CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS, INC.
4,000,000 SHARES
CLASS A COMMON STOCK
(par value $0.01 per share)
_____________________________________
Underwriting Agreement
----------------------
__________, 1997
Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation
Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10004
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Casella Waste Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to
issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the
"Underwriters") an aggregate of 3,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock
("Stock") of the Company and the stockholders of the Company named in
Schedule II hereto (the "Selling Stockholders") propose, subject to the
terms and conditions stated herein, to sell to the Underwriters an aggregate
of 1,000,000 shares. The aggregate of 4,000,000 shares to be sold by the
Company and the Selling Stockholders is herein called the "Firm Shares" and
the aggregate of 600,000 additional shares to be sold by the Selling
Stockholders is herein called the "Optional Shares". The Firm Shares and the
Optional Shares that the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section
2 hereof are herein collectively called the "Shares".
1. (a) The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each
of the Underwriters that:
(i) A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-33135)
(the "Initial Registration Statement") in respect of the Shares has been filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"); the Initial
Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in the
form heretofore delivered to you, and, excluding exhibits thereto, to you for
each of the other Underwriters, have been declared effective by the Commission
in such form; other than a registration statement, if any, increasing the size
of the offering (a "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement") filed pursuant to Rule
462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), which became
effective upon filing, no other document with respect to the Initial
Registration Statement
has heretofore been filed with the Commission; and no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement, any post-effective
amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been
issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by
the Commission (any preliminary prospectus included in the Initial Registration
Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and
regulations of the Commission under the Act is hereinafter called a "Preliminary
Prospectus"; the various parts of the Initial Registration Statement and the
Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, including all exhibits thereto and
including the information contained in the form of final prospectus filed with
the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance with Section
5(a) hereof and deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under the Act to be part of the
Initial Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective or such
parts of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, at the time it became
or hereafter becomes effective, each as amended at the time such part of the
registration statement became effective, are hereinafter collectively called the
"Registration Statement"; and such final prospectus, in the form first filed
pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, is hereinafter called the "Prospectus");
(ii) No order preventing or suspending the use of any
Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary
Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to
the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit
to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty
shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an
Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein or by a
Selling Stockholder expressly for use in the preparation of the answers therein
to Items 7 and 11(l) of Form S-1;
(iii) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus
and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and/or
the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects, to the requirements of
the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not
and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to the Registration
Statement and any amendment thereto and as of the applicable filing date as to
the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, contain an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;
provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any
statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs &
Co. expressly for use therein or by a Selling Stockholder expressly for use in
the preparation of the answers therein to Items 7 and 11(l) of Form S-1;
(iv) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has
sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in
the Prospectus any material loss or interference with its business from fire,
explosion, flood or other calamity, whether
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or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental
action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the
Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has not been any change in
the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or
any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material
adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial
position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company or any of
its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus;
(v) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable
title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all
personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens,
encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Prospectus or such
as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with
the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its
subsidiaries; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the
Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and
enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere
with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the
Company and its subsidiaries;
(vi) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of Delaware, with
power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its
business as described in the Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a
foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing
under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties
or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, or is subject to
no material liability or disability by reason of the failure to be so qualified
in any such jurisdiction; and each subsidiary of the Company has been duly
incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the
laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation;
(vii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set
forth in the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the
Company (including, without limitation, the Stock) have been duly and validly
authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and conform in all
material respects to the description thereof in the Prospectus; and all of the
issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly
and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and, except
as set forth in the Prospectus, are owned directly or indirectly by the Company,
free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;
(viii) The unissued Shares to be issued and sold by the
Company to the Underwriters hereunder have been duly and validly authorized and,
when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be
duly and validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable and will conform in
all material respects to the description of the Stock contained in the
Prospectus;
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(ix) The issue and sale of the Shares to be sold by the
Company and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of this
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not
conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or
provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of
trust, loan agreement 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 is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such action result in any
violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of
the Company or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or
governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or any of their properties; and no consent, approval,
authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or
governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the Shares or
the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, except the registration under the Act of the Shares and such
consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be
required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase
and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters and under the rules of the
NASD;
(x) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (A) is in
violation of its Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws or (B) other than any
defaults that will not have a material adverse effect on the financial position,
stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole, is in default in the performance or observance
of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument
to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound;
(xi) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the
caption "Description of Capital Stock", insofar as they purport to constitute a
summary of the terms of the Stock, and under the caption "Underwriting" (other
than the fourth paragraph under such caption relating to Regulation M under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Regulation M")), insofar as they
purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to
therein, are accurate, complete and fair;
(xii) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no
legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any
of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a material
adverse effect on the current or future consolidated financial position,
stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries; and, to the best of the Company's knowledge, no such proceedings
are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by
others;
(xiii) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the
offering and sale of the Shares, will not be an "investment company" or an
entity "controlled" by an "investment company", as such terms are defined in the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act");
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(xiv) Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates does
business with the government of Cuba or with any person or affiliate located in
Cuba within the meaning of Section 517.075, Florida Statutes;
(xv) Arthur Andersen & Co., who have certified certain
financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, are independent public
accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder; and
(xvi) The Company and each of its subsidiaries has such
licenses, permits and other governmental authorizations as are required for the
conduct of their respective businesses and/or the ownership of their respective
properties as described in the Prospectus (except to the extent the failure to
obtain the same would not have a material adverse effect upon the Company and
its subsidiaries, taken as a whole), are in all material respects complying
therewith, and own or possess adequate rights to use all material patents,
patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade-names, trademark
registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights and licenses necessary for
the conduct of such business and have not received any notice of conflict with
the asserted rights of others in respect thereof. To the best knowledge of the
Company, none of the activities or businesses of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries are in violation of, or cause the Company or any of its
subsidiaries to violate, any law, rule regulation or order of the United States,
any state, county or locality, or of any agency or body of the United States or
of any state, county or locality, the violation of which would individually or
in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on the current or future
consolidated financial position, stockholders' equity or result of operations of
the Company and its subsidiaries.
