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Exhibit 1.1
LCA-VISION INC.
8,300,000 Shares(1)
Common Stock
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
June __, 1999
PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INCORPORATED
Dain Rauscher Wessels,
a division of Dain Rauscher Incorporated
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o Prudential Securities Incorporated
One New York Plaza
New York, New York 10292
Ladies and Gentlemen:
LCA-Vision Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and the
Selling Stockholders (as defined herein) hereby confirm their respective
agreements with the several underwriters named in Schedule 1 hereto (the
"Underwriters"), for whom you have been duly authorized to act as
representatives (in such capacities, the "Representatives"), as set forth below.
If you are the only Underwriters, all references herein to the Representatives
shall be deemed to be to the Underwriters.
1. Securities. Subject to the terms and conditions herein contained,
the Company proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate
of 5,000,000 shares of the Company's common stock, par value $0.001 per share
("Common Stock"). Certain stockholders of the Company named in Schedule 2 hereto
(each, a "Selling Stockholder" and together, the "Selling Stockholders") propose
to sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of 3,300,000 shares, with each
Selling Stockholder selling the number of shares of Common Stock set forth
opposite such Selling Stockholder's name in Column (1) of Schedule 2 hereto. The
shares to be sold by the Company and the shares to be sold by the Selling
Stockholders are referred to herein
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(1) Plus an option to purchase from a Selling Stockholder up to 1,245,000
additional shares to cover over-allotments.
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as the "Firm Securities." In addition, solely for the purpose of covering
over-allotments, one of the Selling Stockholders proposes to sell to the
Underwriters, at the option of the Underwriters, up to an additional 1,245,000
shares of Common Stock. Any and all shares of Common Stock to be purchased by
the Underwriters pursuant to such option are referred to herein as the "Option
Securities", and the Firm Securities and any Option Securities are collectively
referred to herein as the "Securities".
2. Representations and Warranties of the Company and the Selling
Stockholders. The Company and the Selling Stockholders jointly and severally
represent and warrant to, and agree with, each of the several Underwriters that:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-_________) with
respect to the Securities, including a prospectus subject to completion, has
been filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and one
or more amendments to such registration statement may have been so filed. After
the execution of this Agreement, the Company will file with the Commission
either (i) if such registration statement, as it may have been amended, has been
declared by the Commission to be effective under the Act, either (A) if the
Company relies on Rule 434 under the Act, a Term Sheet (as hereinafter defined)
relating to the Securities, that shall identify the Preliminary Prospectus (as
hereinafter defined) that it supplements containing such information as is
required or permitted by Rules 434, 430A and 424(b) under the Act or (B) if the
Company does not rely on Rule 434 under the Act, a prospectus in the form most
recently included in an amendment to such registration statement (or, if no such
amendment shall have been filed, in such registration statement), with such
changes or insertions as are required by Rule 430A under the Act or permitted by
Rule 424(b) under the Act, and in the case of either clause (i)(A) or (i)(B) of
this sentence as have been provided to and approved by the Representatives prior
to the execution of this Agreement, or (ii) if such registration statement, as
it may have been amended, has not been declared by the Commission to be
effective under the Act, an amendment to such registration statement, including
a form of prospectus, a copy of which amendment has been furnished to and
approved by the Representatives prior to the execution of this Agreement. The
Company may also file a related registration statement with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act for the purpose of registering certain
additional Securities, which registration shall be effective upon filing with
the Commission. As used in this Agreement, the term "Original Registration
Statement" means the registration statement initially filed relating to the
Securities, as amended at the time when it was or is declared effective,
including all financial schedules and exhibits thereto and including any
information omitted therefrom pursuant to Rule 430A under the Act and included
in the Prospectus (as hereinafter defined); the term "Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement" means any registration statement filed with the Commission pursuant
to Rule 462(b) under the Act (including the Registration Statement and any
Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus incorporated therein at the time such
Registration Statement becomes effective); the term "Registration Statement"
includes both the Original Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement; the term "Preliminary Prospectus" means each prospectus
subject to completion filed with such registration statement or any amendment
thereto (including the prospectus subject to completion, if any, included in the
Registration Statement or any amendment thereto at the time
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it was or is declared effective); the term "Prospectus" means:
(A) if the Company relies on Rule 434 under the Act, the Term Sheet
relating to the Securities that is first filed pursuant to Rule
424(b)(7) under the Act, together with the Preliminary Prospectus
identified therein that such Term Sheet supplements;
(B) if the Company does not rely on Rule 434 under the Act, the
prospectus first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)
under the Act; or
(C) if the Company does not rely on Rule 434 under the Act and if no
prospectus is required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the
Act, the prospectus included in the Registration Statement;
and the term "Term Sheet" means any term sheet that satisfies the requirements
of Rule 434 under the Act. Any reference herein to the "date" of a Prospectus
that includes a Term Sheet shall mean the date of such Term Sheet.
(b) The Commission has not issued any order preventing or suspending
use of any Preliminary Prospectus. When any Preliminary Prospectus was filed
with the Commission it (i) contained all statements required to be stated
therein in accordance with, and complied in all material respects with the
requirements of, the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder and (ii) did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. When the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto was or is
declared effective, it (i) contained or will contain all statements required to
be stated therein in accordance with, and complied or will comply in all
material respects with the requirements of, the Act and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder and (ii) did not or will not include
any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. When the Prospectus or
any Term Sheet that is a part thereof or any amendment or supplement to the
Prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) (or, if the
Prospectus or part thereof or such amendment or supplement is not required to be
so filed, when the Registration Statement or the amendment thereto containing
such amendment or supplement to the Prospectus was or is declared effective) and
on the Firm Closing Date and any Option Closing Date (both as hereinafter
defined), the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented at any such time, (i)
contained or will contain all statements required to be stated therein in
accordance with, and complied or will comply in all material respects with the
requirements of, the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder and (ii) did not or will not include any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading. The documents which are incorporated by reference in any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Term Sheet or from which
information is so incorporated by reference, when they became effective or were
filed (or, if any amendment with respect to any such document was filed, when
such amendment was filed) with the Commission, as the case may be, complied in
all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as
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amended (the "Exchange Act") and the rules and regulations thereunder, and did
not, when such documents became effective or were so filed, as the case may be,
include any untrue statement of a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading. The foregoing
provisions of this paragraph (b) do not apply to statements or omissions made in
any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto
or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter
through the Representatives specifically for use therein.
(c) If the Company has elected to rely on Rule 462(b) and the Rule
462(b) Registration Statement has not been declared effective (i) the Company
has filed a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement in compliance with and that is
effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) and has received confirmation of
its receipt and (ii) the Company has given irrevocable instructions for
transmission of the applicable filing fee in connection with the filing of the
Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, in compliance with Rule 111 promulgated
under the Act or the Commission has received payment of such filing fee.
(d) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized
and are validly existing as corporations in good standing under the laws of
their respective jurisdictions of incorporation and are duly qualified to
transact business as foreign corporations and are in good standing under the
laws of all other jurisdictions where the ownership or leasing of their
respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses requires
such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified does not amount
to a material liability or disability to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken
as a whole.
(e) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have full power (corporate
and other) to own or lease their respective properties and conduct their
respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus or, if the Prospectus is not in existence, the most recent
Preliminary Prospectus; and the Company has full power (corporate and other) to
enter into this Agreement and to carry out all the terms and provisions hereof
to be carried out by it.
(f) The issued shares of capital stock of each of the Company's
subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and
nonassessable and are owned beneficially by the Company free and clear of any
security interests, liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.
(g) The Company has an authorized, issued and outstanding
capitalization as set forth in the Prospectus or, if the Prospectus is not in
existence, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus. All of the issued shares of
capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and
are fully paid and nonassessable. The Firm Securities and the Option Securities
have been duly authorized and at the Firm Closing Date or the related Option
Closing Date (as the case may be), after payment therefor in accordance
herewith, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. No holders of
outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are entitled as such to any
preemptive or other rights to subscribe for any of the Securities, and no holder
of securities of the Company has any right which has not been fully exercised or
waived to require
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the Company to register the offer or sale of any securities owned by such holder
under the Act in the public offering contemplated by this agreement.
(h) The capital stock of the Company conforms to the description
thereof contained in the Prospectus or, if the Prospectus is not in existence,
the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.
