QINGDAO FOOTWEAR, INC. (a Delaware company) Minimum Offering: 833,333 Shares of Common Stock Maximum Offering: 1,000,000 Shares of Common Stock ($_____ per share) UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit
1.1
(a
Delaware company)
Minimum
Offering: 833,333 Shares of Common Stock
Maximum
Offering: 1,000,000 Shares of Common Stock
($_____
per share)
__________
___, 2010
Xxxxxxxx &
Xxxxxxxxx, Incorporated
000 Xxxx
Xxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Floor
Richmond,
Virginia 23219
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
The
undersigned, Qingdao Footwear, Inc., a Delaware company (the “Company”), hereby
confirms its agreement with you as follows:
1. Introduction.
This Agreement sets forth the understandings and agreements between the Company
and you whereby, subject to the terms and conditions herein contained, you will
offer to sell, on a “best efforts, minimum/maximum” basis on behalf of the
Company as provided in Section 4(a) (the “Offering”), at an offering price
of U.S. $_____ per share, a minimum of 833,333 shares of common stock and a
maximum of 1,000,000 shares of common stock, to be issued by the Company (the
“Shares”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall
have the meanings ascribed to them in the Prospectus prepared by the Company and
dated ___________ (the “Prospectus”).
2. Representations
and Warranties of the Company. The Company makes the following
representations and warranties to you:
(a) Registration Statement and
Prospectus. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1
(File No. 333-167003) (as defined below, the “Registration Statement”)
conforming to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“1933 Act”), and the applicable rules and regulations (the “Rules and
Regulations”) of the Commission. Such amendments to such Registration Statement
as may have been required prior to the date hereof have been filed with the
Commission, and such amendments have been similarly prepared. Copies of the
Registration Statement, any and all amendments thereto prepared and filed with
the Commission, and each related Preliminary Prospectus, and the exhibits,
financial statements and schedules, as finally amended and revised, have been
delivered to you for review. The term “Registration Statement” as used in this
Agreement shall mean the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, including
the Prospectus, any documents incorporated by reference therein, and all
financial schedules and exhibits thereto, as amended on the date that the
Registration Statement becomes effective. The term “Prospectus” as used in this
Agreement shall mean the prospectus relating to the Shares in the form in
which it was filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act
or, if no filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1993 Act is required, shall mean
the form of the final prospectus included in the Registration Statement when the
Registration Statement becomes effective. The term “Preliminary Prospectus”
shall mean any prospectus included in the Registration Statement before it
becomes effective. The terms “effective date” and “effective” refer to the date
the Commission declares the Registration Statement effective pursuant to
Section 8 of the 1933 Act.
(b) A registration statement on Form
8-A (File No. 001-_________) in respect of the registration of the Shares
under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), has been filed with the Commission.
Such registration statement in the form heretofore delivered to you has been
declared effective by the Commission in such form. No other document with
respect to such registration statement has heretofore been filed with the Commission. No
stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement has been
issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated, or to the
knowledge of the Company after due inquiry threatened, by the Commission (the various parts of such
registration statement, including all exhibits thereto, each as amended at the
time such part of the registration statement became effective, being hereinafter
called the “Form 8-A
Registration Statement”).
The Form 8-A Registration Statement when it became
effective conformed, and any further amendments thereto will
conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and
the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and did not and will
not, as of the applicable
effective date, 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.
(c) Adequacy of
Disclosure. Each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof,
conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the 1933 Act and the
Rules and Regulations, and did not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and
warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon
and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by you
expressly for use in the Registration Statement. When the Registration Statement
shall become effective, when the Prospectus is first filed pursuant to Rule
424(b) of the Rules and Regulations, when any amendment to the Registration
Statement becomes effective, when any supplement to the Prospectus is filed with
the Commission and on the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), (i) the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any amendments thereof and
supplements thereto will conform in all material respects with the applicable
requirements of the 1933 Act and the Rules and Regulations, and
(ii) neither the Registration Statement, the Prospectus nor any amendment
or supplement thereto will contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in
order 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 you expressly for use in the Registration Statement.
(d) No Stop Order. The
Commission has not issued any order preventing or suspending the use of any
Preliminary Prospectus with respect to the Shares, and no proceedings for that
purpose have been instituted or threatened by the Commission or the state
securities or blue sky authority of any jurisdiction.
(e) Company;
Organization
and Qualification. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly
existing in good standing under the laws of Delaware with all requisite
corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement, to conduct its
business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted, and to own and
operate its properties, investments and assets, as described in the Registration
Statement and Prospectus. The Company is not in violation of any provision of
its memorandum or articles of association or other governing documents and is
not in default under or in breach of, and does not know of the occurrence of any
event that with the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both would
constitute a default under or breach of, any term or condition of any
material agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which any of
its properties, investments or assets is bound, except as disclosed in the
Registration Statement and Prospectus. Except as noted in the Prospectus, the
Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any other corporation,
association, or other entity. The Company has furnished to you copies of its
articles and memorandum of association, as amended, and all such copies are
true, correct and complete and contain all amendments thereto through the
Closing Date.
(f) Validity of Shares.
The Shares have been duly and validly authorized by the Company and upon
issuance, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, with no personal
liability attaching to the ownership thereof, and will conform to the
description thereof contained in the Prospectus. The preferences, rights and
limitations of the Shares are set forth in the Prospectus under the caption
“Description of Share Capital.” No party has any preemptive rights with respect
to any of the Shares or any right of participation or first refusal with
respect to the sale of the Shares by the Company. No person or entity holds a
right to require or participate in the registration under the 1933 Act of the
Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement; and, except as set forth in the
Prospectus, no person holds a right to require registration under the 1933 Act
of any Shares of the Company at any other time. The form of certificates
evidencing the Shares complies with all applicable requirements of Delaware
law.
(g) Capitalization. The
authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth
in the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Share Capital.” All of the
issued and outstanding Shares of the Company have been duly authorized, validly
issued, fully paid and are non-assessable. Except as disclosed in the
Prospectus, there is no outstanding option, warrant or other right calling for
the issuance of, and no commitment, plan or arrangement to issue, any shares of
capital stock of the Company or any security convertible into or exchangeable
for capital stock of the Company.
