated Articles of Incorporation and bylaws of the
Company and of statutes are accurate and fairly present the information
required to be presented by the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations;
(xi) To such counsel's knowledge, there are no
agreements, contracts, leases or documents to which the Company is a party
of a character required to be described or referred to in the Registration
Statement or Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement which are not described or referred to therein or filed as required;
(xii) The performance of this Agreement and the
consummation of the transactions herein contemplated (other than performance
of the Company's indemnification obligations hereunder, concerning which no
opinion need be expressed) will not (a) result in any violation of the
Company's Restated Articles of Incorporation or bylaws or (b) result in a
material breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or
constitute a default under, any bond, debenture, note or other evidence of
indebtedness, or any lease, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust,
loan agreement, joint venture or other agreement or instrument known to such
counsel to which the Company is a party or by which its properties are bound,
or any applicable statute, rule or regulation, or any order, writ or decree
of any court, government or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction
over the Company or over any of its subsidiaries, or over their properties or
operations (other than statutes, rules, regulations, orders, writs or decrees
relating to the Company's regulatory compliance and covered by the opinion of
counsel referenced in Section 6(e));
(xiii) No consent, approval, authorization or order or
qualification with any court, government or governmental agency or body
having jurisdiction over the Company or over any of its subsidiaries or over
any of their properties or operations is necessary in connection with the
consummation by the Company of the transactions herein contemplated
(other than consents, approvals, authorizations, orders or qualifications
relating to the Company's regulatory compliance and covered by the opinion of
counsel referenced in Section 6(e)), except such as have been obtained under
the Act or such as may be required under state or other securities or Blue
Sky laws in connection with the purchase and the distribution of the Shares
by the Underwriters;
(xiv) To such counsel's knowledge, there are no legal or
governmental proceedings pending or threatened against the Company or any of
its subsidiaries of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus by the Act or the Rules and Regulations, other
than those described therein;
(xv) To such counsel's knowledge, neither the Company
nor any of its subsidiaries is presently in material violation of (a) its
respective Articles of Incorporation or bylaws, (b) any applicable statute,
rule or regulation or (c) any order, writ or decree of any court or
governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or over any
of its subsidiaries, or over any of their properties or operations; and
(xvi) To such counsel's knowledge, except as set forth
in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, no holders of Common Stock or
other securities of the Company have registration rights with respect to
securities of the Company and, except as set forth in the Registration
Statement and Prospectus, all holders of securities of the Company having
rights known to such counsel to registration of such shares of Common Stock
or other securities, because of the filing of the Registration Statement by
the Company have, with respect to the offering contemplated thereby, waived
such rights or such rights have expired by reason of lapse of time following
notification of the Company's intent to file the Registration Statement or
have included securities in the Registration Statement pursuant to the
exercise of and in full satisfaction of such rights.
In addition, you shall have received on the Closing Date and on any later
date on which Option Shares are to be purchased, as the case may be, the
following opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Phleger & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, special securities
counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date or such later date on which
Option Shares are to be purchased addressed to the Underwriters and with
reproduced copies or signed counterparts thereof for each of the
Underwriters, to the effect that:
(i) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed
and delivered by the Company, and assuming the due authorization, execution
and delivery thereof by you, is a valid and binding agreement of the Company,
enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other
similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights and remedies
generally, and subject, as to enforceability, to general equitable principles
(whether relief is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity) and except as
rights to indemnification thereunder may be limited by applicable law or
public policy relating thereto;
(ii) The Registration Statement has been duly
authorized and executed by the Company and the filing of such document with
the Commission has been duly authorized by the Company;
(iii) The Registration Statement has become effective
under the Act and, to such counsel's knowledge, no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no
proceedings for that purpose are pending before or contemplated by the
Commission;
(iv) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and
each amendment or supplement thereto (other than the consolidated financial
statements (including supporting schedules) and notes thereto and other
financial and statistical data derived therefrom as to which such counsel
need express no opinion), as of the effective date of the Registration
Statement, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements
of the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations;
(v) The Shares have been approved for quotation on The
Nasdaq National Market, upon issuance as contemplated by this Agreement; and
(vi) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the
offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds therefrom
as described in the Prospectus, will not be, an "investment company" or a
person "controlled" by an "investment company" within the meaning of the 1940
Act.