(i) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not
in existence, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus), there are no outstanding
(A) securities or obligations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
convertible into or exchangeable for any capital stock of the Company or any
such subsidiary, (B) warrants, rights or options to subscribe for or purchase
from the Company or any such subsidiary any such capital stock or any such
convertible or exchangeable securities or obligations, or (C) obligations of the
Company or any such subsidiary to issue any shares of capital stock, any such
convertible or exchangeable securities or obligations, or any such warrants,
rights or options.
(j) The consolidated financial statements and schedules of the Company
and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not in existence, the most recent
Preliminary Prospectus) fairly present the financial position of the Company and
its consolidated subsidiaries and the results of operations and changes in
financial condition as of the dates and periods therein specified. Such
financial statements and schedules have been prepared in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied throughout the
periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein). The selected financial
data set forth under the caption "Selected Consolidated Financial Information"
in the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not in existence, the most recent
Preliminary Prospectus) fairly present, on the basis stated in the Prospectus
(or such Preliminary Prospectus), the information included therein.
(k) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have certified certain financial
statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and delivered their
report with respect to the audited consolidated financial statements and
schedules included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (or, if the
Prospectus is not in existence, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus), are
independent public accountants as required by the Act and the applicable rules
and regulations thereunder.
(l) The execution and delivery of this Agreement have been duly
authorized by the Company and this Agreement has been duly executed and
delivered by the Company, and is the valid and binding agreement of the Company,
enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms.
(m) No legal or governmental proceedings are pending to which the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which the property of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject that are required to be described
in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not described therein
(or, if the Prospectus is not in existence, the most recent Preliminary
Prospectus), and no such proceedings have been threatened against the Company or
any of its subsidiaries or with respect to any of their respective properties;
and no contract or other
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document is required to be described in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement that is
not described therein (or, if the Prospectus is not in existence, the most
recent Preliminary Prospectus) or filed as required.
(n) The issuance, offering and sale of the Securities to the
Underwriters by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, the compliance by the
Company with the other provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the
other transactions herein contemplated do not (i) require the consent, approval,
authorization, registration or qualification of or with any governmental
authority, except such as have been obtained, such as may be required under
state securities or blue sky laws and, if the registration statement filed with
respect to the Securities (as amended) is not effective under the Act as of the
time of execution hereof, such as may be required (and shall be obtained as
provided in this Agreement) under the Act, or (ii) conflict with or result in a
breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a
default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, lease or other agreement
or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by
which the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective
properties are bound, or the charter documents or by-laws of the Company or any
of its subsidiaries, or any statute or any judgment, decree, order, rule or
regulation of any court or other governmental authority or any arbitrator
applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(o) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or, if the Prospectus is not in
existence, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, neither the Company nor any
of its subsidiaries has sustained any material loss or interference with their
respective businesses or properties from fire, flood, hurricane, accident or
other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute
or any legal or governmental proceeding and there has not been any material
adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse
change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), management, business
prospects, net worth, or results of the operations of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, except in each case as described in or contemplated by the
Prospectus or, if the Prospectus is not in existence, the most recent
Preliminary Prospectus.
(p) The Company has not, directly or indirectly, (i) taken any action
designed to cause or to result in, or that has constituted or which might
reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the
price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the
Securities or (ii) since the filing of the Registration Statement (A) sold, bid
for, purchased, or paid anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of, the
Securities or (B) paid or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for
soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company (except for
the sale of Securities by the Selling Securityholders under this Agreement).
(q) The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later of (i) the
Closing Date and (ii) the completion of the distribution of the Securities, will
not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of
the Securities other than the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto,
any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement
thereto, or other materials, if any permitted by the Act.
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(r) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not
in existence, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus), (1) the Company and its
subsidiaries have not incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or
contingent, nor entered into any material transaction not in the ordinary course
of business; (2) the Company has not purchased any of its outstanding capital
stock, nor declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any
kind on its capital stock; and (3) there has not been any material change in the
capital stock, short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company and its
consolidated subsidiaries, except in each case as described in or contemplated
by the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not in existence, the most recent
Preliminary Prospectus).
(s) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have good and marketable
title in fee simple to all items of real property and marketable title to all
personal property owned by each of them, in each case free and clear of any
security interests, liens, encumbrances, equities, claims and other defects,
except such as do not materially and adversely affect the value of such property
and do not interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property
by the Company or such subsidiary, and any real property and buildings held
under lease by the Company or any such subsidiary are held under valid,
subsisting and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and
do not interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property and
buildings by the Company or such subsidiary, in each case except as described in
or contemplated by the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not in existence,
the most recent Preliminary Prospectus).
(t) No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries exists or is threatened or imminent that could result in a material
adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise), business prospects,
net worth or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, except
as described in or contemplated by the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not
in existence, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus).
(u) The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on
reasonable terms, all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, service
marks, trade names, licenses, copyrights and proprietary or other confidential
information currently employed by them in connection with their respective
businesses, and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has received any
notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of any third party
with respect to any of the foregoing which, singly or in the aggregate, if the
subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a
material adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise), business
prospects, net worth or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, except as described in or contemplated by the Prospectus (or, if
the Prospectus is not in existence, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus).
(v) 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; neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has been refused any
insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the
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Company nor any such subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be
able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires
or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to
continue its business at a cost that would not materially and adversely affect
the condition (financial or otherwise), business prospects, net worth or results
of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, except as described in or
contemplated by the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not in existence, the
most recent Preliminary Prospectus).
(w) No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or
indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other
distribution on such subsidiary's capital stock, from repaying to the Company
any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring
any of such subsidiary's property or assets to the Company or any other
subsidiary of the Company, except as described in or contemplated by the
Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not in existence, the most recent
Preliminary Prospectus).
(x) The Company and its subsidiaries possess all certificates,
authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign
regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, and
neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has received any notice of
proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate,
authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an
unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a material adverse
change in the condition (financial or otherwise), business prospects, net worth
or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, except as
described in or contemplated by the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not in
existence, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus).
(y) The Company will conduct its operations in a manner that will not
subject it to registration as an investment company under the Investment Company
Act of 1940, as amended, and this transaction will not cause the Company to
become an investment company subject to registration under such Act.
(z) The Company has filed all foreign, federal, state and local tax
returns that are required to be filed or has requested extensions thereof
(except in any case in which the failure so to file would not have a material
adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries) and has paid all taxes
required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied
against it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except
for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in
good faith or as described in or contemplated by the Prospectus (or, if the
Prospectus is not in existence, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus).
(aa) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of
any federal or state law or regulation relating to occupational safety and
health or to the storage, handling or transportation of hazardous or toxic
materials and the Company and its subsidiaries have received all permits,
licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable federal and state
occupational safety and health and environmental laws and regulations to conduct
their respective businesses, and the Company and each such subsidiary is in
compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or
approval, except any such violation of law or
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regulation, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or
failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or
approvals which would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a material
adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise), business prospects,
net worth or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, except
as described in or contemplated by the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not
in existence, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus).
(bb) Each certificate signed by any officer of the Company and
delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed
to be a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the
matters covered thereby.
(cc) Except for the shares of capital stock of each of the subsidiaries
owned by the Company and such subsidiaries, neither the Company nor any such
subsidiary owns any shares of stock or any other equity securities of any
corporation or has any equity interest in any firm, partnership, association or
other entity, except as described in or contemplated by the Prospectus (or, if
the Prospectus is not in existence, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus).
(dd) There are no holders of securities of the Company, who, by reason
of the filing of the Registration Statement, have the right (and have not waived
such right) to request the Company to register under the Act, or to include in
the Registration Statement, securities held by them.
(ee) The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of
internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (1)
transactions are executed in accordance with management's general or specific
authorizations; (2) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation
of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles and to maintain asset accountability; (3) access to assets is
permitted only in accordance with management's general or specific
authorization; and (4) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with
the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with
respect to any differences.
(ff) No default exists, and no event has occurred which, with notice or
lapse of time or both, would constitute a default in the due performance and
observance of any term, covenant or condition of any indenture, mortgage, deed
of trust, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of
its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries
or any of their respective properties is bound or may be affected in any
material adverse respect with regard to property, business or operations of the
Company and its subsidiaries.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Selling Stockholders. The
Selling Stockholders severally, and not jointly, represent and warrant to, and
agree with, each of the several Underwriters that:
(a) The execution and delivery of this Agreement has been duly executed
and delivered by such Selling Stockholder, and is the valid, binding agreement
of such Selling
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Stockholder, except (i) as enforceability hereof may be limited by bankruptcy,
fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws
relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general equitable
principles and (ii) that enforcement of rights to indemnity and contribution
hereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws or principles of
public policy.
