EXHIBIT 1.1
FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
FOR OFFERING OF COMMON STOCK BY THE REGISTRANT
SPARTECH CORPORATION
COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $.75 PER SHARE
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UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
_________, 200_
[Name(s) of Representative(s),]
[Address]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
From time to time Spartech Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), proposes to enter into one or more Pricing Agreements (each a
"Pricing Agreement") in the form of Annex I hereto, with such additions and
deletions as the parties thereto may determine, and, subject to the terms and
conditions stated herein and therein, to issue and sell to the firms named in
Schedule I to the applicable Pricing Agreement (such firms constituting the
"Underwriters" with respect to such Pricing Agreement and the securities
specified therein) certain shares of its Common Stock, par value $.75 per share
(the "Shares"), specified in Schedule II to such Pricing Agreement (with respect
to such Pricing Agreement, the "Firm Shares"). If specified in such Pricing
Agreement, the Company may grant to the Underwriters the right to purchase at
their election an additional number of shares, specified in such Pricing
Agreement as provided in Section 3 hereof (the "Optional Shares"). The Firm
Shares and the Optional Shares, if any, which the Underwriters elect to purchase
pursuant to Section 3 hereof are herein collectively called the "Designated
Shares".
The terms and rights of any particular issuance of Designated Shares
shall be as specified in the Pricing Agreement relating thereto.
1. Particular sales of Designated Shares may be made from time to time
to the Underwriters of such Shares, for whom the firms designated as
representatives of the Underwriters of such Shares in the Pricing Agreement
relating thereto will act as representatives (the "Representatives"). The term
"Representatives" also refers to a single firm acting as sole representative of
the Underwriters and to Underwriters who act without any firm being designated
as their representative. This Underwriting Agreement shall not be construed as
an obligation of the Company to sell any of the Shares or as an obligation of
any of the Underwriters to purchase any of the Shares. The obligation of the
Company to issue and sell any of the Shares and the obligation of any of the
Underwriters to purchase any of the Shares shall be evidenced by the Pricing
Agreement
with respect to the Designated Shares specified therein. Each Pricing Agreement
shall specify the aggregate number of the Firm Shares, the maximum number of
Optional Shares, if any, the initial public offering price of such Firm and
Optional Shares or the manner of determining such price, the purchase price to
the Underwriters of such Designated Shares, the names of the Underwriters of
such Designated Shares, the names of the Representatives of such Underwriters,
the number of such Designated Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter and the
commission, if any, payable to the Underwriters with respect thereto and shall
set forth the date, time and manner of delivery of such Firm and Optional
Shares, if any, and payment therefor. The Pricing Agreement shall also specify
(to the extent not set forth in the registration statement and prospectus with
respect thereto) the terms of such Designated Shares. A Pricing Agreement shall
be in the form of an executed writing (which may be in counterparts), and may be
evidenced by an exchange of telegraphic communications or any other rapid
transmission device designed to produce a written record of communications
transmitted. The obligations of the Underwriters under this Agreement and each
Pricing Agreement shall be several and not joint.
2. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the
Underwriters that:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-______)
(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
or to be delivered to the Representatives and, excluding exhibits to
the Initial Registration Statement, but including all documents
incorporated by reference in the prospectus included therein, to the
Representatives 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, or transmitted for filing, with the Commission (other than
prospectuses filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations
of the Commission under the Act, each in the form heretofore delivered
to the Representatives); 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) 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 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"; the
prospectus relating to the Shares, in the form in which it has most
recently been filed, or transmitted for filing, with the Commission on
or prior to the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the
"Prospectus"; 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 the applicable form 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
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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; any reference to any
amendment to the Initial 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 Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement; and any reference to the Prospectus as amended
or supplemented shall be deemed to refer to the Prospectus as amended
or supplemented in relation to the applicable Designated Shares in the
form in which it is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)
under the Act in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof, including any
documents incorporated by reference therein as of the date of such
filing);
(b) 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 of
Designated Shares through the Representatives expressly for use in the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating to such Shares;
(c) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus conform, and
any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the
requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date
as to the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and as of
the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or
supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided,
however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any
statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter of
Designated Shares through the Representatives expressly for use in the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating to such Shares;
(d) 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
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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;
(e) 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;
(f) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State
of Delaware, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its
properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus, and
has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of
business and is in good standing under the laws of each other
jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any
business so as to require such qualification, 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;
(g) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth
in the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the
Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully
paid and non-assessable; and all of the issued shares of capital stock
of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized
and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and (except for
directors' qualifying shares and except as set forth in the Prospectus)
are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all
liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;
(h) The Shares have been duly and validly authorized, and,
when the Firm Shares are issued and delivered pursuant to this
Agreement and the Pricing Agreement with respect to such Designated
Shares and, in the case of any Optional Shares, pursuant to Additional
Shares Options (as defined in Section 3 hereof) with respect to such
Shares, such Designated Shares will be duly and validly issued and
fully paid and non-assessable; the Shares conform to the description
thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Designated
Shares will conform to the description thereof contained in the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented with respect to such Designated
Shares;
(i) The issue and sale of the Shares and the compliance by the
Company with all of the provisions of this Agreement, any Pricing
Agreement and each Additional Shares Option, if any, and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein 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
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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, 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 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 or any Pricing Agreement or
any Additional Shares Option, except such as have been, or will have
been prior to each Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof),
obtained under the Act 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;
(j) 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;
(k) 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;
(l) 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 captions
"Plan of Distribution" and "Underwriting", insofar as they purport to
describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein,
are accurate, complete and fair;
(m) 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");
(n) 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 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
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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;
(o) Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain financial
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, are independent public
accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder; and
(p) Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP, who have certified certain financial
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, were independent public
accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder at all times at which they certified financial
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries.
3. Upon the execution of the Pricing Agreement applicable to any
Designated Shares and authorization by the Representatives of the release of the
Firm Shares, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Shares for sale
upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented.
The Company may specify in the Pricing Agreement applicable to any
Designated Shares that the Company thereby grants to the Underwriters the right
(an "Additional Shares Option") to purchase at their election up to the number
of Optional Shares set forth in such Pricing Agreement, on the terms 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 may be exercised by written notice from the Representatives to the
Company, given within a period specified in the Pricing Agreement, setting forth
the aggregate number of Optional Shares to be purchased and the date on which
such Optional Shares are to be delivered, as determined by the Representatives
but in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4
hereof) or, unless the Representatives and the Company otherwise agree in
writing, earlier than or later than the respective number of business days after
the date of such notice set forth in such Pricing Agreement.
The number of Optional Shares to be added to the number of Firm Shares
to be purchased by each Underwriter as set forth in Schedule I to the Pricing
Agreement applicable to such Designated Shares shall be, in each case, the
number of Optional Shares which the Company has been advised by the
Representatives have been attributed to such Underwriter; provided that, if the
Company has not been so advised, the number of Optional Shares to be so added
shall be, in each case, that proportion of Optional Shares which the number of
Firm Shares to be purchased by such Underwriter under such Pricing Agreement
bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares (rounded as the Representatives may
determine to the nearest 100 shares). The total number of Designated Shares to
be purchased by all the Underwriters pursuant to such Pricing Agreement shall be
the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I to such Pricing
Agreement plus the aggregate number of Optional Shares which the Underwriters
elect to purchase.
4. Certificates for the Firm Shares and the Optional Shares to be
purchased by each Underwriter pursuant to the Pricing Agreement relating
thereto, in the form specified in such Pricing Agreement and in such authorized
denominations and registered in such names as the Representatives may request
upon at least two business days' prior notice to the Company, shall be delivered
by or on behalf of the Company to the Representatives for the account of such
Underwriter,
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against payment by such Underwriter or on its behalf of the purchase price
therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the account specified
by the Company to ___________ at least two business days in advance as specified
in such Pricing Agreement, (i) with respect to the Firm Shares, all in the
manner and at the place and time and date specified in such Pricing Agreement or
at such other place and time and date as the Representatives and the Company may
agree upon in writing, such time and date being herein called the "First Time of
Delivery" and (ii) with respect to the Optional Shares, if any, in the manner
and at the time and date specified by the Representatives in the written notice
given by the Representatives of the Underwriters' election to purchase such
Optional Shares, or at such other time and date as the Representatives and the
Company may agree upon in writing, such time and date, if not the First Time of
Delivery, herein called the "Second Time of Delivery". Each such time and date
for delivery is herein called a "Time of Delivery".