(b) Each of the Selling Stockholders severally represents and warrants
to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters and the Company that:
(i) All consents, approvals, authorizations and orders
necessary for the execution and delivery by such Selling Stockholder of this
Agreement and the Power of Attorney and the Custody Agreement hereinafter
referred to, and for the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such
Selling Stockholder hereunder, have been obtained; and such Selling Stockholder
has full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement, the
Power-of-Attorney and the Custody Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and
deliver the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder;
(ii) The sale of the Shares to be sold by such Selling
Stockholder hereunder and the compliance by such Selling Stockholder with all of
the provisions of this Agreement, the Power of Attorney and the Custody
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein
contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of
the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any statute,
indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other 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, nor will such action result in any violation of the
provisions of the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of such Selling
Stockholder if such Selling Stockholder is a corporation, the partnership
agreement of such Selling Stockholder if such Selling Stockholder is a
partnership (and the
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certificate of limited partnership of such Selling Stockholder if such Selling
Stockholder is a limited partnership), the articles of organization and the LLC
agreement (or operating agreement) of such Selling Stockholder if such Selling
Stockholder is a limited liability company or any statute or any order, rule or
regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over
such Selling Stockholder or the property of such Selling Stockholder;
(iii) Such Selling Stockholder has (or upon the exercise of
options or warrants therefor will have), and immediately prior to each Time of
Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) such Selling Stockholder will have,
good and valid title to the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder
hereunder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims; and,
upon delivery of such Shares and payment therefor pursuant hereto, good and
valid title to such Shares, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities
or claims, will pass to the several Underwriters;
(iv) During the period beginning from the date hereof and
continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the Prospectus,
not to offer, sell contract to sell or otherwise dispose of, except as provided
hereunder, any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the
Shares, including but not limited to any securities that are convertible into or
exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Stock or any such
substantially similar securities (other than pursuant to stock incentive
plans existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or
exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement), without
your prior written consent;
(v) Such Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not take,
directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted
or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or
manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale
or resale of the Shares;
(vi) To the extent that any statements or omissions made in
the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any
amendment or supplement thereto are made in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information furnished to the Company by such Selling Stockholder
expressly for use therein, such Preliminary Prospectus and the Registration
Statement did, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, when they become effective or are
filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material
respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder and will not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;
(vii) 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 you prior to or at the First Time of
Delivery (as hereinafter defined) 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);
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(viii) Certificates in negotiable form, or option or warrant
agreements (together with a properly completed notice of exercise and payment
therefor), representing all of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder
hereunder have been placed in custody under a Custody Agreement, in the form
heretofore furnished to you (the "Custody Agreement"), duly executed and
delivered by such Selling Stockholder to the Company, as custodian (the Company,
in its role as custodian, is hereinafter referred to as the "Custodian"), and
such Selling Stockholder has duly executed and delivered a Power of Attorney, in
the form heretofore furnished to you (the "Power of Attorney"), appointing the
persons indicated in Schedule II hereto, and each of them, as such Selling
Stockholder's attorneys-in-fact (the "Attorneys-in-Fact") with authority to
execute and deliver this Agreement on behalf of such Selling Stockholder, to
determine the purchase price to be paid by the Underwriters to the Selling
Stockholders as provided in Section 2 hereof, to authorize the delivery of the
Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder and otherwise to act on
behalf of such Selling Stockholder in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and the Custody Agreement; and
(ix) The Shares represented by the certificates and the option
or warrant agreements held in custody for such Selling Stockholder under the
Custody Agreement are subject to the interests of the Underwriters hereunder;
the arrangements made by such Selling Stockholder for such custody, and the
appointment by such Selling Stockholder of the Attorneys-in-Fact by the Power of
Attorney, are to that extent irrevocable; the obligations of the Selling
Stockholders hereunder shall not be terminated by operation of law, whether by
the death or incapacity of any individual Selling Stockholder or, in the case of
an estate or trust, by the death or incapacity of any executor or trustee or the
termination of such estate or trust, or in the case of a partnership, limited
liability company or corporation, by the dissolution of such partnership,
limited liability company, or corporation, or by the occurrence of any other
event; if any individual Selling Stockholder or any such executor or trustee
should die or become incapacitated, or if any such estate or trust should be
terminated, or if any such partnership, limited liability company or corporation
should be dissolved, or if any other such event should occur, before the
delivery of the Shares hereunder, certificates representing the Shares shall be
delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholders in accordance with the
terms and conditions of this Agreement and of the Custody Agreements; and
actions taken by the Attorneys-in-Fact pursuant to the Powers of Attorney shall
be as valid as if such death, incapacity, termination, dissolution or other
event had not occurred, regardless of whether or not the Custodian, the
Attorneys-in-Fact, or any of them, shall have received notice of such death,
incapacity, termination, dissolution or other event.
