EXHIBIT 1.1
NEI WEBWORLD, INC.
1,000,000 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK AND
1,000,000 REDEEMABLE COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANTS
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
----------------------
Dallas, Texas
, 1997
----------
First London Securities Corporation
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Gentlemen:
NEI WebWorld, Inc. (the "Company"), on the basis of the representations,
warranties, covenants and conditions contained herein, hereby proposes to issue
and sell to such Underwriters as named in Schedule A (the "Underwriters") to
this Underwriting Agreement (the "Agreement"), for whom First London Securities
Corporation is acting as the representative (the "Representative"), pursuant to
the terms of this Agreement, on a "firm commitment" basis, 1,000,000 shares of
Common Stock (the "Shares") at $____ per Share and 1,000,000 Redeemable Common
Stock Purchase Warrants (the "Warrants") at $____ per Warrant. The Shares and
the Warrants are collectively referred to as the "Securities". Each Warrant is
exercisable to purchase one (1) share of Common Stock (the "Common Stock") at
the Initial Public Offering Price per share at any time during the period
between the Effective Date and five (5) years from the Effective Date. The date
upon which the Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") shall declare
the registration statement of the Company effective shall be the "Effective
Date". The Warrants are subject to redemption under certain circumstances. In
addition, the Company proposes to grant to the Underwriters (or, at the option
of the Representative, to the Representative, individually) the option referred
to in Section 2(b) to purchase all or any part of an aggregate of 150,000
additional Shares and/or 150,000 additional Warrants (the "Option Securities").
You have advised the Company that you and the other Underwriters desire to
purchase, severally, the Securities, and that you have been authorized by the
Underwriters to execute this Agreement on their behalf. The Company confirms the
agreements made by it with respect to the purchase of the Securities by the
several Underwriters on whose behalf you are signing this Agreement, as follows:
1
1. Representations and Warranties of the Company.
---------------------------------------------
The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with each of the
Underwriters as of the Effective Date (as defined above), the Closing Date (as
hereinafter defined) and the Option Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) that:
(a) A registration statement (File No. 333-_______) on Form SB-2
relating to the public offering of the Securities, including a preliminary form
of the prospectus, copies of which have heretofore been delivered to you, has
been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and the rules and regulations
(the "Rules and Regulations") of the Commission thereunder, and has been filed
with the Commission under the Act. The Company has prepared in the same manner
and proposes to file, prior to the Effective Date of such registration
statement, an additional amendment or amendments to such registration statement,
including a final form of Prospectus, copies of which shall be delivered to you.
"Preliminary Prospectus" shall mean each prospectus filed pursuant to the Rules
and Regulations under the Act prior to the Effective Date. The registration
statement (including all financial schedules and exhibits) as amended at the
time it becomes effective and the final prospectus included therein are
respectively referred to as the "Registration Statement" and the "Prospectus",
except that (i) if the prospectus first filed by the Company pursuant to Rule
424(b) of the Rules and Regulations shall differ from said prospectus as then
amended, the term "Prospectus" shall mean the prospectus first filed pursuant to
Rule 424(b), and (ii) if such registration statement or prospectus is amended or
such prospectus is supplemented, after the effective date of such registration
statement and prior to the Option Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) , the
terms "Registration Statement" and "Prospectus" shall include such registration
statement and prospectus as so amended, and the term "Prospectus" shall include
the prospectus as so supplemented, or both, as the case may be.
(b) At the Effective Date and at all times subsequent thereto up to
the Option Closing Date, if any, and during such longer period as the Prospectus
may be required to be delivered in connection with sales by the Underwriters or
Selected Dealers: (i) the Registration Statement and Prospectus will in all
respects conform to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations;
and (ii) neither the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus will include any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they are made, not misleading; provided, however, that
the Company makes no representations, warranties or agreement as to information
contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or Prospectus in
reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the
Company by the Underwriters specifically for use in the preparation thereof. It
is understood that the statements set forth in the Prospectus with respect to
stabilization, under the heading "Underwriting" and regarding the identity of
counsel to the Underwriters under the heading "Legal Matters" constitute the
only information furnished in writing by the Underwriters for inclusion in the
Prospectus.
(c) Each of the Company and each subsidiary has been duly incorporated
and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the
jurisdiction of its incorporation, with full power and authority (corporate and
other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the
Prospectus and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is
in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which the nature of its business
or the character or location
2
of its properties requires such qualification, except where failure to so
qualify will not materially affect the Company's business, properties or
financial condition.
(d) The authorized, issued and outstanding securities of the Company
as of the date of the Prospectus is as set forth in the Prospectus under
"Capitalization"; all of the issued and outstanding securities of the Company
have been, or will be when issued as set forth in the Prospectus, duly
authorized, validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable; the issuances and
sales of all such securities complied in all material respects with applicable
Federal and state securities laws; the holders thereof have no rights of
rescission against the Company with respect thereto, and are not subject to
personal liability by reason of being such holders; none of such securities were
issued in violation of the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of
the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company; except as set
forth in the Prospectus, no options, warrants or other rights to purchase,
agreements or other obligations to issue, or agreements or other rights to
convert any obligation into, any securities of the Company have been granted or
entered into by the Company; and all of the securities of the Company, issued
and to be issued as set forth in the Registration Statement, conform to all
statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement and
Prospectus.
(e) The Shares are duly authorized, and when issued, delivered and
paid for pursuant to this Agreement, will be duly authorized, validly issued,
fully paid and non-assessable and free of preemptive rights of any security
holder of the Company. Neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the
offering or sale of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement gives rise
to any rights, other than those which have been waived or satisfied, for or
relating to the registration of any securities of the Company, except as
described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus.
The Warrants have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and
paid for pursuant to this Agreement, will have been duly authorized, issued and
delivered and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the
Company enforceable in accordance with their terms and entitled to the benefits
provided by the warrant agreement pursuant to which such Warrants are to be
issued (the "Warrant Agreement"), which will be substantially in the form filed
as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. The shares of Common Stock
issuable upon exercise of the Warrants have been reserved for issuance and when
issued in accordance with the terms of the Warrants and Warrant Agreement, will
be duly and validly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable,
free of preemptive rights and no personal liability will attach to the ownership
thereof. The Warrant exercise period and the Warrant exercise price may not be
changed or revised by the Company without the prior written consent of the
Representative. The Warrant Agreement has been duly authorized and, when
executed and delivered pursuant to this Agreement will constitute the valid and
legally binding obligation of the Company enforceable in accordance with its
terms.
The Common Stock Representative Warrants, the Warrant Representative
Warrants, the Underlying Warrants, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon
exercise of the Common Stock Representative Warrants, and the shares of Common
Stock issuable upon exercise of the Underlying Warrants (all as defined in the
Representative's Warrant Agreement described in Section 12 herein), have been
duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for, will be validly
issued, fully paid, non-assessable, free of preemptive rights and no personal
liability will attach to the ownership thereof, and will constitute valid and
legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in
3
accordance with their terms and entitled to the benefits provided by the
Representative's Warrant Agreement.
(f) This Agreement, the Warrant Agreement and the Representative's
Warrant Agreement have been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered
by the Company, and assuming due execution of this Agreement by the other party
hereto, constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable
against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as enforceability may
be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other laws affecting the rights of
creditors generally. The Company has full power and lawful authority to
authorize, issue and sell the Securities to be sold by it hereunder on the terms
and conditions set forth herein, and no consent, approval, authorization or
other order of any third party or any governmental authority is required in
connection with such authorization, execution and delivery or with the
authorization, issuance and sale of the Securities or the securities to be
issued pursuant to the Representative's Warrant Agreement, except such as may be
required under the Act or state securities laws, or as otherwise have been
obtained.
(g) Except as described in the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any
subsidiary is in material violation, breach of or default under, and
consummation of the transactions herein contemplated and the fulfillment of the
terms of this Agreement will not conflict with, or result in a breach of, or
constitute a material default under, or result in the creation or imposition of
any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the property or assets of the
Company or each subsidiary or any of the terms or provisions of any indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to
which the Company or each subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or each
subsidiary may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company
or each subsidiary is subject, nor will such action result in any material
violation of the provisions of the articles of incorporation or bylaws as
amended of the Company or each subsidiary, or any statute or any order, rule or
regulation applicable to the Company or subsidiary of any court or of any
regulatory authority or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the
Company or each subsidiary.
(h) Subject to the qualifications stated in the Prospectus, the
Company and each subsidiary have good and marketable title to all properties and
assets described in the Prospectus as owned by each of them, free and clear of
all liens, charges, encumbrances or restrictions, except such as are not
materially significant or important in relation to its business; all of the
material leases and subleases under which the Company or each subsidiary is the
lessor or sublessor of properties or assets or under which the Company or each
subsidiary holds properties or assets as lessee or sublessee as described in the
Prospectus are in full force and effect, and, except as described in the
Prospectus, neither the Company nor each subsidiary is in default in any
material respect with respect to any of the terms or provisions of any of such
leases or subleases, and no claim has been asserted by anyone, adverse to rights
of the Company or each subsidiary as lessor, sublessor, lessee, or sublessee
under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or
questioning the right of the Company or each subsidiary to continued possession
of the leased or subleased premises or assets under any such lease or sublease
except as described or referred to in the Prospectus; and the Company and each
subsidiary owns or leases all such properties described in the Prospectus as are
necessary to its operations as now conducted and, except as otherwise stated in
the Prospectus, as proposed to be conducted as set forth in the Prospectus.
4
(i) Deloitte & Touche LLP, who have given their report on certain
financial statements filed and to be filed with the Commission as part of the
Registration Statement, and which are included in the Prospectus, are with
respect to the Company, independent public accountants as required by the Act
and the Rules and Regulations.