5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters of any Designated
Shares:
(a) To prepare the Prospectus as amended and supplemented in
relation to the applicable Designated Shares in a form approved by the
Representatives 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 the Pricing
Agreement relating to the applicable Designated Shares or, if
applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 424(b); to
make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration
Statement or Prospectus as amended or supplemented after the date of
the Pricing Agreement relating to such Shares and prior to any Time of
Delivery for such Shares which shall be disapproved by the
Representatives for such Shares promptly after reasonable notice
thereof; to advise the Representatives promptly of any such amendment
or supplement after any Time of Delivery for such Shares and furnish
the Representatives 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 Sections 13(a), 13(c),
14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act for so long as the delivery of a
prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of such
Shares, and during such same period to advise the Representatives,
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 with the Commission, of the issuance by the Commission
of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of
any prospectus relating to the Shares, of the suspension of the
qualification of such 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 such
stop order or of any such order preventing or suspending the use of any
prospectus relating to the Shares 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 the
Representatives may reasonably request to qualify such Shares for
offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as
the Representatives 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 such 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;
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(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 as amended or supplemented in New York City in such
quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request, and, if the
delivery of a prospectus is required at any time in connection with the
offering or sale of the Shares and if at such time any event shall have
occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or
supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the 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 same 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 the Representatives and
upon their 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 the Representatives may from time
to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to
the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect
such compliance;
(d) To make generally available to its security holders as
soon as practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months
after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in
Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and
its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section
11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations 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 90 days after the date of the
Pricing Agreement, 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 Designated 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 the prior written consent of the
Representatives;
(f) To furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable
after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance
sheet and statements of income, stockholders' equity and cash flows of
the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent
public accountants) and, as soon as practicable after the end of each
of the first three quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the
fiscal quarter ending after the effective date of the Registration
Statement), to make available to its stockholders consolidated summary
financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries for such
quarter in reasonable detail;
(g) During a period of three years from the effective date of
the Registration Statement, to furnish to you copies of all reports or
other communications (financial or other) furnished to stockholders,
and to deliver to you (i) as soon as they are available, copies of any
reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the
Commission or any national securities exchange on which any class of
securities of the Company is listed; and (ii) such additional
information concerning the business and financial condition of the
Company as you
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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 its best efforts to list, subject to notice of
issuance, the Designated Shares on the New York Stock Exchange (the
"Exchange");
(i) 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 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
(j) Upon request of any Underwriter, to furnish, or cause to
be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the
Company's 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 covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that
the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees,
disbursements and expenses of the Company's counsel and accountants in
connection with the registration of the Shares under the Act and all other
expenses in connection with the preparation, printing and filing of the
Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and
amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies
thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing
any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, any Pricing Agreement, any
Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including 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(s); (iv) any filing fees incident to, and the fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, any required
reviews by the NASD of the terms of the sale of the Shares; (v) the cost of
preparing certificates for the Shares; (vi) the cost and charges of any transfer
agent or registrar or dividend disbursing agent; and (vii) all other costs and
expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder and under any
Additional Shares Options which are not otherwise specifically provided for in
this Section. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this
Section, and Sections 8 and 11 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their
own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, 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 of any Designated Shares under
the Pricing Agreement relating to such Designated Shares shall be subject, in
the discretion of the Representatives, to the condition that all representations
and warranties and other statements of the Company in or incorporated by
reference in the Pricing Agreement relating to such Designated Shares are, at
and as of each Time of Delivery for such Designated Shares, 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:
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(a) The Prospectus as amended or supplemented in relation to
such Designated Shares shall have been filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed
for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in
accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; if the Company has elected to rely
upon Rule 462(b), the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have
become effective by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of
this Agreement; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and
no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened
by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the
part of the Commission shall have been complied with to the
Representatives' reasonable satisfaction;
