EXHIBIT 1
Draft of October 6, 1999
__________ Shares/1/
BE FREE, INC.
Common Stock
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
----------------------
__________ __, 1999
DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE
SECURITIES CORPORATION
HAMBRECHT & QUIST LLC
DAIN RAUSCHER WESSELS
As representatives of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto
c/o Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation
277 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10172
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
Be Free, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), proposes to
issue and sell ____________ shares of its common stock, $.01 par value per share
(the "Firm Shares") to the several underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the
"Underwriters"). The Company also proposes to issue and sell to the several
Underwriters not more than an additional _______ shares of its common stock,
$.01 par value per share (the "Additional Shares") if requested by the
Underwriters as provided in Section 2 hereof. The Firm Shares and the Additional
Shares are hereinafter referred to collectively as the "Shares". The shares of
common stock of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sales
contemplated hereby are hereinafter referred to as the "Common Stock".
SECTION 1. Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company has
prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder
(collectively, the "Act"), a registration statement on Form S-1, including a
prospectus, relating to the Shares. The registration statement, as amended at
the time it became effective, including the information (if any) deemed to be
part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule
430A under the Act, is hereinafter referred to as the
- --------
/1/ Insert number of shares to be sold (not including green shoe).
"Registration Statement"; and the prospectus in the form first used to confirm
sales of Shares is hereinafter referred to as the "Prospectus". If the Company
has filed or is required pursuant to the terms hereof to file a registration
statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act registering additional shares of
Common Stock (a "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement"), then, unless otherwise
specified, any reference herein to the term "Registration Statement" shall be
deemed to include such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.
SECTION 2. Agreements to Sell and Purchase and Lock-Up Agreements. On
the basis of the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, and
subject to its terms and conditions, the Company agrees to issue and sell, and
each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company
at a price per Share of $______ (the "Purchase Price") the number of Firm Shares
set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto.
On the basis of the representations and warranties contained in this
Agreement, and subject to its terms and conditions, the Company agrees to issue
and sell the Additional Shares and the Underwriters shall have the right to
purchase, severally and not jointly, up to _______ Additional Shares from the
Company at the Purchase Price. Additional Shares may be purchased solely for the
purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the
Firm Shares. The Underwriters may exercise their right to purchase Additional
Shares in whole or in part from time to time by giving written notice thereof to
the Company within 30 days after the date of this Agreement. You shall give any
such notice on behalf of the Underwriters and such notice shall specify the
aggregate number of Additional Shares to be purchased pursuant to such exercise
and the date for payment and delivery thereof, which date shall be a business
day (i) no earlier than two business days after such notice has been given (and,
in any event, no earlier than the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined)) and
(ii) no later than ten business days after such notice has been given. If any
Additional Shares are to be purchased, each Underwriter, severally and not
jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company the number of Additional Shares
(subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as you may
determine) which bears the same proportion to the total number of Additional
Shares to be purchased from the Company as the number of Firm Shares set forth
opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I bears to the total number of
Firm Shares.
The Company hereby agrees not to (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to
sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract
to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer
or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any
securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or
(ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers all or a portion of
the economic consequences associated with the ownership of any Common Stock
(regardless of whether any of the transactions described in clause (i) or (ii)
is to be settled by the delivery of Common Stock, or such other securities, in
cash or otherwise), except to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, for a
period of 180 days after the date of the Prospectus without the prior written
consent of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, during such period (i) the Company may grant stock options
pursuant to the Company's existing stock option plans and (ii) the Company may
issue shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the
conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof. The
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Company also agrees not to file any registration statement with respect to any
shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or
exchangeable for Common Stock for a period of 180 days after the date of the
Prospectus without the prior written consent of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
Securities Corporation; provided, however, that during such period the Company
may file one or more registration statements on Form S-8 registering shares of
Common Stock acquired or to be acquired pursuant to the Company's existing stock
options plan. The Company shall, prior to or concurrently with the execution of
this Agreement, deliver an agreement executed by (i) each of the directors and
officers of the Company and (ii) each stockholder listed on Annex I hereto to
the effect that such person will not, during the 180 day period commencing on
the date of the Prospectus, without the prior written consent of Donaldson,
Lufkin & Jenrette Corporation, (A) engage in any of the transactions described
in the first sentence of this paragraph or (B) make any demand for, or exercise
any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any
securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock. The
Company further agrees not to release any stockholder of the Company bound by a
contractual agreement (lock-up) not to sell or otherwise transfer shares of
Company stock from such agreement. The Company has provided each such
stockholder with notice of such agreement.
SECTION 3. Terms of Public Offering. The Company is advised by you that
the Underwriters propose (i) to make a public offering of their respective
portions of the Shares as soon after the execution and delivery of this
Agreement as in your judgment is advisable and (ii) initially to offer the
Shares upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus.
SECTION 4. Delivery and Payment. The Shares shall be represented by
definitive certificates and shall be issued in such authorized denominations and
registered in such names as Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation
shall request no later than two business days prior to the Closing Date (as
defined below) or the applicable Option Closing Date (as defined below), as the
case may be. The Company shall deliver the Shares to Donaldson, Lufkin &
Jenrette Securities Corporation through the facilities of The Depository Trust
Company ("DTC"), for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters,
against payment to the Company of the Purchase Price therefore by wire transfer
of Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City. The
certificates representing the Shares shall be made available for inspection not
later than 9:30 A.M., New York City time, on the business day prior to the
Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, at the
office of DTC or its designated custodian (the "Designated Office"). The time
and date of delivery and payment for the Firm Shares shall be 9:00 A.M., New
York City time, on ________, 1999 or such other time on the same or such other
date as Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation and the Company
shall agree in writing. The time and date of delivery for the Firm Shares are
hereinafter referred to as the "Closing Date". The time and date of delivery and
payment for any Additional Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters shall be
9:00 A.M., New York City time, on the date specified in the applicable exercise
notice given by you pursuant to Section 2 or such other time on the same or such
other date as Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation and the
Company shall agree in writing. The time and date of delivery for the Option
Shares are hereinafter referred to as an "Option Closing Date".