(b) Such Selling Stockholder has full legal right and authority to
enter into this Agreement. The execution, delivery and performance by each
Selling Stockholder of this Agreement and the consummation by such Selling
Stockholder of the transactions contemplated hereby will not conflict with or
result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions, or constitute a default or
cause an acceleration of any obligation under any material license, indenture,
lease, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan, credit agreement, or other material
agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which
such Selling Stockholder is bound, or to which any of the property or assets of
such Selling Stockholder is subject, or any order of any court or governmental
agency or authority entered into in any proceeding to which such Selling
Stockholder was or is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder is bound, or
violate or conflict with any applicable foreign, federal, state or local law,
rule, administrative regulation or ordinance or administrative or court decree
applicable to such Selling Stockholder or such Selling Stockholder's property.
(c) Other than as permitted by the Act, such Selling Stockholder has
not distributed, nor will such Selling Stockholder distribute, any prospectus or
other offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the
Securities.
(d) Any certificate signed by the Selling Stockholder and delivered to
the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall also be deemed a
representation and warranty made by such Selling Stockholder to each Underwriter
as to the matters covered thereby and shall also be deemed incorporated herein
in its entirety and shall be effective as if such representation and warranty
were made herein. No statement, representation, warranty or covenant made by
such Selling Stockholder in this Agreement or made in any certificate or
document required by this Agreement to be delivered to the Representatives was
or will be, when made, inaccurate, untrue or incorrect in any material respect.
(e) Other than pursuant to this Agreement, the Selling Stockholder has
not, directly or indirectly, (i) taken any action designed to cause or to result
in, or that has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute,
the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to
facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities or (ii) since the filing of the
Registration Statement (A) sold, bid for, purchased, or paid anyone any
compensation for soliciting purchases of, the Securities or (B) paid or agreed
to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any
other securities of the Company.
(f) Such Selling Stockholder is the lawful owner of the Securities to
be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder and upon sale and delivery of, and
payment for, such Securities, as provided herein, such Selling Stockholder will
convey and the Underwriters will acquire, to the extent that the Underwriters
are purchasing for value, without notice of adverse claims, good,
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valid and marketable title to such Securities, free and clear of any security
interests, liens, encumbrances, equities, claims or other defects.
(g) Such Selling Stockholder has reviewed the Prospectus (or, if the
Prospectus is not in existence, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus) and the
Registration Statement, and the information regarding such Selling Stockholder
set forth therein under the caption "Principal and Selling Stockholders" is
complete and accurate in all material respects.
(h) There are no outstanding options, warrants, rights or other
agreements or arrangements requiring such Selling Stockholder at any time to
transfer any Securities to be sold hereunder by it.
(i) To the knowledge of such Selling Stockholder, there are no pending
actions, suits, arbitrations or other proceedings or investigations (domestic or
foreign, formal or informal) against such Selling Stockholder which (A)
questions the validity of this Agreement or of any action taken or to be taken
by it pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or (B) is required to be
disclosed in the Registration Statement which is not so disclosed.
(j) On the Firm Closing Date, all stock transfer or other taxes (other
than income taxes) which are required to be paid in connection with the sale and
transfer of the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder to the several
Underwriters hereunder will have been fully paid or provided for by such Selling
Stockholder and all laws imposing such taxes will have been fully complied with.
(k) The sale of the Securities proposed to be sold by the Selling
Stockholders is not prompted by the Selling Stockholder's knowledge of any
material adverse, non-public information concerning the Company or any of its
subsidiaries.
4. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Securities. (a) On the basis of
the representations, warranties, agreements and covenants herein contained and
subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, and at a purchase price of
$_____ per share of Common Stock, (A) the Company agrees to sell to the several
Underwriters, and the Underwriters severally and not jointly, agree to purchase
from the Company the number of Securities set forth opposite the respective
names of the Underwriters in Column (1) of Schedule 1 hereto and (B) each
Selling Stockholder, severally and not jointly, agrees to sell to the
Underwriters, a pro rata portion of the total number of Securities set forth
opposite the name of such Selling Stockholder in Column (1) of Schedule 2.
(b) One or more certificates in definitive form for the Firm Securities
that the several Underwriters have agreed to purchase hereunder, and in such
denomination or denominations and registered in such name or names as the
Representatives request upon notice to the Company at least 48 hours prior to
the Firm Closing Date, shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company and the
Selling Stockholders to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the
Underwriters, against payment by or on behalf of the Underwriters of the
purchase price therefor by wire transfer in same-day funds (the "Wired Funds")
to the account of the Company and the
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Selling Stockholders. Such delivery of and payment for the Firm Securities shall
be made at the offices of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, 180 Maiden Lane, New
York, New York 10038 at 9:30 A.M., New York time, on ________ __, 1999, or at
such other place, time or date as the Representatives, the Company and the
Selling Stockholders may agree upon or as the Representatives may determine
pursuant to Section 10 hereof, such time and date of delivery against payment
being herein referred to as the "Firm Closing Date". The Company will make such
certificate or certificates for the Firm Securities available for checking and
packaging by the Representatives at the offices in New York, New York of the
Company's transfer agent or registrar or of Prudential Securities Incorporated
at least 24 hours prior to the Firm Closing Date.
(c) For the purpose of covering any over-allotments in connection with
the distribution and sale of the Firm Securities as contemplated by the
Prospectus, one of the Selling Stockholders designated on Schedule 2 hereto
grants to the several Underwriters an option to purchase, severally and not
jointly, the Option Securities. The purchase price to be paid for any Option
Securities shall be the same price per share as the price per share for the Firm
Securities set forth above in paragraph (a) of this Section 4. The option
granted hereby may be exercised as to all or any part of the Option Securities
from time to time within (thirty) days after the date of the Prospectus (or, if
such 30th day shall be a Saturday or Sunday or a holiday, on the next business
day thereafter when the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading). The
Underwriters shall not be under any obligation to purchase any of the Option
Securities prior to the exercise of such option. The Representatives may from
time to time exercise the option granted hereby by giving notice in writing or
by telephone (confirmed in writing) to the Selling Stockholder setting forth the
aggregate number of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are
then exercising the option and the date and time for delivery of and payment for
such Option Securities. Any such date of delivery shall be determined by the
Representatives but shall not be earlier than two business days or later than
five business days after such exercise of the option and, in any event, shall
not be earlier than the Firm Closing Date. The time and date set forth in such
notice, or such other time on such other date as the Representatives and the
Selling Stockholder may agree upon or as the Representatives may determine
pursuant to Section 10 hereof, is herein called the "Option Closing Date" with
respect to such Option Securities. Upon exercise of the option as provided
herein, the Selling Stockholder shall become obligated to sell to each of the
several Underwriters, and, subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth,
each of the Underwriters (severally and not jointly) shall become obligated to
purchase from the Selling Stockholder, the same percentage of the total number
of the Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then
exercising the option as such Underwriter is obligated to purchase of the
aggregate number of Firm Securities, calculated as set forth in (a) above, as
adjusted by the Representatives in such manner as they deem advisable to avoid
fractional shares. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the
Option Securities, one or more certificates in definitive form for such Option
Securities, and payment therefor, shall be delivered on the related Option
Closing Date in the manner, and upon the terms and conditions, set forth in
paragraph (a) of this Section 4, except that reference therein to the Firm
Securities and the Firm Closing Date shall be deemed, for purposes of this
paragraph (b), to refer to such Option Securities and Option Closing Date,
respectively.
(d) Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholders hereby acknowledge
that the
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wire transfer by or on behalf of the Underwriters of the purchase price for any
Shares does not constitute closing of a purchase and sale of the Securities.