In addition, each of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Phleger & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ &
Hanger, L.L.P. shall state that it has participated in conferences with
officials and other representatives of the Company, the Representatives,
Underwriters' Counsel and the independent certified public accountants of the
Company, at which conferences the contents of the Registration Statement and
Prospectus and related matters were discussed, and although it has not
verified the accuracy or completeness of the statements contained in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus and is not an expert on FCC
regulatory matters or issues, nothing has come to the attention of such
counsel which leads it to believe that, at the time the Registration
Statement became effective and at all times subsequent thereto up to and on
the Closing Date and on any later date on which Option Shares are to be
purchased, the Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto
(other than the financial statements including supporting schedules and notes
thereto and other financial and statistical information derived therefrom, as
to which such counsel need express no comment) contained any untrue statement
of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or at the
Closing Date or any later date on which the Option Shares are to be
purchased, as the case may be, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus
and any amendment or supplement thereto (except as aforesaid) contained any
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
Counsel rendering the foregoing opinions may rely as to questions
of law not involving the laws of the United States or the State of Texas upon
opinions of local counsel, as to questions of law addressed by special
regulatory counsel upon the opinion of such counsel, and as to questions of
fact upon representations or certificates of officers of the Company and of
government officials, in which case their opinion is to state that they are
so relying and that they have no knowledge of any material misstatement or
inaccuracy in any such opinion, representation or certificate. Copies of any
opinion, representation or certificate so relied upon shall be delivered to
you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, and to Underwriters' Counsel.
(e) You shall have received on the Closing Date and on any
later date on which Option Shares are to be purchased, as the case may be,
the following opinion of ______________, special regulatory counsel for the
Company, dated the Closing Date or such later date on which Option Shares are
to be purchased addressed to the Underwriters and with reproduced copies or
signed counterparts thereof for each of the Underwriters, to the effect that:
(i) The information in the Prospectus under the captions
"Risk Factors--Government Regulation" and "Business--Government Regulation,"
to the extent that it constitutes a summary of matters of law or legal
conclusions, has been reviewed by such counsel and is a fair summary of such
matters and conclusions.
(ii) With respect to the Company's regulatory compliance,
the performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions
herein contemplated (other than performance of the Company's indemnification
obligations hereunder, concerning which no opinion need be expressed) will
not result in a material breach or violation of any of the terms and
provisions of, or constitute a default under any applicable statute, rule or
regulation, or any order, writ or decree of any court, government or
governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or over any
of its subsidiaries or over their respective properties or operations; and
(iii) With respect to the Company's regulatory compliance,
no consent, approval, authorization or order or qualification with any court,
government or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the
Company or over any of its subsidiaries or over any of their properties or
operations is necessary in connection with the consummation by the Company of
the transactions herein contemplated.
(f) You shall have received on the Closing Date and on any
later date on which Option Shares are to be purchased, as the case may be, an
opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Professional Corporation, in
form and substance satisfactory to you, with respect to the sufficiency of
all such corporate proceedings and other legal matters relating to this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby as you may reasonably
require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents
as they may have requested for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such
matters.
