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EXHIBIT 1.1
MINDSPRING ENTERPRISES, INC.
COMMON STOCK
(PAR VALUE $0.01 PER SHARE)
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UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
April ___, 1999
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.,
ING Baring Xxxxxx Xxxx LLC,
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx
Securities Corporation,
X.X. Xxxxxxxx & Co.,
First Union Capital Markets Corp.,
Xxxxxxxxx & Company, Inc.,
As representatives of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
00 Xxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
MindSpring Enterprises, 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 2,000,000 shares (the "Firm Shares") and, at the election of the
Underwriters, up to 300,000 additional shares (the "Optional Shares") of Common
Stock, par value $0.01 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-3 (File No. 333-74151) (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 but including
all documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus contained therein, 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)
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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 or document
incorporated by reference therein 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 (i) 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 and (ii) the documents incorporated by reference
in the prospectus contained in the Initial Registration Statement at the time
such part of the Initial Registration Statement became 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"; such final prospectus, in the form first filed
pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, is hereinafter called the "Prospectus";
and any reference herein to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall
be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference
therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Act, as of the date of such
Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference to
any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus
shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after the date of
such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be, under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and
incorporated by reference in such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the
case may be; and any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement
shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed
pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date
of the Initial Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement);
(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 Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. expressly for use therein;
(c) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when
they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be,
conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the
Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue
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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; and
any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus
or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents 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 or the Exchange Act, as
applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will
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
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
Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. expressly for use in the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented relating to the Shares;
(d) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus conform 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 Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. expressly for use in
the Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating to the Shares;
(e) The Company has not sustained since the date of the latest audited
financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus any
material loss or material 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 Registration Statement and 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 exercises of stock options granted as of the date hereof in the
ordinary course of business) or long-term debt of the Company 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, otherwise than as
set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus;
(f) The Company has good and marketable title in fee simple to all
real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by
it, 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 any real property and buildings held
under lease by the Company 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, in each case, except as described in the Prospectus;
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(g) 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 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; the Company has no subsidiaries (as such term is defined
in the rules and regulations under the Act;
(h) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the
Prospectus, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of 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 the Company has no shares of Stock held in treasury;
(i) 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;
(j) 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 or other
agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company
is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company is subject,
nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the Amended
and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the "Certificate of
Incorporation") or the Amended and Restated By-laws (the "Bylaws") 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
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;
(k) The Company is not 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 and that is material to it;
(l) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or
governmental proceedings pending to which the Company is a party or of which any
property of the Company is the subject which, if determined adversely to the
Company, would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect
on the current or future consolidated financial position,
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stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company; and, to the best
of the Company's knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated
by governmental authorities or threatened by others;
(m) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and
sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in
the Prospectus, will not be an "investment company", as such term is defined in
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act");
(n) Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP, who have certified certain financial
statements of the Company and who have certified certain financial statements of
Xxxx, Inc. and NETCOM On-Line Communication Services, Inc. Domestic Subscriber
Operations, are independent public accountants as required by the Act and the
rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;
(o) The Company has reviewed its operations and has made reasonable
inquiries of any third parties with which the Company has a material
relationship to evaluate the extent to which the business or operations of the
Company will be affected by the Year 2000 Problem. As a result of such review,
except as otherwise described in the Prospectus, the Company has no reason to
believe, and does not believe, that the Year 2000 Problem will have a material
adverse effect on the general affairs, management, the current or future
consolidated financial position, business prospects, stockholders' equity or
results of operations of the Company 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;
(p) There are no outstanding subscriptions, rights, warrants, options,
calls, convertible securities, commitments of sale or liens granted or issued by
the Company relating to or entitling any person to purchase or otherwise to
acquire any shares of the capital stock of the Company, except as otherwise
disclosed in the Prospectus;
(q) Except as described in the Prospectus and except for investments
in connection with cash management activities in the ordinary course of
business, the Company does not own, and at a Time of Delivery (as defined below)
will not own, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or any other equity or
debt securities of any entity or have any other equity interest in any entity;
(r) The Company has complied in all material respects with all
material laws, regulations and orders applicable to it or its business;
(s) The Company has such permits, licenses, consents, exemptions,
franchises, authorizations and other approvals (each, an "Authorization") of,
and has made all filings with and notices to, all governmental or regulatory
authorities and self-regulatory organizations and all courts and other tribunals
as are necessary to own, lease, license and operate its properties and to