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The documents to be delivered on the Closing Date or any Option Closing
Date on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 8 of this Agreement
shall be delivered at the offices of Hale & Dorr LLP, 60 State Street, Boston,
Massachusetts 02109 and the Shares shall be delivered at the Designated Office,
all on the Closing Date or such Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
SECTION 5. Agreements of the Company. The Company agrees with you:
(a) To advise you promptly and, if requested by you, to confirm such
advice in writing, (i) of any request by the Commission for amendments to the
Registration Statement or amendments or supplements to the Prospectus or for
additional information, (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of the suspension
of qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or the
initiation of any proceeding for such purposes, (iii) when any amendment to the
Registration Statement becomes effective, (iv) if the Company is required to
file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement after the effectiveness of this
Agreement, when the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has become effective and
(v) of the happening of any event during the period referred to in Section 5(d)
below which makes any statement of a material fact made in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus untrue or which requires any additions to or changes
in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in order to make the statements
therein not misleading. If at any time the Commission shall issue any stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company will use
its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal or lifting of such order at the
earliest possible time.
(b) To furnish to you four (4) signed copies of the Registration
Statement as first filed with the Commission and of each amendment to it,
including all exhibits, and to furnish to you and each Underwriter designated by
you such number of conformed copies of the Registration Statement as so filed
and of each amendment to it, without exhibits, as you may reasonably request.
(c) To prepare the Prospectus, the form and substance of which shall be
satisfactory to you, and to file the Prospectus in such form with the Commission
within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Act; during the
period specified in Section 5(d) below, not to file any further amendment to the
Registration Statement and not to make any amendment or supplement to the
Prospectus of which you shall not previously have been advised or to which you
shall reasonably object after being so advised; and, during such period, to
prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon your reasonable request, any
amendment to the Registration Statement or amendment or supplement to the
Prospectus which may be necessary or advisable in connection with the
distribution of the Shares by you, and to use its best efforts to cause any such
amendment to the Registration Statement to become promptly effective.
(d) Prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the first business day
after the date of this Agreement and from time to time thereafter for such
period as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus is
required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or a
dealer, to furnish in New York City to each Underwriter and any dealer as many
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copies of the Prospectus (and of any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus)
as such Underwriter or dealer may reasonably request.
(e) If during the period specified in Section 5(d), any event shall
occur or condition shall exist as a result of which, in the opinion of counsel
for the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus
in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when
the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the
opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement
the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare and file with
the Commission an appropriate amendment or supplement to the Prospectus so that
the statements in the Prospectus, as so amended or supplemented, will not in the
light of the circumstances when it is so delivered, be misleading, or so that
the Prospectus will comply with applicable law, and to furnish to each
Underwriter and to any dealer as many copies thereof as such Underwriter or
dealer may reasonably request.
(f) Prior to any public offering of the Shares, to cooperate with you
and counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the registration or
qualification of the Shares for offer and sale by the several Underwriters and
by dealers under the state securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as
you may request, to continue such registration or qualification in effect so
long as required for distribution of the Shares and to file such consents to
service of process or other documents as may be necessary in order to effect
such registration or qualification; provided, however, that the Company shall
not be required in connection therewith to qualify as a foreign corporation in
any jurisdiction in which it is not now so qualified or to take any action that
would subject it to general consent to service of process or taxation other than
as to matters and transactions relating to the Prospectus, the Registration
Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the offering or sale of the Shares, in
any jurisdiction in which it is not now so subject.
(g) To mail and make generally available to its stockholders as soon as
practicable an earnings statement covering a period of at least twelve months
beginning after the effective date of the Registration Statement that shall
satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder (including Rule 158), and to advise you in writing when such
statement has been so made available.
(h) During the period of three years after the date of this Agreement,
to furnish to you as soon as available copies of all reports or other
communications furnished to the record holders of Common Stock or furnished to
or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange on which any
class of securities of the Company is listed and such other publicly available
information concerning the Company and its subsidiaries as you may reasonably
request.
(i) Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are
consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or cause to be paid all
expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement,
including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company's counsel and
the Company's accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of
the Shares under the Act and all other fees and expenses in
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connection with the preparation, printing, filing and distribution of the
Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits), any
preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to any
of the foregoing, including the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the
Underwriters and dealers in the quantities specified herein, (ii) all costs and
expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters,
including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) all costs of
printing or producing this Agreement and any other agreements or documents in
connection with the offering, purchase, sale or delivery of the Shares, (iv) all
expenses in connection with the registration or qualification of the Shares for
offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of the several states and
all costs of printing or producing any Preliminary and Supplemental Blue Sky
Memoranda in connection therewith (including the filing fees and fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such
registration or qualification and memoranda relating thereto), (v) the filing
fees and fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection
with the review and clearance of the offering of the Shares by the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., (vi) all fees and expenses in
connection with the preparation and filing of the registration statement on Form
8-A relating to the Common Stock and all costs and expenses incident to the
listing of the Shares on the Nasdaq National Market, (vii) the cost of printing
certificates representing the Shares, (viii) the costs and charges of any
transfer agent, registrar and/or depositary, and (ix) all other costs and
expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder
for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section.
