EXHIBIT 1.1
SPARTECH CORPORATION
Common Stock, par value $.75 per share
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
_____, 2002
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.,
[NAME(S) OF CO-REPRESENTATIVE(S)]
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:
Spartech Corporation, 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
2,115,000 shares and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to 309,375
additional shares of Common Stock, par value $.75 per share, of the Company
("Stock"), and Vita International Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of British
Vita PLC, a corporation incorporated under the laws of England ("Vita"), and RBA
Partners, L.P., a limited partnership controlled by Xx. Xxxxx X. Xxxx, a
director of the Company ("RBA"), each a stockholder of the Company and named in
Schedule II hereto (each a "Selling Stockholder" and collectively, the "Selling
Stockholders"), propose, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to
sell to the Underwriters an aggregate of 6,135,000 shares and, at the election
of the Underwriters, up to 928,125 additional shares of Stock. The aggregate of
8,250,000 shares to be sold by the Company and the Selling Stockholders is
herein called the "Firm Shares" and the aggregate of 1,237,500 additional shares
to be sold by the Company and the Selling Stockholders is herein called the
"Optional Shares". The Firm Shares and the Optional Shares that the Underwriters
elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof are herein collectively called
the "Shares".
1. (a) The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of
the Underwriters that:
(i) A registration statement on Form S-3 (File No.
333-....) (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) 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, to the
Company's knowledge, 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";
and 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; 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);
(ii) No order preventing or suspending the use of any
Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and
each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof,
conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the
Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in
the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading; provided, however, that this representation and
warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made
in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished
in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Xxxxxxx,
Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein or by a
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Selling Stockholder expressly for use in the preparation of
the answers therein to Item 7 of Form S-3;
(iii) 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
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 therein;
(iv) 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 Xxxxxxx,
Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein or by a Selling
Stockholder expressly for use in the preparation of the
answers therein to Item 7 of Form S-3;
(v) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries
has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial
statements included or incorporated by reference 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 or long-term debt of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries or any material adverse
change, or any development involving a prospective material
adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs,
management, financial position, stockholders' equity or
results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries,
otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus;
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(vi) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and
marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good
and marketable title to all personal property owned by them,
in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and
defects except such as are described in the Prospectus or such
as do not materially affect the value of such property and do
not materially 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 materially interfere with the use made
and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the
Company and its subsidiaries;
(vii) The Company has been duly incorporated and is
validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the
laws of Delaware, with power and authority (corporate and
other) to own its properties and conduct its business as
described in the Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a
foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in
good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in
which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so
as to require such qualification, or is subject to no material
liability or disability by reason of the failure to be so
qualified in any such jurisdiction; and each subsidiary of the
Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as
a corporation in good standing under the laws of its
jurisdiction of incorporation;
(viii) 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;
(ix) 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;
(x) The issue and sale of the Shares to be sold by
the Company and the compliance by the Company with all of the
provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions herein contemplated will not (i) conflict with or
result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or
provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or
instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries is subject, except for any such
breach or violation that would not, individually or in the
aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the current or
future consolidated financial position, stockholders' equity
or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries,
taken together as a whole, provided,
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that any such breach or violation does not affect the validity
of the Shares; or (ii) result in any violation of the
provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of
the Company or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of
any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction
over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their
properties; and no consent, approval, authorization, order,
registration or qualification of or with any such court or
governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale
of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the
registration under the Act of the Shares and such consents,
approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as
may be required under the Exchange Act, by the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD") or under
state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the
purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters;
(xi) 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, except for any
such default under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust,
loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument that
would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material
adverse effect on the current or future consolidated financial
position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the
Company and its subsidiaries, taken together as a whole;
(xii) 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;
(xiii) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus,
there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to
which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of
which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company
or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the
aggregate have a material adverse effect on the current or
future consolidated financial position, stockholders' equity
or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries;
and, to the best of the Company's knowledge, no such
proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental
authorities or threatened by others;
(xiv) 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");
(xv) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, neither
the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of or
liable under any statute, any rule, regulation, decision or
order of any governmental agency or body or any court,
domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release
of hazardous or toxic substances or
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relating to the protection or restoration of the environment
or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances
(collectively, "environmental laws"), owns or operates any
real property contaminated with any substance that is subject
to any environmental laws, is liable for any off-site disposal
or contamination pursuant to any environmental laws, or is
subject to any claim relating to any environmental laws and
the Company is not aware of any pending investigation which
might lead to such a claim which violation, contamination,
liability or claim would individually or in the aggregate have
a material adverse effect on the current or future
consolidated financial position, stockholders' equity or
results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries,
taken together as a whole; and
(xvi) Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx 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.