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(h) Full Power. The
Company has full legal right, power, and authority to enter into this Agreement
and the Escrow Agreement among the Company, SunTrust Bank (the “Escrow Agent”)
and you (the “Escrow Agreement”), to issue and deliver the Shares as provided
herein and in the Prospectus and to consummate the transactions contemplated
herein and in the Prospectus. Each of this Agreement and the Escrow Agreement
has been duly authorized, executed, and delivered by the Company and constitutes
a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its
terms, except to the extent that enforceability may be limited by
(i) bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, liquidation, reorganization, or
similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, regardless of whether such
enforceability is considered in equity or at law, (ii) general equity
principles, and (iii) limitations imposed by applicable laws or the
public policy underlying such laws regarding the enforceability of
indemnification or contribution provisions.
(i) Disclosed Agreements.
All agreements between or among the Company and third parties expressly
referenced in the Prospectus are legal, valid, and binding obligations of the
Company, enforceable in accordance with their respective terms, except to the
extent enforceability may be limited by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency,
moratorium, liquidation, reorganization, or similar laws affecting creditors’
rights generally, regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in
equity or at law, (ii) general equity principles and (iii) limitations
imposed by federal or state securities laws or the public policy underlying such
laws regarding the enforceability of indemnification or contribution
provisions.
(j) Consents. Except as
disclosed in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, each consent, approval,
authorization, order, license, certificate, permit, registration, designation or
filing by or with any governmental agency or body or any other third party
necessary for the valid authorization, issuance, sale and delivery of the
Shares, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the
consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby and by
the Registration Statement and Prospectus, except such as may be required under
the 1933 Act, 1934 Act, or under other applicable securities laws has been made
or obtained and is in full force and effect.
(k) Litigation. There is
not pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened or contemplated, any
action, suit, proceeding, inquiry, or investigation before or by any court or
any governmental authority or agency to which the Company may be a party, or to
which any of the properties or rights of the Company may be subject, that is not
described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus and (i) that may
reasonably be expected to result in any material adverse change in the condition
(financial or otherwise) or business of the Company; or (ii) that may
reasonably be expected to materially adversely affect any of the material
properties of the Company; or (iii) that may reasonably be expected to
adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, is there any meritorious basis
therefor.
(l) Financial Statements.
The financial statements of the Company together with related schedules and
notes included in the Registration Statement and Prospectus present fairly the
financial position of the Company as of the dates indicated and the results of
operations and cash flows for the periods specified. Such financial statements
have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles
applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved. The financial
information schedules included in the Registration Statement and the amounts in
the Prospectus fairly present the information shown therein and have been
compiled on a basis consistent with the financial statements included in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus. No other financial statements or
schedules are required by Form S-1 or otherwise to be included in the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Preliminary Prospectus. The
unaudited pro forma financial information (including the related notes) included
in the Prospectus or any Preliminary Prospectus complies as to form in all
material respects to the applicable accounting requirements of the 1933
Act and the Rules and Regulations, and management of the Company believes
that the assumptions underlying the pro forma adjustments are reasonable. Such
pro forma adjustments have been properly applied to the historical amounts in
the compilation of the information and such information fairly presents with
respect to the Company the financial position, results of operations and other
information purported to be shown therein at the respective dates and for the
respective periods specified.
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(m) Independent
Accountants. MaloneBailey,
LLP, who has audited certain financial statements of the Company and its
subsidiaries, are, to the Company’s knowledge, independent public accountants as
required by the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
promulgated thereunder.
(n) Disclosed
Liabilities. The Company has not sustained, since December 31, 2009,
any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood,
hurricane, accident, or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or
from any labor dispute or arbitrators’ or court or governmental action, order,
or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration
Statement and Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, and except as
otherwise stated in the Registration Statement and Prospectus or as set forth on
the Disclosure Schedule, there has not been (i) any material change in the
capital stock, long-term debt, obligations under capital leases, or short-term
borrowings of the Company, (ii) any material adverse change, or any
development that could be reasonably be seen as involving a prospective material
adverse change in or affecting the business, prospects, properties, assets,
results of operations or condition (financial or other) of the Company,
(iii) any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, incurred or
undertaken by the Company that is material to the business or condition
(financial or other) of the Company, except for liabilities or obligations
incurred in the ordinary course of business, (iv) any declaration or
payment of any dividend or distribution of any kind on or with respect to the
capital stock of the Company, or (v) any transaction that is material to
the Company, except transactions in the ordinary course of business or as
otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement and Prospectus.
(o) Required Licenses and
Permits. Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, the Company owns,
possesses, has obtained or in the ordinary course of business will obtain, and
has made available for your review, all material permits, licenses, franchises,
certificates, consents, orders, approvals, and other authorizations of
governmental or regulatory authorities as are necessary to own or lease, as the
case may be, and to operate its properties and to carry on its business as
presently conducted, or as contemplated in the Prospectus to be conducted (the
“Permits”), and the Company has not received any notice of proceedings relating
to revocation or modification of any such Permits.
(p) Internal Accounting
Measures. The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls
and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-14 and 15d-14 under the
Exchange Act), which (i) are designed to ensure that material information
relating to the Company is made known to the Company’s principal executive
officer and its principal financial officer by others within the Company; and
(ii) are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for
which they were established. The Company’s system of internal accounting
controls provides reasonable assurance that: (A) transactions are executed
in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations;
(B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of
financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles
in the United States (“US GAAP”); (C) access to assets is permitted only in
accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (D) the
recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at
reasonable intervals and appropriate actions are taken with respect to any
differences; and (E) the Company has made and kept books, records and
accounts which, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the
transactions and dispositions of assets of such entity and provide a sufficient
basis for the preparation of financial statements in accordance with US GAAP.