(j) To use its best efforts to list for quotation the Shares on the
Nasdaq National Market and to maintain the listing of the Shares on the Nasdaq
National Market for a period of three years after the date of this Agreement.
(k) To use its best efforts to do and perform all things required or
necessary to be done and performed under this Agreement by the Company prior to
the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and to satisfy
all conditions precedent to the delivery of the Shares.
(l) If the Registration Statement at the time of the effectiveness of
this Agreement does not cover all of the Shares, to file a Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement with the Commission registering the Shares not so covered
in compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 P.M., New York City time, on the date of
this Agreement and to pay to the Commission the filing fee for such Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement at the time of the filing thereof or to give irrevocable
instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111(b) under the Act.
SECTION 6. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company
represents and warrants to each Underwriter that:
(a) The Registration Statement has become effective (other than any
Rule 462(b) Registration Statement to be filed by the Company after the
effectiveness of this Agreement); any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement filed
after the effectiveness of this Agreement will become effective no later than
10:00 P.M., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement; and no
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stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in
effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before or threatened by
the Commission.
(b) (i) The Registration Statement (other than any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement to be filed by the Company after the effectiveness of
this Agreement), when it became effective, did not contain and, as amended, if
applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, (ii) the Registration Statement (other than
any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement to be filed by the Company after the
effectiveness of this Agreement) and the Prospectus comply and, as amended or
supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Act,
(iii) if the Company is required to file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement
after the effectiveness of this Agreement, such Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement and any amendments thereto, when they become effective (A) will not
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading and (B) will comply in all material respects with the Act and (iv)
the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable,
will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the
representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to
statements or omissions in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus based
upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing
by such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein.
(c) Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the registration
statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed
pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act, complied when so filed in all material
respects with the Act, and did not contain an untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties
set forth in this paragraph do not apply to statements or omissions in any
preliminary prospectus based upon information relating to any Underwriter
furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly
for use therein.
(d) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly
incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the
laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation and has the corporate power and
authority to carry on its business as described in the Prospectus and to own,
lease and operate its properties, and each is duly qualified and is in good
standing as a foreign corporation authorized to do business in each jurisdiction
in which the nature of its business or its ownership or leasing of property
requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified would
not have a material adverse effect on the business, prospects, financial
condition or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as
a whole.
(e) There are no outstanding subscriptions, rights, warrants, options,
calls, convertible securities, commitments of sale or liens granted or issued by
the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to or entitling any person to
purchase or otherwise to acquire any shares of the capital stock of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries, except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration
Statement.
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(f) All the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have
been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and
not subject to any preemptive or similar rights; and the Shares have been duly
authorized and, when issued and delivered to the Underwriters against payment
therefor as provided by this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable, and the issuance of such Shares will not be subject to any
preemptive or similar rights.
(g) All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the
Company's subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued and are
fully paid and non-assessable, and are owned by the Company, directly or
indirectly through one or more subsidiaries, free and clear of any security
interest, claim, lien, encumbrance or adverse interest of any nature.
(h) The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal
matters to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus.
(i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation
of its respective charter or by-laws, (ii) in default in the performance of any
obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, loan
agreement, mortgage, lease or other agreement or instrument that is material to
the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to which the Company or any
of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or their respective property is bound or (iii) in violation in any
material respect of any applicable law or any rule, regulation, judgment, order
or decree of any court or any governmental body or agency having jurisdiction
over the Company, any of its subsidiaries or their respective property.
(j) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the
Company, the compliance by the Company with all the provisions hereof and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not (i) require any
consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or qualification with, any
court or governmental body or agency (except such as may be required under the
securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states, the Exchange Act or in
connection with the NASD's review of the underwriting arrangements of the
offering and sale of the Shares), (ii) conflict with or constitute a breach of
any of the terms or provisions of, or a default under, the charter or by-laws of
the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any indenture, loan agreement,
mortgage, lease or other agreement or instrument that is material to the Company
and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries or
their respective property is bound, (iii) violate or conflict with any
applicable law or any rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court
or any governmental body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company, any of
its subsidiaries or their respective property or (iv) result in the suspension,
termination or revocation of any Authorization (as defined below) of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries or any other impairment of the rights of the holder
of any such Authorization.
(k) There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the
Company's knowledge, threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries
is or could be a party or to which any of their respective property is or is
reasonably likely to be subject that are required
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to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so
described; nor are there any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents
that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not
so described or filed as required.
(l) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has violated any
foreign, federal, state or local law or regulation relating to the protection of
human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or
wastes, pollutants or contaminants ("Environmental Laws"), any provisions of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, or any provisions
of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder, except for such violations which, singly or in the aggregate, would
not have a material adverse effect on the business, prospects, financial
condition or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as
a whole.