(b) Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters,
shall have furnished to the Representatives such written opinion or
opinions, dated each Time of Delivery for such Designated Shares, with
respect to the incorporation of the Company, the validity of the
Designated Shares and such other related matters as the Representatives
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 the Representatives their written opinions (a draft
of each such opinion is attached as Annex II hereto), dated each Time
of Delivery for such Designated Shares, respectively, in form and
substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that:
(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is
validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the
laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with power and
authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and
conduct its business as described in the Prospectus as amended
or supplemented;
(ii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as
set forth in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, and
all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company
(including the Designated 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 Designated
Shares conform to the description thereof in the Prospectus as
amended or supplemented;
(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 as amended or supplemented) are owned directly or
indirectly by the
10
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 and the Pricing Agreement with
respect to the Designated Shares have been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the Company;
(vii) The issue and sale of the Designated Shares
being delivered at such Time of Delivery and the compliance by
the Company with all of the provisions of this Agreement and
the Pricing Agreement with respect to the Designated Shares
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 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 Designated Shares being delivered at such Time of
Delivery or the consummation by the Company of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or such Pricing
Agreement, except such as have been obtained under the Act 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
Designated 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, lease or other
agreement or 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
11
Stock, and under the captions "Plan of Distribution" and
"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 as amended or supplemented (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 they 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 misleading, or, in the case of other documents which were
filed under the Act or 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 time, and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented,
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), comply as to form in all material respects with the
requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder; although they do not assume any responsibility for
the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements
contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus,
except for those referred to in the opinion in subsection (x)
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 as amended or supplemented 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 as amended or
supplemented 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) 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
12
of any amendment to the Registration Statement required to be
filed or 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 as amended or supplemented or required to be
described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as
amended or supplemented which are not filed or incorporated by
reference or described as required;
(d) On the date of the Pricing Agreement for such Designated
Shares and at each Time of Delivery for such Designated Shares, the
independent accountants of the Company who have certified the financial
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries included or incorporated
by reference in the Registration Statement (other than Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
LLP) shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter, dated the
effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of the most
recent report filed with the Commission containing financial statements
and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, if the
date of such report is later than such effective date, and a letter
dated such Time of Delivery, respectively, to the effect set forth in
Annex III hereto, and with respect to such letter dated such Time of
Delivery, as to such other matters as the Representatives may
reasonably request and in form and substance satisfactory to the
Representatives;
(e) (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 as
amended prior to the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to the
Designated Shares 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 as amended prior to the date of the Pricing Agreement
relating to the Designated Shares, and (ii) since the respective dates
as of which information is given in the Prospectus as amended prior to
the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to the Designated Shares
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 as amended prior to
the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to the Designated Shares,
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 Designated Shares on the terms and in
the manner contemplated in the Prospectus as amended relating to the
Designated Shares;
(f) On or after the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to
the Designated Shares (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the
rating accorded the Company's debt securities by any "nationally
recognized statistical rating organization", as that term is defined by
the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act, and (ii)
no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under
surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating
of any of the Company's debt securities;
(g) On or after the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to
the Designated Shares there shall not have occurred any of the
following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in
securities generally on the Exchange; (ii) a suspension or material
limitation in trading in the Company's securities on the Exchange;
(iii) a general moratorium on commercial
13
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
Firm Shares or Optional Shares or both on the terms and in the manner
contemplated in the Prospectus as first amended or supplemented
relating to the Designated Shares;
(h) The Shares at each Time of Delivery shall have been duly
listed, subject to notice of issuance, on the Exchange;
(i) The Company shall have obtained and delivered to the
Representatives executed copies of an agreement from each of the
executive officers and directors of the Company, substantially in the
form of Annex IV hereto;
(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 the Pricing
Agreement relating to such Designated Shares; and
(k) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished
to the Representatives at each Time of Delivery for the Designated
Shares certificates of officers of the Company satisfactory to the
Representatives as to the accuracy of the representations and
warranties of the Company herein at and as of such Time of Delivery, as
to the performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder
to be performed at or prior to such Time of Delivery, as to the matters
set forth in subsections (a) and (e) of this Section and as to such
other matters as the Representatives may reasonably request.
8. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter
against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which
such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out
of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary
prospectus supplement, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented and any other prospectus relating to the Shares, or any amendment
or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each
Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such
Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or
claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall
not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage
or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any Preliminary
Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus supplement, the Registration Statement,
the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and any other prospectus relating to
the Shares, or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter
of Designated Shares through the Representatives expressly for use in the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating to such Shares.
14
(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company
against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may
become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based
upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus supplement,
the Registration Statement, the Prospectus as amended or supplemented and any
other prospectus relating to the Shares, or any amendment or supplement thereto,
or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state
therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the
extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary
prospectus supplement, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented and any other prospectus relating to the Shares, or any such
amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity 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.
(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 any
statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or
on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is
unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under
subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each
indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such
indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or
actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters
of the Designated Shares on the other from the offering of the Designated Shares
to which such loss, claim, damage or liability (or action in respect thereof)
relates. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding
sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed
to
15
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
of the Designated Shares on the other in connection with the statements or
omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or
actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable
considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand
and such Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion
as the total net proceeds from such offering (before deducting expenses)
received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions
received by such Underwriters. 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 such
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 applicable Designated 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
obligations of the Underwriters of Designated Shares in this subsection (d) to
contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting
obligations with respect to such Shares and not joint.
(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 8 shall be in
addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend,
upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any
Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations of the
Underwriters under this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability which
the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same
terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company and to each
person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.
9. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase
the Firm Shares or Optional Shares which it has agreed to purchase under the
Pricing Agreement relating to such Shares, the Representatives may in their
discretion arrange for themselves 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 the Representatives do not arrange for the purchase
of such Firm Shares or Optional Shares, as the case may be, then the Company
shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to
procure another party or other parties satisfactory to the Representatives to
purchase such Shares on such terms. In the event that, within the respective
prescribed period, the Representatives notify the Company that they have so
arranged for the purchase of such Shares, or the Company notifies the
Representatives that it has so arranged for the
16
purchase of such Shares, the Representatives or the Company shall have the right
to postpone a Time of Delivery for such Shares 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 as amended or supplemented, or in
any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any
amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which
in the opinion of the Representatives 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 the Pricing Agreement with respect to such Designated Shares.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Firm Shares or Optional Shares, as the case may be, of a defaulting Underwriter
or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Company as provided in subsection
(a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased does
not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of the Firm Shares or Optional
Shares, as the case may be, to be purchased at the respective Time of Delivery,
then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter
to purchase the number of Firm Shares or Optional Shares, as the case may be,
which such Underwriter agreed to purchase under the Pricing Agreement relating
to such Designated Shares and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting
Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the number of Firm Shares
or Optional Shares, as the case may be, which such Underwriter agreed to
purchase under such Pricing Agreement) of the Firm Shares or Optional Shares, as
the case may be, 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
Firm Shares or Optional Shares, as the case may be, of a defaulting Underwriter
or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Company as provided in subsection
(a) above, the aggregate number of Firm Shares or Optional Shares, as the case
may be, which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate number
of the Firm Shares or Optional Shares, as the case may be, to be purchased at
the respective Time of Delivery, as referred to in subsection (b) above, or if
the Company shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to
require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Firm Shares or Optional Shares,
as the case may be, of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then the
Pricing Agreement relating to such Firm Shares or the Additional Shares Option
relating to such Optional Shares, as the case may be, shall thereupon terminate,
without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company,
except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as
provided in Section 6 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in
Section 8 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from
liability for its default.
10. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties
and other statements of the Company and the several Underwriters, as set forth
in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to
this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any
investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf
of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Company,
or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall
survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.
11. If any Pricing Agreement or Additional Shares Option shall be
terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof, the Company shall not then be under any
liability to any Underwriter with respect to the Firm Shares or Optional Shares
with respect to which such Pricing Agreement shall have been
17
terminated except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof; but, if for any other
reason, Designated Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as
provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through the
Representatives for all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by the
Representatives, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably
incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and
delivery of such Designated Shares, but the Company shall then be under no
further liability to any Underwriter with respect to such Designated Shares
except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof.
12. In all dealings hereunder, the Representatives of the Underwriters
of Designated Shares shall act on behalf of each of such 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 such
Representatives jointly or by such of the Representatives, if any, as may be
designated for such purpose in the Pricing Agreement.
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 the address of the Representatives as set forth in the
Pricing Agreement; 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 by the
Representatives upon request. Any such statements, requests, notices or
agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.
13. This Agreement and each Pricing Agreement shall be binding upon,
and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and, to the
extent provided in Sections 8 and 10 hereof, the officers and directors of the
Company and each person who controls the Company or any Underwriter, and their
respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no
other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this
Agreement or any such Pricing 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 each Pricing 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 AND EACH PRICING AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND
CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
16. This Agreement and each Pricing Agreement may be executed by any
one or more of the parties hereto and thereto in any number of counterparts,
each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective
counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.
17. The Company is 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, and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax
analyses) related to those benefits, without the Underwriters imposing any
limitation of any kind.
18
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign
and return to us one for the Company and one for each of the Representatives
plus one for each counsel counterparts hereof.
Very truly yours,
By:
---------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer
Accepted as of the date hereof:
[Name(s) of Representative(s)]
By:
-------------------------------------
19
ANNEX I
PRICING AGREEMENT
[Name(s) of Representative(s),]
As Representatives of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto,
[Address]
_________, 200_
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Spartech Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), proposes,
subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and in the Underwriting
Agreement, dated _______, 200_ (the "Underwriting Agreement"), between the
Company on the one hand and [name(s) of Representative(s) named therein] on the
other hand, to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto
(the "Underwriters") the Shares specified in Schedule II hereto (the "Designated
Shares" [insert if underwriters have an option to purchase additional shares -
consisting of Firm Shares and any Optional Shares the Underwriters may elect to
purchase]). Each of the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement is incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be deemed to be a part of this
Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full
herein; and each of the representations and warranties set forth therein shall
be deemed to have been made at and as of the date of this Pricing Agreement,
except that each representation and warranty which refers to the Prospectus in
Section 2 of the Underwriting Agreement shall be deemed to be a representation
or warranty as of the date of the Underwriting Agreement in relation to the
Prospectus (as therein defined), and also a representation and warranty as of
the date of this Pricing Agreement in relation to the Prospectus as amended or
supplemented relating to the Designated Shares which are the subject of this
Pricing Agreement. Each reference to the Representatives herein and in the
provisions of the Underwriting Agreement so incorporated by reference shall be
deemed to refer to you. Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the
Underwriting Agreement are used herein as therein defined. The Representatives
designated to act on behalf of the Representatives and on behalf of each of the
Underwriters of the Designated Shares pursuant to Section 12 of the Underwriting
Agreement and the address of the Representatives referred to in such Section 12
are set forth in Schedule II hereto.
An amendment to the Registration Statement, or a supplement to the
Prospectus, as the case may be, relating to the Designated Shares, in the form
heretofore delivered to you is now proposed to be filed with the Commission.