2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the
Company and each of the Selling Stockholders agree, severally and not jointly,
to sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees,
severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company and each of the Selling
Stockholders, at a purchase price per share of $_______, the number of Firm
Shares (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined
by multiplying the aggregate number of Shares to be sold by the Company and each
of the Selling Stockholders as set forth opposite their respective names in
Schedule II hereto by a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate number
of Firm Shares to be purchased by such Underwriter as set forth opposite the
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name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is
the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased by all of the Underwriters
from the Company and all of the Selling Stockholders hereunder and (b) in the
event and to the extent that the Underwriters shall exercise the election to
purchase Optional Shares as provided below, each of the Selling Stockholders
agrees to sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees,
severally and not jointly, to purchase from each of the Selling Stockholders, at
the purchase price per share set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2, that
portion of the number of Optional Shares as to which such election shall have
been exercised (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares)
determined by multiplying such number of Optional Shares by a fraction, the
numerator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares which such
Underwriter is entitled to purchase as set forth opposite the name of such
Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is the maximum
number of Optional Shares that all of the Underwriters are entitled to purchase
hereunder.
The Selling Stockholders, as and to the extent indicated in Schedule II
hereto hereby grant severally and not jointly, to the Underwriters the right to
purchase at their election up to 600,000 Optional Shares, at the purchase price
per share set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering
overallotments in the sale of the Firm Shares. Any such election to purchase
Optional Shares shall be made in preparation to the maximum number of Optional
Shares to be sold by each Selling Stockholder as set forth in Schedule II
hereto. Any such election to purchase Optional Shares may be exercised only by
written notice from you to the Attorneys-in-Fact, given within a period of 30
calendar days after the date of this Agreement and setting forth the aggregate
number of Optional Shares to be purchased and the date on which such Optional
Shares are to be delivered, as determined by you but in no event earlier than
the First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless you and
the Attorneys-in-Fact otherwise agree in writing, earlier than two or later than
ten business days after the date of such notice.
3. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Firm Shares, the
several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Shares for sale upon the terms
and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.
4. (a) The Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in
definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such
names as Goldman, Sachs & Co. may request upon at least forty-eight hours' prior
notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be delivered by or on
behalf of the Company and the Selling Stockholders to Goldman, Sachs & Co., for
the account of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such
Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer to accounts
specified by the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders, as their
interests may appear, in Federal (same day) funds. The Company will cause the
certificates representing the Shares to be made available for checking and
packaging at least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of Delivery (as defined
below) with respect thereto at the office of Goldman, Sachs & Co., 85 Broad
Street, New York, New York 10004 (the "Designated Office"). The time and date of
such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm Shares, 9:30 a.m.,
New York time, on _____, 1997 or such other time and date as Goldman, Sachs &
Co., the Company and the Selling Stockholders may agree upon in writing, and,
with respect to the Optional Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on the date
specified by Goldman, Sachs & Co. in the written notice given by Goldman, Sachs
& Co. of the Underwriters' election to purchase such Optional Shares, or such
other time and date as Goldman, Sachs & Co., the Company and the Selling
Stockholders may agree upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery of the
Firm Shares is herein called the "First Time of Delivery", such time and date
for delivery of the Optional Shares,
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if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein called the "Second Time of
Delivery", and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a "Time of
Delivery".
(b) The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by
or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 7 hereof, including the
cross receipt for the Shares and any additional documents requested by the
Underwriters pursuant to Section 7(j) hereof will be delivered at the offices of
[Hale and Dorr LLP, 60 State Street, Boston, MA 02109] (the "Closing Location"),
and the Shares will be delivered at the Designated Office, all at such Time of
Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at 2:00 p.m., New York
City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding such Time of Delivery, at
which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the
preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto. For the
purposes of this Section 4, "New York Business Day" shall mean each Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking
institutions in New York are generally authorized or obligated by law or
executive order to close.