There (x) are not any significant deficiencies in the design or operation
of internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to
record, process, summarize, and report financial data or (y) has not been
any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees
who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls. Since the date
of the most recent evaluation of the Company’s disclosure controls and
procedures, there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in
other factors that could significantly affect internal controls, including any
corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material
weaknesses. Upon the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company
will be in compliance in all material respect with all provisions of the
Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 that are effective and applicable to the Company as
an “issuer” as defined under the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002.
(q) Taxes. The Company
has timely paid all taxes that have become due and no tax deficiency has been
asserted against the Company, and the Company does not know of any tax
deficiency that is likely to be asserted against the Company that if determined
adversely to the Company, would, either individually or in the aggregate, have a
material adverse effect on the business, prospects, properties, assets, results
of operations, or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company. All tax
liabilities are adequately provided for on the books of the
Company.
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(r) Compliance
with Instruments. The
execution, delivery and
performance of this Agreement and the Escrow Agreement, the compliance with the
terms and provisions hereof and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated herein, therein and in the Registration Statement and Prospectus by
the Company, do not and will not violate or constitute a breach of, or
default under (i) the memorandum or articles of association of the Company;
(ii) any of the material terms, provisions, or conditions of any material
instrument, agreement, or indenture to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound
or by which its business, assets, investments or properties may be affected; or
(iii) any order, statute, rule, or regulation applicable to the Company, or
any of its business, investments, assets or properties, of any court or (to the knowledge of the
Company) any governmental authority or agency having jurisdiction over the
Company, or any of its business, investments, properties or assets; and to the
knowledge of the Company do not and will not result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge,
claim, or encumbrance upon any property or asset of the
Company.
(s) Insurance. The
Company maintains insurance (issued by insurers of recognized financial
responsibility) of the types and in the amounts generally deemed adequate for
its business and, to the knowledge of the Company, consistent with insurance
coverage maintained by similar companies and similar businesses, all of which
insurance is in full force and effect.
(t) Work Force. To the
knowledge of the Company, no general labor problem exists or is imminent with
the employees of the Company.
(u) Securities Matters.
The Company and its officers, directors, or affiliates have not taken and will
not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to, or that might
reasonably be expected to, cause or result in or constitute the stabilization or
manipulation of any security of the Company or to facilitate the sale or resale
of the Shares.
(v) Payment of Commissions and
Fees. Except as stated in or contemplated by the Prospectus, neither the
Company nor any affiliate of the Company has paid or awarded, nor will any such
person pay or award, directly or indirectly, any commission or other
compensation to any person engaged to render investment advice to a potential
purchaser of Shares as an inducement to advise the purchase of
Shares.
(w) Intellectual
Property. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and
Prospectus, the Company owns, possesses, licenses or has other rights to use the
patents and patent applications, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade
names, technology, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or
unpatentable proprietary rights) and other intellectual property (or could
acquire such intellectual property upon commercially reasonable terms) necessary
to conduct its business in the manner in which it is being conducted
(collectively, the “Company Intellectual Property”); except as disclosed in the
Registration Statement and Prospectus, to the Company’s knowledge, none of
the patents owned or licensed by the Company is unenforceable or invalid, and,
to the Company’s knowledge, none of the patent applications owned or licensed by
the Company would be unenforceable or invalid if issued as patents; to the
Company’s knowledge, the Company is not obligated to pay a royalty, grant a
license, or provide other consideration to any third party in connection with
the Company Intellectual Property other than as disclosed in the Prospectus;
except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, the Company
has not received any notice of violation or conflict with rights of others with
respect to the Company Intellectual Property; except as disclosed in the
Registration Statement and Prospectus, there are no pending or to the Company’s
knowledge, threatened actions, suits, proceedings or claims by others that the
Company is infringing any patent, trade secret, trade mark, service mark,
copyright or other intellectual property or proprietary right; and except as
disclosed in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, the products or
processes of the Company referenced in the Prospectus do not, to the knowledge
of the Company, violate or conflict with any intellectual property or
proprietary right of any third person.
(x) Forward Looking Statement.
No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Act
and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration
Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus has been made or
reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good
faith.
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(y) Industry Data. The
industry-related and market-related statistics obtained from independent
industry publications and reports and included in the Registration Statement and
the Prospectus agree with the sources from which they are derived.
(z) Related
Party Transactions. No
relationship exists between or among the Company and any director, officer,
stockholder or affiliate of the Company which is required by the 1933 Act and
rules and regulations of
the Commission under the 1933 Act to be described in the Registration Statement
or the Prospectus which is not so described and described as required in
material compliance with such requirement. There are no outstanding loans,
advances (except advances
for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of
indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or
directors of the Company or any of their respective family members, except as
disclosed in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus.
3. Representations
and Warranties of Underwriter. You represent and warrant to the Company
that:
(a) You
are a member, in good standing, of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
(“FINRA”), and are duly registered as a broker-dealer under the 1934 Act, and
under the laws of each state in which you propose to offer the Shares, except
where such registration would not be required by law.
(b) This
Agreement when accepted and approved will be duly authorized, executed and
delivered by you and is a valid and binding agreement of you, enforceable in
accordance with its terms, except to the extent that enforceability may be
limited by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, liquidation,
reorganization, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally,
regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in equity or at law,
(ii) general equity principles, and (iii) limitations imposed by
federal and state securities laws or the public policy underlying such laws
regarding the enforceability of indemnification or contribution
provisions.
(c) The
consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Prospectus relating to the
Offering will not violate or constitute a breach of, or default under, your
memorandum or articles of association, or any material instrument, agreement, or
indenture to which you are a party, or violate any order applicable to you of
any federal or state regulatory body or administrative agency having
jurisdiction over you or your property.
4. Sale of
Shares.
