Ceres, Inc. Common Stock, par value $0.01 Underwriting Agreement
Exhibit 1.1
Common Stock, par value $0.01
________ __, 2012
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.,
Barclays Capital Inc.
As representatives of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto,
Barclays Capital Inc.
As representatives of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
c/o Barclays Capital Inc.
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Ceres, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and
conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the
“Underwriters”) an aggregate of [______] shares and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to
[______] additional shares of
common stock, par value $0.01 (“Common Stock”) of the Company. The
[______] shares to be sold by the Company are herein called the “Firm Shares” and the [______]
additional shares to be sold by the Company are 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. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters that:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-174405) (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, have been declared effective by the Commission in the form filed
with the Commission; 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 “Securities Act”), which became
effective upon filing, no other document with respect to the Initial Registration
Statement has heretofore been filed with the Commission; and no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto or
the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued and no proceeding for that
purpose has been initiated or, 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
Securities Act is hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus”; the various parts of the
Initial Registration Statement and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, including
all exhibits thereto and including the information contained in the form of final prospectus
filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act in accordance
with Section 5(a) hereof and deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under the Securities Act to be
part of the Initial Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective, each as
amended at the time such part of the Initial Registration Statement became effective or such
part of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, became or hereafter becomes
effective, are hereinafter collectively called the “Registration Statement”; the Preliminary
Prospectus relating to the Shares that was included in the Registration Statement
immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(c) hereof) is hereinafter
called the “Pricing Prospectus”; such final prospectus, in the form first filed pursuant to
Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, is hereinafter called the “Prospectus”; and any
“issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act relating to
the Shares is hereinafter called an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”);
(b) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission;
(c) For the purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” is [_____] p.m. (Eastern
time) on the date of this Agreement. The Pricing Prospectus, when taken together with the
pricing information set forth on Schedule II(a) (collectively, the “Pricing Disclosure
Package”), as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule II(b) hereto does not conflict with the
information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the
Prospectus and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken
together with the Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not include any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to
statements or omissions made in the Pricing Disclosure
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Package or in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx &
Co. and Barclays Capital Inc. (collectively, the “Representatives”) expressly for use
therein;
(d) The Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus conform, and the Prospectus
and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus
will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the
rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the
applicable effective date as to each part of 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 the Representatives expressly for use
therein;
(e) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the
latest audited financial statements included in the Pricing 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 Pricing Prospectus; and, since
the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the
Pricing Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock of the Company or any
of its subsidiaries (other than (i) the issuance or grant of securities pursuant to employee
equity incentive plans that are described in the Pricing Prospectus or pursuant to the
exercise of outstanding options, warrants or rights, in each case, that are described in the
Pricing Prospectus, or (ii) the issuance of Common Stock upon conversion of preferred stock
or convertible notes of the Company as described in the Pricing Prospectus) or long-term
debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than regular payments pursuant to
obligations disclosed in or contemplated by the Pricing Prospectus) 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, taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse
Effect”) otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus;
(f) 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 (excluding any
Intellectual Property) owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances
and defects, except such as are described in the Pricing Prospectus or would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
and any real property
3
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 would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect
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;
(g) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in
good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with corporate power and corporate
authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Pricing
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 jurisdiction in which it owns or
leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, which states
are Texas and California, except where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing in
any such jurisdiction would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect; and Ceres Sementes do Brasil Ltda. has been duly
incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of
Brazil;
(h) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus
and all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized
and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and conform to the description of
the Common Stock or the preferred stock of the Company, as applicable, contained in the
Pricing Prospectus and Prospectus; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each
subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and
non-assessable and except as set forth on Schedule I(h) are owned directly or indirectly by
the Company free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;
(i) The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriters hereunder have
been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided
herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non assessable and will conform to the
description of the Common Stock contained in the Prospectus;
(j) The issue and sale of the Shares and the compliance by the Company with 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, (ii) result in any violation of the
provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or (iii) result in any violation of any statute or any order, rule or
4
regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the
Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, except in the case of clauses
(i) and (iii), as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect; 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 (X) the registration under the Securities Act of the
Shares, (Y) such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations or
qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws, the Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or The Nasdaq Stock Market in connection with the
purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters, or (Z) where the failure to
obtain any such consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification would
not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect;
(k) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its
Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws or (ii) in default in the performance or observance
of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage,
deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party
or by which it or any of its properties may be bound, except in the case of clause (ii) for
such defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have
a Material Adverse Effect;
(l) The statements set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and Prospectus under the caption
“Description of Capital Stock”, insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms
of the Common Stock, under the caption “Material United States Federal Tax Consequences for
Non-U.S. Holders”, “Shares Eligible for Future Sale”, “Business”, “Risk Factors”, “Equity
Compensation Plan Information” and “Underwriting”, insofar as they purport to describe the
provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair in
all material respects;
(m) Other than as set forth in the Pricing 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, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the Company’s
knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or
threatened by others;
(n) Except as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, the delivery,
sale, purchase or use of any current products of the Company and its subsidiaries are not
legally prohibited in any jurisdiction or actively blocked by any governmental entity;
5
(o) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares
and the application of the proceeds thereof, would not be required to register as an
“investment company”, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the “Investment Company Act”);
(p) At the time of filing the Initial Registration Statement the Company was not and is
not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined under Rule 405 under the Securities Act;
(q) KPMG LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its
subsidiaries, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the
Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;
(r) Other than as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company
owns or possesses, or to our knowledge, can acquire on reasonable terms, all rights to
licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented
and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures),
trademarks, service marks and trade names, domain names, patents and patent rights
(collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary for the operation of its business as
described in the Pricing Prospectus, and, except as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, the
Company has not received any written notice, and no executive officer has received any oral
notice, of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any of
the foregoing which, individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable
decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(s) No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company exists, or, to the
knowledge of the Company, is imminent;
(t) Except as described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no
contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such
person the right (other than rights which have been waived in writing or otherwise
satisfied) to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act
with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to
require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to the
Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other
registration statement filed by the Company under the Securities Act;
(u) Except as described in the Pricing Prospectus and Prospectus, the Company has not
sold or issued any shares of Common Stock during the six-month period preceding the date of
the Prospectus, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulations D or S of,
the Securities Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, stock
option plans or other
6
employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants;
(v) Since the date as of which information is given in the Pricing Prospectus and the
Prospectus and except as described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company
has not (i) issued or granted any securities, other than pursuant to employee benefit plans,
stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options,
rights or warrants, (ii) incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, other
than liabilities and obligations that were incurred in the ordinary course of business,
(iii) entered into any material transaction not in the ordinary course of business or (iv)
declared or paid any dividend on its capital stock;
(w) The Company is insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against
such losses and risks and in such amounts as, in the Company’s reasonable judgment, are
prudent and customary in the business in which it is engaged; and the Company has no reason
to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when
such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be
necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a material adverse effect
on the Company;
(x) The Company and each of its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with all, and have
not violated any, laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, orders, judgments, decrees, permits
or other legal requirements of any governmental authority, including without limitation any
international, national, state, provincial, regional, or local authority, relating to the
protection of human health or safety as such relates to exposure to hazardous or toxic
substances or wastes or pollutants or contaminants (“Hazardous Substances”), the
environment, or natural resources, or to the generation, use, handling, transportation,
treatment, storage or disposal of Hazardous Substances (“Environmental Laws”) applicable to
such entity, which compliance includes, without limitation, obtaining, maintaining and
complying with all permits and authorizations and approvals required by Environmental Laws
to conduct their respective businesses, and (ii) have not received written notice, and no
executive officer has received any oral notice of any actual or alleged violation of
Environmental Laws, or of any potential liability for or other obligation concerning the
presence, disposal or release of Hazardous Substances, except as described in the Pricing
Prospectus and the Prospectus and in the case of either clauses (i) or (ii), where the
failure to comply with or the violation of such Environmental Laws, or such liability or
obligation, would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect. Except as described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus,
(A) there are no proceedings that are pending, or to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated,
against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under Environmental Laws in which a
governmental authority is also a party, other than such proceedings regarding which it is
reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more will be imposed, (B) to the
Company’s
7
and its subsidiaries’ knowledge, there are no issues regarding compliance with
Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or
concerning Hazardous Substances that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect
on the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Company and its
subsidiaries, and (C) none of the Company and its subsidiaries anticipates incurring
material capital expenditures relating to compliance with Environmental Laws;
(y) The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as
such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the “Exchange Act”)) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to
the Company and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal
financial officer or persons performing similar functions, or under their supervision, to
provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. generally
accepted accounting principles. Except as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus, to the
Company’s knowledge, there are no material weaknesses in its internal control over financial
reporting (it being understood that this subsection shall not require the Company to comply
with Section 404 of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 as of an earlier date than it would
otherwise be required to so comply under applicable law);
(z) Except as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus, since the date of the latest audited
financial statements included in the Pricing Prospectus, there has been no change in the
Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is
reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial
reporting;
(aa) The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined
in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange
Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material
information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s
principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or persons performing similar
functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure;
(bb) The Company has no reason to believe that the statistical and market-related data
included under the captions “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion
and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business” in the Pricing
Prospectus and the Prospectus are unreliable or inaccurate in any material respect;
(cc) Except as described in the Pricing Prospectus and such as were repaid in full
prior to the filing of the Initial Registration Statement, the Company has not, directly or
indirectly, including through any subsidiary, extended or maintained credit, or arranged for
the extension of credit, or renewed any
8
extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any of its directors or
executive officers;
(dd) Except as described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, no relationship,
direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company, on the one hand, and the directors,
executive officers, or any significant shareholders of the Company (as defined in Regulation
S-K, Item 403(a)), on the other hand, that is required to be described in the Pricing
Prospectus and the Prospectus which is not so described;
(ee) Except as described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company and
each of its subsidiaries have filed all material federal, state, local and foreign income
and franchise tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof, subject to permitted
extensions, and have paid all material taxes due thereon. No material tax deficiency has
been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries and the Company does not
have any knowledge of any tax deficiencies;
(ff) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, nor any director,
officer, or employee, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any individual or entity (“Person”)
acting on behalf of the Company, its subsidiaries, or its affiliates has taken any action on
behalf of or for the benefit of the Company or its subsidiaries in furtherance of an offer,
payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment or giving of money,
property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any government
official (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or
controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an
official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party
official or candidate for political office) to influence official action or secure an
improper advantage to assist in obtaining or retaining business for the Company or its
subsidiaries (for the avoidance of doubt, political contributions in accordance with U.S.
laws and regulations and applicable foreign laws and regulations shall not constitute
contributions to influence official action or to secure an improper advantage to assist in
obtaining or retaining business); and the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates have
conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have
instituted and maintain and will continue to maintain policies and procedures designed to
promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representation and warranty
contained herein;
(gg) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at
all times in material compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting
requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the
Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and
Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering
statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its subsidiaries conduct business, the rules
9
and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines,
issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money
Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental
agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries
with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened;
(hh) (i) The Company represents that neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries
(collectively, the “Entity”) or, to the knowledge of the Entity, any director, officer,
employee, agent, affiliate or Persons acting on behalf of the Entity, is a Person that is,
or is owned or controlled by a Person that is:
(1) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S.
Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) , the United
Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union (“EU”), Her Majesty’s Treasury
(“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor
(2) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the
subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Burma/Myanmar, Cuba, Iran,
North Korea, Libya, Sudan and Syria);
(ii) The Entity represents and covenants that it will not, directly or indirectly, use
the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds
to any subsidiary, joint venture partner, or other Person:
(1) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or
in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is
the subject of Sanctions; or
(2) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any
Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter,
advisor, investor or otherwise);
(iii) The Entity represents and covenants that, for the past 5 years, it has not
knowingly engaged in, is not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings
or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the
dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions;
(ii) There are no contracts or other documents of a character required to be described
in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as an
exhibit to the Registration Statement which are not described or filed as required; and
(jj) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has debt securities or preferred
stock that are rated by any “nationally recognized statistical rating
10
organization,” as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2)
under the Act.
2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the Company agrees to issue and
sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly,
to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price per share of $[_____], the number of Firm Shares
set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and (b) in the event and to
the extent that the Underwriters exercise the election to purchase Optional Shares as provided
below, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the
Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price
per share set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2, that portion of the number of Optional Shares
as to which such election shall have been exercised (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate
fractional shares) determined by multiplying such number of Optional Shares by a fraction, the
numerator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares which such Underwriter is entitled to
purchase as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the
denominator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares that all of the Underwriters are
entitled to purchase hereunder.
