Exhibit 1.1
Draft of March 18, 1999
3373664.04
STARMEDIA NETWORK, INC.
Common Stock
(par value $0.001 per share)
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
----------------------
........................, 1999
Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
BancBoston Robertson Stephens
JP Morgan
Salomon Smith Barney
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:
StarMedia Network, 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 ........ shares (the "Firm Shares") and, at the election of the Underwriters,
up to ........ additional shares (the "Optional Shares") of Common Stock (par
value $0.001 per share) ("Stock") of the Company (the Firm Shares and the
Optional Shares that the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2
hereof being collectively called the "Shares").
1. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the
Underwriters that:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-....) and all
pre-effective amendments thereto (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, each as amended at
the time such part of the Initial Registration Statement became effective or
such part of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, became or hereafter
becomes 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";
(b) 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;
(c) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any
further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement 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;
(d) 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 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 (other than pursuant to the
grant or exercise of options described in the Prospectus) or
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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 and its subsidiaries, otherwise
than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus;
(e) The Company and its subsidiaries do not own any real property and
have 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;
(f) 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 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, except where the
failure to be so qualified would not be reasonably likely to have a material
adverse effect now or in the future on the business, financial condition,
stockholder's equity or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a "Material Adverse Effect"); 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;
(g) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the
Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have
been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable
and conform to the description of the Stock contained 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 for directors' qualifying shares [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;
(h) 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 to the
description of the Stock contained in the Prospectus;
(i) The issue and sale of the Shares 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
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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, other than breaches or defaults that are not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect, 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 material 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;
(j) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of
its Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws or in default in the performance or
observance of any material 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;
(k) 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", insofar as they
purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to
therein, are accurate, complete and fair;
(l) 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; and, to the best of the Company's knowledge, no such proceedings are
threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;
(m) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, the Company and its
subsidiaries own or have the right to use pursuant to license, sublicense,
agreement, or permission all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service
marks, trade names, copyrights, trade secrets, confidential information,
proprietary rights and processes ("Intellectual Property") necessary for the
operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as described in
the Prospectus and have taken all steps reasonably necessary to secure
assignments of such Intellectual Property from its employees and contractors; to
the Company's knowledge, none of the technology employed by the Company or its
subsidiaries has been obtained or is being used by the Company or its
subsidiaries in violation of any contractual or fiduciary obligation binding on
the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their respective directors or executive
officers or any of their respective employees or consultants; and the Company
and its subsidiaries have taken and will maintain reasonable measures to prevent
the unauthorized dissemination or publication of its confidential information.
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To the Company's knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have
interfered with, infringed upon, misappropriated, or otherwise come into
conflict with any Intellectual Property rights of third parties, and the Company
and its subsidiaries have not received any charge, complaint, claim, demand, or
notice alleging any such interference, infringement, misappropriation, or
violation (including any claim that the Company or any of its subsidiaries must
license or refrain from using any intellectual property rights of any third
party) which, if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding
would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;
(n) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and
sale of the Shares, will not be an "investment company", as such term is defined
in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company
Act");
(o) Ernst & Young LLP, 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
(p) The Company is in the process of reviewing its operations and that
of its subsidiaries and any third parties with which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries has a material relationship to evaluate the extent to which the
business or operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries will be
affected by the Year 2000 Problem. As a result of such review to date, the
Company has no reason to believe, and does not believe, that the Year 2000
Problem will have a Material Adverse Effect or result in any material loss or
interference with the Company's business or operations. The "Year 2000 Problem"
as used herein means any significant risk that computer hardware or software
used in the receipt, transmission, processing, manipulation, storage, retrieval,
retransmission or other utilization of data or in the operation of mechanical or
electrical systems of any kind will not, in the case of dates or time periods
occurring after December 31, 1999, function at least as effectively as in the
case of dates or time periods occurring prior to January 1, 2000.