(g) You shall have received on the Closing Date and on any
later date on which Option Shares are to be purchased, as the case may be, a
letter from Deloitte & Touche LLP addressed to the Underwriters, dated the
Closing Date or such later date on which Option Shares are to be purchased,
as the case may be, confirming that they are independent certified public
accountants with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and the
applicable published Rules and Regulations and based upon the procedures
described in such letter delivered to you concurrently with the execution of
this Agreement (herein called the "Original Letter"), but carried out to a
date not more than five (5) business days prior to the Closing Date or such
later date on which Option Shares are to be purchased, as the case may be,
(i) confirming, to the extent true, that the statements and conclusions set
forth in the Original Letter are accurate as of the Closing Date or such
later date on which Option Shares are to be purchased, as the case may be,
and (ii) setting forth any revisions and additions to the statements and
conclusions set forth in the Original Letter which are necessary to reflect
any changes in the facts described in the Original Letter since the date of
such letter, or to reflect the availability of more recent financial
statements, data or information. The letter shall not disclose any change in
the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business or
business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise from that set forth in the Registration Statement or Prospectus,
which, in your sole judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in
your sole judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public
offering of the Shares as contemplated by the Prospectus. The Original
Letter from Deloitte & Touche LLP shall be addressed to or for the use of the
Underwriters in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters and shall
(i) represent, to the extent true, that they are independent certified public
accountants with respect to the Company within the meaning
of the Act and the applicable published Rules and Regulations, (ii) set forth
their opinion with respect to their examination of the consolidated balance
sheets of the Company as of December 31, 1998 and 1997, and the related
consolidated statements of operations, shareholders' equity, and cash flows
for the twelve (12) months ended December 31, 1998, 1997 and 1996, (iii)
state that Deloitte & Touche LLP has performed the procedures set out in
Statement on Auditing Standards No. 71 ("SAS 71") for a review of interim
financial information and providing the report of Deloitte & Touche LLP as
described in SAS 71 on the financial statements for each of the quarters in
the eight-quarter period ended December 31, 1998 (the "Interim and Quarterly
Financial Statements"), (iv) state that in the course of such review, nothing
came to their attention that leads them to believe that any material
modifications need to be made to any of the Interim and Quarterly Financial
Statements in order for them to be in compliance with generally accepted
accounting principles consistently applied across the periods presented, and
(v) address other matters agreed upon by Deloitte & Touche LLP and you. In
addition, you shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP a letter
addressed to the Company and made available to you for the use of the
Underwriters stating that their review of the Company's system of internal
accounting controls, to the extent they deemed necessary in establishing the
scope of their examination of the Company's consolidated financial statements
as of December 31, 1998, did not disclose any weaknesses in internal controls
that they considered to be material weaknesses.
(h) You shall have received on the Closing Date and on any
later date on which Option Shares are to be purchased, as the case may be, a
certificate of the Company, dated the Closing Date or such later date on
which Option Shares are to be purchased, as the case may be, signed by the
Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to
the effect that, and you shall be satisfied 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 any later date on which Option Shares are to be purchased, as the
case may be, except where the representation or warranty explicitly is made
as of another date, and the Company has complied with all the agreements and
satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or
prior to the Closing Date or any later date on which Option Shares are to be
purchased, as the case may be;
(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose
have been instituted or are pending or threatened under the Act;
(iii) When the Registration Statement became effective
and at all times subsequent thereto up to the delivery of such certificate,
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and any amendments or
supplements thereto, contained all material information required to be
included therein by the Act and the Rules and Regulations and in all material
respects conformed to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and
Regulations; the Registration Statement, and any amendment or supplement
thereto, did not and does not include 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; the Prospectus, and any
amendment or supplement thereto, did not and does not include 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; and, since the effective date of the
Registration Statement, there has occurred no event required to be set forth
in an amended or supplemented Prospectus which has not been so set forth; and
(iv) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, there has
not been (a) any material adverse change in the condition (financial or
otherwise), earnings, operations, business or business prospects of the
Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, (b) any
transaction that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries considered
as one enterprise, except transactions entered into in the ordinary course of
business, (c) any obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the
Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise that has been
incurred by the Company or its subsidiaries, except obligations incurred in
the ordinary course of business, (d) any change in the capital stock or
outstanding indebtedness of the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is
material to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise,
(e) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared,
paid or made on the capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries,
or (f) any loss or damage (whether or not insured) to the property of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries which has been sustained or will have been
sustained which has a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or
otherwise), earnings, operations, business or business prospects of the
Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise.