(m) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has such permits,
licenses, consents, exemptions, franchises, authorizations and other approvals
(each, an "Authorization") of, and has made all filings with and notices to, all
governmental or regulatory authorities and self-regulatory organizations and all
courts and other tribunals, including, without limitation, under any applicable
Environmental Laws, as are necessary to own, lease, license and operate its
respective properties and to conduct its business, except where the failure to
have any such Authorization or to make any such filing or notice would not,
singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business,
prospects, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Each such Authorization is valid and in full
force and effect and each of the Company and its subsidiaries is in compliance
in all material respects with all the terms and conditions thereof and with the
rules and regulations of the authorities and governing bodies having
jurisdiction with respect thereto; and no event has occurred (including, without
limitation, the receipt of any notice from any authority or governing body)
which allows or, after notice or lapse of time or both, would allow, revocation,
suspension or termination of any such Authorization or results or, after notice
or lapse of time or both, would result in any other material impairment of the
rights of the holder of any such Authorization; and such Authorizations contain
no restrictions that are burdensome to the Company or any of its subsidiaries;
except where such failure to be valid and in full force and effect or to be in
compliance, the occurrence of any such event or the presence of any such
restriction would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse
effect on the business, prospects, financial condition or results of operations
of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(n) There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental
Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures
required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental
Laws or any Authorization, any related constraints on operating activities and
any potential liabilities to third parties) which would, singly or in the
aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, prospects, financial
condition or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as
a whole.
(o) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by
the Company and constitutes the valid, legal and binding obligation of the
Company enforceable in accordance with its terms.
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(p) PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP are independent public accountants with
respect to the Company and its subsidiaries as required by the Act.
(q) The consolidated financial statements included in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto), together
with related schedules and notes, present fairly the consolidated financial
position, results of operations and changes in financial position of the Company
and its subsidiaries on the basis stated therein at the respective dates or for
the respective periods to which they apply; such statements and related
schedules and notes have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles consistently applied throughout the periods involved,
except as disclosed therein; the supporting schedules, if any, included in the
Registration Statement present fairly in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles the information required to be stated therein; the
assumptions used in preparing the pro forma financial statements included in the
Registration Statement provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant
effects directly attributable to the transactions or events described therein,
the related pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions,
and the pro forma columns therein reflect the proper application of those
adjustments to the corresponding historical financial statements amounts; and
the other financial and statistical information and data set forth in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement
thereto) are, in all material respects, accurately presented and prepared on a
basis consistent with such financial statements and the books and records of the
Company.
(r) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and
sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in
the Prospectus, will not be, an "investment company" as such term is defined in
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(s) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, there are no contracts,
agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such
person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under
the Act with respect to any securities of the Company or to require the Company
to include such securities with the Shares registered pursuant to the
Registration Statement.
(t) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the
Prospectus other than as set forth in the Prospectus (exclusive of any
amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), (i)
there has not occurred any material adverse change or any development involving
a prospective material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise,
or the earnings, business, management or operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (ii) there has not been any material adverse
change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in the
capital stock or in the long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any
material liability or obligation, direct or contingent.
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(u) Each certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered
to the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed to be a
representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters
covered thereby.
(v) Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries own any real property. The
Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all personal
property owned by them which is material to the business of the Company and its
subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects
except such as are described in the Prospectus or such as do not materially
affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and
proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries; and
any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its
subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases
with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made
and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its
subsidiaries, in each case except as described in the Prospectus.
(w) The Company and its subsidiaries own, or possess valid and
enforceable licenses to, all patents, patent rights, inventions, copyrights,
know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable
proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks,
service marks and trade names ("Intellectual Property") currently employed by
the Company and its subsidiaries in connection with the business now operated by
them, except where the failure to own or possess such Intellectual Property
would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the
business, prospects, financial condition or results of operations of the Company
and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Neither the Company, nor its
subsidiaries, has received any notice of a claim, nor is any of them aware of
facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim, that: (i)
challenges the Company's or its subsidiaries' rights in or to any Intellectual
Property; (ii) challenges the validity or scope of any Intellectual Property;
(iii) any third party has or will be able to establish any rights in the
Intellectual Property, except for the ownership rights of the owners of the
Intellectual Property which is licensed to the Company or the rights of parties
to whom the Company has granted licenses of such Intellectual Property; (iv) the
Intellectual Property infringes or otherwise violates any patent, copyright,
trade secret, trademark or other proprietary right of any third party; or (v)
there is infringement of the Intellectual Property by any third party, which, in
the case of any such claim specified in clauses (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) or (v)
above, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision,
ruling or finding, would have a material adverse effect on the business,
prospects, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole. The Company has agreements in place with each
employee, consultant or other person or party engaged by the Company for the
assignment to the Company of all intellectual property and exploitation rights
in the work performed and the protection of the trade secrets and confidential
information of the Company and of third parties which have been developed by
such person for or on behalf of the Company.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing paragraph: (i) the
Company has duly registered with all required authorities the domain name of its
sites on the World Wide Web ("Domain Names") located at http://www.befree.com,
http://www.affiliaterecruiters.com [others?] (the "Websites"), and is the sole
and exclusive owner of and possesses all rights necessary to use the Domain
Names; (ii) the Company has the sole and exclusive right to operate
11
the Websites and to use, market, develop, sell, license, display, distribute,
publish and transmit all information, content, software and other materials
available at the Websites; (iii) none of the Websites, the Company's operation
thereof, the Domain Names or any of the information, content, software or other
materials available at any Website infringes upon, violates or constitutes a
misappropriation of any Intellectual Property or other right of any other person
or entity or of any applicable law or regulation; and (iv) no other person has
any interest in, or right or claim to, any Website or any part thereof.
(x) The Company and each of its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of
recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such
amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are
engaged; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (i) has received
notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that substantial capital
improvements or other material expenditures will have to be made in order to
continue such insurance or (ii) has any reason to believe that it will not be
able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires
or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers at a cost that would not
have a material adverse effect on the business, prospects, financial condition
or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(y) No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the
Company or any of its subsidiaries on the one hand, and the directors, officers,
stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
on the other hand, which is required by the Act to be described in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus which is not so described.