(b) Each of the Selling Stockholders severally represents and
warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters and the Company
that:
(i) All consents, approvals, authorizations and
orders necessary for the execution and delivery by such
Selling Stockholder of this Agreement and for the sale and
delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder
hereunder, have been obtained; and such Selling Stockholder
has full right, power and authority to enter into this
Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares
to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder;
(ii) The sale of the Shares to be sold by such
Selling Stockholder hereunder and the compliance by such
Selling Stockholder with all of the provisions of this
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein and
therein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a
breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or
constitute a default under, any statute (other than state
securities or Blue Sky laws), indenture, mortgage, deed of
trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to
which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such
Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the property
or assets of such Selling Stockholder is subject, nor will
such action result in any violation of the provisions of the
Memorandum of Association or Articles of Association if such
Selling Stockholder is a corporation incorporated under the
laws of England, the Certificate of Limited Partnership or
Limited Partnership Agreement if such Selling Stockholder is a
limited partnership or any statute (other than state
securities or Blue Sky laws) or any order, rule or regulation
of any court or governmental agency or body having
jurisdiction over such Selling Stockholder or the property of
such Selling Stockholder;
(iii) Such Selling Stockholder has, and immediately
prior to each Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4
hereof) such Selling Stockholder will have, good and valid
title to the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder
hereunder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities
or claims; and, upon delivery of such Shares and payment
therefor pursuant hereto, good and valid title to such Shares,
free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims,
will pass to the several Underwriters;
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(iv) During the period beginning from the date hereof
and continuing to and including the date 180 days after the
date of the Prospectus, not to offer, sell, contract to sell
or otherwise dispose of, except as provided hereunder, any
securities of the Company that are substantially similar to
the Shares, including but not limited to any securities that
are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent
the right to receive, Stock or any such substantially similar
securities, without your prior written consent;
(v) Such Selling Stockholder has not taken and will
not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed
to or which has constituted or which would reasonably be
expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation
of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the
sale or resale of the Shares;
(vi) To the extent that any statements or omissions
made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement
thereto are made in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information furnished to the Company by such Selling
Stockholder expressly for use therein, such Preliminary
Prospectus and the Registration Statement did, and the
Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus, when they become
effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may
be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements
of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder and will not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
not misleading;
(vii) In order to document the Underwriters'
compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of
the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 with
respect to the transactions herein contemplated, such Selling
Stockholder will deliver to you prior to or at the First Time
of Delivery (as hereinafter defined) a properly completed and
executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or other
applicable form or statement specified by Treasury Department
regulations in lieu thereof); and
(viii) The obligations of the Selling Stockholders
hereunder shall not be terminated by operation of law, whether
by the death or incapacity of any individual Selling
Stockholder or, in the case of a corporation or partnership,
by the dissolution of such corporation or partnership, or by
the occurrence of any other event; if any such corporation or
partnership should be dissolved, or if any other such event
should occur, before the delivery of the Shares hereunder,
certificates representing the Shares shall be delivered by or
on behalf of the Selling Stockholders in accordance with the
terms and conditions of this Agreement.