The Company hereby grants to the Underwriters the right to purchase at their election up to
[_____] 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, provided that the
purchase price per Optional Share shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or
distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Shares but not payable on the
Optional Shares. Any such election to purchase Optional Shares may be exercised only by written
notice from the Representatives to the Company, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the
date of this Agreement and setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Shares to be purchased
and the date on which such Optional Shares are to be delivered, as determined by you but in no
event earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless you and
the Company otherwise agree in writing, earlier than two or later than ten business days after the
date of such notice.
3. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Firm Shares, the several Underwriters
propose to offer the Firm Shares for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the
Prospectus.
4. (a) The Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in definitive form, and in
such authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Representatives may request upon
at least forty-eight hours’ prior notice to the Company shall be delivered by or on behalf of the
Company to Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & 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 accounts specified by
the Company to Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. at least forty-eight hours in advance. The Company will cause
the certificates representing the Shares or a form thereof to be
11
made available for checking and packaging at least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of
Delivery (as defined below) with respect thereto at the office of DTC or its designated custodian
(the “Designated Office”). The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect
to the Firm Shares, 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on [_______], 2012 or such other time and date
as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing, and, with respect to the Optional
Shares, 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date specified by the Representatives in the written
notice given by the Representatives of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Optional Shares,
or such other time and date as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such
time and date for delivery of the Firm Shares is herein called the “First Time of Delivery”, such
time and date for delivery of the Optional Shares, if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein
called the “Second Time of Delivery”, and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a
“Time of Delivery”.
(b) The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on behalf of the
parties hereto pursuant to Section 8 hereof, including the cross receipt for the Shares and
any additional documents requested by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8(k) hereof, will
be delivered at the offices of Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, 0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxx
Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 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 [____] 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 Agreement, “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
City 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 Securities 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
Securities Act; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement
or the Prospectus prior to the last Time of Delivery that shall be reasonably 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 amendment or supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and to
furnish you with copies thereof; to file promptly all materials required to be filed by the
Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act; 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
other prospectus in respect of the Shares, of the suspension of the qualification of the
12
Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of
any proceeding for any such purpose of which it has actual knowledge, or of any request by
the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the
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
other prospectus relating to the Shares or suspending any such qualification, to promptly
use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order;
(b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably request to
qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as
you may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and
dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the
distribution of the Shares, provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be
required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of
process in any jurisdiction or subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction in which it
was not otherwise subject to taxation;
(c) Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next
succeeding the date of this Agreement (or such later time as may be agreed to by the Company
and the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters) 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 (or in lieu
thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required at any
time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in
connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and if at such time any event shall have
occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include
an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order
to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made
when such Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the
Securities Act) is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be
necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act,
to notify you and upon your request to prepare and furnish without charge to each
Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic copies as you may
from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the
Prospectus that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and in
any case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice
referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) 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 Securities Act;
13
(d) To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable (which
may be satisfied by filing with XXXXX (as defined below), but in any event not later than
sixteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule
158(c) under the Securities Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries
(which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities 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 (the “Lock-Up Period”), not to offer,
sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or
otherwise dispose, except as provided hereunder, of any securities of the Company that are
substantially similar to the Shares, including but not limited to any options or warrants to
purchase shares of Common Stock or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable
for, or that represent the right to receive, Common Stock or any such substantially similar
securities (other than (i) the issuance and sale of the shares of Common Stock to be sold
pursuant to this Agreement, (ii) pursuant to employee equity incentive plans existing on the
date of this Agreement and described in the Pricing Prospectus, (iii) upon the exercise of
an option or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of exercisable, convertible or
exchangeable securities outstanding as of the date of this Agreement or (iv) the issuance of
Common Stock or warrants to purchase Common Stock in connection with mergers, acquisitions
of securities, businesses, property or other assets, or joint ventures, strategic alliances,
partnerships with third party collaborators, in each case consistent with the Company’s
business as described in the Prospectus, provided that, in the case of this clause (iv), (x)