Only execution and delivery of a receipt for Shares by the Underwriters
indicates completion of the closing of a purchase of the Securities from the
Company and the Selling Stockholders. Furthermore, in the event that the
Underwriters wire funds to the Company and the Selling Stockholders prior to the
completion of the closing of a purchase of Shares, each of the Company and the
Selling Stockholders hereby acknowledge that until the Underwriters execute and
deliver a receipt for the Shares, by facsimile or otherwise, the Company and the
Selling Stockholders will not be entitled to the Wired Funds and shall return
the Wired Funds to the Underwriters as soon as practicable (by wire transfer of
same-day funds) upon demand. If the closing of a purchase of Shares is not
completed and the Wired Funds are not returned by the Company and the Selling
Stockholders to the Underwriters on the same day the Wired Funds were received
by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, each of the Company and the Selling
Stockholders agree to pay to the Underwriters in respect of each day the Wired
Funds are not returned by it, in same-day funds, interest on the amount of such
Wired Funds in an amount representing the Underwriters' cost of financing as
reasonably determined by Prudential Securities Incorporated.
(e) It is understood that any of you, individually and not as one of
the Representatives, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment on behalf
of any Underwriter or Underwriters for any of the Securities to be purchased by
such Underwriter or Underwriters. No such payment shall relieve such Underwriter
or Underwriters from any of its or their obligations hereunder.
5. Offering by the Underwriters. Upon your authorization of the release
of the Firm Securities, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm
Securities for sale to the public upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus.
6. Covenants of the Company and the Selling Stockholders. The Company
covenants and agrees with each of the Underwriters as to the matters set forth
in subparagraphs (a) through (m) below. Each of the Selling Stockholders,
severally and not jointly, covenants and agrees with each of the Underwriters as
to the matters set forth in subparagraphs (n) through (s) below.
(a) The Company will use its best efforts to cause the Registration
Statement, if not effective at the time of execution of this Agreement, and any
amendments thereto to become effective as promptly as possible. If required, the
Company will file the Prospectus or any Term Sheet that constitutes a part
thereof and any amendment or supplement thereto with the Commission in the
manner and within the time period required by Rules 434 and 424(b) under the
Act. During any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is required to
be delivered under the Act, the Company (i) will comply with all requirements
imposed upon it by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder to the extent necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or
dealings in the Securities in accordance with the provisions hereof and of the
Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, and (ii) will not file with the
Commission the prospectus, Term Sheet or the amendment referred to in the second
sentence of Section 2(a) hereof, any amendment or supplement to such Prospectus,
Term Sheet or any amendment to the
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Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement of which the
Representatives previously have been advised and furnished with a copy for a
reasonable period of time prior to the proposed filing and as to which filing
the Representatives shall not have given their consent. The Company will prepare
and file with the Commission, in accordance with the rules and regulations of
the Commission, promptly upon request by the Representatives or counsel for the
Underwriters, any amendments to the Registration Statement or amendments or
supplements to the Prospectus that may be necessary or advisable in connection
with the distribution of the Securities by the several Underwriters, and will
use its best efforts to cause any such amendment to the Registration Statement
to be declared effective by the Commission as promptly as possible. The Company
will advise the Representatives, promptly after receiving notice thereof, of the
time when the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto has been filed or
declared effective or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto has
been filed and will provide evidence satisfactory to the Representatives of each
such filing or effectiveness.
(b) The Company will advise the Representatives, promptly after
receiving notice or obtaining knowledge thereof, of (i) the issuance by the
Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Original
Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or any
amendment thereto or any order preventing or suspending the use of any
Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto,
(ii) the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale
in any jurisdiction, (iii) the institution, threatening or contemplation of any
proceeding for any such purpose or (iv) any request made by the Commission for
amending the Original Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement, for amending or supplementing the Prospectus or for additional
information. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of
any such stop order and, if any such stop order is issued, to obtain the
withdrawal thereof as promptly as possible.
(c) The Company will arrange for the qualification of the Securities
for offering and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such
jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and will continue such
qualifications in effect for as long as may be necessary to complete the
distribution of the Securities, provided, however, that in connection therewith
the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to
execute a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction.
(d) If, at any time prior to the later of (i) the final date when a
prospectus relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Act
or (ii) the Option Closing Date, any event occurs as a result of which the
Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, would include any untrue statement
of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make
the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading, or if for any other reason it is necessary at any time to
amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Act or the rules or
regulations of the Commission thereunder, the Company will promptly notify the
Representatives thereof and, subject to Section 5(a) hereof, will prepare and
file with the Commission, at the Company's expense, an amendment to the
Registration Statement or an amendment or supplement to the Prospectus that
corrects such statement or omission or effects such compliance.
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(e) The Company will, without charge, provide (i) to the
Representatives and to counsel for the Underwriters a signed copy of the
registration statement originally filed with respect to the Securities and each
amendment thereto (in each case including exhibits thereto), (ii) to each other
Underwriter, a conformed copy of such registration statement or any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement and each amendment thereto (in each case without exhibits
thereto) and (iii) so long as a prospectus relating to the Securities is
required to be delivered under the Act, as many copies of each Preliminary
Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto as the
Representatives may reasonably request; without limiting the application of
clause (iii) of this sentence, the Company, not later than (A) 6:00 P.M., New
York City time, on the date of determination of the public offering price, if
such determination occurred at or prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on
such date or (B) 2:00 P.M., New York City time, on the business day following
the date of determination of the public offering price, if such determination
occurred after 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on such date, will deliver to the
Underwriters, without charge, as many copies of the Prospectus and any amendment
or supplement thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request for purposes
of confirming orders that are expected to settle on the Firm Closing Date.
(f) The Company, as soon as practicable, will make generally available
to its securityholders and to the Representatives a consolidated earnings
statement of the Company and its subsidiaries that satisfies the provisions of
Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 thereunder.
(g) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the
Securities as set forth under "Use of Proceeds" in the Prospectus.
(h) The Company will not, directly or indirectly, without the prior
written consent of Prudential Securities Incorporated, on behalf of the
Underwriters, offer, sell, offer to sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any
option to purchase or otherwise sell or dispose (or announce any offer, sale,
offer of sale, contract of sale, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or
other sale or disposition) of any shares of Common Stock or any securities
convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, shares of Common Stock for
a period of 90 days after the date hereof, except pursuant to this Agreement and
except for issuances pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options
outstanding on the date hereof, pursuant to the Company's dividend reinvestment
plan or pursuant to the terms of convertible securities of the Company
outstanding on the date hereof.
(i) The Company will not, directly or indirectly, (i) take any action
designed to cause or to result in, or that has constituted or which might
reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the
price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the
Securities or (ii) (A) sell, bid for, purchase, or pay anyone any compensation
for soliciting purchases of, the Securities or (B) pay or agree to pay to any
person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities
of the Company (except for the sale of Securities by the Selling Securityholders
under this Agreement).
(j) The Company will obtain the agreements described in Section 8(f)
hereof prior to the Firm Closing Date.
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(k) If at any time during the 25-day period after the Registration
Statement becomes effective or the period prior to the Option Closing Date, any
rumor, publication or event relating to or affecting the Company shall occur as
a result of which in your opinion the market price of the Common Stock has been
or is likely to be materially affected (regardless of whether such rumor,
publication or event necessitates a supplement to or amendment of the
Prospectus), the Company will, after notice from you advising the Company to the
effect set forth above, forthwith prepare, consult with you concerning the
substance of, and disseminate a press release or other public statement,
reasonably satisfactory to you, responding to or commenting on such rumor,
publication or event.
(l) If the Company elects to rely on Rule 462(b), the Company shall
both file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance
with Rule 462(b) and pay the applicable fees in accordance with Rule 111
promulgated under the Act by the earlier of (i) 10:00 P.M. Eastern time on the
date of this Agreement and (ii) the time confirmations are sent or given, as
specified by Rule 462(b)(2).
(m) The Company will cause the Securities to be duly included for
quotation on The Nasdaq Stock Market's National Market (the "Nasdaq National
Market") prior to the Firm Closing Date. The Company will ensure that the
Securities remain included for quotation on the Nasdaq National Market following
the Firm Closing Date.
(n) Such Selling Stockholder consents to the use of the Prospectus and
any amendment or supplement thereto by the Underwriters and all dealers to whom
the Firm Securities and Option Securities may be sold, both in connection with
the offering or sale of the Securities and the Option Securities and for such
period of time thereafter as the Prospectus is required by law to be delivered
in connection therewith.
(o) Such Selling Stockholder will not at any time, directly or
indirectly, take any action intended, or which might reasonably be expected, to
cause or result in, or which will constitute, stabilization or manipulation of
the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any
of the Securities or the Additional Securities.