(i) The Company shall have obtained and delivered to you an
agreement from each officer and director of the Company, each beneficial
owner of any shares of Common Stock and each holder of any option or other
right to purchase or receive shares of Common Stock (other than _________) in
writing prior to the date hereof that such person will not, during the
Lock-up Period, effect the Disposition of any Securities now owned or
hereafter acquired directly by such person or with respect to which such
person has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition, otherwise than (i)
as a bona fide gift or gifts, provided the donee or donees thereof agree in
writing to be bound by this restriction, (ii) as a distribution to partners
or shareholders of such person, provided that the distributees thereof agree
in writing to be bound by the terms of this restriction, or (iii) with the
prior written consent of BancBoston ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc. The foregoing
restriction shall have been expressly agreed to preclude the holder of the
Securities from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is
designed to or reasonably expected to lead to or result in a Disposition of
Securities during the Lock-up Period, even if such Securities would be
disposed of by someone other than the such holder. Such prohibited hedging
or other transactions would include, without limitation, any short sale
(whether or not against the box) or any purchase, sale or grant of any right
(including, without limitation, any put or call option) with respect to any
Securities or with respect to any security (other than a broad-based market
basket or index) that includes, relates to or derives any significant part of
its value from Securities. Such person will have also agreed and consented
to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company's transfer agent
against the transfer of the Securities held by such person except in
compliance with this restriction. Furthermore, such person will have also
agreed that, without the prior written consent of BancBoston ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc., such person will not, during the period ending with the
conclusion of the Lock-Up Period, make any demand for or exercise any right
with respect to, the registration of any Securities.
(j) The Company shall have furnished to you such further
certificates and documents as you shall reasonably request (including
certificates of officers of the Company) as to the accuracy of the
representations and warranties of the Company herein, as to the performance
by the Company of its obligations hereunder and as to the other conditions
concurrent and precedent to the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder.
All such opinions, certificates, letters and documents will be in
compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are reasonably
satisfactory to Underwriters' Counsel. The Company will furnish you with
such number of conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and
documents as you shall reasonably request.
7. OPTION SHARES.
(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties and
agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein
set forth, the Company hereby grants to the several Underwriters, for the
purpose of covering over-allotments in connection with the distribution and
sale of the Firm Shares only, a nontransferable option to purchase up to an
aggregate of ____________ Option Shares at the purchase price per share for
the Firm Shares set forth in Section 3 hereof. Such option may be exercised
by the Representatives on behalf of the several Underwriters on one (1) or
more occasions in whole or in part during the period of thirty (30) days
after the date on which the Firm Shares are initially offered to the public,
by giving written notice to the Company. The number of Option Shares to be
purchased by each Underwriter upon the exercise of such option shall be the
same proportion of the total number of Option Shares to be purchased by the
several Underwriters pursuant to the exercise of such option as the number of
Firm Shares purchased by such Underwriter (set forth in Schedule A hereto)
bears to the total number of Firm Shares purchased by the several
Underwriters (set forth in Schedule A hereto), adjusted by the
Representatives in such manner as to avoid fractional shares.
Delivery of definitive certificates for the Option Shares to be
purchased by the several
Underwriters pursuant to the exercise of the option granted by this Section 7
shall be made against payment of the purchase price therefor by the several
Underwriters by federal or other funds immediately available in San
Francisco. In the event of any breach of the foregoing, the Company shall
reimburse the Underwriters for the interest lost and any other expenses borne
by them by reason of such breach. Such delivery and payment shall take place
at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Hanger, L.L.P., ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇, or at such other place as may be agreed upon among
the Representatives and the Company (i) on the Closing Date, if written
notice of the exercise of such option is received by the Company at least two
(2) full business days prior to the Closing Date, or (ii) on a date which
shall not be later than the third (3rd) full business day following the date
the Company receives written notice of the exercise of such option, if such
notice is received by the Company less than two (2) full business days prior
to the Closing Date.