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the
Underwriting Agreement incorporated herein by reference, [insert if underwriters
have an option to purchase additional shares - (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 the time and place
and at the purchase price to the Underwriters set forth in Schedule II hereto,
the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in
Schedule I hereto [insert if underwriters have an option to
purchase additional shares - and, (b) in the event and to the extent that the
Underwriters shall exercise the election to purchase Optional Shares, as
provided below, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the
Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to
purchase from the Company at the purchase price to the Underwriters set forth in
Schedule II hereto that portion of the number of Optional Shares as to which
such election shall have been exercised].
[insert if underwriters have an option to purchase additional shares -
The Company hereby grants to each of the Underwriters the right to purchase at
their election up to the number of Optional Shares set forth opposite the name
of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto on the terms referred to 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 may be
exercised by written notice from the Representatives to the Company given within
a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this Pricing Agreement, setting
forth the aggregate number of Optional Shares to be purchased and the date on
which such Optional Shares are to be delivered, as determined by the
Representatives, but in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery or,
unless the Representatives and the Company otherwise agree in writing, no
earlier than two or later than ten business days after the date of such notice.]
2
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign
and return to us one for the Company and one for each of the Representatives
plus one for each counsel hereof, and upon acceptance hereof by you, on behalf
of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof, including
the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement incorporated herein by reference,
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 or will be 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 the part of the
Representatives as to the authority of the signers thereof.
Very truly yours,
Spartech Corporation
By:
---------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer
Accepted as of the date hereof:
[Name(s) of Representative(s)]
By:
-------------------------------------
On behalf of each of the Underwriters
3
SCHEDULE I
[MAXIMUM
NUMBER OF NUMBER
[FIRM] OF OPTIONAL
SHARES SHARES WHICH
TO BE MAY BE
UNDERWRITER PURCHASED PURCHASED]
----------- --------- ------------
[Name(s) of Representative(s)]..................................
[Name(s) of other Underwriter(s)]...............................
--------- ------------
Total..........................................
--------- ------------
4
SCHEDULE II
TITLE OF DESIGNATED SHARES:
NUMBER OF DESIGNATED SHARES:
Number of Firm Shares:
Maximum Number of Optional Shares:
INITIAL OFFERING PRICE TO PUBLIC:
[$........ per Share] [Formula]
PURCHASE PRICE BY UNDERWRITERS:
[$........ per Share] [Formula]
COMMISSION PAYABLE TO UNDERWRITERS:
$........ per Share in Federal (same-day) funds
FORM OF DESIGNATED SHARES:
Definitive form, to be made available for checking and packaging at
least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of Delivery at the office of The
Depository Trust Company or its designated custodian
SPECIFIED FUNDS FOR PAYMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE:
Federal (same-day) funds
TIME OF DELIVERY:
......... A.M. (
New York City time), .................., 20..
CLOSING LOCATION:
NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF REPRESENTATIVES:
Designated Representatives:
Address for Notices, etc.:
[OTHER TERMS]:
5
ANNEX II
FORM OF OPINION OF XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX LLP
ANNEX III
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
reports 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 and the related published rules and
regulations, or (ii) any material modifications should be made
to the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income,
consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of
cash flows included in the Prospectus or included in the
Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q incorporated by
reference in the Prospectus, for them to be in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles;
(B) any other unaudited income statement data and
balance sheet items included in the Prospectus do not agree
with the corresponding items in the unaudited consolidated
financial statements from which such data and items were
derived, and any such unaudited data and items were not
determined on a basis substantially consistent with the basis
for the corresponding amounts in the audited consolidated
financial statements included or incorporated by reference in
the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent
fiscal year;
(C) the unaudited financial statements which were not
included in the Prospectus but from which were derived the
unaudited condensed financial statements referred to in clause
(A) and any unaudited income statement data and balance sheet
items included in the Prospectus and referred to in clause (B)
were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with
the basis for the audited financial statements included or
incorporated by reference in the Company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;
(D) any unaudited pro forma consolidated condensed
financial statements included or incorporated by reference in
the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material
respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the
Act and the published rules and regulations thereunder or the
pro forma adjustments have not been properly applied to the
historical amounts in the compilation of those statements;
(E) as of a specified date not more than five days
prior to the date of such letter, there have been any changes
in the consolidated capital stock (other than issuances of
capital stock upon exercise of options and stock appreciation
rights, upon earn-outs of performance shares and upon
conversions of convertible securities, in each case which were
outstanding on the date of the latest balance sheet included
or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus) or any
increase in the consolidated long-term debt of the Company 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,
2
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.