(p) Such Selling Stockholder will not at any time, directly or
indirectly (A) sell, bid for, purchase, or pay anyone any compensation for
soliciting purchases of, the Securities or the Additional Securities or (B) pay
or agree to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to
purchase any other securities of the Company (except for the sale of Securities
and the Additional Securities by the Selling Stockholders under this Agreement).
(q) During the period of 90 days from the date of the Prospectus, such
Selling Stockholder will not, without the prior written consent of Prudential
Securities Incorporated, on behalf of the Underwriters, directly or indirectly,
issue, offer, sell, pledge, offer to sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any
option to purchase, or otherwise sell or dispose (or announce any offer, sale,
offer of sale, contract of sale, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or
other sale or disposition) of, any shares of Common Stock or other capital stock
of the Company (or any
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securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, any shares of
Common Stock or other capital stock of the Company),
(r) In order to document the Underwriters' compliance with the
reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility
Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated, such Selling
Stockholder will deliver to the Representatives prior to or at the Closing Date
a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or
other applicable form or statement specified by Treasury Department regulations
in lieu thereof).
(s) As soon as any Selling Stockholder is advised thereof, such Selling
Stockholder will advise the Representatives (and immediately confirm such advice
in writing), (A) of receipt by such Selling Stockholder, or by any
representative or agent of such Selling Stockholder, of any communication from
the Commission relating to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any
Preliminary Prospectus, or any notice or order of the Commission relating to the
Company or such Selling Stockholder in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and (B) of the happening of any event which makes
or may make any statement made in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or
any Preliminary Prospectus relating to such Selling Stockholder untrue or that
requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus
or any Preliminary Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to make the
statements therein not misleading.
7. Expenses. The Company will pay all costs and expenses incident to
the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, whether or not the
transactions contemplated herein are consummated or this Agreement is terminated
pursuant to Section 12 hereof, including all costs and expenses incident to (i)
the printing or other production of documents with respect to the transactions,
including any costs of printing the registration statement originally filed with
respect to the Securities and any amendment thereto, any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and any
amendment or supplement thereto, this Agreement and any blue sky memoranda, (ii)
all arrangements relating to the delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the
foregoing documents, (iii) the fees and disbursements of the counsel, the
accountants and any other experts or advisors retained by the Company, (iv)
preparation, issuance and delivery to the Underwriters of any certificates
evidencing the Securities, including transfer agent's and registrar's fees, (v)
the qualification of the Securities under state securities and blue sky laws,
including filing fees and fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters
relating thereto, (vi) the filing fees of the Commission and the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. relating to the Securities, (vii) any
quotation of the Securities on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market and, (viii) any
meetings with prospective investors in the Securities (other than as shall have
been specifically approved by the Representatives to be paid for by the
Underwriters) and (ix) advertising relating to the offering of the Securities
(other than as shall have been specifically approved by the Representatives to
be paid for by the Underwriters). If the sale of the Securities provided for
herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the
Underwriters set forth in Section 8 hereof is not satisfied, because this
Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 12 hereof or because of any failure,
refusal or inability on the part of the Company to perform all
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obligations and satisfy all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied
hereunder other than by reason of a default by any of the Underwriters, the
Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally upon demand for all
out-of-pocket expenses (including counsel fees and disbursements) that shall
have been incurred by them in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of
the Securities. The Company shall not in any event be liable to any of the
Underwriters for the loss of anticipated profits from the transactions covered
by this Agreement.
8. Conditions of the Underwriters' Obligations. The obligations of the
several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Firm Securities shall be
subject, in the Representatives' sole discretion, to the accuracy of the
representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders
contained herein as of the date hereof and as of the Firm Closing Date, as if
made on and as of the Firm Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements of
the Company's officers and the Selling Stockholders made pursuant to the
provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company and the Selling
Stockholders of their respective covenants and agreements hereunder and to the
following additional conditions:
(a) If the Original Registration Statement or any amendment thereto
filed prior to the Firm Closing Date has not been declared effective as of the
time of execution hereof, the Original Registration Statement or such amendment
and, if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement shall have been declared effective not later than the
earlier of (i) 11:00 A.M., New York time, on the date on which the amendment to
the registration statement originally filed with respect to the Securities or to
the Registration Statement, as the case may be, containing information regarding
the initial public offering price of the Securities has been filed with the
Commission and (ii) the time confirmations are sent or given as specified by
Rule 462(b)(2), or with respect to the Original Registration Statement, or such
later time and date as shall have been consented to by the Representatives; if
required, the Prospectus or any Term Sheet that constitutes a part thereof and
any amendment or supplement thereto shall have been filed with the Commission in
the manner and within the time period required by Rules 434 and 424(b) under the
Act; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or
any amendment thereto shall have been issued, and no proceedings for that
purpose shall have been instituted or threatened or, to the knowledge of the
Company or the Representatives, shall be contemplated by the Commission; and the
Company shall have complied with any request of the Commission for additional
information (to be included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or
otherwise).
(b) The Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated the Firm
Closing Date, of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, counsel for the Company and the Selling
Stockholders, to the effect that:
(i) the Company and each of its subsidiaries listed in
Schedule 3 hereto (the "Subsidiaries") have been duly organized and are
validly existing as corporations in good standing under the laws of
their respective jurisdictions of incorporation and are duly qualified
to transact business as foreign corporations and are in good standing
under the laws of all other jurisdictions where the ownership or
leasing of their respective properties or the conduct of their
respective businesses requires such qualification, except
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where the failure to be so qualified does not amount to a material
liability or disability to the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a
whole;
(ii) the Company and each of the Subsidiaries have corporate
power to own or lease their respective properties and conduct their
respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement and
the Prospectus, and the Company has corporate power to enter into this
Agreement and to carry out all the terms and provisions hereof to be
carried out by it;
(iii) the issued shares of capital stock of each of the
Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully
paid and nonassessable and are owned beneficially by the Company free
and clear of any perfected security interests or, to the best knowledge
of such counsel, any other security interests, liens, encumbrances,
equities or claims;
(iv) the Company has an authorized, issued and outstanding
capitalization as set forth in the Prospectus; all of the issued shares
of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly
issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in
compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws and
were not issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive rights or
other rights to subscribe for or purchase securities; the Firm
Securities have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action
of the Company and, when issued and delivered to and paid for by the
Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully
paid and nonassessable; the Securities have been duly included for
trading on the Nasdaq National Market; no holders of outstanding shares
of capital stock of the Company are entitled as such to any preemptive
or other rights to subscribe for any of the Securities; and no holders
of securities of the Company are entitled to have such securities
registered under the Registration Statement;
(v) the statements set forth under the heading "Description of
Securities" in the Prospectus, insofar as such statements purport to
summarize certain provisions of the capital stock of the Company,
provide a fair summary of such provisions; and the statements set forth
under the headings "Business--Government Regulation" and
"Business--Legal Proceedings" in the Prospectus, insofar as such
statements constitute a summary of the legal matters, documents or
proceedings referred to therein, provide a fair summary of such legal
matters, documents and proceedings;
(vi) the execution and delivery of this Agreement have been
duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and
this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company;
(vii) (A) no legal or governmental proceedings are pending to
which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or to which the
property of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is subject that are
required to be described in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus and are not described therein, and, to the best knowledge of
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such counsel, no such proceedings have been threatened against the
Company or any of the Subsidiaries or with respect to any of their
respective properties and (B) no contract or other document is required
to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to
be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement that is not
described therein or filed as required;
(viii) the issuance, offering and sale of the Securities to
the Underwriters by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, the
compliance by the Company with the other provisions of this Agreement
and the consummation of the other transactions herein contemplated do
not (A) require the consent, approval, authorization, registration or
qualification of or with any governmental authority, except such as
have been obtained and such as may be required under state securities
or blue sky laws, or (B) conflict with or result in a breach or
violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a
default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, lease or other
agreement or instrument, known to such counsel, to which the Company or
any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of
the Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties are bound, or
the charter documents or by-laws of the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries, or any statute or any judgment, decree, order, rule or
regulation of any court or other governmental authority or any
arbitrator known to such counsel and applicable to the Company or
Subsidiaries;
(ix) the Registration Statement is effective under the Act;
any required filing of the Prospectus, or any Term Sheet that
constitutes a part thereof, pursuant to Rules 434 and 424(b) has been
made in the manner and within the time period required by Rules 434 and
424(b); and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement or any amendment thereto has been issued, and no
proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or threatened or, to
the best knowledge of such counsel, are contemplated by the Commission;
(x) the Registration Statement originally filed with respect
to the Securities and each amendment thereto, any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement and the Prospectus (in each case, other than the
financial statements and other financial information contained therein,
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 of the Commission thereunder;