(a) Exclusive Agency. The
Company hereby appoints you as its exclusive agent to offer for sale, and hereby
agrees to sell during the Offering Period (as defined in Section 4.(c)), a
minimum of 833,333 Shares and a maximum of 1,000,000 Shares, and on the basis of
the representations and warranties herein contained but subject to the terms and
conditions herein set forth, you accept such appointment and agree to use your
best efforts as agent to offer the Shares for sale for the account of the
Company, on a cash basis only at the offering price of $_____ per Share. During
the Offering Period (as defined below), the Company will not sell or agree to
sell any debt or equity securities otherwise than through you. Subject to your
commitment to sell the Shares on a “best efforts, minimum/maximum basis” as
provided herein, nothing in this Agreement shall prevent you from entering into
an agency agreement, underwriting agreement, or other similar agreement
governing the offer and sale of securities with any other issuer of securities,
and nothing contained herein shall be construed in any way as precluding or
restricting your right to sell or offer for sale securities issued by any other
person, including securities similar to, or competing with, the Shares. It is
understood between the parties that there is no firm commitment by you to
purchase any or all of the Shares.
(b) Obligation to Offer
Shares. Your obligation to offer the Shares is subject to receipt by you
of written advice from the Commission that the Registration Statement is
effective, is subject to the Shares being qualified for offering under
applicable laws in the states as may be reasonably designated by you, is subject
to the absence of any prohibitory action by any governmental body, agency, or
official, and is subject to the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement
and in the Registration Statement.
(c) Offering Termination
Date. The “Offering Period” shall commence on the day that the Prospectus
is first made available to prospective investors in connection with the Offering
and shall continue until the “Offering Termination Date,” which shall be the
earliest of (i) the date the maximum number of Shares
(1,000,000) offered have been sold, (ii) December 31, 2010, or
(iii) such other date mutually agreeable to the parties hereto. The Company
and you agree that unless the minimum number of Shares (833,333) offered
are sold on or before the Offering Termination Date, all proceeds that have been
paid for the Shares will be returned to the purchasers.
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(d) Escrow Agent. Prior
to the sale of all of the Shares, all funds received from purchasers of the
Shares shall, by noon of the next business day, be placed in an escrow account
(the “Escrow Account”) with the Escrow Agent pursuant to the Escrow Agreement,
the form of which is attached as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and
all payments of, from or on account of such funds shall be made pursuant to the
Escrow Agreement. In the event that the Shares are not sold on or before
the Offering Termination Date, all funds then held in the Escrow Account
shall be returned promptly to the respective purchasers as provided in the
Escrow Agreement.
(e) Closing Date. As and
when the closing of the Offering is effected, which shall be on or before the
Offering Termination Date, and proceeds from the Shares sold are received and
accepted, on such date (the “Closing Date”) and at such time and place as
determined by you (which determination shall be subject to the satisfaction on
such date of the conditions contained herein), the funds received from
purchasers will be delivered by the Escrow Agent to the Company, by wire
transfer of immediately available funds.
(f) Selling Commissions and
Expense. In consideration for your execution of this Agreement and for
the performance of your obligations hereunder, the Company agrees to pay you as
follows:
(i) by
wire transfer of immediately available funds on the Closing Date, if any, a
Selling Commission computed at the rate of seven percent (7.0%) of the
gross proceeds of the Shares placed in the offering;
(ii) at
the closing of the offering, you will have the right to purchase Underwriter
Warrants for the purchase of Shares, equal to ten percent (10%) of the
number of Shares sold by you in the Offering at a purchase price of $0.001 per
share underlying the Underwriter Warrants, substantially in the form of Exhibit
A attached to this Agreement. FINRA Rule 2710(g)(1) generally provides that any
securities of the Company that are unregistered and acquired by you or your
related persons (A) during the 180-day period prior to the filing of the
Registration Statement or (B) after such filing and deemed to be
underwriting compensation by the FINRA shall not be sold during the Offering, or
sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, hypothecated, or be the subject of any
hedging, short sale, derivative, put, or call transaction that would result in
the effective economic disposition of the securities (each, a “Transfer”) by any
person for a period of 180 days immediately following the date of effectiveness
of the Registration Statement or commencement of sales in the Offering;
provided, however, such restriction does not apply to Transfers to your officers
or partners (each, a “Permitted Transferee”) during such time period if the
securities so Transferred remain subject to the lock-up restriction noted above;
and
(iii) by
wire transfer of immediately available funds on the Closing Date, if any, an
accountable expense allowance computed at the rate of one percent (1%) of
the public offering price of the Shares sold by you; such expenses include, but
are not limited to fees and expenses of your counsel, due diligence expenses and
other expenses not prohibited by FINRA Rule 2710.
(g) Finder’s Fees. Except as set
forth in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, neither you nor the Company,
directly or indirectly, shall pay or award any finder’s fee, commission, or
other compensation to any person engaged by a potential purchaser for investment
advice as an inducement to such advisor to advise the purchase of the Shares or
for any other purpose.
(h) Delivery of Share
Certificates. Delivery of certificates in definitive form representing
the Shares shall be made at the offices of Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxxx,
Incorporated or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Company and
you, on such date as you may request (the “Date of Delivery”). The certificates
representing the Shares shall be in such denominations and registered in such
names as you may request in writing at least three full business days before the
Date of Delivery. The certificates representing the Shares will be made
available for examination and packaging at the offices of Xxxxxxxx &
Xxxxxxxxx, Incorporated or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the
Company and you, not later than at least two (2) full business days prior
to each Date of Delivery.
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5. Covenants.
(a) Covenants of the
Company. The Company covenants with you as follows:
(i) Notices. The Company
immediately will notify you, and confirm such notice in writing, (A) of any
fact that would make inaccurate any representation or warranty by the Company,
and (B) of any change in facts on which your obligation to perform under
this Agreement is dependent.
(ii) Effectiveness
of Registration Statement.
The Company will use its
best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to become effective (if not yet
effective at the date and time this Agreement is executed and delivered by the
parties hereto). If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 430A of the
Rules and Regulations or the filing of the
Prospectus is otherwise required under Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations,
and subject to the provisions of Section 5.(a)(iii) of this Agreement, the
Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A and will file the Prospectus, properly
completed, pursuant to the applicable provisions of Rule 424(b) within the time
prescribed. The Company will notify you immediately, and confirm the notice in
writing, (i) when the Registration Statement, or any
post-effective amendment
to the Registration Statement, shall have become effective, or any supplement to
the Prospectus, or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of
the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by
the Commission to amend the Registration Statement or
amend or supplement the Prospectus or for additional information, and
(iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing
or suspending the use of any Preliminary
Prospectus or the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or
sale in any jurisdiction, or of the institution or threatening of any proceeding
for any such purposes. The Company will use all reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of
any such stop order or of any order preventing or suspending such use and, if
any such order is issued, to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest
possible moment.