(j) The financial statements and schedules, together with related
notes, set forth in the Prospectus and the Registration Statement present fairly
the financial position and results of operations and changes in financial
position of the Company on the basis stated in the Registration Statement, at
the respective dates and for the respective periods to which they apply. Said
statements and related notes and schedules have been prepared in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles applied on a basis which is consistent
during the periods involved. The Company's internal accounting controls and
procedures are sufficient to cause the Company and each subsidiary to prepare
financial statements which comply in all material respects with generally
accepted accounting principles applied on a basis which is consistent during the
periods involved. During the preceding five (5) year period, nothing has been
brought to the attention of the Company's management that would result in any
reportable condition relating to the Company's internal accounting procedures,
weaknesses or controls.
(k) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is set
forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and to and including the
Option Closing Date, except as set forth in or contemplated by the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, (i) neither the Company nor any subsidiary has
incurred and will not have incurred any material liabilities or obligations,
direct or contingent, and has not entered into and will not have entered into
any material transactions other than in the ordinary course of business and/or
as contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; (ii) neither
the Company nor any subsidiary has and will not have paid or declared any
dividends or have made any other distribution on its capital stock; (iii) there
has not been any change in the capital stock of, or any incurrence of long-term
debt by, the Company or any subsidiary; (iv) neither the Company nor any
subsidiary has issued any options, warrants or other rights to purchase the
capital stock of the Company or any subsidiary; and (v) there has not been and
will not have been any material adverse change in the business, financial
condition or results of operations of the Company or any subsidiary, or in the
book value of the assets of the Company or any subsidiary, arising for any
reason whatsoever.
(l) Except as set forth in the Prospectus, there is not pending or, to
the knowledge of the Company or any subsidiary, threatened, any material action,
suit, proceeding, inquiry, arbitration or investigation against the Company or
any subsidiary, or any of the officers or directors of the Company or any
subsidiary, or any material action, suit, proceeding, inquiry, arbitration, or
investigation, which might result in any material adverse change in the
condition (financial or other), business prospects, net worth, or properties of
the Company or any subsidiary.
(m) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, each of the Company and
each subsidiary has filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and
franchise tax returns and has paid all taxes shown as due thereon; and there is
no tax deficiency which has been or to the knowledge of the Company might be
asserted against the Company or any subsidiary that has not been provided for in
the financial statements.
5
(n) Except as set forth in the Prospectus, each of the Company and
each subsidiary has sufficient licenses, permits and other governmental
authorizations currently required for the conduct of its business or the
ownership of its property as described in the Prospectus and is in all material
respects in compliance therewith and owns or possesses adequate right to use all
material patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade-names,
trademark registrations, service ▇▇▇▇ registrations, copyrights, and licenses
necessary for the conduct of such business and has not received any notice of
conflict, with the asserted rights of others in respect thereof. To the best of
the Company's knowledge, none of the activities or business of the Company or
any subsidiary are in violation of, or cause the Company or any subsidiary to
violate, any law, rule, regulation or order of the United States, any state,
county or locality, or of any agency or body of the United States or of any
state, county or locality, the violation of which would have a material adverse
impact upon the condition (financial or otherwise), business, property,
prospective results of operations, or net worth of the Company and any
subsidiary.
(o) Neither the Company nor any subsidiary has, directly or
indirectly, at any time (i) made any contributions to any candidate for
political office, or failed to disclose fully any such contribution, in
violation of law or (ii) made any payment to any state, federal or foreign
governmental officer or official, or other person charged with similar public or
quasi-public duties, other than payments or contributions required or allowed by
applicable law.
(p) On the Closing Dates (herein defined) all transfer or other taxes
(including franchise, capital stock or other tax, other than income taxes,
imposed by any jurisdiction) if any, which are required to be paid in connection
with the sale and transfer of the Securities to the several Underwriters
hereunder will have been fully paid or provided for by the Company and all laws
imposing such taxes will have been fully complied with.
(q) All contracts and other documents which are required to be
described in or filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement have been so
described and/or filed.
(r) Except as described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus,
no holders of Common Stock or of any other securities of the Company have the
right to include such Common Stock or other securities in the Registration
Statement and Prospectus.
(s) Except as set forth in or contemplated by the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any subsidiary has any
material contingent liabilities.
(t) The Company has no subsidiary corporations except as disclosed in
the Registration Statement and Prospectus, nor has it any equity interest in any
partnership, joint venture, association or other entity except as disclosed in
the Registration Statement or Prospectus. Except as described in the
Registration Statement and Prospectus, the Company owns all of the outstanding
securities of each of its subsidiaries.
(u) The Commission has not issued an order preventing or suspending
the use of any Preliminary Prospectus with respect to the offer and sale of the
Securities and each Preliminary Prospectus, as of its date, has conformed fully
in all material respects with the requirements of the
6
Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not include any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading.
(v) Neither the Company, nor, to the Company's knowledge, any of its
officers, directors, employees or stockholders, have taken or will take,
directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or which has
constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, the
stabilization or manipulation of the price of any of the securities of the
Company.
(w) Item 26 of Part II of the Registration Statement accurately
discloses all unregistered securities sold by the Company within the three year
period prior to the date as of which information is presented in the
Registration Statement. All of such securities were sold in transactions which
were exempt from the registration provisions of the Act and not in violation of
Section 5 thereof.
(x) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, the Company has not
entered into any agreement pursuant to which any person is entitled, either
directly or indirectly, to compensation from the Company for services as a
finder in connection with the proposed offering, and the Company agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters against any losses, claims, damages
or liabilities, joint or several, which shall include, but not be limited to,
all costs to defend against any such claim, so long as such claim arises out of
agreements made or allegedly made by the Company.
(y) Based upon written representations received by the Company, no
officer, director or five percent (5%) or greater stockholder of the Company or
any subsidiary has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any
member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD"), except
as disclosed to the Representative in writing, and no beneficial owner of the
Company's unregistered securities has any direct or indirect affiliation or
association with any NASD member except as disclosed to the Representative in
writing. The Company will advise the Representative and the NASD if any five
percent (5%) or greater shareholder of the Company or any subsidiary is or
becomes an affiliate or associated person of an NASD member participating in the
distribution.
(z) The Company and each subsidiary is in compliance in all material
respects with all federal, state and local laws and regulations respecting the
employment of its employees and employment practices, terms and conditions of
employment and wages and hours relating thereto. There are no pending
investigations involving the Company or any subsidiary by the U.S. Department of
Labor, or any other governmental agency responsible for the enforcement of such
federal, state or local laws and regulations. There is no unfair labor practice
charge or complaint against the Company or any subsidiary pending before the
National Labor Relations Board or any strike, picketing, boycott, dispute,
slowdown or stoppage pending or to the knowledge of the Company, threatened
against or involving the Company or any subsidiary or any predecessor entity.
No question concerning representation exists respecting the employees of the
Company or any subsidiary and no collective bargaining agreement or modification
thereof is currently being negotiated by the Company or any subsidiary. No
grievance or arbitration proceeding is pending under any expired or existing
collective bargaining agreements of the Company or any subsidiary, if any.
7
(aa) Neither the Company nor any subsidiary maintains, sponsors nor
contributes to, nor is it required to contribute to, any program or arrangement
that is an "employee pension benefit plan" an "employee welfare benefit plan",
or a "multi-employer plan" as such terms are defined in Sections 3(2), 3(i) and
3(37), respectively, of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended ("ERISA") ("ERISA Plans"). Neither the Company nor any subsidiary
maintained or contributed to a defined benefit plan, as defined in Section 3(35)
of ERISA.
(ab) Based upon written representations received from the officers
and directors of the Company and each subsidiary, except as disclosed in the
Prospectus, during the past five years, none of the officers or directors of the
Company or any subsidiary have been:
(1) Subject of a petition under the Federal bankruptcy laws
or any state insolvency law filed by or against them, or by a
receiver, fiscal agent or similar officer appointed by a court
for their business or property, or any partnership in which
either or them was a general partner at or within two years
before the time of such filing, or any corporation or business
association of which either of them was an executive officer at
or within two years before the time of such filing;
(2) Convicted in a criminal proceeding or a named subject of
a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and
other minor offenses);
(3) The subject of any order, judgment, or decree not
subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of
competent jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily enjoining
either of them from, or otherwise limiting, any of the following
activities:
(i) acting as a futures commission merchant,
introducing broker, commodity trading advisor, commodity
pool operator, floor broker, leverage transaction merchant,
any other person regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading
Commission, or an associated person of any of the
foregoing, or as an investment adviser, underwriter, broker
or dealer in securities, or as an affiliated person,
director or employee of any investment company, bank,
savings and loan association or insurance company, or
engaging in or continuing any conduct or practice in
connection with any such activity;
(ii) engaging in any type of business practice; or
(iii) engaging in any activity in connection with the
purchase or sale of any security or commodity or in
connection with any violation of Federal or State
securities law or Federal Commodity laws.
(4) The subject of any order, judgment or decree, not
subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated of any Federal or
State authority barring, suspending or otherwise limiting for
more than sixty (60) days either of their right to engage in any
activity described in paragraph (3)(i) above, or be associated
with persons engaged in any such activity;
8
(5) Found by any court of competent jurisdiction in a civil
action or by the Securities and Exchange Commission to have
violated any Federal or State securities law, and the judgment
in such civil action or finding by the Commission has not been
subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated; or
(6) Found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil
action or by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have
violated any Federal Commodities Law, and the judgment in such
civil action or finding by the Commodity Futures Trading
Commission has not been subsequently reversed, suspended or
vacated.
(ac) Based upon written representations received from the officers
and directors of the Company, each of the officers and directors of the Company
has reviewed the sections in the Prospectus relating to their biographical data
and equity ownership position in the Company, and all information contained
therein is true and accurate.