(xi) if the Company elects to rely on Rule 434, the Prospectus
is not "materially different", as such term is used in Rule 434, from
the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time of
its effectiveness or an effective post-effective amendment thereto
(including such information that is permitted to be omitted pursuant to
Rule 430A);
(xii) each Selling Stockholder who is not an individual has
full power and authority (corporate, partnership or other, as
applicable) to enter into this agreement and to sell, transfer and
deliver the Firm Securities and Option
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Securities, as the case may be, being sold by such Selling Stockholder
in the manner provided in this Agreement; the delivery and execution of
this Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate
action of each Selling Stockholder that is corporation; this Agreement
this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by or on behalf of
each Selling Stockholder;
(xiii) upon the delivery by each Selling Stockholder to the
several Underwriters of certificates for the Firm Securities or Option
Securities, as the case may be, being sold hereunder by such Selling
Stockholder against payment therefor as provided herein, assuming that
each of the Underwriters which has severally purchased such Firm
Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, acquires such Firm
Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, in good faith and
without notice of any adverse claim (within the meaning of the
applicable Uniform Commercial Code), such Underwriter will have
acquired all of the rights of such Selling Stockholder to the Firm
Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, sold by such
Selling Stockholder hereunder, and in addition will have acquired title
to such Firm Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, free
and clear of any adverse claim; and
(xiv) the sale of Firm Securities or Option Securities, as the
case may be, to the Underwriters by each Selling Stockholder pursuant
to this Agreement, the compliance by such Selling Stockholder with the
other provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the other
transactions herein contemplated do not (A) to such counsel's
knowledge, require the consent, approval, authorization, registration
or qualification of or with any governmental authority, except such as
have been obtained and such as may be required under state securities
or blue sky laws, or (B) to such counsel's knowledge, conflict with or
result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of,
or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust,
lease or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which
such Selling Stockholders is a party or by which such Selling
Stockholder or any of such Selling Stockholder's properties are bound,
or, in the case of a Selling Stockholder that is a corporation, the
charter documents or bylaws of such Selling Stockholder; and nothing
has come to such counsel's attention which causes such counsel to
believe that the sale of Firm Securities or Option Securities, as the
case may be, to the Underwriters by each Selling Stockholder pursuant
to this Agreement, the compliance by such Selling Stockholder with the
other provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the other
transactions herein contemplated will result in a violation of any
statute or any judgment, decree, order, rule or regulation of any court
or other governmental authority or any arbitrator known to such counsel
to be applicable to such Selling Stockholder.
Such counsel shall also state that they have no reason to believe that
the Registration Statement, as of its effective date, 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
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not misleading or that the Prospectus, as of its date or the date of such
opinion, included or includes any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted
or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
In rendering any such opinion, such counsel may rely, as to matters of
fact, to the extent such counsel deems proper, on certificates of responsible
officers of the Company and public officials.
References to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus in this
paragraph (b) shall include any amendment or supplement thereto at the date of
such opinion.
(c) The Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated the Firm
Closing Date, of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, counsel for the Underwriters,
with respect to the issuance and sale of the Firm Securities, the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, and such other related matters as the
Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to
such counsel such documents as they may reasonably request for the purpose of
enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(d) The Representatives shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP a letter or letters dated, respectively, the date hereof and the Firm
Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the
effect that:
(i) they are independent accountants with respect to the
Company and its consolidated subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act
and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder;
(ii) in their opinion, the audited consolidated financial
statements and schedules examined by them and included in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply in form in all
material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the
Act and the related published rules and regulations;
(iii) on the basis of a reading of the latest available
interim unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements of the
Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, carrying out certain
specified procedures (which do not constitute an examination made in
accordance with generally accepted auditing standards) that would not
necessarily reveal matters of significance with respect to the comments
set forth in this paragraph (iii), a reading of the minute books of the
shareholders, the board of directors and any committees thereof of the
Company and each of its consolidated subsidiaries, and inquiries of
certain officials of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries who
have responsibility for financial and accounting matters, nothing came
to their attention that caused them to believe that:
(A) the unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements
of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the
Registration Statement and the
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Prospectus do not comply in form in all material respects with the
applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the related published
rules and regulations thereunder or are not in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles applied on a basis
substantially consistent with that of the audited consolidated
financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus; and
(B) at a specific date not more than five business days prior
to the date of such letter, there were any changes in the capital stock
or long-term debt of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries or
any decreases in not current assets or stockholders' equity of the
Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, in each case compared with
amounts shown on the March 31, 1999 consolidated balance sheet included
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or for the period
from April 1, 1999 to such specified date there were any decreases, as
compared with March 31, 1999 in sales, net revenues, net income before
income taxes or total or per share amounts of net income of the Company
and its consolidated subsidiaries except in all instances for changes,
decreases or increases set forth in such letter; and
(iv) they have carried out certain specified procedures, not
constituting an audit, with respect to certain amounts, percentages and
financial information that are derived from the general accounting
records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and are
included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the
captions "Summary Consolidated Financial Data" and "Selected
Consolidated Financial Data" and in Exhibit 11 to the Registration
Statement, and have compared such amounts, percentages and financial
information with such records of the Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries and with information derived from such records and have
found them to be in agreement, excluding any questions of legal
interpretation.
In the event that the letters referred to above set forth any such
changes, decreases or increases, it shall be a further condition to the
obligations of the Underwriters that (A) such letters shall be accompanied by a
written explanation of the Company as to the significance thereof, unless the
Representatives deem such explanation unnecessary, and (B) such changes,
decreases or increases do not, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, make
it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the purchase and delivery of the
Securities as contemplated by the Registration Statement, as amended as of the
date hereof.
References to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus in this
paragraph (d) with respect to either letter referred to above shall include any
amendment or supplement thereto at the date of such letter.
(e) The Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated the
Firm Closing Date, of Stephen N. Joffe and Larry P. Rapp of the Company to the
effect that:
(i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this
Agreement are true and correct as if made on and as of the Firm Closing
Date; the Registration Statement, as amended as of the Firm Closing
Date, does not include any untrue
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statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the
Prospectus, as amended or supplemented as of the Firm Closing Date,
does not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading; and the Company has performed all covenants and
agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or
satisfied at or prior to the Firm Closing Date;
(ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement or any amendment thereto has been issued, and no
proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or threatened or, to
the best of the Company's knowledge, are contemplated by the
Commission; and
(iii) subsequent to the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus,
neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any
material loss or interference with their respective businesses or
properties from fire, flood, hurricane, accident or other calamity,
whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or any
legal or governmental proceeding, and there has not been any material
adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material
adverse change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), management,
business prospects, net worth or results of operations of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries, except in each case as described in or
contemplated by the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or
supplement thereto).
(f) The Representatives shall have received from each person who is a
director or officer of the Company or who owns _______ shares of Common Stock
and from each Selling Stockholder an agreement to the effect that such person
will not, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of
Prudential Securities Incorporated, on behalf of the Underwriters, offer, sell,
offer to sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase or
otherwise sell or dispose (or announce any offer, sale, offer of sale, contract
of sale, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or other sale or disposition)
of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into, or
exchangeable or exercisable for, shares of Common Stock for a period of 90 days
after the date of this Agreement.
(g) The Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated the
Firm Closing Date, executed by each Selling Stockholder to the effect that the
representations and warranties of such Selling Stockholder in this Agreement are
true and correct in all material respects on and as of the Firm Closing Date;
such Selling Stockholder has complied wityh all the agreements and satisfied all
the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Firm
Closing Date; and the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended or
supplemented as of the Firm Closing Date contain all statements required to be
included therein regarding such Selling Stockholder, and none of the
Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto includes any untrue statement
of a material fact regarding such Selling Stockholder or omits to state any
material fact regarding such Selling Stockholder required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statements therein regarding such Selling Stockholder
not misleading, and neither the
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Prospectus (and any supplements thereto) or any Preliminary Prospectus includes
or included any untrue statement of a material fact regarding such Selling
Stockholder or omits or omitted to state a material fact regarding such Selling
Stockholder required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the
statements therein regarding such Selling Stockholder, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(h) On or before the Firm Closing Date, the Representatives and counsel
for the Underwriters shall have received such further certificates, documents or
other information as they may have reasonably requested from the Company.