The certificates for the Option Shares to be so delivered will be
made available to you at such office or such other location including,
without limitation, in New York City, as you may reasonably request for
checking at least one (1) full business day prior to the date of payment and
delivery and will be in such names and denominations as you may request, such
request to be made at least two (2) full business days prior to such date of
payment and delivery. If the Representatives so elect, delivery of the
Option Shares may be made by credit through full fast transfer to accounts at
The Depository Trust Company designated by the Representatives.
It is understood that you, individually, and not as the
Representatives of the several Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated
to) make payment of the purchase price on behalf of any Underwriter or
Underwriters whose funds shall not have been received by you prior to the
date of payment and delivery for the Option Shares to be purchased by such
Underwriter or Underwriters. Any such payment by you shall not relieve any
such Underwriter or Underwriters of any of its or their obligations hereunder.
(b) Upon exercise of any option provided for in Section 7(a)
hereof, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase such Option
Shares will be subject (as of the date hereof and as of the date of payment
and delivery for such Option Shares) to the accuracy of and compliance with
the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein, to the
accuracy of the statements of the Company, and officers of the Company made
pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its
obligations hereunder, to the conditions set forth in Section 6 hereof, and
to the condition that all proceedings taken at or prior to the payment date
in connection with the sale and transfer of such Option Shares shall be
satisfactory in form and substance to you and to Underwriters' Counsel, and
you shall have been furnished with all such documents, certificates and
opinions as you may reasonably request in order to evidence the accuracy and
completeness of any of the representations, warranties or statements, the
performance of any of the covenants or agreements of the Company or the
satisfaction of any of the conditions herein contained.
8. INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each
Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or
several, to which such Underwriter may become subject (including, without
limitation, in its capacity as an Underwriter or as a "qualified independent
underwriter" within the meaning of Schedule E of the Bylaws of the NASD),
under the Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, specifically including, but not
limited to, losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect
thereof) arising out of or based upon (i) any breach of any representation,
warranty, agreement or covenant of the Company herein contained, (ii) any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained
in the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, or the
omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or
(iii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact
contained in any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or
supplement thereto, or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading, and agrees to reimburse each Underwriter for any legal
or other expenses reasonably incurred by it in connection with investigating
or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER,
that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any
such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of or is based upon
an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission made in the Registration Statement, such Preliminary Prospectus or
the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement thereto, in reliance
upon, and in conformity with, written information relating to any Underwriter
furnished to the Company by such Underwriter, directly or through you,
specifically for use in the preparation thereof; and PROVIDED, FURTHER, that
the indemnity agreement provided for in this Section 8(a) with respect to any
Preliminary Prospectus shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter from
whom the person asserting any losses, claims, charges, liabilities or
litigation based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of
material fact or omission or alleged omission to state therein a material
fact purchased Shares, if a copy of the Prospectus in which such untrue or
alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was corrected has
not been sent or given to such person within the time required by the Act and
the Rules and Regulations thereunder, unless such failure is the result of
noncompliance by the Company with Section 4(d) hereof.
The indemnity agreement in this Section 8(a) shall extend upon the same
terms and conditions to, and shall inure to the benefit of, each person, if
any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act or the
Exchange Act. This indemnity agreement shall be in addition to any
liabilities which the Company may otherwise have.
(b) Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any losses, claims, damages
or liabilities, joint or several, to which the Company may become subject
under the Act or otherwise, specifically including, but not limited to,
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof)
arising out of or based upon (i) any breach of any representation, warranty,
agreement or covenant of such Underwriter herein contained, (ii) any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the
Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, or the
omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or
(iii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact
contained in any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or
supplement thereto, or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in the case of
subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) of this Section 8(b) to the extent, but only to
the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or
omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter, directly or
through you, specifically for use in the preparation thereof, and agrees to
reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by
the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such loss,
claim, damage, liability or action.