(iii) Amendments to Registration
Statement and Prospectus. The Company
will not at any time file or make any amendment to the Registration Statement,
or any amendment or supplement (i) to the Prospectus, if the Company has
not elected to rely upon Rule 430A, or (ii) if the Company has elected to
rely upon Rule 430A, to either the Prospectus included in the Registration
Statement at the time it becomes effective or to the Prospectus filed in
accordance with Rule 424(b), in either case if you shall not have previously
been advised and furnished a copy thereof a reasonable time prior to the
proposed filing, or if you or your counsel shall reasonably object to such
amendment or supplement; provided, however, that if you shall have objected to
such amendment or supplement, you shall cease your efforts to sell the Shares
until an amendment or supplement is filed.
(iv) Delivery of Registration
Statement. The Company has delivered to you or will deliver to you,
without expense to you, at such locations as you shall request, as soon as the
Registration Statement or any amended Registration Statement is available, such
number of signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of
amended Registration Statements, if any, copies of all exhibits and documents
filed therewith, and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts,
as you may reasonably request.
(v) Delivery of
Prospectus. The Company will deliver to you at its expense, from time to
time, as many copies of each Preliminary Prospectus as you may reasonably
request, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes
permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will deliver to you at its expense, as
soon as the Registration Statement shall have become effective and thereafter
from time to time as requested during the period when the Prospectus is required
to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as
supplemented or amended) as you may reasonably request. The Company will comply
to the best of its ability with the 1933 Act and the Rules and Regulations so as
to permit the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in
this Agreement and in the prospectus. If the delivery of a prospectus is
required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of
issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the
Shares and if at such time any events shall have occurred as 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 light of the circumstances under which they were made
when such Prospectus is delivered not misleading or, if for any reason it shall
be necessary during the same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus in
order to comply with the 1933 Act, the Company will notify you and upon your
request prepare and furnish without charge to you and to any dealer in
securities as many copies as you may from time to time reasonably request of an
amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus that will correct such
statement or omission or effect such compliance, and in case you are required to
deliver a prospectus in connection with sales of any of the Shares, upon your
request but at your expense, the Company will prepare and deliver to you as many
copies as you may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying
with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act.
8
(vi) Blue Sky
Qualification. The Company, in good faith and in cooperation with you,
will use its best efforts to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the
applicable “blue sky” or securities laws of such jurisdictions as you from time
to time may reasonably designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect
until the date on which the Company ceases to be obligated to maintain the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement; provided, however, that the Company
shall not be obligated to qualify as a foreign entity in any jurisdiction in
which it is not so qualified or to make any undertakings in respect of doing
business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. The
Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of
each jurisdiction in which the Shares have been qualified as above
provided.
(vii) Application of Net
Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds received from the sale
of the Shares in all material respects as set forth in the Prospectus under the
caption “Use of Proceeds.”
(viii) Cooperation with Your
Due
Diligence. At all times prior to the Offering Termination Date, the
Company will cooperate with you in such investigation as you may make or cause
to be made of all the business and operations of the Company in connection with
the sale of the Shares, and will make available to you in connection therewith
such information in its possession as you may reasonably request, all of which
you agree to safeguard as the confidential information of the Company and to
refrain from using for any purpose adverse to the interests of the
Company.
(ix) Transfer Agent. The
Company will maintain a transfer agent and, if necessary under applicable
jurisdictions, a registrar (which may be the same entity as the transfer agent)
for its Shares.
(x) NASDAQ. The Company
will use its reasonable best efforts to maintain the quotation of its Shares on
The NASDAQ Capital Market.
(xi) Actions of Company,
Officers, Directors, and Affiliates. The Company will not and will use
its best efforts to cause its officers, directors, and affiliates not to
(i) take, directly or indirectly, prior to termination of the Offering
contemplated by this Agreement, any action designed to stabilize or manipulate
the price of any security of the Company, or that may cause or result in, or
that might in the future reasonably be expected to cause or result in, the
stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company, to
facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares, (ii) other than under
this Agreement, sell, bid for, purchase, or pay anyone any compensation for
soliciting purchases of the Shares or (iii) pay or agree to pay to any
person any compensation for soliciting any order to purchase any other
securities of the Company.
(b) Your Covenants. You
covenant with the Company as follows:
(i) Information Provided.
You have not provided and will not provide to the purchasers of Shares any
written or oral information regarding the business of the Company, including any
representations regarding the Company’s financial condition or financial
prospects, other than such information as is contained in the Prospectus. You
further covenant that, in connection with the Offering you will use your best
efforts to comply with such purchaser suitability requirements
(ii) Prospectus
Supplements. Until the termination of this Agreement, if any event
affecting the Prospectus, the Company or you shall occur which, in the opinion
of counsel to the Company, should be set forth in a supplement to the
Prospectus, you agree to distribute each supplement of the Prospectus to each
person who has previously received a copy of the Prospectus from you and you
further agree to include such supplement in all future deliveries of the
Prospectus. You agree that following notice from the Company that a supplement
to the Prospectus is necessary, you will cease further efforts to sell the
Shares until such a supplement is prepared and delivered to you.
9
(iii) Compliance with Laws,
Etc. In your sale of the Shares, you will comply in all material respects
with applicable laws, rules and regulations and the rules and regulations of
applicable self-regulatory organizations (provided, however, that you shall be
deemed not to have breached this covenant if your failure to so comply is based
on a breach by the Company of any of its representations, warranties or
covenants contained in this Agreement and you shall have complied with
Section 5.(b)(ii) above.