(z) There is no (i) significant unfair labor practice complaint,
grievance or arbitration proceeding pending or threatened against the Company or
any of its subsidiaries before the National Labor Relations Board or any state
or local labor relations board, (ii) strike, labor dispute, slowdown or stoppage
pending or threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii)
union representation question existing with respect to the employees of the
Company and its subsidiaries, except for such actions specified in clause (i),
(ii) or (iii) above, which, singly or in the aggregate, would not have a
material adverse effect on the business, prospects, financial condition or
results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. To
the best of the Company's knowledge, no collective bargaining organizing
activities are taking place with respect to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries.
(aa) The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintains a system of
internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i)
transactions are executed in accordance with management's general or specific
authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to
assets is permitted only in accordance with management's general or specific
authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with
the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with
respect to any differences.
12
(bb) All material tax returns required to be filed by the Company and
each of its subsidiaries in any jurisdiction have been filed, other than those
filings being contested in good faith, and all material taxes, including
withholding taxes, penalties and interest, assessments, fees and other charges
due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the
Company or any of its subsidiaries have been paid, other than those being
contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been provided.
(cc) The Company has reviewed its operations and those of any third
parties with which the Company has a material relationship to evaluate the
extent to which the business or operations of the Company will be affected by
the Year 2000 Problem. As a result of such review, the Company has no reason to
believe, and does not believe, that the Year 2000 Problem will have a material
adverse effect on the business, prospects, financial condition or results of
operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. The "Year 2000
Problem" as used herein means any significant risk that computer hardware or
software used in the receipt, transmission, processing, manipulation, storage,
retrieval, retransmission or other utilization of data or in the operation of
mechanical or electrical systems of any kind will not be able to reliably
distinguish dates beginning on January 1, 2000 from dates prior to January 1,
2000.
(dd) The Company has not at any time during the last five (5) years (i)
made any unlawful contribution to any candidate for foreign office or failed to
disclose fully any contribution in violation of law, or (ii) made any payment to
any federal or state governmental officer or official, or other person charged
with similar public or quasi-public duties, other than payments required or
permitted by the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction thereof.
(ee) The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or
indirectly, any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to cause
or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of Common Stock to
facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(ff) The Company has filed a registration statement pursuant to Section
12(g) of the Exchange Act to register the Common Stock, has filed an application
to list the Shares on the Nasdaq National Market, and has received notification
that the listing has been approved, subject to notice of issuance.
(gg) The Company has not incurred any liability for a fee, commission,
or other compensation on account of the employment of a broker or finder in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement other than as
contemplated thereby.
SECTION 7. Indemnification. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and
hold harmless each Underwriter, its directors, its officers and each person, if
any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or
Section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
Act"), from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and
judgments (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses incurred
in connection with investigating or defending any matter, including any action,
that could give rise to any such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
judgments) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment
thereto), the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any
13
preliminary prospectus, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state
therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or judgments are caused by any such untrue statement or
omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information relating
to any Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by such Underwriter
through you expressly for use therein; provided, however, that the foregoing
indemnity agreement with respect to any preliminary prospectus shall not inure
to the benefit of any Underwriter who failed to deliver a Prospectus (as then
amended or supplemented, provided by the Company to the several Underwriters in
the requisite quantity and on a timely basis to permit proper delivery on or
prior to the Closing Date) to the person asserting any losses, claims, damages
and liabilities and judgments caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus, or caused
by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if
such material misstatement or omission or alleged material misstatement or
omission was cured in such Prospectus and such Prospectus was required by law to
be delivered at or prior to the written confirmation of sale to such person.
(b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify
and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the
Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within
the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, to the
same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to such Underwriter but
only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished in
writing to the Company by such Underwriter through you expressly for use in the
Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the Prospectus (or any
amendment or supplement thereto) or any preliminary prospectus.
(c) In case any action shall be commenced involving any person in
respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 7(a) or 7(b) (the
"indemnified party"), the indemnified party shall promptly notify the person
against whom such indemnity may be sought (the "indemnifying party") in writing
and the indemnifying party shall assume the defense of such action, including
the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party and
the payment of all fees and expenses of such counsel, as incurred (except that
in the case of any action in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant
to both Sections 7(a) and 7(b), the Underwriter shall not be required to assume
the defense of such action pursuant to this Section 7(c), but may employ
separate counsel and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and
expenses of such counsel, except as provided below, shall be at the expense of
such Underwriter). Any indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate
counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees
and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnified party
unless (i) the employment of such counsel shall have been specifically
authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (ii) the indemnifying party
shall have failed to assume the defense of such action or employ counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party or (iii) the named parties to
any such action (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnified
party and the indemnifying party, and the indemnified party shall have been
advised by such counsel that there may be one or more legal defenses available
to it which are different from or additional to those available to the
indemnifying party (in which
14
case the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of
such action on behalf of the indemnified party). In any such case, the
indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one 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 fees and
expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys (in addition to any local
counsel) for all indemnified parties and all such fees and expenses shall be
reimbursed as they are incurred. Such firm shall be designated in writing by
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation, in the case of parties
indemnified pursuant to Section 7(a), and by the Company, in the case of parties
indemnified pursuant to Section 7(b). The indemnifying party shall indemnify and
hold harmless the indemnified party from and against any and all losses, claims,
damages, liabilities and judgments by reason of any settlement of any action (i)
effected with its written consent or (ii) effected without its written consent
if the settlement is entered into more than twenty business days after the
indemnifying party shall have received a request from the indemnified party for
reimbursement for the fees and expenses of counsel (in any case where such fees
and expenses are at the expense of the indemnifying party) and, prior to the
date of such settlement, the indemnifying party shall have failed to comply with
such reimbursement request. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior
written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement or compromise
of, or consent to the entry of judgment with respect to, any pending or
threatened action in respect of which the indemnified party is or could have
been a party and indemnity or contribution may be or could have been sought
hereunder by the indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or
judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all
liability on claims that are or could have been the subject matter of such
action and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault,
culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of the indemnified party.