conduct its business, except where the failure to have any such Authorization or
to make any
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such filing or notice would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material
adverse effect on the business, prospects, financial condition or results of
operations of the Company. Each such Authorization is valid and in full force
and effect and the Company is in compliance with all the material terms and
conditions thereof and with the rules and regulations of the authorities and
governing bodies having jurisdiction with respect thereto; and no event has
occurred (including, without limitation, the receipt of any notice from any
authority or governing body) which allows or, after notice or lapse of time or
both, would allow, revocation, suspension or termination of any such
Authorization or results or, after notice or lapse of time or both, would result
in any other impairment of the rights of the holder of any such Authorization;
and such Authorizations contain no restrictions that are burdensome to the
Company; except where such failure to be valid and in full force and effect or
to be in compliance, the occurrence of any such event or the presence of any
such restriction would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse
effect on the business, prospects, financial condition or results of operations
of the Company;
(t) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by
the Company;
(u) The financial statements included in the Prospectus (and any
amendment or supplement thereto), together with related schedules and notes,
present fairly the financial position, results of operations and changes in
financial position of the Company on the basis stated therein at the respective
dates or for the respective periods to which they apply; such statements and
related schedules and notes have been prepared in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles consistently applied throughout the periods
involved, except as disclosed therein; the supporting schedules, if any,
included in the Prospectus present fairly in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles the information required to be stated therein; and the
other financial and statistical information and data set forth in the Prospectus
(and any amendment or supplement thereto) are, in all material respects,
accurately presented and prepared on a basis consistent with such financial
statements and the books and records of the Company;
The pro forma financial statements and related notes thereto included in
the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto) present fairly, in all
material respects, the information shown therein, have been prepared in
accordance with the Act and the Commission's rules and guidelines with respect
to pro forma financial statements, have been prepared on a basis consistent with
the historical financial statements of the Company, have been compiled on the
pro forma bases described therein, and (x) the assumptions underlying the pro
forma adjustments are reasonable, (y) such adjustments are appropriate to give
effect to the transactions or circumstances referred to therein and have been
properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of such statements
and (z) such statements fairly present, in all material respects, the pro forma
financial position and results of operations and other information purported to
be shown therein at the respective dates or for the respective periods therein
specified;
The historical and pro forma financial information included in the
Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto) constitute all of the
financial statements that are required to be included in the Prospectus by the
Act and the Commission's rules and guidelines with respect thereto;
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(v) The Company owns or possesses, or can acquire on reasonable terms,
all patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, rights of inventorship,
copyrights, rights of authorship, rights of attribution and integrity, know-how
(including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or
confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks,
certification marks, collective marks, trade dress, trade names and all other
intellectual property rights ("intellectual property") currently employed by it
in connection with the business now operated by it except where the failure to
own or possess or otherwise be able to acquire such intellectual property would
not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business,
prospects, financial condition or results of operation of the Company; and the
Company has not received any notice of infringement or dilution of or conflict
with asserted rights of others with respect to any of such intellectual property
which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision,
ruling or finding, would have a material adverse effect on the business,
prospects, financial condition or results of operations of the Company;
(w) The Company is insured by insurers of recognized financial
responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent
and customary in the businesses in which it is engaged; and the Company (i) has
not received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that substantial
capital improvements or other material expenditures will have to be made in
order to continue such insurance or (ii) has no reason to believe that it will
not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage
expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers at a cost that would
not have a material adverse effect on the business, prospects, financial
conditions or results of operations of the Company;
(x) No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the
Company on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or
suppliers of the Company on the other hand, which is required by the Act to be
described in the Prospectus which is not so described;
(y) There is no (i) significant unfair labor practice complaint,
grievance or arbitration proceeding pending or threatened against the Company
before the National Labor Relations Board or any state or local labor relations
board, (ii) strike, labor dispute, slowdown or stoppage pending or threatened
against the Company or (iii) union representation question existing with respect
to the employees of the Company, except for such actions specified in clause
(i), (ii) or (iii) above, which, singly or in the aggregate, would not have a
material adverse effect on the business, prospects, financial condition or
results of operations of the Company. To the best of the Company's knowledge, no
collective bargaining organizing activities are taking place with respect to the
Company;
(z) The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls
sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in
accordance with management's general or specific authorizations; (ii)
transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial
statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to
maintain asset accountability; and (iii) assets are properly accounted for and
safeguarded against loss or unauthorized use;
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(aa) All material tax returns required to be filed by the Company in
any jurisdiction have been filed, other than those filings being contested in
good faith, and all material taxes, including withholding taxes, penalties and
interest, assessments, fees and other charges due pursuant to such returns or
pursuant to any assessment received by the Company have been paid, other than
those being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been
provided;
(bb) The statistical and market-related data included in the Prospectus
are based on or derived from independent sources which the Company believes to
be reliable and accurate in all material respects or represents the Company's
good faith estimates that are made on the basis of data derived from such
sources;
(cc) There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the
Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to
file a registration statement under the Act with respect to any securities of
the Company or to require the Company to include such securities with the Shares
registered pursuant to the Prospectus;
(dd) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the
Prospectus other than as set forth in the Prospectus (exclusive of any
amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), (i)
there has not occurred any material adverse change or any development involving
a prospective material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise,
or the earnings, business, management or operations of the Company, (ii) there
has not been any material adverse change or any development involving a
prospective material adverse change in the capital stock or in the long-term
debt of the Company and (iii) the Company has not incurred any material
liability or obligation, direct or contingent; and
(ee) Each certificate signed by any officer of the Company and
delivered to the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed to
be a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the
matters covered thereby.