2. Purchase, Delivery and Sale of the Securities.
---------------------------------------------
(a) Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and upon the
basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, the
Company hereby agrees to issue and sell to the Underwriters an aggregate of
1,000,000 Shares at $____ per Share and 1,000,000 Warrants at $____ per Warrant,
(the public offering price less ten percent (10%)), at the place and time
hereinafter specified, in accordance with the number of Shares and/or Warrants
set forth opposite the names of the Underwriters in Schedule A attached hereto
plus any additional Securities which such Underwriters may become obligated to
purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 9 hereof. The Securities shall
consist of 1,000,000 Shares and 1,000,000 Warrants to be purchased from the
Company, and the price at which the Underwriters shall sell the Securities to
the public shall be $__.00 per Share and $____ per Warrant.
Delivery of the Securities against payment therefor shall take place
at the offices of First London Securities Corporation, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (or at such other place as may be designated by the
Representative) at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on such date after the Effective
date as the Representative shall designate, but not later than ten (10) business
days (holidays excepted) following the first date that any of the Securities are
released to you, such time and date of payment and delivery for the Securities
being herein called the "Closing Date".
(b) In addition, subject to the terms and conditions of this
Agreement, and upon the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements
herein contained, the Company hereby grants the "Option" to the Underwriters
(or, at the option of the Representative, to the Representative, individually)
to purchase all or any part of an aggregate of an additional 150,000 Shares and
150,000 Warrants at the same price per Share and Warrant as the Underwriters
shall pay for the Securities being sold pursuant to the provisions of subsection
(a) of this Section 2 (such additional Securities being referred to herein as
the "Option Securities"). This Option may be exercised within 30 days after the
Effective Date upon notice by the Underwriters (or the Representative,
individually) to the Company advising as to the amount of Option Securities as
to which the Option is being exercised, the names and denominations in which the
certificates for such Option Securities are to be registered and the time and
date when such certificates are to be delivered. Such time and date shall be
9
determined by the Underwriters (or the Representative, individually) but shall
not be later than ten (10) full business days after the exercise of the Option,
nor in any event prior to the Closing Date, and such time and date is referred
to herein as the "Option Closing Date". Delivery of the Option Securities
against payment therefor shall take place at the offices of the Representative.
The Option granted hereunder may be exercised only to cover over allotments in
the sale by the Underwriters of the Securities referred to in subsection (a)
above. In the event the Company declares or pays a dividend or distribution on
its Common Stock, whether in the form of cash, shares of Common Stock or any
other consideration, prior to the Option Closing Date, such dividend or
distribution shall also be paid on the Option Closing Date.
(c) The Company will make the certificates for the Securities to be
sold hereunder available to you for inspection at least two (2) full business
days prior to the Closing Date and the Option closing date at the offices of the
Representative, and such certificates shall be registered in such names and
denominations as you may request. Time shall be of the essence and delivery at
the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the
obligations of the Company to each Underwriter.
Definitive certificates in negotiable form for the Securities to be
purchased by the Underwriters hereunder will be delivered by the Company to you
for the accounts of the several Underwriters against payment of the respective
purchase prices by the several Underwriters, by certified or bank cashier's
checks in New York Clearing House funds, payable to the order of the Company or
by wire transfer in New York Clearing House funds.
In addition, in the event the Underwriters (or the Representative,
individually) exercise the Option to purchase from the Company all or any
portion of the Option Securities pursuant to the provisions of subsection (b)
above, payment for such Securities shall be made payable in New York Clearing
House funds at the offices of the Representative, or by wire transfer, at the
time and date of delivery of such Securities as required by the provisions of
subsection (b) above, against receipt of the certificates for such Securities by
the Representative for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters
registered in such names and in such denominations as the Representative may
request.
It is understood that the Representative, individually and not as
Representative of the several Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to)
make any and all payments required pursuant to this Section 2 on behalf of any
Underwriters whose check or checks shall not have been received by the
Representative at the time of delivery of the Securities to be purchased by such
Underwriter or Underwriters. Any such payment by the Representative shall not
relieve any such Underwriter or Underwriters of any of its or their obligations
hereunder. It is also understood that the Representative individually, rather
than all of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) purchase the
Option Securities referred to in subsection (b) of this Section 2, but only to
cover over allotments.
It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the
Securities to be purchased hereunder to the public upon the terms and conditions
set forth in the Registration Statement, after the Registration Statement is
declared effective by the Commission.
3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with
------------------------
the several Underwriters that:
10
(a) The Company, upon notification from the Commission that the
Registration Statement has become effective, will so advise you and will not at
any time, whether before or after the Effective Date, file any amendment to the
Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus of which you shall not
previously been advised and furnished with a copy or to which you or your
counsel shall have objected in writing, acting reasonably, or which is not in
compliance with the Act and the Rules and Regulations. At any time prior to the
later of (i) the completion by the Underwriters of the distribution of the
Securities as contemplated hereby; or (ii) 25 days after the date on which the
Registration Statement shall have become or been declared effective, the Company
will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon your request, any
amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus which may
be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Securities
and as mutually agreed to by the Company and the Representative.
After the Effective Date and as soon as the Company is advised
thereof, the Company will advise you, and confirm the advice in writing, of the
receipt of any comments of the Commission, of the effectiveness of any post-
effective amendment to the Registration Statement, of the filing of any
supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus, of any request made by
the Commission for amendment of the Registration Statement or for supplementing
of the Prospectus or for additional information with respect thereto, of the
issuance by the Commission or any state or regulatory body of any stop order or
other order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any
order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, or of the
suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering in any
jurisdiction, or of the institution of any proceedings for any of such purposes,
and will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order, and, if
issued, to obtain as soon as possible the lifting thereof.
The Company has caused to be delivered to you copies of each
Preliminary Prospectus and Definitive Prospectus, and the Company has consented
and hereby consents to the use of such copies for the purposes permitted by the
Act. The Company authorizes the Underwriters and Selected Dealers to use the
Prospectus in connection with the sale of the Securities for such period as in
the opinion of counsel to the Underwriters the use thereof is required to comply
with the applicable provisions of the Act and the Rules and Regulations. In
case of the happening, at any time within such period as a Prospectus is
required under the Act to be delivered in connection with sales by the
Underwriters or Selected Dealers, of any event of which the Company has
knowledge and which materially affects the Company or the securities of the
Company, or which in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the
Underwriters, should be set forth in an amendment to the Registration Statement
or a supplement to the Prospectus, in order to make the statements therein not
then misleading, in light of the circumstances existing at the time the
Prospectus is required to be delivered to a purchaser of the Securities, or in
case it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with
law or with the Act and the Rules and Regulations, the Company will notify you
promptly and forthwith prepare and furnish to you copies of such amended
Prospectus or of such supplement to be attached to the Prospectus, in such
quantities as you may reasonably request, in order that the Prospectus, as so
amended or supplemented, will not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state any material facts necessary in order to make the
statements in the Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they
are made, not misleading. The preparation and furnishing of any such amendment
or supplement to the Registration Statement or amended Prospectus or supplement
to be attached to the Prospectus shall be without expense to the Underwriters.
11
The Company will comply with the Act, the Rules and Regulations
thereunder, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "1934 Act"), and the rules
and regulations thereunder in connection with the offering and issuance of the
Securities.
(b) The Company will qualify to register the Securities for sale under
the securities or "blue sky" laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative
may designate and will make such applications and furnish such information as
may be required for that purpose and to comply with such laws, provided the
Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or a dealer in
securities or to execute a general consent to service of process in any
jurisdiction in any action other than one arising out of the offering or sale of
the Securities. The Company will, from time to time, prepare and file such
statements and reports as are or may be required to continue such qualification
in effect for so long a period as the Underwriters may reasonably request.
(c) If the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not
consummated, the Company shall pay all costs and expenses incident to the
performance of the Company's obligations hereunder, including, but not limited
to, all such expenses itemized in Section 8(a) and 8(c) hereof, and the out-of-
pocket expenses up to $25,000 of the Representative and expenses up to $25,000
of the counsel to the Representative, if the offering for any reason is
terminated. For the purposes of this sub-paragraph, the Representative shall be
deemed to have assumed such expenses when they are billed or incurred,
regardless of whether such expenses have been paid. The Representative shall
not be responsible for any expenses of the Company or others, or for any charges
or claims relative to the proposed public offering whether or not consummated.
(d) The Company will deliver to you at or before the Closing Date two
signed copies of the Registration Statement, including all financial statements
and exhibits filed therewith, and of each amendment or supplement thereto. The
Company will deliver to or upon the order of the several Underwriters, from time
to time until the Effective Date of the Registration Statement, as many copies
of any Preliminary Prospectus filed with the Commission prior to the Effective
Date of the Registration Statement as the Underwriters may reasonably request.
The Company will deliver to the Underwriters on the Effective Date of the
Registration Statement and thereafter for so long as a Prospectus is required to
be delivered under the Act, from time to time, as many copies of the Prospectus,
in final form, or as thereafter amended or supplemented as the several
Underwriters may from time to time reasonably request.
(e) For so long as the Company is a reporting company under either
Section 12 or 15 of the 1934 Act, the Company, at its expense, will furnish to
the Representative during the period ending five (5) years from the Effective
Date, (i) as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, a balance
sheet of the Company and any of its subsidiaries as at the end of such fiscal
year, together with statements of income, surplus and cash flow of the Company
and any subsidiaries for such fiscal year, all in reasonable detail and
accompanied by a copy of the certificate or report thereon of independent
accountants; (ii) as soon as they are available, a copy of all reports
(financial or other) mailed to security holders; (iii) as soon as they are
available, a copy of all non-confidential documents, including annual reports,
periodic reports and financial statements, furnished to or filed with the
Commission under the Act and the 1934 Act; (iv) copies of each press release,
news item and article with respect to the Company's affairs released by the
Company; and (v) such other information as you may from time to time reasonably
request.
12
(f) In the event the Company has an active subsidiary or subsidiaries,
such financial statements referred to in subsection (e) above will be on a
consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of the Company and its subsidiary
or subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished to its stockholders
generally.