(i) Prior to the commencement of the offering of the Securities, the
Securities shall have been included for trading on the Nasdaq National Market.
All opinions, certificates, letters and documents delivered pursuant to
this Agreement will comply with the provisions hereof only if they are
reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to the Representatives and
counsel for the Underwriters. The Company shall furnish to the Representatives
such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and documents in
such quantities as the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters shall
reasonably request.
The respective obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and
pay for any Option Securities shall be subject, in their discretion, to each of
the foregoing conditions to purchase the Firm Securities, except that all
references to the Firm Securities and the Firm Closing Date shall be deemed to
refer to such Option Securities and the related Option Closing Date,
respectively.
9. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) The Company and the Selling
Stockholders, severally and not jointly, agree to indemnify and hold harmless
each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within
the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against
any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such
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, caused by, related to, based upon or arising out
of or in connection with:
(i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement made by
the Company in Section 2 of this Agreement,
(ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any
material fact contained in (A) the Registration Statement or any
amendment thereto, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any
amendment or supplement thereto or (B) any application or other
document, or any amendment or supplement thereto, executed by the
Company or based upon written information furnished by or on behalf of
the Company filed in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the
Securities under the securities or blue sky laws thereof or filed with
the Commission or any securities association or securities exchange
(each an "Application"),
(iii) the omission or alleged omission to state in the
Registration Statement or
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any amendment thereto, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or
any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Application a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading; or
(iv) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any
material fact contained in any audio or visual materials, including,
without limitation, slides, videos, films and tape recordings used in
connection with the marketing of the Securities, including, without
limitation, statements communicated to securities analysts employed by
the Underwriters,
and will reimburse, as incurred, each Underwriter and each such controlling
person for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter
or such controlling person in connection with investigating, defending against
or appearing as a third-party witness in connection with any such loss, claim,
damage, liability or action; provided, however, that neither the Company nor the
Selling Stockholders will be liable in any such case to the extent that any such
loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in
such registration statement or any amendment thereto, any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or any
Application in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company and the Selling Stockholders by such Underwriter
through the Representatives specifically for use therein; and provided, further,
that neither the Company nor the Selling Stockholders will be liable to any
Underwriter or any person controlling such Underwriter with respect to any such
untrue statement or omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus that is
corrected in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) if the
person asserting any such loss, claim, damage or liability purchased Securities
from such Underwriter but was not sent or given a copy of the Prospectus (as
amended or supplemented) at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of
such Securities to such person in any case where such delivery of the Prospectus
(as amended or supplemented) is required by the Act, unless such failure to
deliver the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) was a result of
noncompliance by the Company with Section 6(d) and (e) of this Agreement. This
indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company and
the Selling Stockholders may otherwise have. Neither the Company nor the Selling
Stockholders will, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter or
Underwriters purchasing, in the aggregate, more than fifty percent (50%) of the
Securities, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any
pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which
indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not any such Underwriter or
any person who controls any such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of
the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act is a party to such claim, action, suit
or proceeding), unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an
unconditional release of all of the Underwriters and such controlling persons
from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding.
(b) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section 9, no Selling
Stockholder shall be liable for indemnification under this Section 9 for an
amount exceeding the total proceeds received by such Selling Stockholder from
the Underwriters for the Firm Securities and/or Option Securities sold by such
Selling Stockholders hereunder. The Company and the
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Selling Stockholders may agree, as among themselves and without limiting the
rights of the Underwriters under this Agreement, as to the respective amounts of
such liability for which they each shall be responsible.
(c) Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, will indemnify and
hold harmless the Company, each Selling Stockholder, each of the Company's
directors, each of the Company's officers who signed the Registration Statement
and each person, if any, who controls the Company or each Selling Stockholder
within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act
against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company, a
Selling Stockholder or any such director, 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 (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact
contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto, any
Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto,
or any Application or (ii) the omission or the alleged omission to state therein
a material fact required to be stated in the Registration Statement or any
amendment thereto, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment
or supplement thereto, or any Application or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that
such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company or the Selling Stockholder by such Underwriter through
the Representatives specifically for use therein; and, subject to the limitation
set forth immediately preceding this clause, will reimburse, as incurred, any
legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company, a Selling
Stockholder or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection
with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or any
action in respect thereof. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any
liability which such Underwriter may otherwise have.
(d) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 9
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 9, notify 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 9. 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 therein and, to the extent that it may
wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume
the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party;
provided, however, that if the defendants in any such action include both the
indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall
have reasonably concluded that there may be one or more legal defenses available
to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to
those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have
the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified
party or parties and such indemnified party or parties shall have the right to
select separate counsel to defend such action on behalf of such indemnified
party or parties. After notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified
party of its election so to assume the defense thereof and approval by such
indemnified party of counsel appointed to defend such action, the
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indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this
Section 9 for any legal or other expenses, other than reasonable costs of
investigation, subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection
with the defense thereof, unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed
separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the next preceding sentence
(it being understood, however, that in connection with such action the
indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one
separate counsel (in addition to local counsel) in any one action or separate
but substantially similar actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the
same general allegations or circumstances, designated by the Representatives in
the case of paragraph (a) of this Section 9, representing the indemnified
parties under such paragraph (a) who are parties to such action or actions) or
(ii) the indemnifying party does not promptly retain counsel satisfactory to the
indemnified party or (iii) the indemnifying party has authorized the employment
of counsel for the indemnified party at the expense of the indemnifying party.
After such notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party, the
indemnifying party will not be liable for the costs and expenses of any
settlement of such action effected by such indemnified party without the consent
of the indemnifying party.
(e) In circumstances in which the indemnity agreement provided for in
the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9 is unavailable or insufficient, for
any reason, to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses,
claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), each
indemnifying party, in order to provide for just and equitable contribution,
shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a
result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect
thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect (i) the relative
benefits received by the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the
indemnified party on the other from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if
the allocation provided by the foregoing clause (i) is not permitted by
applicable law, not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of
the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified party on
the other in connection with the statements or omissions or alleged statements
or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or
actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable
considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling
Stockholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed
to be in the same proportion (i) with respect to the Company, the total proceeds
from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Underwriters and
(ii) with respect to the Selling Stockholders, the sum of the total proceeds
from the Offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Selling
Stockholders, to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by
the Underwriters. The relative fault of the parties shall be determined by
reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact
relates to information supplied by the Company or the Selling Stockholders or
the Underwriters, the parties' relative intents, knowledge, access to
information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission,
and any other equitable considerations appropriate in the circumstances. The
Company, each Selling Stockholder and the Underwriters agree that it would not
be equitable if the amount of such contribution were determined by pro rata or
per capita allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for
such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take into
account the equitable considerations referred to above in this paragraph (e).
Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph (e), no Underwriter shall
be obligated
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to make contributions hereunder that in the aggregate exceed the total public
offering price of the Securities purchased by such Underwriter under this
Agreement, less the aggregate amount of any damages that such Underwriter has
otherwise been required to pay in respect of the same or any substantially
similar claim, no Selling Stockholder shall be required to contribute an amount
in excess of the total proceeds received by such Selling Stockholder from the
Underwriters for the Firm Securities and/or Option Securities sold by such
Selling Stockholder hereunder, and 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 hereunder are
several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not
joint, and contributions among Underwriters shall be governed by the provisions
of the Prudential Securities Incorporated Master Agreement Among Underwriters.
For purposes of this paragraph (e), each person, if any, who controls an
Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the
Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and
each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the
Registration Statement, each Selling Stockholder and each person, if any, who
controls the Company or a Selling Stockholder within the meaning of Section 15
of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, shall have the same rights to
contribution as the Company and the Selling Stockholder.