the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock (including any securities issued that
represent the right to acquire Common Stock) issued pursuant to this clause (iv) during the
Lock-Up Period does not exceed 5% of the Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately
following this offering and (y) any recipient of such securities execute and deliver to the
Representatives a lock-up letter in substantially the form delivered to the Underwriters
pursuant to Section 8(i), without the prior written consent of Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.;
provided, however, that if (A) during the last 17 days of the initial Lock-Up Period, the
Company releases earnings results or announces material news or a material event or (B)
prior to the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will
release earnings results during the 15-day period following the last day of the initial
Lock-Up Period, then in each case the Lock-Up Period will be automatically extended until
the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of release of the earnings results
or the announcement of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless Xxxxxxx,
Sachs & Co. waives, in writing, such extension; the Company will provide the Representatives
and each stockholder subject to the Lock-Up Period pursuant to the lock-up letters
referenced in Section 8(i) with prior notice of any such announcement that gives rise to an
extension of the Lock-up Period;
14
(f) During a period of three years from the effective date of the Registration
Statement, to furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable after the end of each
fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and statements of income,
stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries
certified by independent public accountants) and, as soon as practicable after the end of
each of the first three quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the fiscal quarter
ending after the effective date of the Registration Statement), to make available to its
stockholders consolidated summary financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries
for such quarter in reasonable detail; provided, however, that the Company may satisfy the
requirements of this subsection by making available such information on its website or
filing such information through the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and
Retrieval System (“XXXXX”);
(g) During a period of three years from the effective date of the Registration
Statement, to furnish to you copies of all reports or other communications (financial or
other) furnished to stockholders, and to deliver to you 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;
provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to provide documents (A) that are
available on the Company’s website or available through XXXXX or (B) the provision of which
would require public disclosure by the Company under Regulation FD;
(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 Pricing Prospectus under the caption “Use of
Proceeds”;
(i) To use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Shares on the
Nasdaq Stock Market Inc.’s Global Market (“NASDAQ”);
(j) To file with the Commission such information on Form 10-Q or Form 10-K as may be
required by Rule 463 under the Securities Act;
(k) If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Company shall file a Rule
462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00
P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and the Company shall at the
time of filing either pay to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule
111(b) under the Securities Act;
(l) 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
15
solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be
assigned or transferred; and
(m) If Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co., in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the
restrictions set forth in a lock-up letter described in Section 8(i) hereof for an officer
or director of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or
waiver at least three Business Days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the
Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially
in the form of Exhibit A hereto through a major news service at least two Business Days
before the effective date of the release or waiver.
6. (a) The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the
Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would
constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; each
Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company and the
Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would
constitute a free writing prospectus; any such free writing prospectus the use of which has been
consented to by the Company and the Representatives is listed on
Schedule II(b) hereto;
(b) The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under
the Securities Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing
with the Commission or retention where required and legending; and the Company represents
that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions under Rule 433 under
the Securities Act so that filing with the Commission any electronic road show is not
required;
(c) The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing
Prospectus or the Prospectus or 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, not misleading, the Company will give
prompt notice thereof to the Representatives and, if requested by the Representatives, will
prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or
other document that will correct such conflict, statement or omission; provided, however,
that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly
for use therein.
7. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay or
cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel
and accountants in connection with the registration
16
of the Shares under the Securities Act and all other expenses in connection with the
preparation, printing, reproduction and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary
Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements
thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the
cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Blue Sky
Memorandum, closing documents (including any electronic compilations thereof) and any other
documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; (iii) all
expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state
securities laws as provided in Section 5(b) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel
for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky
survey; (iv) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Shares on NASDAQ; (v) the filing
fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection
with, any required review by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. of the terms of the
sale of the Shares; (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vii) the cost and charges of
any transfer agent or registrar; and (viii) all other costs and expenses incident to the
performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this
Section; provided, however, that (x) the Company shall not be obligated to pay the fees (excluding
reasonable and documented disbursements) of counsel to the Underwriters related to the matters set
forth in clauses (iii) and (v) above with respect to U.S. jurisdictions to the extent such fees
exceed, in the aggregate, $30,000, and (y) in connection with hosting meetings with prospective
purchasers of the Shares and investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection
with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, (A) the Company and the Underwriters will each
pay fifty percent (50%) of the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with such meetings,
presentations and the road show and (B) the Company and the Underwriters will each pay their own
costs associated with hotel accommodations and any other costs and expenses. It is understood,
however, that except as provided in this Section 7, and Sections 9 and 12 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.
8. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Shares to be delivered at each
Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to the condition that all representations
and warranties and other statements of the Company herein are, at and as of such Time of Delivery,
true and correct, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its obligations
hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:
(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)
under the Securities Act within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the
rules and regulations under the Securities Act and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof;
all material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the
Securities Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period
prescribed for such filing by Rule 433; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b)
under the
17
Securities Act, 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, to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened by the Commission; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the
Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or, to the
knowledge of the Company, 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) Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished
to you such written opinion or opinions, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance
satisfactory to you, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Shares, the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus as well as such 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) Shearman & Sterling LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to you their
written opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to you;
(d) Xxxxx Xxxxx Advogados, Brazilian counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to
you their written opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and
substance reasonably satisfactory
to you;
(e) On the date of the Prospectus, prior to the closing, 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, KPMG LLP shall have furnished to you a letter
or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance
satisfactory to you;
(f) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained since the
date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Pricing 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 Pricing Prospectus, and (ii)
since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Prospectus there
shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any
of its subsidiaries (other than (A) the issuance or grant of securities pursuant to employee
equity incentive plans that are described in the Pricing Prospectus or pursuant to the
exercise of outstanding options, warrants or rights, in each case, that are described in the
Pricing Prospectus, or (B) the issuance of
18
Common Stock upon conversion of preferred stock or convertible notes of the Company as
described in the Pricing Prospectus) or long-term debt of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries (other than regular payments pursuant to obligations disclosed in or
contemplated by the Pricing Prospectus), 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 Pricing Prospectus, the effect of which, in any
such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in your judgment so material and adverse as to
make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of
the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner
contemplated in the Prospectus;
(g) On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following:
(i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York
Stock Exchange or on NASDAQ; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the
Company’s securities on NASDAQ; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities
declared by either Federal or New York or California 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 your judgment makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public
offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms
and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;
(h) The Shares to be sold at such Time of Delivery shall have been duly listed for
quotation on NASDAQ, subject to official notice of issuance;
(i) The Company shall have obtained and delivered to the Underwriters executed copies
of an agreement from the parties listed on Schedule III hereto, substantially to the effect
set forth in Section 5(e) hereof in form and substance satisfactory to you. The Company
agrees that Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. shall not release any or all of the signatories of any
Lock-Up Agreement from the obligations therein without the Company’s prior written consent.
(j) The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 5(c) hereof with
respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the New York Business Day next succeeding the
date of this Agreement; and
(k) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at such Time of
Delivery certificates of officers of the Company satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of
the representations and warranties of the Company
19
herein at and as of such Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the Company of all
of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such Time of Delivery 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.
9. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses,
claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject,
under the Securities 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 the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus,
the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule
433(d) under the Securities Act, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission
to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such
action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be
liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of
or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission
made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the
Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in
reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any
Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.
(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any losses,
claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Securities
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 the Registration Statement, any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement
thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, 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 the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the
Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use
therein; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred
by the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as
such expenses are incurred.
20
(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 that it may have to any
indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection. In case any such action shall be
brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the
commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and,
to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly
notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party
(who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the
indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party
of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not 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 9 is unavailable to or
insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in
respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof)
referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or
payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities
(or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative
benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the
offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding
sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the
notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to
such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate
to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the
one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions
that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect
thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits
received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to
be in the same proportion as the total proceeds from the offering (net of
21
underwriting discounts and commissions but before deducting expenses) received by the
Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the
Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus.
The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the
untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to
state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the
Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information
and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the
Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this
subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated
as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take
account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The
amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall
be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified
party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to
contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares
underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the
amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of
such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of
fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act)
shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are
several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any
liability that the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and
conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the
Securities Act and each broker-dealer affiliate of any Underwriter; and the obligations of
the Underwriters under this Section 9 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 within the meaning of the
Securities Act.
10. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Shares that 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
22
shall be entitled to a further period of thirty six hours within which to procure another
party or other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Shares on such terms. In the event
that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company that you have so arranged
for the purchase of such Shares, or the Company notifies you that it has so arranged for the
purchase of such Shares, you or the Company shall have the right to postpone such Time of Delivery
for a period of not more than seven calendar 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 any amendments or supplements to the Prospectus that in your reasonable opinion may thereby be
made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any person
substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to
this Agreement with respect to such Shares.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a
defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subsection (a)
above, the aggregate number of such Shares that remains unpurchased does not exceed one
eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery,
then the Company shall have the right to require each non defaulting Underwriter to purchase
the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of
Delivery and, in addition, to require each non defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro
rata share (based on the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase
hereunder) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such
arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter
from liability for its default.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a
defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subsection (a)
above, the aggregate number of such Shares that remains unpurchased exceeds one eleventh of
the aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, or if the
Company shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non
defaulting Underwriters to purchase Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then
this Agreement (or, with respect to the Second Time of Delivery, the obligations of the
Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Optional Shares) shall thereupon
terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company,
except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as provided in
Section 7 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 9 hereof; but
nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
11. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements
of the Company and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf
of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect,
regardless of any investigation (or any statement as
23
to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of
any Underwriter, or the Company, or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company,
and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.
12. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the Company shall not
then be under any liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof; but,
if for any other reason, any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided
herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all out of pocket expenses
approved in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the
Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares not so
delivered, but the Company shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter except as
provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof.
13. 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 the Representatives or, except as otherwise provided
herein, by Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. on behalf of 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 each of the
Representatives in care of Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co., 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000,
Attention: Registration Department and Barclays Capital Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx
Xxxx 00000, Attention: Syndicate Registration; and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by
mail, telex or facsimile transmission to 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx
00000, Fax: (000) 000-0000, Attention: General Counsel; provided, however, that any notice to an
Underwriter pursuant to Section 9(c) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile
transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters’ Questionnaire, or
telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company by you upon
request; provided, however, that notices under subsection 5(e) and the lock-up letters referred to
in subsection 8(i) 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 at Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co., 000
Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Registration Department and Barclays Capital
Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Syndicate Registration.
In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56
(signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record
information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may
include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will
allow the underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
24
14. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the
Underwriters, the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 9 and 11 hereof, the officers and
directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company or any Underwriter, and their
respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall
acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares
from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.
15. 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.
16. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant
to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand,
and the several Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process
leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or
fiduciary of the Company, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility
in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading
thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company
on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth
in this Agreement and (iv) the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the
extent it deemed appropriate. The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters, or
any of them, has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or
similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
17. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or
oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter
hereof.
18. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY MATTERS RELATED TO THIS TRANSACTION SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND
CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. The Company agrees that any suit
or proceeding arising in respect of this agreement or our engagement will be tried exclusively in
the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York or, if that court does not have
subject matter jurisdiction, in any state court located in The City and County of New York and the
Company agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of, and to venue in, such courts.
19. The Company and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out
of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
25
20. 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.
21. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company is authorized to disclose to
any persons the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment and tax structure of the potential
transaction and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) provided
to the Company relating to that treatment and structure, without the Underwriters imposing any
limitation of any kind. However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure
shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to
enable any person to comply with securities laws. For this purpose, “tax structure” is limited to
any facts that may be relevant to that treatment.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us 4
counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters,
this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the
Underwriters and the Company. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of
each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among
Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the Company for examination upon request, but
without warranty on your part as to the authority of the signers thereof.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]
26
Please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement as of the date first written above by
signing in the space provided below.
Very truly yours, CERES, INC. |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: |
[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]
Accepted as of the date hereof:
Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.
Barclays Capital Inc.
Barclays Capital Inc.
On behalf of each of the Underwriters
XXXXXXX, XXXXX & CO.
By: |
||||
[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]
SCHEDULE I
Number of | ||||
Optional | ||||
Total | Shares to be | |||
Number of | Purchased if | |||
Firm Shares | Maximum | |||
to be | Option | |||
Underwriter | Purchased | Exercised | ||
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. Barclays Capital Inc. Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Associates, Inc. Xxxxxxx & Company International |
||||
Total |
||||
SCHEDULE I(h)
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx owns one (1) quota of Ceres Sementes do Brasil Ltda.
SCHEDULE II
(a) | Pricing Information: |
• | Number of shares: [_______] | ||
• | Option to purchase additional shares: [____] | ||
• | Initial price to public: $[____] |
(b) | Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses: |
[none]. |
SCHEDULE III
EXHIBIT A
[Form of Press Release]
Ceres, Inc.
[Date]
[Date]
Ceres, Inc. (the “Company”) announced today that Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co., the lead book-running
manager in the Company’s recent public sale of shares of common stock, is [waiving]
[releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to shares of the Company’s common stock held by
[certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver] [release]
will take effect on , 20 , and the shares may be sold on or after such date.
This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other
jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the
United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States
Securities Act of 1933, as amended.