(g) The Company will make generally available to its stockholders and
to the registered holders of its Warrants and deliver to you as soon as it is
practicable, but in no event later than the first day of the sixteenth full
calendar month following the Effective Date, an earnings statement (which need
not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve consecutive months
beginning with the Effective Date of the Registration Statement, which shall
satisfy the requirements of Section 11(a) of the Act.
(h) On the Closing Date, the Company shall have taken the necessary
action to become a reporting company under Section 12 of the 1934 Act, and the
Company will make all filings required to, and will have obtained approval for,
the listing of the Shares and Warrants on The Nasdaq Small Cap Market or a
listing on a national market, and will use its best efforts to maintain such
listing for at least five (5) years from the date of this Agreement.
(i) For such period as the Company's securities are registered under
the 1934 Act, the Company will hold an annual meeting of stockholders for the
election of Directors within 180 days after the end of each of the Company's
fiscal years and, within 150 days after the end of each of the Company's fiscal
years will provide the Company's stockholders with the audited financial
statements of the Company as of the end of the fiscal year just completed prior
thereto. Such financial statements shall be those required by Rule 14a-3 under
the 1934 Act and shall be included in an annual report pursuant to the
requirements of such Rule.
(j) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the
Securities substantially in accordance with its statement under the caption "Use
of Proceeds" in the Prospectus, and will file such reports with the Commission
with respect to the sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds
therefrom as may be required by Sections 12, 13 and/or 15 of the 1934 Act and
pursuant to Rule 463 under the Act.
(k) The Company will, promptly upon your request, prepare and file
with the Commission any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement,
Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus and take any other action, which in the
reasonable opinion of counsel to the Underwriters and the Company may be
reasonably necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the
Securities and will use its best efforts to cause the same to become effective
as promptly as possible.
(l) On the Closing Date the Company shall execute and deliver to you
the Representative's Warrant Agreement. The Representative's Warrant Agreement
and Warrant Certificates will be substantially in the form of the
Representative's Warrant Agreement and Warrant Certificates filed, as an exhibit
to the Registration Statement.
13
(m) The Company will reserve and keep available for issuance that
maximum number of its authorized but unissued securities which are issuable upon
exercise of the Representative's Warrants outstanding from time to time.
(n) All beneficial owners of the Company's securities (including
Warrants, Options and Common Stock of the Company), as of the Effective Date,
shall agree in writing, in a form satisfactory to the Representative, not to
sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of such securities or underlying
securities (except to a transferee who agrees to be bound by this provision) for
a period of twelve (12) months from the Effective Date (the "lock-up period"),
or any longer period required by any State, without the prior written consent of
the Representative. Any of such securities which are originally registered in a
name of a original beneficial owner and are subsequently registered under a
different name will be subject to the twelve (12) month lock-up period. Sales of
the Company's securities by officers and/or directors of the Company pursuant to
the expiration of the lock-up period shall be effected through the
Representative.
(o) The Company shall pay to the representative a fee of 5% of the
gross proceeds of this offering upon the conversion of all warrants issued to
the public in this offering or upon redemption of any warrants by the Company.
(p) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall at its own expense,
undertake to list the Company's securities in the appropriate recognized
securities manual or manuals published by Standard & Poor's Corporation and such
other manuals as the Representative may designate, such listings to contain the
information required by such manuals and the Uniform Securities Act. The Company
hereby agrees to use its best efforts to maintain such listing for a period of
not less than five (5) years unless the Company's securities otherwise qualify
for a secondary market trading exemption. The Company shall take such action as
may be reasonably requested by the Representative to obtain a secondary market
trading exemption in such states as may be reasonably requested by the
Representative.
(q) During the one hundred eighty (180) day period commencing on the
Closing Date, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the
Representative, grant options or warrants to purchase the Company's Common Stock
at a price less than the initial per share public offering price.
(r) During the twelve month period commencing on the closing Date, the
Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, issue
any additional securities of the Company except for securities issued in
connection with an acquisition or merger by the Company.
(s) Prior to the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any subsidiary
will issue, directly or indirectly, without your prior consent, any press
release or other communication or hold any press conference with respect to the
Company or its activities or the offering of the Securities other than routine
customary advertising of the Company's products and services, and except as
required by any applicable law or the directives of any relevant regulatory
authority in any relevant jurisdiction.
14
(t) The Company shall employ the services of a firm of independent
certified public accountants in connection with the preparation of the financial
statements to be included in any registration statement or similar disclosure
document to be filed by the Company hereunder, or any amendment or supplement
thereto. For a period of five (5) years from the Effective Date, the Company,
at its expense, shall cause its regularly engaged independent certified public
accountants to review (but not audit) the Company's financial statements for
each of the first three (3) fiscal quarters prior to the announcement of
quarterly financial information, the filing of the Company's quarterly report
and the filing of quarterly financial information to stockholders.
(u) The Company shall retain American Stock Transfer & Trust Company
as the transfer agent for the securities of the Company, or such other transfer
agent as you may agree to in writing. In addition, the Company shall direct
such transfer agent to furnish the Representative with daily transfer sheets as
to each of the Company's securities as prepared by the Company's transfer agent
and copies of lists of stockholders and warrantholders as reasonably requested
by the Underwriter, for a five (5) year period commencing from the Closing Date.
(v) The Company shall cause the Depository Trust Company, or such
other depository of the Company's securities, to deliver a "special security
position report" to the Representative on a daily and weekly basis at the
expense of the Company, for a five (5) year period from the Effective Date.
(w) Following the Effective Date, the Company shall, at its sole cost
and expense, prepare and file such Blue Sky applications with such jurisdictions
as the Representative shall designate and the Company may reasonably agree.
(x) On the Effective Date and for a period of three (3) years
thereafter, the Company's Board of Directors shall consist of a minimum of five
(5) persons, two (2) of whom shall be independent and not otherwise affiliated
with the Company or associated with any of the Company's affiliates. The
Representative shall have the right for a period of three (3) years from the
Effective Date to nominate one Advisory Director to the Board of Directors. The
Advisory Director will have all of the same privileges as a normal Director,
including equal compensation, but will forfeit the right to vote on Board
issues.
(y) For such period as any Warrants are outstanding, the Company shall
use its best efforts to cause post-effective amendments to the Registration
Statement or a new Registration Statement to become effective in compliance with
the Act and without any lapse of time between the effectiveness of any such
post-effective amendments and cause a copy of each Prospectus, as then amended,
to be delivered to each holder of record of a Warrant and to furnish to each of
the Underwriters and each dealer as many copies of each such Prospectus as such
Underwriter or such dealer may reasonably request. Such post-effective
amendments or new Registration Statements shall also register the
Representative's Warrants and all the securities underlying the Representative's
Warrants. The Company shall not call for redemption of any of the Warrants
unless a Registration Statement covering the securities underlying the Warrants
or Representative Warrants has been declared effective by the Commission and
remains current at least until the date fixed for redemption. In addition, the
Warrants or Representative Warrants shall not be redeemable during the first
year after the Effective Date without the written consent of the Representative.
15
(z) Until such time as the securities of the Company are listed or
quoted on either the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq National Market or the
American Stock Exchange, the Company shall engage the Company's legal counsel to
deliver to the Representative a written opinion detailing those states in which
the Shares and Warrants of the Company may be traded in non-issuer transactions
under the Blue Sky laws of the fifty states ("Secondary Market Trading
Opinion"). The initial Secondary Market Trading opinion shall be delivered to
the Representative on the Effective Date, and the Company shall continue to
update such opinion and deliver same to the Representative on a timely basis,
but in any event at the beginning of each fiscal year, for a five (5) year
period, if required.
4. Conditions of Underwriters, Obligations. The obligations of the
---------------------------------------
several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Securities which they have
agreed to purchase hereunder from the Company are subject, as of the date hereof
and as of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, to the continuing
accuracy of, and compliance with, the representations and warranties of the
Company herein, to the accuracy of statements of officers of the Company made
pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its
obligations hereunder, and to the following conditions:
(a) (i)The Registration Statement shall have become effective not
later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the date of this Agreement, or at such
later time or on such later date as you may agree to in writing; (ii) at or
prior to the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued by the
Commission and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or
pending, or shall be threatened, or to the knowledge of the Company,
contemplated by the Commission; (iii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness
of the qualification or registration of the Securities under the securities or
"blue sky" laws of any jurisdiction (whether or not a jurisdiction which you
shall have specified) shall be threatened or to the knowledge of the Company
contemplated by the authorities of any such jurisdiction or shall have been
issued and in effect; (iv) any request for additional information on the part of
the Commission or any such authorities shall have been complied with to the
satisfaction of the Commission and any such authorities, and to the satisfaction
of counsel to the Underwriters; and (v) after the date hereof no amendment or
supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall have been filed
unless a copy thereof was first submitted to the Underwriters and the
Underwriters did not object thereto.
(b) At the Closing Date, since the respective dates as of which
information is presented in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (i)
there shall not have been any material change in the capital stock or other
securities of the Company or any subsidiary or any material adverse change in
the long-term debt of the Company or any subsidiary except as set forth in or
contemplated by the Registration Statement, (ii) there shall not have been any
material adverse change in the general affairs, business, properties, condition
(financial or otherwise), management, or results of operations of the Company or
any subsidiary, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course
of business, in each case other than as set forth in or contemplated by the
Registration Statement or Prospectus; (iii) neither the Company nor any
subsidiary shall have sustained any material interference with its business or
properties from fire, explosion, flood or other casualty, whether or not covered
by insurance, or from any labor dispute or any court or legislative or other
governmental action, order or decree, which is not set forth in the Registration
Statement and
16
Prospectus; and (iv) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any
amendments or supplements thereto shall contain all statements which are
required to be stated therein in accordance with the Act and the Rules and
Regulations, and shall in all material respects conform to the requirements
thereof, and neither the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus nor any
amendment or supplement thereto shall contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstance under
which they are made, not misleading.