6. Payment
of Expenses. Whether or
not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this
Agreement is terminated,
and subject to the provisions of Section 10 of this Agreement, the Company
hereby agrees that it will pay all fees and expenses incident to the performance
of its obligations under this Agreement (excluding fees and expenses of counsel
for you, except as specifically set forth below),
including (a) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration
Statement (including financial statements and exhibits), as originally filed and as amended, the
Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, and
the cost of furnishing copies thereof to you, (b) the preparation,
printing, and distribution of this Agreement, any selected dealer agreement, the
certificates representing the Shares, the blue sky memoranda, and any instruments relating to any of the
foregoing, (c) the issuance and delivery of the Shares, including any
transfer taxes payable thereon, (d) the fees and disbursements of the
Company’s counsel and accountants, (e) the
qualification of the Shares under applicable securities laws in accordance
with Section 5.(a) of this Agreement and any filing fee paid in connection
with the review of the Offering by FINRA, including filing fees and fees and
disbursements made in connection therewith and in connection with the blue sky memoranda supplied to you
by counsel for the Company, (f) all costs, fees, and expenses in connection
with the application for qualifying the Shares for quotation on the NASDAQ
Capital Market, (g) the transfer agent’s and registrar’s fees and all miscellaneous expenses referred to
in the Registration Statement, (h) costs related to travel and lodging
incurred by the Company and its representatives relating to meetings with and
presentations to prospective purchasers of the Shares reasonably determined by you to be necessary or
desirable to effect the sale of the Shares to the public, (i) any escrow
arrangements in connection with the transactions described herein, including any
compensation or reimbursement to the Escrow Agent for its services as such, and (j) all other costs
and expenses incident to the performance of the Company’s obligations hereunder that are not
otherwise specifically provided for in this Section.
7. Conditions
of Your Obligations. Your obligations hereunder shall be subject to, in
your discretion, the following terms and conditions:
(a) Effectiveness of
Registration Statement. The Registration Statement shall have become
effective not later than 5:30 p.m. on the date of this Agreement or, at such
later time or on such later date as you may agree to in writing; and as of the
Closing Date no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that
purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or, to your knowledge or
the knowledge of the Company, shall be contemplated by the Commission, and any
request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been
complied with to the satisfaction of your counsel.
(b) Closing Date Matters. On the
Closing Date, (i) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as they
may then be amended or supplemented, shall contain all statements that are
required to be stated therein under the 1933 Act and the Rules and Regulations
and in all material respects shall conform to the requirements of the 1933 Act
and the Rules and Regulations; the Company shall have complied in all material
respects with Rule 430A (if it shall have elected to rely thereon) and neither
the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus, as they may then be amended or
supplemented, shall 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, (ii) there shall not have been, since
the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, any material adverse change in the business, prospects, properties,
assets, results of operations or condition (financial or otherwise) of the
Company whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, (iii) no
action, suit or proceeding at law or in equity shall be pending or, to the
Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company that would be required to be
set forth in the Prospectus other than as set forth therein and no proceedings
shall be pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the
Company before or by any applicable or other commission, board or administrative
agency wherein an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding could materially
adversely affect the business, prospects, assets, results of operations or
condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company other than as set forth in the
Prospectus, (iv) the Company shall have complied with all agreements and
satisfied all conditions on their part to be performed or satisfied on or prior
to the Closing Date, and (v) the representations and warranties of the
Company set forth in Section 2 of this Agreement shall be accurate in all
material respects as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Date. On the
Closing Date, you shall have received a certificate executed by the Chief
Executive Officer of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, to such effect
and with respect to the following additional matters: (A) the
Registration Statement has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or
suspending the use of the Prospectus has been issued, and no proceedings for
that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to his knowledge,
threatened under the 1933 Act; and (B) he has reviewed the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus and, when the Registration Statement became
effective and at all times subsequent thereto up to the delivery of such
certificate, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendments or
supplements thereto contained all statements and information required to be
included therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading
and neither the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus nor any amendment
or supplement thereto contained any untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading, and, since the effective date
of the Registration Statement, there has occurred no event required to be set
forth in an amended or supplemented Prospectus that has not been so set
forth.
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(c) Opinion of XxxXxxxxx Law
Offices. At the Closing Date, you shall receive the opinion of XxxXxxxxx
Law Offices, counsel for the Company, in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to you, to the effect of Exhibit
B.
(d) Opinion of
Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx, P.C. At the Closing Date, you shall
receive the opinion of Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx, P.C., Virginia counsel to the
Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to you, to the effect
of Exhibit
C.
(e) Opinion of Your
Counsel. At the Closing Date, you shall receive the favorable opinion of
Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx, P.C., your counsel, with respect to such matters as
you may reasonably require and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel
such documents as they may reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them
to pass on such matters.
(f) Independent Public Accountants. At
the time that this Agreement is executed by the Company, you shall have received
from MaloneBailey, LLP a letter, dated the date hereof, in form and substance
satisfactory to you, confirming that they are independent public accountants
with respect to the Company within the meanings of the 1933 Act and the Rules
and Regulations, and stating in effect that:
(i) in
their opinion, the financial statements and any supplementary financial
information and schedule included in the Registration Statement and covered by
their opinion therein comply as to form and in all material respects with the
applicable accounting requirements of the 1933 Act and the Rules and
Regulations;
(ii) on
the basis of limited procedures (set forth in detail in such letter and made in
accordance with such procedures as may be specified by you) not constituting an
audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, consisting of
(but not limited to) a reading of the latest available internal unaudited
financial statements of the Company, a reading of the minute books of the
Company, inquiries of officials of the Company responsible for financial and
accounting matters, and such other inquiries and procedures as may be specified
in such letter, nothing came to their attention to cause them to believe
that:
(A) the
unaudited financial statements and supporting schedule and other unaudited
financial data of the Company included in the Registration Statement do not
comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
requirements of the 1933 Act and the Rules and Regulations or are not presented
in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a basis
substantially consistent with that of the audited financial statements included
in the Registration Statement;
11
(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 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 financial statements included
in the Prospectus;
(C) any
unaudited pro forma financial information included in the Prospectus does not
comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
requirements of the 1933 Act and the Rules and Regulations or the pro forma
adjustments have not been properly applied to historical amounts in the
compilation of that information;
(D) at a
specified date not more than five (5) days prior to the date of such
letter, there was any change in the capital stock or long-term debt or
obligations of the Company or there were any decreases in net current assets or
net assets, shareholders’ equity, or other items specified by you from that set
forth in the Company’s balance sheet at December 31, 2009, except as
described in such letter; and
(E) for
the period from December 31, 2009 to a specified date not more than five
(5) days prior to the date of such letter, there were any decreases in
revenues or operating income before interest, depreciation and amortization for
the Company, in each case as compared with the corresponding period of the
preceding year, except in each case for decreases that the Prospectus
discloses have occurred or may occur or that are described in such letter;
and
(iii) in addition to the procedures
referred to in clause (ii) above and the examination referred to in their
reports including in the
Registration Statement, they have carried out certain specified procedures, not
constituting an audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards,
with respect to certain amounts, percentages, and financial information
specified by you that are derived from the general
accounting records of the Company, that appear in the Registration Statement or
the exhibits or schedules thereto and are specified by you, and have compared
such amounts, percentages, and financial information with the accounting records of the Company
and with material derived from such records and have found them to be in
agreement.