All references in this Annex III to the Prospectus shall be deemed to
refer to the Prospectus (including the documents incorporated by reference
therein) as defined in the Underwriting Agreement as of the date of the letter
delivered on the date of the Pricing Agreement for purposes of such letter and
to the Prospectus as amended or supplemented (including the documents
incorporated by reference therein) in relation to the applicable Designated
Shares for purposes of the letter delivered at the Time of Delivery for such
Designated Shares.
3
ANNEX IV
SPARTECH CORPORATION
LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
_________, 200_
[Name(s) of Representative(s),]
[Address]
Re:
Spartech Corporation - Lock-Up Agreement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that you, as representatives (the
"Representatives"), propose to enter into a Pricing Agreement on behalf of the
several Underwriters named in Schedule I to such agreement (collectively, the
"Underwriters"), with
Spartech Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), providing for a public offering of the Common Stock, par value $.75
per share, of the Company (the "Shares") pursuant to Registration Statement on
Form S-3 (333- ______) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"SEC").
In consideration of the agreement by the Underwriters to offer and sell
the Shares, and of other good and valuable consideration the receipt and
sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees that, during
the period beginning from the date of the Pricing Agreement and continuing to
and including the date 90 days after the date of the Pricing Agreement, the
undersigned will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to
purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common
Stock, par value $.75 per share ("Common Stock"), of the Company, or any options
or warrants to purchase any shares of Common Stock of the Company, or any
securities convertible into, exchangeable for or that represent the right to
receive shares of Common Stock of the Company, whether now owned or hereinafter
acquired, owned directly by the undersigned (including holding as a custodian)
or with respect to which the undersigned has beneficial ownership within the
rules and regulations of the SEC (collectively the "Undersigned's Shares").
The foregoing restriction is expressly agreed to preclude the
undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed
to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in a sale or
disposition of the Undersigned's Shares even if such Shares would be disposed of
by someone other than the undersigned. Such prohibited hedging or other
transactions would include without limitation any short sale or any purchase,
sale or grant of any right (including without limitation any put or call option)
with respect to any of the Undersigned's Shares or with respect to any security
that includes, relates to, or derives any significant part of its value from
such Shares.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the
Undersigned's Shares (i) as a bona fide gift or gifts, provided that the donee
or donees thereof agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth
herein, (ii) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned
or the immediate family of the undersigned, provided that the trustee of the
trust agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, and
provided further that any such transfer shall
not involve a disposition for value, or (iii) with the prior written consent of
____________ on behalf of the Underwriters. For purposes of this Lock-Up
Agreement, "immediate family" shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or
adoption, not more remote than first cousin. In addition, notwithstanding the
foregoing, if the undersigned is a corporation, the corporation may transfer the
capital stock of the Company to any wholly-owned subsidiary of such corporation;
provided, however, that in any such case, it shall be a condition to the
transfer that the transferee execute an agreement stating that the transferee is
receiving and holding such capital stock subject to the provisions of this
Agreement and there shall be no further transfer of such capital stock except in
accordance with this Agreement, and provided further that any such transfer
shall not involve a disposition for value. The undersigned now has, and, except
as contemplated by clause (i), (ii), or (iii) above, for the duration of this
Lock-Up Agreement will have, good and marketable title to the Undersigned's
Shares, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims whatsoever. The
undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions
with the Company's transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the
Undersigned's Shares except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are
relying upon this Lock-Up Agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the
offering. The undersigned further understands that this Lock-Up Agreement is
irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned's heirs, legal
representatives, successors, and assigns.
Very truly yours,
----------------------------------------
Name
----------------------------------------
Authorized Signature
----------------------------------------
Title
2