10. Default of Underwriters. If one or more Underwriters default in
their obligations to purchase Firm Securities or Option Securities hereunder and
the aggregate number of such Securities that such defaulting Underwriter or
Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase is ten percent or less of the
aggregate number of Firm Securities or Option Securities to be purchased by all
of the Underwriters at such time hereunder, the other Underwriters may make
arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives for the purchase of such
Securities by other persons (who may include one or more of the non-defaulting
Underwriters, including the Representatives), but if no such arrangements are
made by the Firm Closing Date or the related Option Closing Date, as the case
may be, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in proportion to
their respective commitments hereunder to purchase the Firm Securities or Option
Securities that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to
purchase. If one or more Underwriters so default with respect to an aggregate
number of Securities that is more than ten percent of the aggregate number of
Firm Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, to be purchased by all
of the Underwriters at such time hereunder, and if arrangements satisfactory to
the Representatives are not made within 36 hours after such default for the
purchase by other persons (who may include one or more of the non-defaulting
Underwriters, including the Representatives) of the Securities with respect to
which such default occurs, this Agreement will terminate without liability on
the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company other than as provided
in Section 11 hereof. In the event of any default by one or more Underwriters as
described in this Section 10, the Representatives shall have the right to
postpone the Firm Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be,
established as provided in Section 4 hereof for not more than seven business
days in order that any necessary changes may be made in the arrangements or
documents for the purchase and delivery of the Firm Securities or Option
Securities, as the case may be. As used in this Agreement, the term
"Underwriter" includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this
Section 10. Nothing herein shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from
liability for its default.
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11. Survival. The respective representations, warranties, agreements,
covenants, indemnities and other statements of the Company, its officers, the
Selling Stockholders and the several Underwriters set forth in this Agreement or
made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement shall
remain in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or
on behalf of the Company, any of its officers or directors, the Selling
Stockholders, any Underwriter or any controlling person referred to in Section 9
hereof and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities. The respective
agreements, covenants, indemnities and other statements set forth in Sections 7
and 9 hereof shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any
termination or cancellation of this Agreement.
12. Termination. (a) This Agreement may be terminated with respect to
the Firm Securities or any Option Securities in the sole discretion of the
Representatives by notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholders given
prior to the Firm Closing Date or the related Option Closing Date, respectively,
if the Company or the Selling Stockholders shall have failed, refused or been
unable to perform all obligations and satisfy all conditions on their part to be
performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior thereto or, if at or prior to the
Firm Closing Date or such Option Closing Date, respectively,
(i) the Company or any of its subsidiaries shall have, in the
sole judgment of the Representatives, sustained any material loss or
interference with their respective businesses or properties from fire,
flood, hurricane, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by
insurance, or from any labor dispute or any legal or governmental
proceeding or there shall have been any material adverse change, or any
development involving a prospective material adverse change (including
without limitation a change in management or control of the Company),
in the condition (financial or otherwise), business prospects, net
worth or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries,
except in each case as described in or contemplated by the Prospectus
(exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto);
(ii) trading in the Common Stock shall have been suspended by
the Commission, the Nasdaq SmallCap Market or the Nasdaq National
Market or trading in securities generally on the New York Stock
Exchange, Nasdaq SmallCap Market or the Nasdaq National Market shall
have been suspended or minimum or maximum prices shall have been
established on either such exchange;
(iii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by New
York or United States authorities; or
(iv) there shall have been (A) an outbreak or escalation of
hostilities between the United States and any foreign power, (B) an
outbreak or escalation of any other insurrection or armed conflict
involving the United States or (C) any other calamity or crisis or
material adverse change in general economic, political or financial
conditions having an effect on the U.S. financial markets that, in the
sole judgment of the Representatives, makes it impractical or
inadvisable to proceed with the public offering
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or the delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the Registration
Statement, as amended as of the date hereof.
(b) Termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 12 shall be
without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section
11 hereof.
13. Information Supplied by Underwriters. The statements set forth
under the heading "Underwriting" in any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus
(to the extent such statements relate to the Underwriters) constitute the only
information furnished by any Underwriter through the Representatives to the
Company for the purposes of Sections 2(b) and 9 hereof. The Underwriters confirm
that such statements (to such extent) are correct.
14. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and, if
sent to any of the Underwriters, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or
facsimile transmission and confirmed in writing to Prudential Securities
Incorporated, One New York Plaza, New York, New York 10292, Attention: Equity
Transactions Group; if sent to the Company, shall be delivered or sent by mail,
telex or facsimile transmission and confirmed in writing to the Company at 7840
Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236, Attention: Stephen N. Joffe, and if
sent to Stephen N. Joffe, Sandra Joffe or Larry P. Rapp, c/o LCA-Vision Inc., at
7840 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236, and if to Summit at _____________.
15. Successors. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and shall
be binding upon the several Underwriters, the Company, the Selling Stockholders
and their respective successors and legal representatives, and nothing expressed
or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any
other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect
of this Agreement, or any provisions herein contained, this Agreement and all
conditions and provisions hereof being intended to be and being for the sole and
exclusive benefit of such persons and for the benefit of no other person except
that (i) the indemnities of the Company and the Selling Stockholders contained
in Section 9 of this Agreement shall also be for the benefit of any person or
persons who control any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act
or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and (ii) the indemnities of the Underwriters
contained in Section 9 of this Agreement shall also be for the benefit of the
directors of the Company, the officers of the Company who have signed the
Registration Statement, and any person or persons who control the Company within
the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act. No
purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor because
of such purchase.
16. Applicable Law. The validity and interpretation of this Agreement,
and the terms and conditions set forth herein, shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving
effect to any provisions relating to conflicts of laws.
17. Consent to Jurisdiction and Service of Process. All judicial
proceedings arising out of or relating to this Agreement may be brought in any
state or federal court of competent jurisdiction in the State of New York, and
by execution and delivery of this Agreement, each Selling Stockholder accepts
for itself and in connection with its properties, generally and
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unconditionally, the nonexclusive jurisdiction of the aforesaid courts and
waives any defense of forum non conveniens and irrevocably agrees to be bound by
any judgment rendered thereby in connection with this Agreement. The Selling
Stockholders collectively designate and appoint __________________, and such
other persons as may hereafter be selected by the Selling Stockholders acting
together irrevocably agreeing in writing to so serve, as its agent to receive on
their behalf service of all process in any such proceedings in any such court,
such service being hereby acknowledged by each Selling Stockholder to be
effective and binding service in every respect. A copy of any such process so
served shall be mailed by registered mail to each Selling Securityholder at its
address provided in Section 14 hereof; provided, however, that, unless otherwise
provided by applicable law, any failure to mail such copy shall not affect the
validity of service of such process. If any agent appointed by the Selling
Stockholders refuses to accept service, each Selling Stockholder hereby agrees
that service of process sufficient for personal jurisdiction in any action
against the Selling Stockholders in the State of New York may be made by
registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the Selling
Stockholder at the address provided in Section 14 hereof, and each Selling
Stockholder hereby acknowledges that such service shall be effective and binding
in every respect. Nothing herein shall affect the right to serve process in any
other manner permitted by law or shall limit the right of any Underwriter to
bring proceedings against the Selling Stockholders in the courts of any other
jurisdiction.
18. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which
together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
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If the foregoing correctly sets forth our understanding, please
indicate your acceptance thereof in the space provided below for that purpose,
whereupon this letter shall constitute an agreement binding the Company, the
Selling Stockholders and each of the several Underwriters.
Very truly yours,
LCA-VISION INC.
By: ________________________
The foregoing Agreement is hereby
confirmed and accepted as of the
date first above written.
PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INCORPORATED
DAIN RAUSCHER WESSELS,
a division of Dain Rauscher Incorporated
RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC.
By: PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INCORPORATED
By _____________________
Jean-Claude Canfin
Managing Director
For itself and on behalf of the Representatives.
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SCHEDULE 1
UNDERWRITERS
(1) (2)
Number of Number of
Securities to Securities to be
be Purchased Purchased from
Underwriter from the Company the Selling Stockholders
Prudential Securities Incorporated...................
Dain Rauscher Wessels, a division of Dain Rauscher
Incorporated.......................................
Raymond James & Associates, Inc......................
Total................. 5,000,000 3,300,000
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SCHEDULE 2
SELLING STOCKHOLDERS
(1) (2)
Number of Firm Maximum Number of
Securities Option Securities
Name to be Sold to be Sold
Stephen N. Joffe 1,500,000 1,245,000
Sandra Joffe 1,200,000 --
Summit 500,000 --
Larry P. Rapp 100,000 --
----------- ---------
Total 3,300,000 1,245,000
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SCHEDULE 3
SUBSIDIARIES
Name Jurisdiction of Incorporation
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