5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:
(a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to
file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the
Commission's close of business on the second business day following the
execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier time
as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Act; to make no further
amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus which
shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise
you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment
to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any
supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed and to
furnish you with copies thereof; to advise you, promptly after it receives
notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any
order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or
prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or
sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for
any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or
supplementing of the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional
information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order
preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus or
suspending any such qualification, promptly to use its best efforts to obtain
the withdrawal of such order;
(b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may
reasonably request to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the
securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and to comply with such
laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such
jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of
the Shares, provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be
required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to
service of process in any jurisdiction;
(c) Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the New York
Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time,
to furnish the Underwriters with copies of the Prospectus in New York City in
such quantities as you may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a
prospectus is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after
the
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time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the
Shares and if at such time any events shall have occurred as a result of which
the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an 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 when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other
reason it shall be necessary during such period to amend or supplement the
Prospectus in order to comply with the Act, to notify you and upon your request
to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in
securities as many copies as you may from time to time reasonably request of an
amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such
statement or omission or effect such compliance, and in case any Underwriter is
required to deliver a prospectus in connection with sales of any of the Shares
at any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon
your request but at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to
such Underwriter as many copies as you may request of an amended or supplemented
Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;
(d) To make generally available to its securityholders as soon
as practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months after the
effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under
the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need
not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the
Company, Rule 158);
(e) During the period beginning from the date hereof and
continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the Prospectus,
not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of, except as provided
hereunder, any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the
Shares, including but not limited to any securities that are convertible into or
exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Stock or any such
substantially similar securities (other than pursuant to (i) stock plans
existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable
securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement and (ii) the issuance
of shares of Stock to Kenneth H. Mead pursuant to that certain Reorganization
Agreement dated as of January 17, 1997 by and among Superior Disposal Services,
Inc., Kensue, Inc., S.D.S. at PA, Inc. and Claws Refuse, Inc.), without your
prior written consent, except that the Company may issue such securities in
exchange for all of the equity or substantially all of the assets of a company
in connection with a merger or acquisition, provided that prior to any such
issuance the recipient of such securities shall have agreed with Goldman, Sachs
& Co. in writing to be bound by this provision for the remainder of such 180-day
period;
(f) To furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable
after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet
and statements of income, stockholders' equity and cash flows of the Company and
its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent public accountants) and,
unless otherwise agreed to in writing by Goldman, Sachs & Co., as soon as
practicable after the end of each of the first three quarters of each fiscal
year (beginning with the fiscal quarter ending after the effective date of the
Registration Statement), consolidated summary financial information of the
Company and its subsidiaries for such quarter in reasonable detail;
(g) During a period of five years from the effective date of
the Registration Statement, to furnish to you copies of all reports or other
communications (financial or other) furnished to stockholders, and to deliver to
you (i) as soon as they are available, copies of any reports and financial
statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities
exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed; and (ii)
such additional
10
information concerning the business and financial condition of the Company as
you may from time to time reasonably request (such financial statements to be on
a consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of the Company and its
subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished to its stockholders generally
or to the Commission);
(h) To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of
the Shares pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Prospectus
under the caption "Use of Proceeds";
(i) To use its best efforts to list for quotation the Shares
on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
("Nasdaq") National Market System;
(j) If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the
Company shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in
compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of
this Agreement, and the Company shall at the time of filing either pay to the
Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or give
irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111(b)
under the Act.
6. The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders covenant and agree
with one another and with the several Underwriters that (a) the Company will pay
or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of
the Company's counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the
Shares under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation,
printing and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus
and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and
delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of
producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, closing documents
(including any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with
the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; (iii) all expenses, if
any, in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale
under state securities laws as provided in Section 5(b) hereof, including any
fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such
qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey; (iv) all fees and
expenses in connection with listing the Shares on the NASDAQ; and (v) the filing
fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters
in connection with, securing any required review by the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. of the terms of the sale of the Shares;(vi) the cost of
preparing stock certificates; (vii) the cost and charges of any transfer agent
or registrar and (viii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance
of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for
in this Section 6; and (b) such Selling Stockholder will pay or cause to be paid
all costs and expenses incident to the performance of such Selling Stockholder's
obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this
Section 6, including (i) any fees and expenses of counsel for such Selling
Stockholder, (ii) such Selling Stockholder's pro rata share of the fees and
expenses of the Attorneys-in-Fact and the Custodian, and (iii) all expenses and
taxes incident to the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling
Stockholder to the Underwriters hereunder. In connection with clause (c) (iii)
of the preceding sentence, Goldman, Sachs & Co. agrees to pay New York State
stock transfer tax, if any, and the Selling Stockholder agrees to reimburse
Goldman, Sachs & Co. for associated carrying costs if such tax payment is not
rebated on the day of payment and for any portion of such tax payment not
rebated. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section 6,
and Sections 8 and 11 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of
11
their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, stock
transfer taxes on resale of any of the Shares by them, and any advertising
expenses connected with any offers they may make.
7. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Shares to
be delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to
the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of
the Company and of the Selling Stockholders herein are, at and as of such Time
of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company and the Selling
Stockholders shall have performed all of its and their obligations hereunder
theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:
(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for such
filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section
5(a) hereof; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Rule
462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 P.M.,
Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement; no stop order suspending
the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have
been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or
threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the
part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable
satisfaction;
(b) Morrison Cohen Singer & Weinstein, LLP, counsel for the
Underwriters, shall have furnished to you such opinion or opinions (a draft of
each such opinion is attached as Annex II(a) hereto), dated such Time of
Delivery, with respect to the matters covered in paragraphs (i), (ii), (vii),
(xi), and (xiii) of subsection (c) below as well as such other related matters
as you may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers
and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such
matters;
(c) Hale and Dorr LLP, counsel for the Company, or, in the
case of the opinion set forth in Section 6(c)(iv) below, from local counsel to
the Company satisfactory to you, shall have furnished to you their written
opinion (a draft of such opinion(s) is attached as Annex II(b) hereto), dated
such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect
that:
(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is
validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State
of Delaware, with corporate power and authority (corporate and other) to own its
properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus;
(ii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as
set forth in the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of
the Company (including the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery) have
been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and
non-assessable; and the Shares conform to the description of the Stock contained
in the Prospectus;
(iii) The Company has been duly qualified as a
foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing
under the laws of the State of Vermont, which is the only jurisdiction in which
the Company maintains a permanent office;
(iv) Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly
incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the
laws of its jurisdiction of
12
incorporation and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the
transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws the States
specified by such counsel in its opinion;] and all of the issued shares of
capital stock of each such subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and
issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, and are directly or indirectly owned
of record and, to such counsel's knowledge, beneficially by the Company, free
and clear to such counsel's knowledge of all liens, encumbrances, equities or
claims, except as set forth in the Prospectus (such counsel being entitled to
rely in respect of the opinion in this clause upon opinions of local counsel and
in respect of matters of fact upon certificates of officers of the Company or
its subsidiaries, provided that such counsel shall state that they believe that
both you and they are justified in relying upon such opinions and certificates);
(v) To the best of such counsel's knowledge and
other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental
proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party
or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the
subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse
effect on the current or future consolidated financial position, stockholders'
equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries; and, to the
best of such counsel's knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or
contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others which would
individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to have a material
adverse effect on the current or future consolidated financial position,
stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole;
(vi) This Agreement (and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby) has been duly authorized by the Company; and
this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company;
13
(vii) The issue and sale of the Shares being
delivered at such Time of Delivery to be sold by the Company and the compliance
by the Company with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the consummation
of the transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a
breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a
default under, any material indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement
or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which the Company or
any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such action result in any
violation of the provisions of the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of
the Company or any statute applicable to the Company or its subsidiaries or any
order naming the Company or its subsidiaries, or rule or regulation known to
such counsel of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction
over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties;
(viii) No consent, approval, authorization, order,
registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency
or body is required for the issue and sale of the Shares or the consummation by
the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the
registration under the Act of the Shares, and such consents, approvals,
authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state
securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of
the Shares by the Underwriters or under the rules of the NASD;
(ix) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under
the caption "Description of Capital Stock" and under the caption "Underwriting"
(other than the fourth paragraph under such caption relating to Regulation M)
insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Stock and as
they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to
therein, are accurate and complete in all material respects; and
(x) The Company is not required to register as an
"investment company" or an entity "controlled" by an "investment company", under
the Investment Company Act.
In the case of the legal opinion of Hale and Dorr
LLP, such opinion shall also state that the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus and any further amendments and supplements thereto made by the
Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and
related schedules and other financial data contained therein, as to which such
counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with
the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; although
they do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness
of the statements contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, no
facts have come to such counsel's attention that have caused such counsel to
believe that, as of its effective date, the Registration Statement or any
further amendment thereto made by the Company prior to such Time of Delivery
(other than the financial statements and related schedules and other financial
data
14
contained therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contained
an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading or that, as of its date, the Prospectus or any further amendment or
supplement thereto made by the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other
than the financial statements and related schedules and other financial data
contained therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contained
an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading or that, as of such Time of Delivery,
either the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any further amendment or
supplement thereto made by the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other
than the financial statements and related schedules and other financial data
contained therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contains an
untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary
to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading; and they do not know of any amendment to the
Registration Statement required to be filed or of any contracts or other
documents of a character required to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement or required to be described in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus which are not filed or described as required;
(d) The respective counsel for each of the Selling
Stockholders, as indicated in Schedule II hereto (but other than Selling
Stockholders who are selling 10,000 or fewer shares of Stock pursuant to this
Agreement and the Registrant Statement) each shall have furnished to you their
written opinion with respect to each of the Selling Stockholders for whom they
are acting as counsel, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance
satisfactory to you, to the effect that:
(i) A Power-of-Attorney and a Custody Agreement have
been duly executed and delivered by such Selling Stockholder and constitute
valid and binding agreements of such Selling Stockholder enforceable against
such Selling Stockholder in accordance with their respective terms;
(ii) This Agreement has been duly executed and
delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder; and the sale of the
Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder and the compliance by
such Selling Stockholder with all of the provisions of this Agreement, the
Power-of-Attorney and the Custody Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions herein and therein contemplated will not conflict with or result in
a breach or violation of any terms or provisions of, or constitute a default
under, any statute, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other
agreement or instrument known to such counsel 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, nor will such action
result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or
By-laws of such Selling Stockholder if such Selling Stockholder is a
corporation, the Partnership Agreement of such Selling Stockholder if such
Selling Stockholder is a partnership (or certificate of limited partnership of
such Selling Stockholder if such Selling Stockholder is a limited partnership),
Articles of Organization or LLC Agreement (or Operating Agreement) of such
Selling Stockholder if such Selling Stockholder is a limited liability company
or any order specifically applicable to such Selling Stockholder, rule or
regulation known to such counsel of any court or governmental agency
15
or body having jurisdiction over such Selling Stockholder or the property of
such Selling Stockholder;
(iii) No consent, approval, authorization or order of
any court or governmental agency or body is required for the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with the Shares to be
sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, except such as have been obtained
under the Act and such as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky
laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of such Shares by the
Underwriters;
(iv) Immediately prior to such Time of Delivery based
on an examination of the Company's stock record books, such Selling Stockholder
was the sole record holder of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder
under this Agreement, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or
claims, and full right, power and authority to sell, assign, transfer and
deliver the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder; and
(v) Assuming that the Underwriters are bona fide
purchasers purchasing in good faith without notice of any adverse claim within
the meaning of the Uniform Commercial Code, upon the delivery of and payment for
the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholders as contemplated by this
Agreement, each of the Underwriters will acquire the Shares purchased by it from
such Selling Stockholders free of any adverse claims.