(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in this Section 7
is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or judgments referred to therein, then each
indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, shall
contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result
of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and judgments (i) in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the
Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering
of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 7(d)(i) above is not
permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not
only the relative benefits referred to in clause 7(d)(i) above but also the
relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other
hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such
losses, claims, damages, liabilities or judgments, as well as any other relevant
equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the
one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be deemed to be in the
same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (after deducting
underwriting discounts and commissions, but before deducting expenses) received
by the Company, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by
the Underwriters, bear to the total price to the public of the Shares, in each
case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative
fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand
shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission
to state a material fact
15
relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters and the
parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to
correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and
equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7(d) were determined by pro
rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such
purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the
equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph. The
amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or judgments referred to in the immediately
preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set
forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such indemnified party in
connection with investigating or defending any matter, including any action,
that could have given rise to such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
judgments. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter
shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the
total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public
were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such
Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or
alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of
fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act)
shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such
fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters' obligations to contribute
pursuant to this Section 7(d) are several in proportion to the respective number
of Shares purchased by each of the Underwriters hereunder and not joint.
(e) The remedies provided for in this Section 7 are not exclusive and
shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any
indemnified party at law or in equity.
SECTION 8. Conditions of Underwriters' Obligations. The several
obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Firm Shares under this Agreement
are subject to the satisfaction of each of the following conditions:
(a) All the representations and warranties of the Company contained in
this Agreement shall be true and correct on the Closing Date with the same force
and effect as if made on and as of the Closing Date.
(b) If the Company is required to file a Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement after the effectiveness of this Agreement, such Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 P.M., New York City
time, on the date of this Agreement; and no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no
proceedings for that purpose shall have been commenced or shall be pending
before or contemplated by the Commission.
(c) You shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate dated the
Closing Date, signed by Gordon B. Hoffstein and Stephen M. Joseph, in their
capacities as the President and Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial
Officer of the Company, confirming the matters set forth in Sections 6(t), 8(a)
and 8(b) and that the Company has complied with all of the
16
agreements and satisfied all of the conditions herein contained and required to
be complied with or satisfied by the Company on or prior to the Closing Date.
(d) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the
Prospectus other than as set forth in the Prospectus (exclusive of any
amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), (i)
there shall not have occurred any change or any development involving a
prospective change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or the earnings,
business, management or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as
a whole, (ii) there shall not have been any change or any development involving
a prospective change in the capital stock or in the long-term debt of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries shall have incurred any liability or obligation, direct or
contingent, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause 8(d)(i),
8(d)(ii) or 8(d)(iii), in your judgment, is material and adverse and, in your
judgment, makes it impracticable to market the Shares on the terms and in the
manner contemplated in the Prospectus.
(e) You shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion
(satisfactory to you and counsel for the Underwriters), dated the Closing Date,
of Hale and Dorr LLP, counsel for the Company, to the effect that:
(i) each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly
incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing
under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation and has the
corporate power and authority to carry on its business, and to own,
lease and operate its properties, as described in the Prospectus;
(ii) each of the Company and its subsidiaries is duly
qualified and is in good standing as a foreign corporation authorized
to do business in [the State of Delaware and] the Commonwealths of
Pennsylvania and Massachusetts;
(iii) all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the
Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully
paid, non-assessable and not subject to any statutory preemptive or
similar statutory right or, to such counsel's knowledge after due
inquiry, any preemptive right, right of first refusal or first offer or
other similar right pursuant to any agreement to which the Company is a
party;
(iv) the Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and
delivered to the Underwriters against payment therefor as provided by
this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable,
and the issuance of such Shares will not have been issued in violation
of or subject to any statutory preemptive or similar statutory right
or, to such counsel's knowledge after due inquiry, any preemptive
right, right of first refusal or first offer or other similar right
pursuant to any agreement to which the Company is a party;
(v) all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of each of
the Company's subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued
and are fully paid and
17
non-assessable, and are owned by the Company, directly or indirectly
through one or more subsidiaries, free and clear of any security
interest, claim, lien, encumbrance or adverse interest of any nature;
(vi) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company;
(vii) the authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as
to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof
contained in the Prospectus;
(viii) the Registration Statement has become effective under
the Act, no stop order suspending its effectiveness has been issued and
no proceedings for that purpose are, to such counsel's knowledge,
pending before or contemplated by the Commission;
(ix) the statements under the captions "Shares Eligible for
Future Sale", "Management - Employment Agreements", "Management -