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 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 300,000 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
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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 as amended or supplemented
relating to the Shares.
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 Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & 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 Xxxxxxx, 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 Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & 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 Xxxxxxx, 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
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. in the written notice given by Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.
of the Underwriters' election to purchase such Optional Shares, or such
other time and date as Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & 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 Xxxxxx & Bird LLP, 0000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000 (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 4:00 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
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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 as amended and supplemented in
relation to the Shares 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 424(b) under the Act; to make no further
amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus
as amended or supplemented after the date hereof relating to the Shares
prior to the last Time of Delivery 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 file promptly all reports and any
definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the
Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d)
of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so
long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the
offering or sale of the Shares; 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
relating to the Shares 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 relating to the
Shares 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 as
amended or supplemented in New York City in such quantities as you may
reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus is required at
any time 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
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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 or to
file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus in order to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act, to notify
you and upon your request to file such document and 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 ;
(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) The Company hereby agrees not to (i) offer, pledge, sell,
contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any
option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to
purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly,
any shares of Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or
exchangeable for Stock or (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement
that transfers all or a portion of the economic consequences associated
with the ownership of any Stock (regardless of whether any of the
transactions described in clause (i) or (ii) is to be settled by the
delivery of Stock, or such other securities, in cash or otherwise),
except to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, for a period of 90
days after the date of the Prospectus without the prior written consent
of Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. Notwithstanding the foregoing, during such period
(i) the Company may grant stock options pursuant to the Company's
existing stock option plans and (ii) the Company may issue shares of
Stock upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a
security outstanding on the date hereof. The Company also agrees not to
file any registration statement with respect to any shares of Stock or
any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Stock
for a period of 90 days after the date of the Prospectus without the
prior written consent of Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. other than a registration
statement on Form S-8 with respect to up to 1,149,996 shares of Stock to
be issued pursuant to the Company's 1995 Stock Option Plan. The Company
shall, prior to or concurrently with the execution of this Agreement,
deliver an agreement executed by each of the directors and officers of
the Company and each of ITC Holding Company, Inc. and ITC Service
Company, Inc. to the effect that such person will not, during the period
commencing on the date such person signs such agreement and ending 90
days after the date of the Prospectus, without the prior written consent
of Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co., (A) engage in any of the transactions described
in the first sentence of this paragraph or (B) make any demand for, or
exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of
Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable
for Stock;
-11-
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(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 future subsidiaries, if any, for such
quarter in reasonable detail;
(g) During a period of three 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 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 as amended and supplemented in relation to the Shares, under
the caption "Use of Proceeds";
(i) To use its best efforts to list for quotation the Shares on
the Nasdaq National Market ("NASDAQ"); and
(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 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 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
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Shares on the NASDAQ; (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. 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, 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 as amended or supplemented in relation to the
Shares 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) The Underwriters shall have received on such Time of
Delivery an opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, of Xxxxxx & Bird LLP,
counsel for the Underwriters, as to certain of the matters referred on in
paragraphs _______________ and _____________ of Exhibit A hereto.
(c) The Underwriters shall have received on such Time of
Delivery an opinion (satisfactory to the Underwriters and counsel for the
Underwriters), dated such Time of Delivery of Xxxxx & Xxxxxxx L.L.P.,
counsel for the Company, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto.