2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the
Company and each of the Selling Stockholders agree, severally and not jointly,
to sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees,
severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company and each of the Selling
Stockholders, at a purchase price per share of $.............., the number of
Firm Shares (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares)
determined by multiplying the aggregate number of Shares to be sold by the
Company and each of the Selling Stockholders as set forth opposite their
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respective names in Schedule II hereto by a fraction, the numerator of which is
the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased by such Underwriter as set
forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the
denominator of which is the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased by
all of the Underwriters from the Company and all of the Selling Stockholders
hereunder and (b) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriters shall
exercise the election to purchase Optional Shares as provided below, the Company
and Vita agree, severally and not jointly, to sell to each of the Underwriters,
and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from
the Company and Vita, 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 and Vita, as and to the extent indicated in Schedule II
hereto, hereby grant, severally and not jointly, to the Underwriters the right
to purchase at their election up to 1,237,500 Optional Shares, at the purchase
price per share set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of
covering sales of shares in excess of the number of Firm Shares. Any such
election to purchase Optional Shares shall be made in proportion to the maximum
number of Optional Shares to be sold by the Company and Vita as set forth in
Schedule II hereto. Any such election to purchase Optional Shares may be
exercised only by written notice from you to the Company and Vita, given within
a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this Agreement and setting forth
the aggregate number of Optional Shares to be purchased and the date on which
such Optional Shares are to be delivered, as determined by you, but in no event
earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) or,
unless you, the Company and Vita 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 Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. may request upon at least two business days' prior
notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be delivered by or on
behalf of the Company and the Selling Stockholders 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 and each of the Selling Stockholders, as their
interests may appear, to Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. at least two business days in
advance. The Company will cause the certificates representing the Shares to be
made available for checking and packaging at least two business days 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 time, on ........, 2002 or such other time and date as Xxxxxxx, Sachs &
Co., the Company and the Selling Stockholders may agree upon in writing, and,
with respect to the Optional Shares, 9:30 A.M., New York time, on the date
specified by Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. in the written notice given by Xxxxxxx, Sachs
& Co. of the Underwriters' election to purchase such Optional
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Shares, or such other time and date as Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co., the Company and the
Selling Stockholders may agree upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery
of the Firm Shares is herein called the "First Time of Delivery", such time and
date for delivery of the Optional Shares, 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 Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx
Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 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 3:00 P.M., New York
City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding such Time of
Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be
delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for
review by the parties hereto. For the purposes of this Section 4, "New
York Business Day" shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York
are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to
close.
5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:
(a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to
file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later
than the Commission's close of business on the second business day
following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if
applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3)
under the Act; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the
Registration Statement or Prospectus 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 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
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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 written and electronic 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 events shall have occurred as a result of which
the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus is
delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be
necessary during such period to amend or supplement the Prospectus 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 written and electronic 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 written and
electronic copies as you may request of an amended or supplemented
Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;
(d) To make generally available to its securityholders as soon
as practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months after
the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule
158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its
subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a)
of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder
(including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158);
(e) During the period beginning from the date hereof and
continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the
Prospectus, not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose
of, except as provided hereunder, any securities of the Company that
are substantially similar to the Shares, including but not limited to
any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that
represent the right to receive, Stock or any such substantially similar
securities (other than pursuant to 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;
(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
10
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 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, subject to notice of
issuance, the Shares on the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange");
(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; and
(k) Upon request of any Underwriter, to furnish, or cause to
be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the
Company's trademarks, servicemarks and corporate logo for use on the
website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of
facilitating the on-line offering of the Shares (the "License");
provided, however, that the License shall be used solely for the
purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be
assigned or transferred.
6. The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders covenant and agree
with one another and with the several Underwriters that (a) the Company and such
Selling Stockholder will pay or cause to be paid a pro rata share (based on the
number of Shares to be sold by the Company and such Selling Stockholder
hereunder) 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 reproducing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the