The indemnity agreement in this Section 8(b) shall extend upon the
same terms and conditions to, and shall inure to the benefit of, each officer
of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and each director of the
Company and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning
of the Act or the Exchange Act. This indemnity agreement shall be in
addition to any liabilities which each Underwriter may otherwise have.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this
Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party
shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying
party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the
commencement thereof but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party
will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified
party otherwise than under this Section 8. In case any such action is
brought against any indemnified party, and it notified the indemnifying party
of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to
participate therein and, to the extent that it shall 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; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
that if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party
and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably
concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other
indemnified parties which are
different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party,
the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate
counsel to assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the
defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon
receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of
the indemnifying party's election so to assume the defense of such action and
approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not
be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 8 for any legal or
other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection
with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed
separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the next preceding
sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not
be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with
appropriate local counsel) approved by the indemnifying party representing
all the indemnified parties under Section 8(a) or 8(b) hereof who are parties
to such action), (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel
satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party
within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action or (iii)
the indemnifying party shall have authorized the employment of counsel for
the indemnified party at the expense of the indemnifying party. In no event
shall any indemnifying party be liable in respect of any amounts paid in
settlement of any action unless the indemnifying party shall have approved
the terms of such settlement; PROVIDED, that such consent shall not be
unreasonably withheld. 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 indemnification could have been sought
hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an
unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on all
claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.
(d) In order to provide for just and equitable contribution
in any action in which a claim for indemnification is made pursuant to this
Section 8 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 this Section 8
provides for indemnification in such case, all the parties hereto shall
contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which
they may be subject (after contribution from others) in such proportion so
that, except as set forth in Section 8(e) hereof, the Underwriters severally
and not jointly are responsible pro rata for the portion represented by the
percentage that the underwriting discount bears to the initial public
offering price, and the Company is responsible for the remaining portion,
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that (i) no Underwriter shall be required to contribute
any amount in excess of the amount by which the underwriting discount
applicable to the Shares purchased by such Underwriter exceeds the amount of
damages which such Underwriter has otherwise required to pay and (ii) no
person guilty of a fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of
Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person
who is not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The contribution
agreement in this Section 8(d) shall extend upon the same terms and
conditions to, and shall inure to the benefit of, each person, if any, who
controls any Underwriter or the Company within the meaning of the Act or the
Exchange Act and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration
Statement and each director of the Company.
(e) The parties to this Agreement hereby acknowledge that
they are sophisticated business persons who were represented by counsel
during the negotiations regarding the provisions hereof including, without
limitation, the provisions of this Section 8, and are fully informed
regarding said provisions. They further acknowledge that the provisions of
this Section 8 fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the
parties to investigate the Company and its business in order to assure that
adequate disclosure is made in the Registration Statement and Prospectus as
required by the Act.
9. REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS TO SURVIVE
DELIVERY. All representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of the
Company and the Underwriters herein or in certificates delivered pursuant
hereto, and the indemnity and contribution agreements contained in Section 8
hereof shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any
investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any person
controlling any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act or the Exchange
Act, or by or on behalf of the Company, or any of their respective officers,
directors or controlling persons within the meaning of the Act or the
Exchange Act, and shall survive the delivery of the Shares to the several
Underwriters hereunder or the termination
of this Agreement.
10. SUBSTITUTION OF UNDERWRITERS. If any Underwriter or Underwriters
shall fail to take up and pay for the number of Firm Shares agreed by such
Underwriter or Underwriters to be purchased hereunder upon tender of such
Firm Shares in accordance with the terms hereof, and if the aggregate number
of Firm Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters so agreed
but failed to purchase does not exceed 10% of the Firm Shares, the remaining
Underwriters shall be obligated, severally in proportion to their respective
commitments hereunder, to take up and pay for the Firm Shares of such
defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters.