Change of Control Arrangements", "Management - 1998 Stock Incentive
Plan", "Transactions with Related Parties", "Description of Capital
Stock" and "Underwriting" in the Prospectus and Items 14 and 15 of Part
II of the Registration Statement, insofar as such statements constitute
a summary of legal matters or legal conclusions or a summary of
documents or proceedings referred to therein, fairly present the
information called for with respect to such legal matters, legal
conclusions, documents and proceedings;
(x) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement
by the Company, the compliance by the Company with all the provisions
hereof and the consummation by the Company of the transactions
contemplated hereby will not (A) require any consent, approval,
authorization or other order of, or qualification with, any court or
governmental body or agency (except such as may be required under the
securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states, the Exchange Act or
in connection with the NASD's review of the underwriting arrangements
for the offering and sale of the Shares), (B) conflict with or
constitute a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or a default
under, the charter or by-laws of the Company, FOI, Inc. or PCX
Information Systems, Inc. or, with respect to the Company and its
subsidiaries, any indenture, loan agreement, mortgage, lease or other
agreement or instrument that is listed as an Exhibit to the
Registration Statement or (C) violate or conflict with any applicable
law or any rule or regulation, which in the experience of such counsel
is normally applicable in transactions of the type contemplated by this
Agreement, or any judgment, order or decree of any court or any
governmental body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company, any
of its subsidiaries or their property known to such counsel;
(xi) such counsel does not know of any legal or governmental
proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is or could be a party or to which any of their respective
property is or could be subject that are required by the Act or the
rules and regulations thereunder to be described in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described, or of any
contracts or other
18
documents that are required by the Act or the rules and regulations
thereunder to be described in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement
that are not so described or filed as required;
(xii) the Company is not and, after giving effect to the
offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds
thereof as described in the Prospectus, will not be, an "investment
company" as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended;
(xiii) to such counsel's knowledge, except as set forth in the
Registration Statement and Prospectus, there are no contracts,
agreements or understandings between the Company and any person
granting such person the right to require the Company to file a
registration statement under the Act with respect to any securities of
the Company or to require the Company to include such securities with
the Shares registered pursuant to the Registration Statement, and all
persons having such rights known to such counsel to registration of
Company securities, because of the filing of the Registration Statement
by the Company have, with respect to the offering contemplated thereby,
waived such rights; and
(xiv) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any
supplement or amendment thereto (except for the financial statements,
including the notes and schedules thereto, and other financial or
accounting data included therein as to which no opinion need be
expressed) comply as to form in all material respects with the
requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder.
In addition, such counsel shall state that, in connection with
the preparation of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, such
counsel has participated in conferences with officers and
representatives of the Company, the Underwriters, counsel for the
Underwriters and the independent accountants of the Company, at which
conferences such counsel made inquiries of such persons and others and
discussed the contents of the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus; and that, while the limitations inherent in the independent
verification of factual matters and the character of determinations
involved in the registration process are such that such counsel is not
passing upon and does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy,
completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus, subject to the foregoing and
based on such participation, inquiries and discussions, no facts have
come to the attention of such counsel which have caused such counsel to
believe that the Registration Statement, at the time it became
effective (but after giving effect to changes incorporated pursuant to
Rule 430A under the Act), contained any untrue statement of a material
fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not
misleading (except that such counsel need not express such view with
respect to the financial statements, including the notes and schedules
thereto, or any other financial or accounting data included therein),
or that the Prospectus, as of the date of such Prospectus and as of the
Closing Date, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material
fact or omitted or omits to state any material fact necessary in order
to make the statements therein,
19
in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading (except that such counsel need not express such view with
respect to the financial statements, including the notes and schedules
thereto, or any other financial or accounting data included therein).
The opinion of Hale and Dorr LLP described in Section 8(e) above shall
be rendered to you at the request of the Company and shall so state therein.
(f) You shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion, dated the
Closing Date, of Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP counsel for the Underwriters,
as to the matters referred to in Sections 8(e)(iv), 8(e)(vi), 8(e)(ix) (but only
with respect to the statements under the caption "Description of Capital Stock"
and "Underwriting"), 8(e)(xiv), and the penultimate paragraph of Section 8(e).
In giving such opinions with respect to the matters covered by Section
8(e)(xiv) Hale and Dorr LLP and Testa Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP may state that
their opinion and belief are based upon their participation in the preparation
of the Registration Statement and Prospectus and any amendments or supplements
thereto and review and discussion of the contents thereof, but are without
independent check or verification except as specified.
(g) You shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing
Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in
form and substance satisfactory to you, from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP,
independent public accountants, containing the information and statements of the
type ordinarily included in accountants' "comfort letters" to Underwriters with
respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(h) The Company shall have delivered to you the agreements specified in
Section 2 hereof which agreements shall be in full force and effect on the
Closing Date.
(i) The Shares shall have been duly listed for quotation on the Nasdaq
National Market.
(j) The Company shall not have failed on or prior to the Closing Date
to perform or comply with any of the agreements herein contained and required to
be performed or complied with by the Company on or prior to the Closing Date.
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase any Additional
Shares hereunder are subject to the delivery to you on the applicable Option
Closing Date of such documents as you may reasonably request with respect to the
good standing of the Company, the due authorization and issuance of such
Additional Shares and other matters related to the issuance of such Additional
Shares.
SECTION 9. Effectiveness of Agreement and Termination. This Agreement
shall become effective upon the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the
parties hereto.