(c) Except as set forth in the Prospectus, there is not pending or, to
the knowledge of the Company or any subsidiary, threatened, any material action,
suit, proceeding, inquiry, arbitration or investigation against the Company or
any subsidiary, or any of the officers or directors of the Company or any
subsidiary, or any material action, suit, proceeding, inquiry, arbitration, or
investigation, which might result in any material adverse change in the
condition (financial or other), business prospects, net worth, or properties of
the Company or any subsidiary.
(d) Each of the representations and warranties of the Company
contained herein shall be true and correct as of this date and at the Closing
Date as if made at the Closing Date, and all covenants and agreements herein
contained to be performed on the part of the Company and all conditions herein
contained to be fulfilled or complied with by the Company at or prior to the
Closing Date and Option Closing Date shall have been duly performed, fulfilled
or complied with.
(e) At each Closing Date, you shall have received the opinion,
together with copies of such opinion for each of the other several Underwriters,
dated as of each Closing Date, from ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, L.L.P., counsel for the
Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, to
the effect that:
(i) the Company and each subsidiary has been duly incorporated
and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the
laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, with full corporate power
and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as
described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus and is duly
qualified or licensed to do business as a foreign corporation and is
in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which the ownership or
leasing of its properties or conduct of its business requires such
qualification except for jurisdictions in which the failure to so
qualify would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and
each subsidiary as a whole;
(ii) the authorized capitalization of the Company is as set forth
under "Capitalization" in the Prospectus; all shares of the Company's
outstanding stock and other securities requiring authorization for
issuance by the Company's Board of Directors have been duly
authorized, validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and
conform to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus; the
outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company and other securities
have not been issued in violation of the preemptive rights of any
shareholder and the shareholders of the Company do not have any
preemptive rights or, to such counsel's knowledge, other rights to
subscribe for or to purchase securities of the Company, nor, to such
counsel's knowledge, are there any restrictions upon the voting or
transfer of any of the securities of the Company, except as disclosed
in the Prospectus; the Common Stock, the Shares, the Warrants, and the
securities contained in the Representative's
17
Warrant Agreement conform to the respective descriptions thereof
contained in the Prospectus; the Common Stock, the Shares, the
Warrants, the shares of Common Stock to be issued upon exercise of the
Warrants and the securities contained in the Representative's Warrant
Agreement, have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and
paid for, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid, non-
assessable, free of preemptive rights and no personal liability will
attach to the ownership thereof; all prior sales by the Company of the
Company's securities have been made in compliance with or under an
exemption from registration under the Act and applicable state
securities laws and no shareholders of the Company have any rescission
rights against the Company with respect to the Company's securities; a
sufficient number of shares of Common Stock has been reserved for
issuance upon exercise of the Warrants and the Representative's
Warrants, and to the best of such counsel's knowledge, neither the
filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the
Securities as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any
registration rights or other rights, other than those which have been
waived or satisfied or described in the Registration Statement;
(iii) this Agreement, the Representative's Warrant Agreement and
the Warrant Agreement have been duly and validly authorized, executed
and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization,
execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Representative, are
the valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable
in accordance with their terms, except (a) as such enforceability may
be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium,
reorganization or similar laws from time to time in effect which
effect creditors, rights generally; and (b) no opinion is expressed as
to the enforceability of the indemnity provisions or the contribution
provisions contained in this Agreement;
(iv) the certificates evidencing the outstanding securities of
the Company, the Shares, the Common Stock and the Warrants are in
valid and proper legal form;
(v) to the best of such counsel's knowledge, except as set
forth in the Prospectus, there is not pending or, to the knowledge of
the Company, threatened, any material action, suit, proceeding,
inquiry, arbitration or investigation against the Company or any
subsidiary or any of the officers of directors of the Company or any
subsidiary, nor any material action, suit, proceeding, inquiry,
arbitration, or investigation, which might materially and adversely
affect the condition (financial or otherwise), business prospects, net
worth, or properties of the Company or any subsidiary;
(vi) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the
Representative's Warrant Agreement and the Warrant Agreement, and the
incurrence of the obligations herein and therein set forth and the
consummation of the transactions herein or therein contemplated, will
not result in a violation of, or constitute a default under (a) the
Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws of the Company and each
subsidiary; (b) to the best of such counsel's knowledge, any material
obligations, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any bond,
debenture, note or other evidence of indebtedness or in any contract,
indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, lease, joint venture or other
agreement or instrument to which the Company or any subsidiary is a
party or by which it or any of its properties is bound; or (c) to the
best
18
of such counsel's knowledge, any material order, rule, regulation,
writ, injunction, or decree of any government, governmental
instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign;
(vii) the Registration Statement has become effective under the
Act, and to the best of such counsel's knowledge, no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in
effect, and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or
are pending before, or threatened by, the Commission; the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus (except for the financial statements and
other financial data contained therein, or omitted therefrom, as to
which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all
material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and the
Rules and Regulations; and
(viii) no authorization, approval, consent, or license of any
governmental or regulatory authority or agency is necessary in
connection with the authorization, issuance, transfer, sale or
delivery of the Securities by the Company, in connection with the
execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company
or in connection with the taking of any action contemplated herein, or
the issuance of the Representative's Warrants or the Securities
underlying the Representative's Warrants, other than registrations or
qualifications of the Securities under applicable state or foreign
securities or Blue Sky laws and registration under the Act.
Such opinion shall also cover such matters incident to the
transactions contemplated hereby as the Underwriter or counsel for the
Underwriter shall reasonably request. In rendering such opinion, such counsel
may rely upon certificates of any officer of the Company or public officials as
to matters of fact; and may rely as to all matters of law, upon opinions of
counsel satisfactory to you and counsel to the Underwriters. The opinion of
such counsel to the Company shall state that the opinion of any such other
counsel is in form satisfactory to such counsel and that the Representative and
they are justified in relying thereon.
Such counsel shall also include a statement to the effect that such
counsel has participated in the preparation of the Registration Statement and
the Prospectus and nothing has come to the attention of such counsel to lead
such counsel to believe that the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto
at the time it became effective contained any untrue statement of a material
fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they are made, not misleading or that the Prospectus or any supplement
thereto contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not
misleading (except, in the case of both the Registration Statement and any
amendment thereto and the Prospectus and any supplement thereto, for the
financial statements, notes thereto and other financial information and
statistical data contained therein, as to which such counsel need express no
opinion).
(f) You and the several Underwriters shall have received on each
Closing Date a certificate dated as of each Closing Date, signed by the Chief
Executive Officer and the Chief Financial officer of the Company and such other
officers of the Company as the Underwriters may request, certifying that:
19
(i) No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement or stop order regarding the sale of the Securities in effect
and no proceedings for such purpose are pending or are, to their
knowledge, threatened by the Commission;
(ii) To their knowledge there is no litigation instituted or
threatened against the Company or any subsidiary or any officer or
director of the Company or any subsidiary of a character required to
be disclosed in the Registration Statement which is not disclosed
therein; to their knowledge there are no contracts which are required
to be summarized in the Prospectus which are not so summarized; and to
their knowledge there are no material contracts required to be filed
as exhibits to the Registration Statement which are not so filed;
(iii) They have each carefully examined the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus and, to the best of their knowledge,
neither the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus nor any
amendment or supplement to either of the foregoing contains an untrue
statement of any material fact or omits to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not
misleading; and since the Effective Date, to the best of their
knowledge, there has occurred no event required to be set forth in an
amended or supplemented Prospectus which has not been so set forth;
(iv) Since the respective dates as of which information is
given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has not
been any material adverse change in the condition of the Company or
any subsidiary, financial or otherwise, or in the results of its
operations, except as reflected in or contemplated by the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus and except as so reflected or
contemplated since such date, there has not been any material
transaction entered into by the Company or any subsidiary;
(v) The representations and warranties set forth in this
Agreement are true and correct in all material respects and the
Company has complied with all of its agreements herein contained;
(vi) Neither the Company nor any subsidiary is delinquent in
the filing of any federal, state and municipal tax return or the
payment of any federal, state or municipal taxes; they know of no
proposed re-determination or reassessment of taxes, adverse to the
Company or any subsidiary, and the Company and each subsidiary has
paid or provided by adequate reserves for all known tax liabilities;
(vii) They know of no material obligation or liability of the
Company or any subsidiary, contingent or otherwise, not disclosed in
the Registration Statement and Prospectus;
(viii) This Agreement, the Representative's Warrant Agreement and
the Warrant Agreement the consummation of the transactions herein of
therein contemplated, and the fulfillment of the terms hereof or
thereof, will not result in a breach by the Company of any terms of,
or constitute a default under, its Articles of Incorporation or By-
Laws, any indenture, mortgage, lease, deed or trust, bank loan or
credit agreement or any other material
20
agreement or undertaking of the Company or any subsidiary including,
by way of specification but not by way of limitation, any agreement or
instrument to which the Company or any subsidiary is now a party or
pursuant to which the Company or any subsidiary has acquired any right
and/or obligations by succession or otherwise;
(ix) The financial statements and schedules filed with and as
part of the Registration Statement present fairly the financial
position of the Company as of the dates thereof all in conformity with
generally accepted principles of accounting applied on a consistent
basis throughout the periods involved. Since the respective dates of
such financial statements, there have been no material adverse change
in the condition or general affairs of the Company, financial or
otherwise, other than as referred to in the Prospectus ;
(x) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information
is given in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, except as may
otherwise be indicated therein, neither the Company nor any subsidiary
has, prior to the Closing Date, either (i) issued any securities or
incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent,
for borrowed money, or (ii) entered into any material transaction
other than in the ordinary course of business. The Company has not
declared, paid or made any dividend or distribution of any kind on its
capital stock;
(xi) Based upon written representation from the offices and
directors of the Company and each subsidiary they have reviewed the
sections in the Prospectus relating to their biographical data and
equity ownership position in the Company, and all information
contained therein is true and accurate; and
(xii) Based upon written representation from the offices and
directors of the Company and each subsidiary except as disclosed in
the Prospectus, during the past five years, they have not been:
(1) Subject of a petition under the Federal bankruptcy
laws or any state insolvency law filed by or against them, or by a
receiver, fiscal agent or similar officer appointed by a court for
their business or property, or any partnership in which either or
them was a general partner at or within two years before the time
of such filing, or any corporation or business association of
which either of them was an executive officer at or within two
years before the time of such filing;
(2) Convicted in a criminal proceeding or a named subject
of a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and
other minor offenses);
(3) The subject of any order, judgment, or decree not
subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of
competent jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily enjoining
either of them from, or otherwise limiting, any of the following
activities:
(i) acting as a futures commission merchant,
introducing broker, commodity trading advisor, commodity
pool operator, floor broker, leverage
21
transaction merchant, any other person regulated by the
Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or an associated
person of any of the foregoing, or as an investment
adviser, underwriter, broker or dealer in securities, or
as an affiliated person, director or employee of any
investment company, bank, savings and loan association or
insurance company, or engaging in or continuing any
conduct or practice in connection with any such activity;
(ii) engaging in any type of business practice; or
(iii) engaging in any activity in connection with
the purchase or sale of any security or commodity or in
connection with any violation of Federal or State
securities law or Federal Commodity laws.