If any Underwriter or Underwriters so defaults and the aggregate
number of Firm Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters
agreed but failed to take up and pay for exceeds 10% of the Firm Shares, the
remaining Underwriters shall have the right, but shall not be obligated, to
take up and pay for (in such proportions as may be agreed upon among them)
the Firm Shares which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters so agreed
but failed to purchase. If such remaining Underwriters do not, at the
Closing Date, take up and pay for the Firm Shares which the defaulting
Underwriter or Underwriters so agreed but failed to purchase, the Closing
Date shall be postponed for twenty-four (24) hours to allow the several
Underwriters the privilege of substituting within twenty-four (24) hours
(including non-business hours) another underwriter or underwriters (which may
include any nondefaulting Underwriter) satisfactory to the Company. If no
such underwriter or underwriters shall have been substituted as aforesaid by
such postponed Closing Date, the Closing Date may, at the option of the
Company, be postponed for a further twenty-four (24) hours, if necessary, to
allow the Company the privilege of finding another underwriter or
underwriters, satisfactory to you, to purchase the Firm Shares which the
defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters so agreed but failed to purchase. If
it shall be arranged for the remaining Underwriters or substituted
underwriter or underwriters to take up the Firm Shares of the defaulting
Underwriter or Underwriters as provided in this Section 10, (i) the Company
shall have the right to postpone the time of delivery for a period of not
more than seven (7) full business days, in order to effect whatever changes
may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees
promptly to file any amendments to the Registration Statement, supplements to
the Prospectus or other such documents which may thereby be made necessary,
and (ii) the respective number of Firm Shares to be purchased by the
remaining Underwriters and substituted underwriter or underwriters shall be
taken as the basis of their underwriting obligation. If the remaining
Underwriters shall not take up and pay for all such Firm Shares so agreed to
be purchased by the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters or substitute
another underwriter or underwriters as aforesaid and the Company shall not
find or shall not elect to seek another underwriter or underwriters for such
Firm Shares as aforesaid, then this Agreement shall terminate.
In the event of any termination of this Agreement pursuant to the
preceding paragraph of this Section 10, the Company shall not be liable to
any Underwriter (except as provided in Sections 5 and 8 hereof) nor shall any
Underwriter (other than an Underwriter who shall have failed, otherwise than
for some reason permitted under this Agreement, to purchase the number of
Firm Shares agreed by such Underwriter to be purchased hereunder, which
Underwriter shall remain liable to the Company and the other Underwriters for
damages, if any, resulting from such default) be liable to the Company
(except to the extent provided in Sections 5 and 8 hereof).
The term "Underwriter" in this Agreement shall include any person
substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.
11. EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS AGREEMENT AND TERMINATION.
(a) This Agreement shall become effective at the earlier of
(i) 6:30 A.M., San Francisco time, on the first business day following the
effective date of the Registration Statement, or (ii) the time of the initial
public offering of any of the Shares by the Underwriters after the
Registration Statement becomes effective. The time of the initial public
offering shall mean the time of the release by you, for publication, of the
first newspaper advertisement relating to the Shares, or the time at which
the Shares are first generally offered by the Underwriters to the public by
letter, telephone, telegram or telecopy, whichever shall first occur. By
giving notice as set forth in
Section 12 before the time this Agreement becomes effective, you, as
Representatives of the several Underwriters, or the Company, may prevent this
Agreement from becoming effective without liability of any party to any other
party, except as provided in Sections 4(i), 5 and 8 hereof.