20
This Agreement may be terminated at any time on or prior to the Closing
Date by you by written notice to the Company if any of the following has
occurred: (i) any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national or
international calamity or crisis or change in economic conditions or in the
financial markets of the United States or elsewhere that, in your judgment, is
material and adverse and, in your judgment, makes it impracticable to market the
Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus, (ii) the
suspension or material limitation of trading in securities or other instruments
on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the Chicago Board
of Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the Chicago Board of Trade
or the Nasdaq National Market or limitation on prices for securities or other
instruments on any such exchange or the Nasdaq National Market, (iii) the
suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the
over-the-counter market, (iv) the enactment, publication, decree or other
promulgation of any federal or state statute, regulation, rule or order of any
court or other governmental authority which in your opinion materially and
adversely affects, or will materially and adversely affect, the business,
prospects, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (v) the declaration of a banking moratorium by
either federal or New York State authorities or (vi) the taking of any action by
any federal, state or local government or agency in respect of its monetary or
fiscal affairs which in your opinion has a material adverse effect on the
financial markets in the United States.
If on the Closing Date or on an Option Closing Date, as the case may
be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase the
Firm Shares or Additional Shares, as the case may be, which it has or they have
agreed to purchase hereunder on such date and the aggregate number of Firm
Shares or Additional Shares, as the case may be, which such defaulting
Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more
than one-tenth of the total number of Firm Shares or Additional Shares, as the
case may be, to be purchased on such date by all Underwriters, each
non-defaulting Underwriter shall be obligated severally, in the proportion which
the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite its name in Schedule I bears to the
total number of Firm Shares which all the non-defaulting Underwriters have
agreed to purchase, or in such other proportion as you may specify, to purchase
the Firm Shares or Additional Shares, as the case may be, which such defaulting
Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such
date; provided that in no event shall the number of Firm Shares or Additional
Shares, as the case may be, which any Underwriter has agreed to purchase
pursuant to Section 2 hereof be increased pursuant to this Section 9 by an
amount in excess of one-ninth of such number of Firm Shares or Additional
Shares, as the case may be, without the written consent of such Underwriter. If
on the Closing Date any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to
purchase Firm Shares and the aggregate number of Firm Shares with respect to
which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm
Shares to be purchased by all Underwriters and arrangements satisfactory to you
and the Company for purchase of such Firm Shares are not made within 48 hours
after such default, this Agreement will terminate without liability on the part
of any non-defaulting Underwriter and the Company. In any such case which does
not result in termination of this Agreement, either you or the Company shall
have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than
seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or
21
arrangements may be effected. If, on an Option Closing Date, any Underwriter or
Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Additional Shares and the
aggregate number of Additional Shares with respect to which such default occurs
is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Additional Shares to be
purchased on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall have the option to
(i) terminate their obligation hereunder to purchase such Additional Shares or
(ii) purchase not less than the number of Additional Shares that such
non-defaulting Underwriters would have been obligated to purchase on such date
in the absence of such default. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not
relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of
any such Underwriter under this Agreement.
SECTION 10. Miscellaneous. Notices given pursuant to any provision of
this Agreement shall be addressed as follows: (i) if to the Company, to Be Free,
Inc., 154 Crane Meadow Road, Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752 and (ii) if to any
Underwriter or to you, to you c/o Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities
Corporation, 277 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10172, Attention: Syndicate
Department, or in any case to such other address as the person to be notified
may have requested in writing.
The respective indemnities, contribution agreements, representations,
warranties and other statements of the Company and the several Underwriters set
forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement shall remain operative and in full
force and effect, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Shares,
regardless of (i) any investigation, or statement as to the results thereof,
made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the officers or directors of any
Underwriter, any person controlling any Underwriter, the Company, the officers
or directors of the Company or any person controlling the Company, (ii)
acceptance of the Shares and payment for them hereunder and (iii) termination of
this Agreement.
If for any reason the Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the
Company as provided herein (other than as a result of any termination of this
Agreement pursuant to Section 9), the Company agrees to reimburse the several
Underwriters for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and
disbursements of counsel) incurred by them. Notwithstanding any termination of
this Agreement, the Company shall be liable for all expenses which it has agreed
to pay pursuant to Section 5(i) hereof. The Company also agrees to reimburse the
several Underwriters, their directors and officers and any persons controlling
any of the Underwriters for any and all reasonable fees and expenses (including,
without limitation, the fees and disbursements of counsel) incurred by them in
connection with enforcing their rights hereunder (including, without limitation,
pursuant to Section 7 hereof).
Except as otherwise provided, this Agreement has been and is made
solely for the benefit of and shall be binding upon the Company, the
Underwriters, the Underwriters' directors and officers, any controlling persons
referred to herein, the Company's directors and the Company's officers who sign
the Registration Statement and their respective successors and assigns, all as
and to the extent provided in this Agreement, and no other person shall acquire
or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. The term "successors and
assigns" shall not include a purchaser of any of the Shares from any of the
several Underwriters merely because of such purchase.
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This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the
laws of the State of New York.
This Agreement may be signed in various counterparts which together
shall constitute one and the same instrument.
[Signature Page Follows Immediately]
23
Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement
between the Company and the several Underwriters.
Very truly yours,
BE FREE, INC.
By:
--------------------------------
Name:
Title:
DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE
SECURITIES CORPORATION
HAMBRECHT & QUIST LLC
DAIN RAUSCHER WESSELS
Acting severally on behalf of
themselves and the several
Underwriters named in
Schedule I hereto
By: DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE
SECURITIES CORPORATION
By:
-----------------------------------
Name:
Title:
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SCHEDULE I
Number of Firm Shares
Underwriters to be Purchased
------------ ---------------
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation
Hambrecht & Quist LLC
Dain Rauscher Wessels
------------------
Total
==================
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Annex I
[Insert names of stockholders of the Company who will be required to
sign lock ups]
26