2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the
Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the
Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at
a purchase price per share of $................, the number of Firm Shares set
forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and (b) in the
event and to the extent that the Underwriters shall exercise the election to
purchase Optional Shares as provided below, the Company agrees to issue and sell
to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and
not jointly, to purchase from the Company, 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
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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 Company hereby grants to the Underwriters the right to purchase at
their election up to ................... 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 may be exercised only by written notice from you to the Company,
given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this Agreement,
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 Company 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 shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to
Goldman, Sachs & Co., through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company
("DTC"), for the account of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of
such Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal
(same-day) funds to the account specified by the Company to Goldman, Sachs & Co.
at least forty-eight hours in advance. 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 DTC or its designated custodian (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 City time, on ............., 1999 or
such other time and date as Goldman, Sachs & Co. and the Company 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. and the Company 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, 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(k) hereof, will be delivered at the offices
of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, LLP, 1633 Broadway, New York, New York 10019
(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 6:00 p.m., New York City time,
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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 time of
issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares
and if at such time any event 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
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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 security holders 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
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 employee stock option
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, except that the Company may issue such securities in
exchange for all of the equity or substantially all of the equity or assets of a
company in connection with a merger or acquisition, provided that prior to any
such issuance the recipients of such securities shall have agreed with Goldman,
Sachs & Co. in writing to be bound by this provision for the remainder of the
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, 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), to make available to its stockholders
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 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
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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 National Market
System ("NASDAQ");
(j) To file with the Commission such information on Form 10-Q or Form
10-K as may be required by Rule 463 under the Act; and
(k) 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 covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that
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 printing or producing
any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Blue Sky Memorandum,
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 in connection with the qualification of the Shares for
offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 5(b)
hereof, including the reasonable 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; (v) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable 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. It
is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 8
and 11 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of 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 herein are, at and as of such Time of Delivery,
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true and correct, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its
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) Ropes & Gray, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have
furnished to you such written 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) and (xii) 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) Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, LLP, counsel for the Company, shall
have furnished to you their written opinion (a draft of such opinion 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 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, upon
payment therefor in accordance with the terms hereof, will be fully
paid and non-assessable; and the Shares conform in all material
respects 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 [Florida, New Jersey and New York] (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, provided that such counsel
shall state that they believe that both you and they are justified in
relying upon such opinions and certificates);
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(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 incorporation; 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
(except for directors' qualifying shares [and except as otherwise set
forth in the Prospectus]) are owned directly or indirectly by the
Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims
(such counsel being entitled to rely in respect of the opinion in this
clause upon opinions of local counsel and in respect to 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) Any material real property and buildings held under lease by
the Company, including the Company's New York headquarters, are held
by it under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such
exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made
and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company
and its subsidiaries (in giving the opinion in this clause, such
counsel may state that no examination of record titles for the purpose
of such opinion has been made, and that they are relying upon a
general review of the titles of the Company and its subsidiaries, upon
opinions of local counsel and abstracts, reports and policies of title
companies rendered or issued at or subsequent to the time of
acquisition of such property by the Company or its subsidiaries, upon
opinions of counsel to the lessors of such property and, in respect to
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,
abstracts, reports, policies and certificates);
(vi) To 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; and, to such counsel's knowledge, no such proceedings
are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or
threatened by others;
(vii) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company;
(viii) The issue and sale of the Shares being delivered at such
Time of Delivery 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 which is filed as an
exhibit to, or referred to, in the Registration Statement (in giving
the opinion in this clause counsel may attach to such opinion a list
of the foregoing agreements and instruments), nor will such action
result in any violation of the provisions
-11-
of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or any
statute or any order, 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;
(ix) 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;
(x) 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", insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of
the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and
fair;
(xi) The Company is not an "investment company", as such term is
defined in the Investment Company Act; and
(xii) Although such counsel does not assume any responsibility
for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus, except for those referred to
in the opinion in subsection (xi) of this Section 7(c), they have
participated in the preparation of the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, including review and discussion of the contents thereof
with representatives of the Underwriters and their counsel, officers
and representatives of the Company, and representatives of the
independent certified public accountants of the Company, and nothing
has come to their attention that has caused them to believe that the
Registration Statement (other than with respect to the consolidated
financial statements, including the notes and schedules thereto, and
the other financial data included in the Registration Statement, as
to which they need express no opinion), at the time the
Registration Statement became effective, 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 the Prospectus (other than with
respect to the consolidated financial statements, including the
notes and schedules thereto, and the other financial data included
in the Prospectus, as to which they need express no opinion), as of
its date or as of such Time of Delivery, contained an untrue
statement of 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; and that the Registration Statement and the Prospectus
(other than the consolidated financial statements, including the
notes and schedules thereto, and the other financial data included