(b) You, as Representatives of the several Underwriters,
shall have the right to terminate this Agreement by giving notice as
hereinafter specified at any time on or prior to the Closing Date or on or
prior to any later date on which Option Shares are to be purchased, as the
case may be, (i) if the Company shall have failed, refused or been unable to
perform any agreement on its part to be performed, or because any other
condition of the Underwriters' obligations hereunder required to be fulfilled
is not fulfilled, including, without limitation, any change in the condition
(financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business or business
prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise
from that set forth in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, which, in
your sole judgment, is material and adverse, or (ii) if additional material
governmental restrictions, not in force and effect on the date hereof, shall
have been imposed upon trading in securities generally or minimum or maximum
prices shall have been generally established on the New York Stock Exchange
or on the American Stock Exchange or in the over the counter market by the
NASD, or trading in securities generally shall have been suspended on either
such exchange or in the over the counter market by the NASD, or if a banking
moratorium shall have been declared by federal, New York, California or Texas
authorities, or (iii) if the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike,
fire, flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as to
interfere materially with the conduct of the business and operations of the
Company regardless of whether or not such loss shall have been insured, or
(iv) if there shall have been a material adverse change in the general
political or economic conditions or financial markets as in your reasonable
judgment makes it inadvisable or impracticable to proceed with the offering,
sale and delivery of the Shares, or (v) if there shall have been an outbreak
or escalation of hostilities or of any other insurrection or armed conflict
or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency which, in the
reasonable opinion of the Representatives, makes it impracticable or
inadvisable to proceed with the public offering of the Shares as contemplated
by the Prospectus. In the event of termination pursuant to subparagraph (i)
above, the Company shall remain obligated to pay costs and expenses pursuant
to Sections 4(i), 5 and 8 hereof. Any termination pursuant to any of
subparagraphs (ii) through (v) above shall be without liability of any party
to any other party except as provided in Sections 5 and 8 hereof.
If you elect to prevent this Agreement from becoming effective or
to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 11, you shall
promptly notify the Company by telephone, telecopy or telegram, in each case
confirmed by letter. If the Company shall elect to prevent this Agreement
from becoming effective, the Company shall promptly notify you by telephone,
telecopy or telegram, in each case, confirmed by letter.
12. NOTICES. All notices or communications hereunder, except as herein
otherwise specifically provided, shall be in writing and if sent to you shall
be mailed, delivered, telegraphed (and confirmed by letter) or telecopied
(and confirmed by letter) to you c/o BancBoston ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc., ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, telecopier
number (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Attention: General Counsel; if sent to the Company,
such notice shall be mailed, delivered, telegraphed (and confirmed by letter)
or telecopied (and confirmed by letter) to ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, telecopier number (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Attention: M.
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, President.
13. PARTIES. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be
binding upon the several Underwriters and the Company and their respective
executors, administrators, successors and assigns. Nothing expressed or
mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any
person or entity, other than the parties hereto and their respective
executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and the controlling
persons within the meaning of the Act or the Exchange Act, officers and
directors referred to in Section 8 hereof, any legal or equitable right,
remedy or claim in respect of this Agreement or any provisions herein
contained, this Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof being
intended to be and being for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties
hereto and their respective executors, administrators, successors and assigns
and said controlling persons and said officers and directors, and for the
benefit of no other person or entity. No purchaser of any of the Shares from
any Underwriter shall be construed a successor or assign by reason merely of
such purchase.
In all dealings with the Company under this Agreement, you shall
act on behalf of each of the several Underwriters, and the Company shall be
entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement
made or given by you jointly or by BancBoston ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc. on
behalf of you.
14. APPLICABLE LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed
in accordance with, the laws of the State of California.
15. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be signed in several
counterparts, each of which will constitute an original.
[Signature page follows]
If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding among the
Company and the several Underwriters, please so indicate in the space
provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a
binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters.
Very truly yours,
FLASHNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
By:
▇. ▇▇▇ Thurburn
Chief Executive Officer
Accepted as of the date first above written:
BANCBOSTON ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ INC.
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & CO.
EVEREN SECURITIES, INC.
On their behalf and on behalf of each of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto.
By: BANCBOSTON ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ INC.
By:
Authorized Signatory
SCHEDULE A
NUMBER OF
FIRM SHARES
TO BE PURCHASED
---------------
UNDERWRITERS
------------
BancBoston ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc.
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.
EVEREN Securities, Inc.
Total