Blue Sky Memorandum, and the cost of printing or producing 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
11
survey; and (iv) 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; and (b) the Company will pay or cause to be paid: (i) the cost of
preparing stock certificates; (ii) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or
registrar and (iii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of
its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in
this Section; and (iv) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the
Shares on the New York Stock Exchange and (c) such Selling Stockholder will pay
or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of such
Selling Stockholder's obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically
provided for in this Section, including (i) any fees and expenses of counsel for
such Selling Stockholder and (ii) all expenses of such Selling Stockholder's and
taxes incident to the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling
Stockholder to the Underwriters hereunder. It is understood, however, that the
Company shall bear, and the Selling Stockholders shall not be required to pay or
to reimburse the Company for, the cost of any other matters not directly
relating to the sale and purchase of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement, and
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 and of the Selling Stockholders herein are, at and as of such Time
of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company and the Selling
Stockholders shall have performed all of its and their obligations hereunder
theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:
(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed
for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in
accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; if the Company has elected to rely
upon Rule 462(b), the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have
become effective by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of
this Agreement; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and
no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened
by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the
part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable
satisfaction;
(b) Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx, counsel for the Underwriters, shall
have furnished to you such written opinion or opinions, dated such Time
of Delivery, with respect to the incorporation of the Company, the
validity of the Shares, the due authorization, execution and delivery
of this Agreement and with respect to the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus and 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) Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company, shall
have furnished to you its written opinion (a draft of such opinion is
attached as Annex II(a) hereto), dated such Time of Delivery, in form
and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that:
12
(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is
validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the
laws of Delaware, with power and authority (corporate and
other) to own its properties and conduct its business as
described in the Prospectus;
(ii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as
set forth in the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of
capital stock of the Company (including the Shares being
delivered at such Time of Delivery) have been duly and validly
authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable;
and the Shares conform to the description of the Stock
contained in the Prospectus;
(iii) The Company has been duly qualified as a
foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in
good standing under the laws of 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 failure to be so
qualified in any such jurisdiction (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);
(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
of matters of fact upon certificates of officers of the
Company or its subsidiaries, provided that such counsel shall
state that they believe that both you and they are justified
in relying upon such opinions and certificates);
(v) To the best of such counsel's knowledge and other
than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or
governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any
of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which, if
determined adversely to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a
material adverse effect on the current or future consolidated
financial position, stockholders' equity or results of
operations of the Company and its subsidiaries; and, to the
best of such counsel's knowledge, no such proceedings are
threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or
threatened by others;
(vi) This Agreement has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the Company;
(vii) The issue and sale of the Shares being
delivered at such Time of Delivery to be sold by the Company
and the compliance by the Company with all of the
13
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 known to such counsel to which the Company or any
of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any
of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property
or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the
provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of
the Company or any statute 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;
(viii) No consent, approval, authorization, order,
registration or qualification of or with any such court or
governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale
of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the
registration under the Act of the Shares, and such consents,
approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as
may be required under the Exchange Act, by the NASD or under
state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the
purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters;
(ix) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries
is in violation of its Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws
or, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, 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, or lease or agreement
or other instrument to which it is a party or by which it or
any of its properties may be bound;
(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
summarize the provisions of the laws and documents referred to
therein, are accurate, complete and fair in all material
respects;
(xi) The Company is not an "investment company", as
such term is defined in the Investment Company Act;
(xii) The documents incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto made
by the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the
financial statements and related schedules therein, as to
which such counsel need express no opinion), when they became
effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may
be, complied as to form in all material respects with the
requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable,
and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;
and they have no reason to believe that any of such documents,
when such documents became effective or were so filed, as the
case may be, contained, in the case of a registration
statement which became effective under the Act, 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
14
misleading, or, in the case of other documents which were
filed under the Exchange Act with the Commission, an untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material
fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made when
such documents were so filed, not misleading; and
(xiii) The Registration Statement, as of its
effective date, and the Prospectus, as of its date, and any
further amendments and supplements thereto made by the Company
prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial
statements and related schedules and other financial data
therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion)
complied as to form in all material respects with the
requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder; although they do not assume any responsibility for
the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements
contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus,
except for those referred to in the opinion in subsection (xi)
of this Section 7(c), they have no reason to believe that, as
of its effective date, the Registration Statement or any
further amendment thereto made by the Company prior to such
Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and
related schedules and other financial data therein, as to
which such counsel need express no opinion) contained an
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading or that, as of its
date, the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement
thereto made by the Company prior to such Time of Delivery
(other than the financial statements and related schedules and
other financial data therein, as to which such counsel need
express no opinion) contained an untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading or that, as of such
Time of Delivery, either the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto made
by the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the
financial statements and related schedules and other financial
data therein, as to which such counsel need express no
opinion) contains an untrue statement of a material fact or
omits to state a material fact necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading; and they do not know of
any amendment to the Registration Statement required to be
filed or of any contracts or other documents of a character
required to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement or required to be incorporated by reference into the
Prospectus or required to be described in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus which are not filed or
incorporated by reference or described as required;
(d) Milbank, Tweed, Xxxxxx & XxXxxx LLP, special United States
counsel for Vita, shall have furnished to you its written opinion with
respect to Vita (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 sale of the Shares to be sold by Vita
hereunder and the compliance by Vita with all of the
provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with any
laws of the United States or New York nor will such action
result in any violation of any order, rule or regulation
15
known to such counsel of any court or United States or New
York governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over Vita
or the property of Vita;
(ii) No consent, approval, authorization or order of
any United States or New York governmental agency or body is
required for the consummation by Vita of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement in connection with the Shares
to be sold by Vita hereunder, except for such consents,
approvals, authorizations or orders which have been duly
obtained and are in full force and effect, such as have been
obtained under the Act and such as may be required under state
securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase
and distribution of such Shares by the Underwriters; and
(iii) Immediately prior to such Time of Delivery,
Vita had good and valid title to the Shares to be sold at such
Time of Delivery by Vita under this Agreement, free and clear
of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, and full
right, power and authority to sell, assign, transfer and
deliver the Shares to be sold by Vita hereunder; and
(iv) Good and valid title to such Shares, free and
clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, has been
transferred to each of the several Underwriters who have
purchased such Shares in good faith and without notice of any
such lien, encumbrance, equity or claim or any other adverse
claim within the meaning of the Uniform Commercial Code;
(e) Ashurst Xxxxxx Xxxxx, United Kingdom counsel for Vita,
shall have furnished to you its written opinion with respect to Vita (a
draft of such opinion is attached as Annex II(c) hereto), dated such
Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the
effect that:
(i) This Agreement has been duly executed and
delivered by or on behalf of Vita; and the sale of the Shares
to be sold by Vita hereunder and the compliance by Vita 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 terms or provisions
of, or constitute a default under, any United Kingdom statute,
any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or
other agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which
Vita is a party or by which Vita is bound or to which any of
the property or assets of Vita is subject, nor will such
action result in any violation of the provisions of the
Memorandum of Association or Articles of Association of Vita
or any United Kingdom order, rule or regulation, known to such
counsel, of any United Kingdom court or governmental agency or
body having jurisdiction over Vita or the property of Vita;
and
(ii) No consent, approval, authorization or order of
any United Kingdom court or governmental agency or body is
required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement in connection with the Shares to be sold by
Vita hereunder, except for such consents, approvals,
authorizations or orders which have been duly obtained and are
in full force and effect in connection with the purchase and
distribution of such Shares by the Underwriters;
16
(f) Xxxxx & Xxxxxxx, P.C., counsel for RBA, shall have
furnished to you its written opinion with respect to RBA for whom it is
acting as counsel (a draft of such opinion is attached as Annex II(d)
hereto), dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance
satisfactory to you, to the effect that:
(i) This Agreement has been duly executed and
delivered by or on behalf of RBA; and the sale of the Shares
to be sold by RBA hereunder and the compliance by RBA 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 terms or provisions of,
or constitute a default under, any statute, indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or
instrument known to such counsel to which RBA is a party or by
which RBA is bound or to which any of the property or assets
of RBA is subject, nor will such action result in any
violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Limited
Partnership or the Limited Partnership Agreement of RBA or any
order, rule or regulation known to such counsel of any court
or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over RBA or
the property of RBA;
(ii) No consent, approval, authorization or order of
any court or governmental agency or body is required for the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement in connection with the Shares to be sold by RBA
hereunder, except for such consents, approvals, authorizations
or orders which have been duly obtained and are in full force
and effect, such as have been obtained under the Act and such
as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in
connection with the purchase and distribution of such Shares
by the Underwriters;
(iii) Immediately prior to such Time of Delivery, RBA
had good and valid title to the Shares to be sold at such Time
of Delivery by RBA under this Agreement, free and clear of all
liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, and full right, power
and authority to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares
to be sold by RBA hereunder; and
(iv) Good and valid title to such Shares, free and
clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, has been
transferred to each of the several Underwriters who have
purchased such Shares in good faith and without notice of any
such lien, encumbrance, equity or claim or any other adverse
claim within the meaning of the Uniform Commercial Code.