(d) On the date of the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented
in relation to the Shares, 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, Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx 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);
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(e) (i) The Company shall not have sustained since the date of the
latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference
in the Prospectus any material loss or material 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 exercises of stock options
granted as of the date hereof in the ordinary course of business) or
long-term debt of the Company 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, 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;
(f) 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;
(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 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 or Georgia 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 to be sold at such Time of Delivery shall have been
duly listed for quotation on NASDAQ;
(i) The Company has obtained and delivered to the Underwriters
executed copies of an agreement from the executive officers and directors
and ITC Holding Company, Inc. and ITC Service Company, Inc.,
substantially to the effect set forth in Subsection 5(e) 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 relating to
the Shares; and
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(k) 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 (e) 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 an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary
prospectus supplement, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented and any other prospectus relating to the Shares, 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 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, any preliminary prospectus supplement, the Registration Statement,
the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and any other prospectus relating to
the Shares, or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter
through Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. expressly for use in the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented relating to the Shares.
(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 an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus supplement,
the Registration Statement, the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and any
other prospectus relating to the Shares, 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, any preliminary
prospectus supplement, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented and any other prospectus relating to the Shares, or any such
amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity written information
furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & 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.
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(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 prior 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 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 as amended or
supplemented relating to the Shares. 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
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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 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. The
remedies provided for in this Section 8 are not exclusive and shall not limit
any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party
at law or in equity.
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.
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(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 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 Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. on behalf of you as the
representatives.
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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 Xxxxxxx, Sachs &
Co., 00 Xxx Xxxx, 0xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, 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.
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.
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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 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,
MindSpring Enterprises, Inc.
By:
-----------------------------------
Name:
------------------------------
Title:
-----------------------------
Accepted as of the date hereof:
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.
ING Baring Xxxxxx Xxxx LLC
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx
Securities Corporation
X.X. Xxxxxxxx & Co.
First Union Capital Markets Corp.
Xxxxxxxxx & Company, Inc.
By:
--------------------------------------
(Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.)
On behalf of each of the Underwriters
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SCHEDULE I
NUMBER OF OPTIONAL
SHARES TO BE
TOTAL NUMBER OF PURCHASED IF
FIRM SHARES MAXIMUM OPTION
UNDERWRITER TO BE PURCHASED EXERCISED
----------- --------------- ------------------
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co............................
ING Baring Xxxxxx Xxxx LLC.....................
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx
Securities Corporation.....................
X.X. Xxxxxxxx & Co.............................
First Union Capital Markets Corp...............
Xxxxxxxxx & Company, Inc.......................
[NAMES OF OTHER UNDERWRITERS]..................
----------- -----------
Total............................
=========== ===========
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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 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 or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects
with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act or the Exchange
Act, as applicable, 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 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");
(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 and/or included in the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q
incorporated by reference into the Prospectus as indicated in their
reports thereon copies of which have been separately furnished to the
Representatives; 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 the related in all material
respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the
Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations, nothing
came to their attention that caused 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 Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations;
(iv) 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
and included or incorporated by reference in Item 6 of the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year agrees with
the corresponding amounts (after restatement where applicable) in the
audited consolidated financial statements for such five fiscal years
which were included or incorporated by reference in the Company's Annual
Reports on Form 10-K for such fiscal years;
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23
(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, inspection of the minute books of
the Company since the date of the latest audited financial statements
included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, inquiries of
officials of the Company 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 condensed consolidated
statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and
consolidated statements of cash flows included in the
Prospectus and/or included or incorporated by reference in
the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q incorporated
by reference in the Prospectus do not comply as to form in
all material respects with the applicable accounting
requirements of the Exchange 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 or included in the Company's Quarterly Reports
on Form 10-Q incorporated by reference 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 or incorporated
by reference in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the most recent fiscal year;
(C) the unaudited financial statements which were
not included in the Prospectus but from which were derived
the 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
financial statements included or incorporated by reference
in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most
recent fiscal year;
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24
(D) any unaudited pro forma consolidated condensed
financial statements included or incorporated by reference
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
balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus) or any increase in the consolidated long-term
debt of the Company, 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 or incorporated by reference 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 or incorporated by reference
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 increases or
decreases 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 or incorporated by reference 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, which appear in the Prospectus (excluding documents
incorporated by reference) or in Part II of, or in exhibits and schedules
to, the Registration Statement specified by the Representatives or in
documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus specified by the
Representatives, and have compared certain of such amounts, percentages
and financial information with the accounting records of the Company and
have found them to be in agreement.
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