(4) The subject of any order, judgment or decree, not
subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated of any Federal or
State authority barring, suspending or otherwise limiting for
more than sixty (60) days either of their right to engage in any
activity described in paragraph (3) (i) above, or be associated
with persons engaged in any such activity;
(5) Found by any court of competent jurisdiction in a
civil action or by the Securities and Exchange Commission to
have violated any Federal or State securities law, and the
judgment in such civil action or finding by the Commission has
not been subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated; or
(6) Found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil
action or by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have
violated any Federal Commodities Law, and the judgment in such
civil action or finding by the Commodity Futures Trading
Commission has not been subsequently reversed, suspended or
vacated.
(g) The Underwriters shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP,
independent auditors to the Company, certificates or letters, one dated and
delivered on the Effective Date and one dated and delivered on the Closing Date,
in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, stating, that:
(i) they are independent certified public accountants with
respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and the
applicable Rules and Regulations;
(ii) the financial statements and the schedules included in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus were examined by them and,
in their opinion, comply as to form in all material respects with the
applicable accounting requirements of the Act, the Rules and
Regulations and instructions of the Commission with respect to
Registration Statements on Form SB-2;
(iii) on the basis of inquiries and procedures conducted by them
(not constituting an examination in accordance with generally accepted
auditing standards) , including a reading of the latest available
unaudited interim financial statements or other financial
22
information of the Company (with an indication of the date of the
latest available unaudited interim financial statements), inquiries of
officers of the Company who have responsibility for financial and
accounting matters, review of minutes of all meetings of the
shareholders and the Board of Directors of the Company and other
specified inquiries and procedures, nothing has come to their
attention as a result of the foregoing inquiries and procedures that
causes them to believe that:
(a) during the period from (and including) the date of
the financial statements in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus to a specified date not more than five days prior to
the date of such letters, there has been any change in the
Common Stock, long-term debt or other securities of the Company
(except as specifically contemplated in the Registration
Statement and Prospectus) or any material decreases in net
current assets, net assets, shareholder's equity, working
capital or in any other item appearing in the Company's
financial statements as to which the Underwriters may request
advice, in each case as compared with amounts shown in the
balance sheet as of the date of the financial statement in the
Prospectus, except in each case for changes, increases or
decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred or will
occur;
(b) during the period from (and including) the date of
the financial statements in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus to such specified date there was any material
decrease in revenues or in the total or per share amounts of
income or loss before extraordinary items or net income or loss,
or any other material change in such other items appearing in
the Company's financial statements as to which the Underwriters
may request advice, in each case as compared with the fiscal
period ended as of the date of the financial statement in the
Prospectus, except in each case for increases, changes or
decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred or will
occur;
(c) the unaudited interim financial statements of the
Company appearing in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus (if any) do not comply as to form in all material
respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act
and the Rules and Regulations or are not fairly presented in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and
practices on a basis substantially consistent with the audited
financial statements included in the Registration Statements or
the Prospectus.
(iv) they have compared specific dollar amounts, numbers of
shares, percentages of revenues and earnings, statements and other
financial information pertaining to the Company set forth in the
Prospectus in each case to the extent that such amounts, numbers,
percentages, statements and information may be derived from the
general accounting records, including work sheets, of the Company and
excluding any questions requiring an interpretation by legal counsel,
with the results obtained from the application of specified readings,
inquiries and other appropriate procedures (which procedures do not
constitute an examination in accordance with generally accepted
auditing standards) set forth in the letter and found them to be in
agreement; and
23
(v) they have not during the immediately preceding five (5)
year period brought to the attention of the Company's management any
reportable condition related to the Company's internal accounting
procedures, weaknesses and/or controls.
Such letters shall also set forth such other information as may be
requested by counsel for the Underwriters. Any changes, increases or decreases
in the items set forth in such letters which, in the judgment of the several
Underwriters, are materially adverse with respect to the financial position or
results of operations of the Company shall be deemed to constitute a failure of
the Company to comply with the conditions of the obligations to the several
Underwriters hereunder.
(h) Upon exercise of the Option provided for in Section 2(b) hereof,
the obligation of the several Underwriters (or, at its option, the
Representative, individually) to purchase and pay for the Option Securities
referred to therein will be subject (as of the date hereof and as of the Option
Closing Date) to the following additional conditions:
(i) The Registration Statement shall remain effective at the
Option Closing Date, and no stop order suspending the effectiveness
thereof shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose
shall have been instituted or shall be pending, or, to your knowledge
or the knowledge of the Company, shall be contemplated by the
Commission, and any reasonable request on the part of the Commission
for additional information shall have been complied with to the
satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters.
(ii) At the Option Closing Date, there shall have been
delivered to you the signed opinion from ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, L.L.P.,
counsel for the Company, dated as of the Option Closing Date, in form
and substance satisfactory to counsel to the Underwriters, which
opinion shall be substantially the same in scope and substance as the
opinion furnished to you at the Closing Date pursuant to Section 4 (e)
hereof, except that such opinion, where appropriate, shall cover the
Option Securities.
(iii) At the Option Closing Date, there shall have been
delivered to you a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated the Option Closing Date,
in form and substance satisfactory to counsel to the Underwriters,
substantially the same in scope and substance as the certificate
furnished to you at the Closing Date pursuant to Section 4(f) hereof.
(iv) At the Option Closing Date, there shall have been
delivered to you a letter in form and substance satisfactory to you
from (NAME OF ACCOUNTANT), independent auditors to the Company, dated
the Option Closing Date and addressed to the several Underwriters
confirming the information in their letter referred to in Section 4(g)
hereof and stating that nothing has come to their attention during the
period from the ending date of their review referred to in said letter
to a date not more than five business days prior to the Option Closing
Date, which would require any change in said letter if it were
required to be dated the Option Closing Date.
(v) All proceedings taken at or prior to the Option Closing
Date in connection with the sale and issuance of the Option Securities
shall be satisfactory in form and substance
24
to the Underwriters, and the Underwriters and counsel to the
Underwriters shall have been furnished with all such documents,
certificates, and opinions as you may request in connection with this
transaction in order to evidence the accuracy and completeness of any
of the representations, warranties or statements of the Company or its
compliance with any of the covenants or conditions contained herein.
(i) No action shall have been taken by the Commission or the NASD,
the effect of which would make it improper, at any time prior to the Closing
Date, for members of the NASD to execute transactions (as principal or agent) in
the Common Stock and no proceedings for the taking of such action shall have
been instituted or shall be pending, or, to the knowledge of the several
Underwriters or the Company, shall be contemplated by the Commission or the
NASD. The Company represents that at the date hereof it has no knowledge that
any such action is in fact contemplated by the Commission or the NASD. The
Company shall advise the Representative of any NASD affiliations of any of its
officers, directors, or stockholders or their affiliates in accordance with
paragraph 1(y) of this Agreement.
(j) At the Effective Date, you shall have received from counsel to
the Company, dated as of the Effective Date, in form and substance satisfactory
to counsel for the Underwriter, a written Secondary Market Trading Opinion
detailing those states in which the Shares and Warrants may be traded in non-
issuer transactions under the Blue Sky laws of the fifty (50) states after the
Effective Date, in accordance with paragraph 3(ab) of this Agreement.
(k) The authorization and issuance of the Securities and delivery
thereof, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and all corporate
proceedings incident thereto shall be satisfactory in all respects to counsel
for the several Underwriters, and such counsel shall be furnished with such
documents, certificates and opinions as they may reasonably request to enable
them to pass upon the matters referred to in this sub-paragraph.
(l) Prior to the Effective Date, the Representative shall have
received clearance from the NASD as to the amount of compensation allowable or
payable to the Representative, as described in the Registration Statement.
(m) If any of the conditions herein provided for in this Section
shall not have been fulfilled as of the date indicated, this Agreement and all
obligations of the several Underwriters under this Agreement may be canceled at,
or at any time prior to, the Closing Date and/or the Option Closing Date by the
Representative and/or the Underwriters notifying the Company of such
cancellation in writing or by telegram at or prior to the applicable Closing
Date. Any such cancellation shall be without liability of the several
Underwriters to the Company.