In rendering the opinion in paragraph (iv), such counsel may rely upon
a certificate of such Selling Stockholder in respect of matters of fact as to
ownership of, and liens, encumbrances, equities or claims on, the Shares sold by
such Selling Stockholder, provided that such counsel shall state that they
believe that both you and they are justified in relying upon such certificate;
(e) On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the
execution of this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective
date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed
subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at each Time of Delivery,
Arthur Andersen & Co. shall have furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the
respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you,
to the effect set forth in Annex I hereto (the executed copy of the letter
delivered prior to the execution of this Agreement is attached as Annex I(a)
hereto and a draft of the form of letter to be delivered on the effective date
of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement and as of each
Time of Delivery is attached as Annex I(b) hereto);
(f) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall
have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements
included in the Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire,
explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from
any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise
than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, and (ii) since the
respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus there shall
not have been any change in the capital stock (other than as a result of the
exercise of stock options or warrants outstanding as of such dates) or long-term
debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or any development
involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, management,
financial position,
16
stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, the
effect of which, in any such case described in Clause (i) or (ii), is in the
judgment of the Representatives so material and adverse as to make it
impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery
of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the
manner contemplated in the Prospectus;
(g) On or after the date hereof there shall not have occurred
any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in
securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or on the Nasdaq; (ii) a
suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company's securities on the
Nasdaq National Market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking
activities declared by either Federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) the
outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the
declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, if the effect
of any such event specified in this Clause (iv) in the judgment of the
Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public
offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery
on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;
(h) The Shares at such Time of Delivery shall have been duly
listed for the quotation on Nasdaq National Market;
(i) The Company has obtained and delivered to the Underwriters
executed copies of an agreement from each stockholder, optionholder, officer and
director of the Company, substantially to the effect set forth in Subsection
1(b)(iv) hereof in form and substance satisfactory to you;
(j) The Company shall have complied with the provisions of
Section 5(c) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the New
York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement; and
(k) The Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have
furnished or caused to be furnished to you at such Time of Delivery certificates
of officers of the Company and of the Selling Stockholders, respectively,
satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of
the Company and the Selling Stockholders, respectively, herein at and as of such
Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the Company and the Selling
Stockholders of all of their respective obligations hereunder to be performed at
or prior to such Time of Delivery, and as to such other matters as you may
reasonably request, and the Company shall have furnished or caused to be
furnished certificates as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (f) of
this Section 7.
8. (a) The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders, jointly and
severally, will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses,
claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter 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 an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based
upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably
17
incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any
such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the
Company and the Selling Stockholders shall not be liable in any such case to the
extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based
upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter
through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein; provided further,
however, that each of the Selling Stockholders on Schedule III hereto shall not
be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or
liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus,
the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement
in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company by
any person other than such Selling Stockholder or by the Company; and provided
further, however that the aggregate liability of each Selling Stockholder
pursuant to this Subsection 8(a) and Subsection 8(d) below shall not exceed the
product of the number of Shares sold by such Selling Stockholder and the initial
public offering price of the Shares as set forth in the Prospectus.
(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the
Company and each Selling Stockholder against any losses, claims, damages or
liabilities to which the Company or such Selling Stockholder 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 an
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any
amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission
or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, 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 any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any such amendment
or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co.
expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company and each Selling
Stockholder for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company
or such Selling Stockholder in connection with investigating or defending any
such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under
subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such
indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the
indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in
writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the
indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to
any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection. In case any such
action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the
indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be
entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly
with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense
thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not,
except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying
party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party
of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall
not
18
be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses
of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by
such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than
reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the
written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise
of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or
threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution
may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or
potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or
judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all
liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a
statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or
on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is
unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under
subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each
indemnifying party 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 the
relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the
one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares. If,
however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not
permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the
notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall
contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also
the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand
and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions
which 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 as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting
expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders bear to the total
underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each
case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative
fault 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 on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and
the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity
to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company, each of the
Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and
equitable if contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by
pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for
such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account
of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The
amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses,
claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above
in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating
or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in
excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten
by
19
it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount
of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by
reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning
of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person
who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters'
obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to
their respective underwriting obligations and not joint; provided further,
however, that (i) the aggregate liability of each Selling Stockholder pursuant
to this Subsection 8(d) and Subsection 8(a) above shall not exceed the product
of the number of Shares sold by such Selling Stockholder and the initial public
offering price of the Shares as set forth in the Prospectus and (ii) no Selling
Stockholder shall be required to provide contribution hereunder with respect
to any loss, claim, damage or liability in respect of which it was not required
to provide indemnification above under this Section 8 (other than if such
indemnification was not required because indemnification in the subject
circumstances was unavailable to the indemnified party as a matter of law or
public policy, or the inability to enforce the above provisions of Section 8).
(e) The obligations of the Company and the Selling
Stockholders under this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability which
the Company and the respective Selling Stockholders may otherwise have and shall
extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls
any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations of the
Underwriters under this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability which
the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same
terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company and to each
person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Stockholder within the
meaning of the Act.
9. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase
the Shares which it has agreed to purchase hereunder at a Time of Delivery, you
may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to
purchase such Shares on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours
after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of
such Shares, then the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be entitled to
a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or
other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Shares on such terms. In the
event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company and
the Selling Stockholders that you have so arranged for the purchase of such
Shares, or the Company and the Selling Stockholders notify you that they have so
arranged for the purchase of such Shares, you or the Company and the Selling
Stockholders shall have the right to postpone a Time of Delivery for a period of
not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be
made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other
documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any
amendments to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in your opinion
may thereby be made necessary. The term "Underwriter" as used in this Agreement
shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if
such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such
Shares.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the
purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and
the Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided in subsection (a) above,
the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased does not exceed
one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such
Time of Delivery, then the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have the
right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of
Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of
Delivery and, in addition, to require
20
each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the
number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the
Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such
arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting
Underwriter from liability for its default.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the
purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and
the Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided in subsection (a) above,
the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased exceeds
one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all of the Shares to be purchased at
such Time of Delivery, or if the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall not
exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting
Underwriters to purchase Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters,
then this Agreement (or, with respect to the Second Time of Delivery, the
obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company and the Selling
Stockholders to sell the Optional Shares) shall thereupon terminate, without
liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company or the
Selling Stockholders, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the
Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters as provided in Section 6 hereof and
the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 8 hereof; but nothing
herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
10. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties
and other statements of the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the several
Underwriters, as 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 any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof)
made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any
Underwriter, or the Company, or any of the Selling Stockholders, or any officer
or director or controlling person of the Company, or any controlling person of
any Selling Stockholder, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the
Shares.
11. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof,
neither the Company nor the Selling Stockholders shall then be under any
liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof; but,
if for any other reason any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the
Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided herein, the Company will
reimburse the Underwriters through you for all out-of-pocket expenses approved
in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably
incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and
delivery of the Shares not so delivered, but the Company and the Selling
Stockholders shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter in
respect of the Shares not so delivered except as provided in Sections 6 and 8
hereof.
12. In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the
Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any
statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or
given by you jointly or by Goldman, Sachs & Co. on behalf of you as the
Representatives; and in all dealings with any Selling Stockholder hereunder, you
and the Company shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request,
notice or agreement on behalf of such Selling Stockholder made or given by any
or all of the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling Stockholder.
21
All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in
writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or
facsimile transmission to you as the Representatives in care of Goldman, Sachs &
Co., 85 Broad Street, New York, New York 10004, Attention: Registration
Department; if to any Selling Stockholder shall be delivered or sent by mail,
telex or facsimile transmission to counsel for such Selling Stockholder at its
address set forth in Schedule II hereto; and if to the Company shall be
delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the
Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: President; provided,
however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 8(c) hereof shall
be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such
Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters' Questionnaire or telex
constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company
or the Selling Stockholders by you on request. Any such statements, requests,
notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.
13. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the
benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholders and, to
the extent provided in Sections 8 and 10 hereof, the officers and directors of
the Company and each person who controls the Company, any Selling Stockholder or
any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators,
successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right
under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares from any
Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such
purchase.
14. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the
term "business day" shall mean any day when the Commission's office in
Washington, D.C. is open for business.
15. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of the State of New York.
16. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties
hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an
original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same
instrument.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign
and return to us one for the Company and each of the Representatives plus one
for each counsel and the Custodian, if any counterparts hereof, and upon the
acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and
such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement among each of the
Underwriters, the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders. It is understood
that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is
pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters,
the form of which shall be submitted to the Company and the Selling Stockholders
for examination, upon request, but without warranty on your part as to the
authority of the signers thereof.
22
Any person executing and delivering this Agreement as Attorney-in-Fact
for a Selling Stockholder represents by so doing that he has been duly appointed
as Attorney-in-Fact by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to a validly existing
and binding Power-of-Attorney which authorizes such Attorney-in-Fact to take
such action.
Very truly yours,
Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
By:
-------------------------------------
Name: John W. Casella
Title: President and CEO
The Selling Stockholders listed in Schedule II hereto
By:
-------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
As Attorney-in-Fact acting
on behalf of each of the
Selling Stockholders named
in Schedule II to this
Agreement.
Accepted as of the date hereof
at Boston, Massachusetts
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
Securities Corporation
Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.
By:_____________________________________
(Goldman, Sachs & Co.)
On behalf of each of the Underwriters
23
SCHEDULE I
Number of Optional
Shares to be
Total Number of Purchased if
Firm Shares Maximum Option
Underwriter to be Purchased Exercised
----------- --------------- ---------
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
Securities Corporation
Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.
[Names of other Underwriters]
------------ ------------
Total 4,000,000 600,000
24
SCHEDULE II
Number of Optional
Shares to be
Total Number of Sold if
Firm Shares Maximum Option
to be Sold Exercised
---------- ---------
The Company........................................................
The Selling Stockholder(s):
[Name of Selling Stockholder](a)
[Name of Selling Stockholder](b)
[Name of Selling Stockholder](c)
[Name of Selling Stockholder](d)
[Name of Selling Stockholder](e)
Total
______________________
(a) This Selling Stockholder is represented by [Name and Address of
Counsel] and has appointed [Names of Attorneys-in-Fact (not less than
two)], and each of them, as the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling
Stockholder.