(f) Updated Comfort
Letter. At the Closing Date, you shall have received from MaloneBailey,
LLP a letter, in form and substance satisfactory to you and dated as of the
Closing Date, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter
furnished pursuant to Section 7.(e) above, except that the specified date
referred to shall be a date not more than five (5) days prior to the
Closing Date.
(g) Post-Financial
Developments. In the event that either of the letters to be delivered
pursuant to Sections 7.(e) and 7.(f) above sets forth any changes, decreases or
increases, it shall be a further condition to your obligations that you shall
have reasonably determined, after discussions with officers of the Company
responsible for financial and accounting matters and with MaloneBailey, LLP,
that such changes, decreases or increases as are set forth in such letter do not
reflect a material adverse change in the capital stock, long-term debt,
obligations under capital leases, total assets, net current assets, or
shareholders’ equity of the Company as compared with the amounts shown in the
latest consolidated pro forma balance sheet of the Company, or a material
adverse change in the revenues or operating income before interest, depreciation
and amortization for the Company in each case as compared with the corresponding
period of the prior year.
(h) Additional
Information. On the Closing Date, you shall have been furnished with all
such documents, certificates and opinions as you may reasonably request for the
purpose of enabling your counsel to pass upon the issuance and sale of the
Shares as contemplated in this Agreement and the matters referred to in
Section 7.(b), and in order to evidence the accuracy and completeness of,
any of the representations, warranties or statements of the Company, the
performance of any of the covenants of the Company, or the fulfillment of any of
the conditions herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company at or
prior to the Closing Date in connection with the authorization, issuance and
sale of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement, shall be satisfactory in
form and substance to you and to your counsel. The Company will furnish you with
such number of conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and
documents as you shall reasonably request. Any certificate signed by any
officer, partner, or other official of the Company and delivered to you or your
counsel shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to you as
to the statements made therein.
12
(i) Adverse Events.
Subsequent to the date hereof, there shall not have occurred any of the
following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities
generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ National Market or the
NASDAQ Capital Market, (ii) a general moratorium on commercial banking
activities in the People’s Republic of China or New York, (iii) the
outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the
People’s Republic of China or the declaration by the United States or the
People’s Republic of China of a national emergency or war if the effect of any
such event specified in this clause (iii) in your reasonable judgment makes
it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the
delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the
Prospectus, or (iv) such a material adverse change in general economic,
political, financial or international conditions affecting financial markets in
the United States or the People’s Republic of China having a material adverse
impact on trading prices of securities in general, as, in your reasonable
judgment, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public
offering of the Shares or the delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the
manner contemplated in the Prospectus.
(j) FINRA Review. FINRA,
upon review of the terms of the Offering, shall not have objected to the
Offering, the terms of the offering or your participation in the
Offering.
(k) NASDAQ Quotation. The
Shares shall be approved for quotation on The NASDAQ Capital
Market.
If any of
the conditions specified in this Section 7 shall not have been fulfilled
when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be
terminated by you on notice to the Company at any time at or prior to the
Closing Date, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to
any other party, except as provided in Sections 6 and 10. Notwithstanding any
such termination, the provisions of Section 8 shall remain in
effect.
8. Indemnification
and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification by the
Company. The Company will indemnify and hold you harmless against any
losses, claims, damages, or liabilities, joint or several, to which you may
become subject under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, insofar as such
losses, claims, damages, or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise
out of or are based upon any breach of any representation, warranty or
covenant of the Company herein contained or any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement
thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to
state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse you for any legal or
other expenses reasonably incurred by you in connection with investigating or
defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, or action; provided, however,
that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent
that any such loss, claim, damage, or liability arises out of or is based
upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by you expressly
for use therein; provided further, that the indemnity agreement contained in
Section 8.(a) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus shall not inure to
your benefit if you failed to send or give a copy of the Prospectus to such
person at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of such Shares to
such person in any case where such delivery is required by the 1933 Act or the
Rules and Regulations and if the Prospectus would have cured any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission giving
rise to such loss, claim, damage, or liability. In addition to its other
obligations under this Section 8.(a), the Company agrees that, as an
interim measure during the pendency of any such claim, action, investigation,
inquiry, or other proceeding arising out of or based upon any statement or
omission, or any alleged statement or omission, described in this
Section 8.(a), it will reimburse you on a monthly basis for all reasonable
legal and other expenses incurred in connection with investigating or defending
any such claim, action, investigation, inquiry, or other proceeding,
notwithstanding the absence of a judicial determination as to the propriety
and enforceability of the Company’s obligation to reimburse you for such
expenses and the possibility that such payments might later be held to have been
improper by a court of competent jurisdiction. Any such interim reimbursement
payments that are not made to you within thirty (30) days of a request for
reimbursement shall bear interest at the prime rate (or reference rate or other
commercial lending rate for borrowers of the highest credit standing) published
from time to time by The Wall Street Journal (the “Prime Rate”) from the date of
such request. This indemnity agreement shall be in addition to any liabilities
that the Company may otherwise have. For purposes of this Section 8, the
information set forth in the last paragraph on the front cover page
(insofar as such information relates to you) and under “Underwriting” in any
Preliminary Prospectus and in the Prospectus constitutes the only information
furnished by you to the Company for inclusion in any Preliminary Prospectus, the
Prospectus, or the Registration Statement. The Company will not, without your
prior written consent, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any
judgment in any pending or threatened action or claim or related cause of action
or portion of such cause of action in respect of which indemnification may be
sought hereunder (whether or not you are a party to such action or claim),
unless such settlement, compromise, or consent includes an unconditional release
of you from all liability arising out of such action or claim (or related cause
of action or portion thereof). The indemnity agreement in this
Section 8.(a) shall extend upon the same terms and conditions to, and shall
inure to the benefit of, each person, if any, who controls you within the
meaning of the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act to the same extent as such agreement
applies to you.