5. Conditions of the Obligations of the Company. The obligation of the
--------------------------------------------
Company to sell and deliver the Securities is subject to the following
conditions:
(i) The Registration Statement shall have become effective not later
than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the date of this Agreement, or on such
later time or date as the Company and the Representative may agree in
writing; and
25
(ii) At the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, no stop orders
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been
issued under the Act or any proceedings therefore initiated or threatened
by the Commission.
If the conditions to the obligations of the Company provided for in
this Section have been fulfilled on the Closing Date but are not fulfilled
after the Closing Date and prior to the Option Closing Date, then only the
obligation of the Company to sell and deliver the Securities on exercise of
the Option provided for in Section 2(b) hereof shall be affected.
6. Indemnification. (a) The Company indemnifies and holds harmless each
----------------
Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the
meaning of the Act against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or
several (which shall, for all purposes of this Agreement, include but not be
limited to, all reasonable costs of defense and investigation and all attorneys'
fees), to which the Underwriter or such controlling person may become subject,
under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in
(i) the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or
any amendment or supplement thereto, (ii) any blue sky application or other
document executed by the Company specifically for that purpose or based upon
written information furnished by the Company and filed in any state or other
jurisdiction in order to qualify any or all of the Securities under the
securities laws thereof (any such application, document or information being
hereinafter called a "Blue Sky Application"), or arise out of or are based upon
the omission or alleged omission to state in the Registration Statement, any
Preliminary Prospectus, Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or
in any Blue Sky Application, a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that
the Company will not be liable in any such cases to the extent, but only to the
extent, that any such losses, claim, damages or liability arises out of or is
based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Underwriters
specifically for use in the preparation of the Registration Statement or any
such amendment or supplement thereof or any such Blue Sky Application or any
such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any such amendment or
supplement thereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall have no
liability under this section if such untrue statement or omission made in a
Preliminary Prospectus is cured in the Prospectus and the Prospectus is not
delivered to the person or persons alleging the liability upon which
indemnification is being sought. This indemnity will be in addition to any
liability which the Company may otherwise have.
(b) Each Underwriter, severally, but not jointly, indemnifies and
holds harmless the Company, each of its directors, each nominee (if any) for
director named in the Prospectus, each of its officers who have signed the
Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within
the meaning of the Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities
(which shall, for all purposes of this Agreement, include, but not be limited
to, all costs of defense and investigation and all attorneys' fees) to which the
Company or any such director, nominee, officer or controlling person may become
subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in
the Registration Statement,
26
any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement
thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission
to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only
to the extent, that such untrue statements or alleged untrue statement or
omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto,
in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the
Company by you or by any Underwriter through you specifically for use in the
preparation thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Underwriters shall have
no liability under this Section if such untrue statement or omission made in a
Preliminary Prospectus is cured in the Prospectus and the Prospectus is not
delivered to the person or persons alleging the liability upon which
indemnification is being sought through no fault of the Underwriter. This
indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Underwriter
may otherwise have.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section
of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a
claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this
Section, notify in writing the indemnifying party 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. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party,
and it notifies the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the
indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that
it may wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to
assume the defense thereof, subject to the provisions herein stated, with
counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party, and after notice from
the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume
the defense thereof, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such
indemnified party under this Section for any legal or other expenses
subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense
thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. The indemnified party
shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and to
participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel
shall not be at the expense of the indemnifying party if the indemnifying party
has assumed the defense of the action with counsel reasonably satisfactory to
the indemnified party; provided that if the indemnified party is an Underwriter
or a person who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of the Act, the
fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying
party if (i) the employment of such counsel has been specifically authorized in
writing by the indemnifying party or (ii) the named parties to any such action
(including any impleaded parties) include both the Underwriter or such
controlling person and the indemnifying party and in the reasonable judgment of
the Representative, it is advisable for the Representative or such Underwriters
or controlling persons to be represented by separate counsel (in which case the
indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of such action
on behalf of the Underwriter or such controlling person, it being understood,
however, that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one such
action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same
jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be
liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of
attorneys for all such Underwriters and controlling persons, which firm shall be
designated in writing by you). No settlement of any action against an
indemnified party shall be made without the consent of the indemnifying party,
which shall not be unreasonably withheld in light of all factors of importance
to such indemnifying party.
27
7. Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution
------------
under the Act in any case in which (i) each Underwriter makes claim for
indemnification pursuant to Section 6 hereof but it is judicially determined (by
the entry of a final judgment or decree by a court of competent jurisdiction and
the expiration of time to appeal or the denial of the last right of appeal) that
such indemnification may not be enforced in such case, notwithstanding the fact
that the express provisions of Section 6 provide for indemnification in such
case, or (ii) contribution under the Act may be required on the part of any
Underwriter, then the Company and each person who controls the Company, in the
aggregate, and any such Underwriter shall contribute to the aggregate losses,
claims, damages or liabilities to which they may be subject (which shall, for
all purposes of this Agreement, include, but not be limited to, all reasonable
costs of defense and investigation and all reasonable attorneys, fees) in either
such case (after contribution from others) in such proportions that all such
Underwriters are responsible in the aggregate for that portion of such losses,
claims, damages or liabilities represented by the percentage that the
underwriting discount per Share appearing on the cover page of the Prospectus
bears to the public offering price appearing thereon, and the Company shall be
responsible for the remaining portion, provided, however, that (a) if such
allocation is not permitted by applicable law then the relative fault of the
Company and the Underwriter and controlling persons, in the aggregate, in
connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such damages and
other relevant equitable considerations shall also be considered. The relative
fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether in the
case of an untrue statement of a material fact or the omission to state a
material fact, such statement or omission relates to information supplied by the
Company, or the Underwriter and the parties, relative intent, knowledge, access
to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or
omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and
equitable if the respective obligations of the Company and the Underwriters to
contribute pursuant to this Section 7 were to be determined by pro rata or per
capita allocation of the aggregate damages (even if the Underwriters and their
controlling persons in the aggregate were treated as one entity for such
purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the
equitable considerations referred to in the first sentence of this Section; and
(b) that the contribution of each contributing Underwriter shall not be in
excess of its proportionate share (based on the ratio of the number of
Securities purchased by such Underwriter to the number of Securities purchased
by all contributing Underwriters) of the portion of such losses, claims, damages
or liabilities for which the Underwriters are responsible. No person ultimately
determined to be 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 nor ultimately determined to be guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
As used in this paragraph, the term "Underwriter" includes any officer,
director, or other person who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of
Section 15 of the Act, and the word "Company" includes any officer, director, or
person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act. If
the full amount of the contribution specified in this paragraph is not permitted
by law, then the Underwriter and each person who controls the Underwriter shall
be entitled to contribution from the Company, its officers, directors and
controlling persons to the full extent permitted by law. This foregoing
agreement shall in no way affect the contribution liabilities of any persons
having liability under Section 11 of the Act other than the Company and the
Underwriter. No contribution shall be requested with regard to the settlement
of any matter from any party who did not consent to the settlement; provided,
however, that such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld in light of all
factors of importance to such party.
28
8. Costs and Expenses. (a) Whether or not this Agreement becomes
------------------
effective or the sale of the Securities to the Underwriters is consummated, the
Company will pay all costs and expenses incident to the performance of this
Agreement by the Company including but not limited to the fees and expenses of
the counsel to the Company or of the Company's accountants; the costs and
expenses incident to the preparation, printing, filing and distribution under
the Act of the Registration Statement (including the financial statements
therein and all amendments and exhibits thereto), Preliminary Prospectus and the
Prospectus, as amended or supplemented; the fee of the NASD in connection with
the filing required by the NASD relating to the offering of the Securities
contemplated hereby; all state filing fees, expenses and disbursements and legal
fees of counsel to the Company who shall serve as Blue Sky counsel to the
Company in connection with the filing of applications to register the Securities
under the state securities or blue sky laws; the cost of printing and furnishing
to the several Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement, each
Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, this Agreement, the Selected Dealers
Agreement, the Agreement Among Underwriters, Underwriters Questionnaire,
Underwriters Power of Attorney and the Blue Sky Memorandum; the cost of printing
the certificates evidencing the securities comprising the Securities; the cost
of preparing and delivering to the Underwriters and its counsel bound volumes
containing copies of all documents and appropriate correspondence filed with or
received from the Commission and the NASD and all closing documents; and the
fees and disbursements of the transfer agent for the Company's securities. The
Company shall pay any and all taxes (including any original issue, transfer,
franchise, capital stock or other tax imposed by any jurisdiction) on sales to
the Underwriters hereunder. The Company will also pay all costs and expenses
incident to the furnishing of any amended Prospectus or of any supplement to be
attached to the Prospectus. The Company shall also engage the Company's counsel
to provide the Representative with a written Secondary Market Trading Opinion in
accordance with paragraphs 3(ab) and 4(j) of this Agreement.
(b) In addition to the foregoing expenses, the Company shall at the
Closing Date pay to the Representative a non-accountable expense allowance equal
to three percent (2%) of the gross proceeds received from the sale of the
Securities, of which an advance of $______ has been paid to date. In the event
the over allotment option is exercised, the Company shall pay to the
Representative at the Option Closing Date an additional amount equal to three
percent (2%) of the gross proceeds received upon exercise of the over allotment
option.
(c) Other than as disclosed in the Registration Statement, no person
is entitled either directly or indirectly to compensation from the Company, from
the Representative or from any other person for services as a finder in
connection with the proposed offering, and the Company agrees to indemnify and
hold harmless the Representative and the other Underwriters against any losses,
claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several which shall, for all purposes
of this Agreement, include, but not be limited to, all costs of defense and
investigation and all attorneys, fees, to which the Representative or such other
Underwriter may become subject insofar as such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon the.
claim of any person (other than an employee of the party claiming indemnity) or
entity that he or it is entitled to a finder's fee in connection with the
proposed offering by reason of such person's or entity's influence or prior
contact with the indemnifying party.