in the Prospectus, as to which they need express no opinion) comply
as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the
Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, and to
their knowledge, no amendment to the Registration Statement is
required
-12-
to be filed and there are no contracts or 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) Each of [insert counsel for foreign subsidiaries], counsel to the
Company, shall have furnished to you their written opinion, dated such time of
delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, with respect to the matters
set forth in clauses (iv) and (vi) of the foregoing paragraph (c), relating to
[insert foreign subsidiaries], respectively;
(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, Ernst & Young LLP
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 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,
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 (i) no downgrading shall have occurred
in the rating accorded the Company's debt securities by any "nationally
recognized statistical rating organization", as that term is defined by the
Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act, and (ii) no such
organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or
review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company's
debt securities;
(h) 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 NASDAQ; (ii) a suspension or
material limitation in trading in the Company's securities on NASDAQ ; (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
-13-
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;
(i) The Shares to be sold at such Time of Delivery shall have been duly
listed for quotation on NASDAQ;
(j) The Company has obtained and delivered to the Underwriters executed
copies of agreements from stockholders of the Company holding in the aggregate
in excess of 95% of the shares outstanding on the date of this Agreement,
substantially to the effect set forth in Subsection 5(e) hereof in form and
substance satisfactory to you;
(k) 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
(l) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you
at such Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the Company satisfactory to
you as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company
herein at and as of such Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the Company
of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such Time of
Delivery, as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (f) of this Section
and as to such other matters as you may reasonably request.
8. (a) The Company 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 (i) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment 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, or (ii) an untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus 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 in light of the circumstances in which they were made, or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each
Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably 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 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.
-14-
(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the
Company against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company
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) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment 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, or (ii) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus 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 in light of the circumstances in which they were made, 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 for any legal or
other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company 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 reasonably 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 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.
-15-
(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 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 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
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 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 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 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 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.
(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 8 shall
be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have
and shall extend, upon the same terms and
-16-
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 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 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 that you have
so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, or the Company notifies you that it
has so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, you or the Company shall have
the right to postpone such 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 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 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 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 as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number
of such Shares which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the
aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such Time of
Delivery, or if the Company 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 to sell
the Optional Shares) shall thereupon terminate, without liability on
the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or
-17-
the Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company 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 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 officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall
survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.
11. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof,
the Company shall not 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 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 shall then be
under no further liability to any Underwriter 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.
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., 32 Old Slip, 9th Floor, New York, New York 10005, Attention: Registration
Department; and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail to the
address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention:
Secretary; 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 by you upon 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, to the extent provided in
Sections 8 and 10 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each
person who controls the Company 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.
-18-
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 eight 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 between each of the Underwriters and
the Company. 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 for examination upon request, but without warranty on your part as to
the authority of the signers thereof.
Very truly yours,
StarMedia Network, Inc.
By:
----------------------------------
Name:
Title:
Accepted as of the date hereof:
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
BancBoston Robertson Stephens
JP Morgan
Salomon Smith Barney
By:
-------------------------------------
(Goldman, Sachs & Co.)
On behalf of each of the Underwriters
-19-
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...........................................
BancBoston Robertson Stephens.................................
JP Morgan.....................................................
Salomon Smith Barney..........................................
[NAMES OF OTHER UNDERWRITERS].................................
--------- --------
Total ....................
''''''''' ''''''''
-20-
ANNEX I
Pursuant to Section 7(d) 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 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 furnished to the
representatives of the Underwriters (the "Representatives") and are attached
hereto;
(iii) They have made a review in accordance with standards established
by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of the unaudited
condensed consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and
consolidated statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus as indicated in
their reports thereon copies of which are attached hereto and on the basis of
specified procedures including inquiries of officials of the Company who have
responsibility for financial and accounting matters regarding whether the
unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements referred to in paragraph
(vi)(A)(i) below comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
accounting requirements of the Act and the related published rules and
regulations, nothing came to their attention that cause them to believe that the
unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements 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;
(v) 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;
(vi) 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,
-1-
inquiries of officials of the Company and its subsidiaries responsible for
financial and accounting matters and such other inquiries and 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
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(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 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
(vii) 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 paragraphs (iii) and (vi)
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.
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