In rendering the opinion in paragraph (iv), such counsel may rely upon
a certificate of RBA in respect of matters of fact as to ownership of, and
liens, encumbrances, equities or claims on, the Shares sold by RBA, provided
that such counsel shall state that they believe that both you and they are
justified in relying upon such certificate;
(g) 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, 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
17
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);
(h) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall
have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial
statements included or incorporated by reference 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;
(i) 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;
(j) 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; (ii) a
suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company's
securities on the New York Stock Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium
on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York
State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or
securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv)
the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States
or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war
or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or any change in
financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or
elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or
(v) 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;
(k) The Shares at such Time of Delivery shall have been duly
listed, subject to notice of issuance, on the New York Stock Exchange;
(l) The Company has obtained and delivered to the Underwriters
executed copies of an agreement from each of the executive officers and
directors of the Company, substantially to the effect set forth in
Subsection 1(b)(iv) hereof in form and substance satisfactory to you;
18
(m) 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
(n) The Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have
furnished or caused to be furnished to you at such Time of Delivery
certificates of officers of the Company and of the Selling
Stockholders, respectively, satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of
the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling
Stockholders, respectively, herein at and as of such Time of Delivery,
as to the performance by the Company and the Selling Stockholders of
all of their respective obligations hereunder to be performed at or
prior to such Time of Delivery, and as to such other matters as you may
reasonably request, and the Company shall have furnished or caused to
be furnished certificates as to the matters set forth in subsections
(a) and (f) of this Section.
8. (a) The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders, jointly and
severally, will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses,
claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may
become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based
upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based
upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably
incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any
such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the
Company and the Selling Stockholders shall not be liable in any such case to the
extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based
upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter
through Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein; provided, further, that
the liability of a Selling Stockholder pursuant to this subsection 8(a) shall
not exceed the product of the number of Shares sold by such Selling Stockholder
including any Optional Shares and the initial public offering price of the
Shares as set forth in the Prospectus.
(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the
Company and each Selling Stockholder against any losses, claims,
damages or liabilities to which the Company or such Selling Stockholder
may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses,
claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise
out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus,
the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or
supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in
each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission
was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and
in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such
Underwriter through Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. expressly for use therein; and
will reimburse the Company and each Selling Stockholder for any legal
or other expenses
19
reasonably incurred by the Company or such Selling Stockholder in
connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as
such expenses are incurred.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under
subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any
action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is
to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify
the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the
omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from
any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than
under such subsection. In case any such action shall be brought against
any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the
commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to
participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with
any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense
thereof, with counsel 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.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is
unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party
under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to
therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount
paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses,
claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received
by the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the
Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however,
the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not
permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give
the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying
party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such
indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not
only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company
and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on
the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted
in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect
thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The
relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders
on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be
in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering
(before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling
Stockholders bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions
received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on
the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be
determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or
20
alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged
omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by
the Company or the Selling Stockholders on the one hand or the
Underwriters on the other and the parties' relative intent, knowledge,
access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such
statement or omission. The Company, each of the Selling Stockholders
and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if
contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by pro
rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity
for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not
take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this
subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a
result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in
respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be
deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by
such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending
any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any
amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the
Shares underwritten by 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 and the Selling
Stockholders under this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability
which the Company and the respective Selling Stockholders may otherwise
have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each
person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the
Act; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 8 shall
be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may
otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to
each officer and director of the Company (including any person who,
with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as
about to become a director of the Company) and to each person, if any,
who controls the Company or any Selling Stockholder within the meaning
of the Act.
9. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase
the Shares which it has agreed to purchase hereunder at a Time of Delivery, you
may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to
purchase such Shares on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours
after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of
such Shares, then the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be entitled to
a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or
other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Shares on such terms. In the
event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company and
the Selling Stockholders that you have so arranged for the purchase of such
Shares, or the Company and the Selling Stockholders notify you that they have so
arranged for the purchase of such Shares, you or the Company and the Selling
Stockholders shall have the right to postpone 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
21
"Underwriter" as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted
under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a
party to this Agreement with respect to such Shares.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the
purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by
you and the Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided in
subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains
unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all
the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, then the Company
and the Selling Stockholders shall have the right to require each
non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares which such
Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of Delivery and,
in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its
pro rata share (based on the number of Shares which such Underwriter
agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Shares of such defaulting
Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been
made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from
liability for its default.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the
purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by
you and the Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided in
subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains
unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all of the
Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, or if the Company and
the Selling Stockholders shall not exercise the right described in
subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase
Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement
(or, with respect to the Second Time of Delivery, the obligations of
the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company and the Selling
Stockholders to sell the Optional Shares) shall thereupon terminate,
without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the
Company or the Selling Stockholders, except for the expenses to be
borne by the Company and the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters
as provided in Section 6 hereof and the indemnity and contribution
agreements in Section 8 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a
defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
10. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties
and other statements of the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the several
Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them,
respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect,
regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof)
made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any
Underwriter, or the Company, or any of the Selling Stockholders, or any officer
or director or controlling person of the Company, or any controlling person of
any Selling Stockholder, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the
Shares.
11. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof,
neither the Company nor the Selling Stockholders shall then be under any
liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof; but,
if for any other reason any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the
Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided herein, the Company and each of
the Selling Stockholders pro rata (based on the number of Shares to be sold by
the Company and such Selling Stockholder hereunder) will reimburse the
Underwriters through you for all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by
you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the
Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the
Shares not so delivered, but the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall then
be under no further liability
22
to any Underwriter in respect of the Shares not so delivered except as provided
in Sections 6 and 8 hereof.
12. In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the
Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any
statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or
given by you jointly or by Xxxxxxx, 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 Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx &
Co., 00 Xxx Xxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Registration
Department; if to any Selling Stockholder shall be delivered or sent by mail,
telex or facsimile transmission to counsel for such Selling Stockholder at its
address set forth in Schedule II hereto; and if to the Company shall be
delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the
Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: 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
or the Selling Stockholders by you on request. Any such statements, requests,
notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.
13. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the
benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholders and, to
the extent provided in Sections 8 and 10 hereof, the officers and directors of
the Company and each person who controls the Company, any Selling Stockholder or
any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators,
successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right
under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares from any
Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such
purchase.
14. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the
term "business day" shall mean any day when the Commission's office in
Washington, D.C. is open for business.
15. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
16. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties
hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an
original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same
instrument.
17. The Company and the Selling Stockholders are authorized, subject to
applicable law, to disclose any and all aspects of this potential transaction
that are necessary to support any U.S. federal income tax benefits expected to
be claimed with respect to such transaction, without the Underwriters imposing
any limitation of any kind.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign
and return to us one for each of the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the
Representatives plus one for each counsel, and upon the acceptance hereof by
you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance
hereof shall constitute a binding agreement among each of the Underwriters, the
23
Company and each of the Selling Stockholders. It is understood that your
acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to
the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of
which shall be submitted to the Company and the Selling Stockholders for
examination, upon request, but without warranty on your part as to the authority
of the signers thereof.
Very truly yours,
Spartech Corporation
By:
-----------------------------------
Name:
Title:
Vita International Limited
By:
-----------------------------------
Name:
Title:
RBA Partners, L.P.
By:
-----------------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Andy
Title: General Partner
Accepted as of the date hereof
at New York, New York
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.
[NAME(S) OF CO-REPRESENTATIVE(S)]
By:
------------------------------------------
(Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.)
On behalf of each of the Underwriters
---------------------------------------------
(Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.)
24
SCHEDULE I
NUMBER OF OPTIONAL
SHARES TO BE
TOTAL NUMBER OF PURCHASED IF
FIRM SHARES MAXIMUM OPTION
UNDERWRITER TO BE PURCHASED EXERCISED
----------- --------------- ------------------
Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.................................................
[NAMES OF UNDERWRITERS].............................................
--------- ---------
Total...................................................... 8,250,000 1,237,500
========= =========
25
SCHEDULE II
NUMBER OF OPTIONAL
SHARES TO BE
TOTAL NUMBER OF SOLD IF
FIRM SHARES MAXIMUM OPTION
TO BE SOLD EXERCISED
--------------- ------------------
The Company........................................................ 2,115,000 309,375
The Selling Stockholders:.....................................
Vita International Limited............................ 6,000,000 928,125
RBA Partners, L.P..................................... 135,000
--------- ---------
Total..................................................... 8,250,000 1,237,500
========= =========
26
ANNEX I
FORM OF DESCRIPTION OF COMFORT LETTER
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 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 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;
(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 or
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, 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 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 as it applies to Form 10-Q 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 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;
(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
2
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 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 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 and its subsidiaries, 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 its subsidiaries and
have found them to be in agreement.
3
ANNEX II(a)
[Opinion of Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP]
ANNEX II(b)
[Opinion of Milbank, Tweed, Xxxxxx & XxXxxx LLP]
ANNEX II(c)
[Opinion of Ashurst Xxxxxx Xxxxx]
ANNEX II(d)
[Opinion of Xxxxx & Xxxxxxx, P.C.]