9. Substitution of Underwriters. If any of the Underwriters shall for
----------------------------
any reason not permitted hereunder cancel their obligations to purchase the
Securities hereunder, or shall fail to take
29
up and pay for the number of Securities set forth opposite their respective
names in Schedule A hereto upon tender of such Securities in accordance with the
terms hereof, then:
(a) if the aggregate number of Securities which such Underwriter or
Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase does not exceed ten percent (10%) of
the total number of Securities, the other Underwriters shall be obligated
severally, in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder, to purchase
the Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but
failed to purchase.
(b) If any Underwriter or Underwriters so default and the agreed
number of Securities with respect to which such default or defaults occurs is
more than ten percent (10%) of the total number of Securities, the remaining
Underwriters shall have the right to take up and pay for (in such proportion as
may be agreed upon among them) the Securities which the defaulting Underwriter
or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase. If such remaining Underwriters do
not, at the Closing Date, take up and pay for the Securities which the
defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase, the time
for delivery of the Securities shall be extended to the next business day to
allow the several Underwriters the privilege of substituting within twenty-four
hours (including non-business hours) another Underwriter or Underwriters
satisfactory to the Company. If no such Underwriter or Underwriters shall have
been substituted as aforesaid, within such twenty-four period, the time of
delivery of the Securities may, at the option of the Company, be again extended
to the next following business day, if necessary, to allow the Company the
privilege of finding within twenty-four hours (including non-business hours)
another Underwriter or Underwriters to purchase the Securities which the
defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase. If it
shall be arranged for the remaining Underwriters or substituted Underwriters to
take up the Securities of the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters as provided
in this Section, (i) the Company or the Representative shall have the right to
postpone the time of delivery for a period of not more than seven (7) 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 or supplements to the Prospectus which may thereby be
made necessary; and (ii) the respective numbers of Securities to be purchased by
the remaining Underwriters or substituted Underwriters shall be taken at the
basis of the underwriting obligation for all purposes of this Agreement.
If in the event of a default by one or more Underwriters and the
remaining Underwriters shall not take up and pay for all the Securities agreed
to be purchased by the defaulting 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 Securities as aforesaid,
then this Agreement shall terminate.
If, following exercise of the Option provided in Section 2(b) hereof,
any Underwriter or Underwriters shall for any reason not permitted hereunder
cancel their obligations to purchase Option Securities at the Option Closing
Date, or shall fail to take up and pay for the number of Option Securities,
which they become obligated to purchase at the Option Closing Date upon tender
of such Option Securities in accordance with the terms hereof, then the
remaining Underwriters or substituted Underwriters may take up and pay for the
Option Securities of the defaulting Underwriters in the manner provided in
Section 9(b) hereof. If the remaining Underwriters or substituted Underwriters
30
shall not take up and pay for all Option Securities, the Underwriters shall be
entitled to purchase the number of Option Securities for which there is no
default or, at their election, the option shall terminate, the exercise thereof
shall be of no effect.
As used in this Agreement, the term "Underwriter" includes any person
substituted for an Underwriter under this Section. In the event of termination,
there shall be no liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter to the
Company, provided that the provisions of this Section 9 shall not in any event
affect the liability of any defaulting Underwriter to the Company arising out of
such default.
10. Effective Date. The Agreement shall become effective upon its
--------------
execution except that you may, at your option, delay its effectiveness until
11:00 a.m., Eastern time, on the first full business day following the effective
date of the Registration Statement, or at such earlier time after the effective
date of the Registration Statement as you in your discretion shall first
commence the public offering by the Underwriters of any of the Securities. The
time of the public offering shall mean the time after the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement when the Securities are first generally offered by you to
the other Underwriters and Selected Dealers. This Agreement may be terminated
by you at any time before it becomes effective as provided above, except that
Sections 3(c), 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 shall remain in effect
notwithstanding such termination.
11. Termination. (a) This Agreement, except for Sections 3(c), 6, 7, 8,
-----------
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 hereof, may be terminated at any time prior to the
Closing Date, and the Option referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, if exercised,
may be canceled at any time prior to the Option Closing Date, by you if in your
judgment it is impracticable to offer for sale or to enforce contracts made by
the Underwriters for the resale of the Securities agreed to be purchased
hereunder by reason of: (i) the Company having sustained a material adverse
loss, whether or not insured, by reason of fire, earthquake, flood, accident or
other calamity, or from any labor dispute or court or government action, order
or decree; (ii) trading in securities on the New York Stock Exchange or the
American Stock Exchange having been suspended or limited; (iii) material
governmental restrictions having been imposed on trading in securities generally
(not in force and effect on the date hereof); (iv) a banking moratorium having
been declared by Federal or New York or Florida state authorities; (v) an
outbreak of major international hostilities or other national or international
calamity having occurred; (vi) the passage by the Congress of the United States
or by any state legislative body of similar impact, of any act or measure, or
the adoption of any orders, rules or regulations by any governmental body or any
authoritative accounting institute or board, or any governmental executive,
which is reasonably believed likely by the Representative to have a material
adverse impact on the business, financial condition or financial statements of
the Company or the market for the securities offered hereby; (vii) any material
adverse change in the financial or securities markets beyond normal market
fluctuations having occurred since the date of this Agreement; (viii) any
material adverse change having occurred, since the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, in the
earnings, business prospects or general condition of the Company, financial or
otherwise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business; (ix) a
pending or threatened legal or governmental proceeding or action relating
generally to the Company's business, or a notification having been received by
the Company of the threat of any such proceeding or action, which could, in the
reasonable judgment of the Representative, materially adversely affect the
Company; (x) except as contemplated by the Prospectus, the Company is merged or
consolidated
31
into or acquired by another company or group or there exists a binding legal
commitment for the foregoing or any other material change of ownership or
control occurs; or (xi) the Company shall not have complied in all material
respects with any term, condition or provisions on their part to be performed,
complied with or fulfilled (including but not limited to those set forth in this
Agreement) within the respective times therein provided.
(b) If you elect to prevent this Agreement from becoming effective or
to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section, the Company shall be
promptly notified by you, by telephone, telegram or facsimile, confirmed by
letter.
12. Representative's Warrant Agreement. At the Closing Date, the Company
----------------------------------
will issue to the Representative and/or persons related to the Representative,
for an aggregate purchase price of $100, and upon the terms and conditions set
forth in the form of Representative's Warrant Agreement annexed as an exhibit to
the Registration Statement, Representative Warrants to purchase up to an
aggregate of 115,000 Shares and 115,000 Warrants, in such denominations as the
Representative shall designate. In the event of conflict in the terms of this
Agreement and the Representative's Warrant Agreement, the language of the form
of Representative's Warrant Agreement shall control.
13. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery. The
----------------------------------------------------- --------
respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other
statements of the Company and its principal officers, where appropriate, and the
Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full
force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the
Underwriters, the Company or any of its officers or directors or any controlling
person and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities and the
termination of this Agreement.
14. Notice. All communications hereunder will be in writing and, except
------
as otherwise expressly provided herein, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed
and confirmed:
If to the Underwriters: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, President
First London Securities Corporation
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Copy to: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, LLP
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
If to the Company: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Chairman
NEI WebWorld, Inc.
North Tower, Plaza of the Americas
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
32
Copy to: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
15. Parties in Interest. This Agreement herein set forth is made solely
-------------------
for the benefit of the several Underwriters, the Company and, to the extent
expressed, any person controlling the Company or of the Underwriters, and
directors of the Company, nominees for directors (if any) named in the
Prospectus, its officers who have signed the Registration Statement, and their
respective executors, administrators, successors, assigns and no other person
shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. The term
"successors and assigns" shall not include any purchaser of the Securities, as
such purchaser, from the several Underwriters. All of the obligations of the
Underwriters hereunder are several and not joint.
16. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed and construed in
--------------
accordance with the laws of the State of Texas applicable to contracts made and
to be performed entirely within the State of Texas. The parties agree that any
action brought by any party against another party in connection with any rights
or obligations arising out of this Agreement shall be instituted properly in a
federal or state court of competent jurisdiction with venue only in the State
District Court of Dallas, County, Texas or the United States District Court for
the Northern District of Texas. A party to this Agreement named as a Defendant
in any action brought in connection with this Agreement in any court outside of
the above named designated county or district shall have the right to have the
venue of said action changed to the above designated county or district or, if
necessary, have the case dismissed, requiring the other party to re-file such
action in an appropriate court in the above designated county or federal
district.
17. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
------------
counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to
be an original, and such counter-parts shall together constitute but one and the
same instrument.
18. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the agreements referred to
----------------
within this Agreement constitute the entire agreement of the parties, and
supersedes all prior agreement, understanding, negotiations and discussions,
whether written or oral, of the parties hereto.
19. Representative as Underwriter. In the event the Representative acts
-----------------------------
as the sole Underwriter ("Underwriter") in connection with the underwriting of
the securities being offered pursuant to the Registration Statement, all
references to the Representative in this Agreement shall be replaced by
reference to the "Underwriter", and (i) any consents required to be obtained
from the Representative shall be required to be obtained solely from the
Underwriter; (ii) all compensation to be received by the Representative shall
instead be received by the Underwriter; and (iii) the provisions of section nine
(9) of this Agreement shall not apply.
33
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement,
kindly sign and return this Agreement, whereupon it will become a binding
Agreement between the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with
its terms.
Very truly yours,
NEI WebWorld, Inc.
BY:
-----------------------------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Chairman
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the
date first above written.
FIRST LONDON SECURITIES CORPORATION
BY:
-----------------------------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, President
For itself and as Representative of the
several Underwriters
34
SCHEDULE A
TO THE UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
-----------------------------
UNDERWRITER SHARES
----------- ------
First London Securities Corporation................................ 1,000,000
UNDERWRITER WARRANTS
----------- --------
First London Securities Corporation................................ 1,000,000
35