(b) This Selling Stockholder is represented by [Name and Address of
Counsel] and has appointed [Names of Attorneys-in-Fact (not less than
two)], and each of them, as the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling
Stockholder.
(c) This Selling Stockholder is represented by [Name and Address of
Counsel] and has appointed [Names of Attorneys-in-Fact (not less than
two)], and each of them, as the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling
Stockholder.
(d) This Selling Stockholder is represented by [Name and Address of
Counsel] and has appointed [Names of Attorneys-in-Fact (not less than
two)], and each of them, as the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling
Stockholder.
(e) This Selling Stockholder is represented by [Name and Address of
Counsel] and has appointed [Names of Attorneys-in-Fact (not less than
two)], and each of them, as the Attorneys-in-Fact for such Selling
Stockholder.
25
ANNEX I
Pursuant to Section 7(e) of the Underwriting Agreement, the accountants
shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that:
(i) They are independent certified public accountants with
respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act") and the applicable published rules and
regulations thereunder;
(ii)In their opinion, the financial statements and any
supplementary financial information and schedules (and, if applicable, financial
forecasts and/or pro forma financial information) examined by them and included
in the Prospectus or the Registration Statement comply as to form in all
material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the
related published rules and regulations thereunder; and, if applicable, they
have made a review in accordance with standards established by the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants of the unaudited consolidated interim
financial statements, selected financial data, pro forma financial information,
financial forecasts and/or condensed financial statements derived from audited
financial statements of the Company for the periods specified in such letter, as
indicated in their reports thereon, copies of which have been separately
furnished to the representatives of the Underwriters (the "Representatives") and
are attached hereto;
(iii) The unaudited selected financial information with
respect to the consolidated results of operations and financial position of the
Company for the five most recent fiscal years included in the Prospectus agrees
with the corresponding amounts (after restatements where applicable) in the
audited consolidated financial statements for such five fiscal years;
(iv) They have compared the information in the Prospectus
under selected captions with the disclosure requirements of Regulation S-K and
on the basis of limited procedures specified in such letter nothing came to
their attention as a result of the foregoing procedures that caused them to
believe that this information does not conform in all material respects with the
disclosure requirements of Items 301, 302, 402 and 503(d), respectively, of
Regulation S-K;
(v) On the basis of limited procedures, not constituting an
examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, consisting
of a reading of the unaudited financial statements and other information
referred to below, a reading of the latest available interim financial
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, inspection of the minute books
of the Company and its subsidiaries since the date of the latest audited
financial statements included in the Prospectus, inquiries of officials of the
Company and its subsidiaries responsible for financial and accounting matters
and such other inquiries and
1
procedures as may be specified in such letter,
nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe that:
(A) (i) the unaudited consolidated statements of income,
consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included
in the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with the
applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the related published rules
and regulations, or (ii) any material modifications should be made to the
unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance
sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus for
them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles;
(B) any other unaudited income statement data and balance
sheet items included in the Prospectus do not agree with the corresponding items
in the unaudited consolidated financial statements from which such data and
items were derived, and any such unaudited data and items were not determined on
a basis substantially consistent with the basis for the corresponding amounts in
the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Prospectus;
(C) the unaudited financial statements which were not included
in the Prospectus but from which were derived any unaudited condensed financial
statements referred to in Clause (A) and any unaudited income statement data and
balance sheet items included in the Prospectus and referred to in Clause (B)
were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with the basis for the
audited consolidated financial statements included in the Prospectus;
(D) any unaudited pro forma consolidated condensed financial
statements included in the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material
respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the
published rules and regulations thereunder or the pro forma adjustments have not
been properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of those
statements;
(E) as of a specified date not more than five days prior to
the date of such letter, there have been any changes in the consolidated capital
stock (other than issuances of capital stock upon exercise of options and stock
appreciation rights, upon earn-outs of performance shares and upon conversions
of convertible securities, in each case which were outstanding on the date of
the latest financial statements included in the Prospectus) or any increase in
the consolidated long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, or any
decreases in consolidated net current assets or stockholders' equity or other
items specified by the Representatives, or any increases in any items specified
by the Representatives, in each case as compared with amounts shown in the
latest balance sheet included in the Prospectus, except in each case for
changes, increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred or
may occur or which are described in such letter; and
(F) for the period from the date of the latest financial
statements included in the Prospectus to the specified date referred to in
Clause (E) there were any decreases in consolidated net revenues or operating
profit or the total or per share
2
amounts of consolidated net income or other items specified by the
Representatives, or any increases in any items specified by the Representatives,
in each case as compared with the comparable period of the preceding year and
with any other period of corresponding length specified by the Representatives,
except in each case for decreases or increases which the Prospectus discloses
have occurred or may occur or which are described in such letter; and
(vi) In addition to the examination referred to in their
report(s) included in the Prospectus and the limited procedures, inspection of
minute books, inquiries and other procedures referred to in paragraph (v) above,
they have carried out certain specified procedures, not constituting an
examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, with
respect to certain amounts, percentages and financial information specified by
the Representatives, which are derived from the general accounting records of
the Company and its subsidiaries, which appear in the Prospectus, or in Part II
of, or in exhibits and schedules to, the Registration Statement specified by the
Representatives, and have compared certain of such amounts, percentages and
financial information with the accounting records of the Company and its
subsidiaries and have found them to be in agreement.
3