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(b) Indemnification
by You. You will indemnify
and hold harmless the Company against any losses, claims, damages, or
liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the 1933 Act, the
1934 Act, or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, or liabilities
(or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any breach of any
warranty or covenant by you herein contained or any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
Statement, or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise
out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that (i) such untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Registration Statement, or the Prospectus or any such amendment
or supplement thereto in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information
furnished to the Company by you expressly for use therein, or (ii) you failed to deliver an
amendment or supplement to the Prospectus that the Company made available to you
prior to the Closing Date and that corrected any statement or omission in a
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which forms the basis for a claim
against the Company; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or
defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, or action. In addition to its other obligations
under this Section 8.(b), you agree that, as an interim measure during the
pendency of any such claim, action, investigation, inquiry, or other proceeding
arising out of or based upon any statement or omission, or any alleged statement or omission, described
in this Section 8.(b), you will reimburse the Company on a monthly basis
for all reasonable legal and other expenses incurred in connection with
investigating or defending any such claim, action, investigation,
inquiry, or other proceeding, notwithstanding
the absence of a judicial determination as to the propriety and enforceability
of your obligation to reimburse the Company for such expenses and the
possibility that such payments might later been held to have been improper by a court of competent
jurisdiction. Any such interim reimbursement payments that are not made to the
Company within thirty (30) days of a request for reimbursement shall bear
interest at the Prime Rate from the date of such request. This
indemnity agreement shall be in addition to any
liabilities that you may otherwise have. You will not, without the
Company’s prior written consent, settle or
compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened
action or claim or related cause of action or portion of such
cause of action in respect of which indemnification may be sought hereunder
(whether or not the Company is a party to such action or claim), unless such
settlement, compromise, or consent includes an unconditional release of the Company from all liability
arising out of such action or claim (or related cause of action or portion
thereof). The indemnity agreement in this Section 8.(b) shall extend upon
the same terms and conditions to, and shall inure to the benefit of,
each officer and director of the Company
and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the 1933
Act or the 1934 Act to the same extent as such agreement applies to the
Company.
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(c) Notices of Claims;
Employment of Counsel. Any party that proposes to assert the right to be
indemnified under this Section 8 promptly shall notify in writing each
party against which a claim is to be made under this Section 8 of the
institution of such action but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party
of any such action shall not relieve it from any liability it may have to any
indemnified party except (i) to the extent that the omission to notify
shall have caused or increased the indemnifying party’s liability, and
(ii) that the indemnifying party shall be relieved of its indemnity
obligation for expenses of the indemnified party incurred before the
indemnifying party is notified. Such indemnifying party or parties shall assume
the defense of such action, including the employment of counsel (satisfactory to
the indemnified party) and payment of fees and expenses. An indemnified party
shall have the right to employ its own counsel in any such case, but the fees
and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party
unless the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by
the indemnifying party or parties in connection with the defense of such action
or the indemnifying party or parties shall not have employed counsel to have
charge of the defense of such action or such indemnified party or parties
reasonably shall have concluded that there may be defenses available to it or
them that are different from or additional to those available to such
indemnifying party or parties (in which case such indemnifying party or parties
shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the
indemnified party or parties), in any of which events such fees and expenses
shall be borne by such indemnifying party or parties. Anything in this paragraph
to the contrary notwithstanding, an indemnifying party shall not be liable for
any settlement of any such claim or action effected without its written
consent.
(d) Arbitration. It is
agreed that any controversy arising out of the operation of the interim
reimbursement arrangements set forth in Sections 8.(a) and 8.(b) hereof,
including the amounts of any requested reimbursement payments, the method of
determining such amounts and the basis on which such amounts shall be
apportioned among the indemnifying parties, shall be settled by arbitration
conducted pursuant to the Code of Arbitration Procedure of the FINRA. Any such
arbitration must be commenced by service of a written demand for arbitration or
a written notice of intention to arbitrate, therein electing the arbitration
tribunal. In the event the party demanding arbitration does not make such
designation of an arbitration tribunal in such demand or notice, then the party
responding to said demand or notice is authorized to do so. Any such arbitration
will be limited to the operation of the interim reimbursement provisions
contained in Sections 8.(a) and 8.(b) hereof and will not resolve the ultimate
propriety or enforceability of the obligation to indemnify for expenses that is
created by the provisions of Sections 8.(a) and 8.(b).
(e) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for
in Section 8.(a) or 8.(b) is unavailable to or insufficient to hold
harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then
the Company on the one hand and you on the other shall contribute to the amount
paid or payable 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 you on the other from the
Offering. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding
sentence is not permitted by applicable law, then the Company and you shall contribute to such amount paid
or payable 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
you on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims,
damages, or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other
relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company
on the one hand and you on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total
net proceeds from the Offering (before deducting expenses) received by the
Company bear to the total selling commissions received by you in each case as
set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by
reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or allegedly 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 to information with respect to
you and furnished by you respectively, in writing specifically for inclusion in
the Prospectus 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 you agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant
to this Section 8.(e) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any
other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in
this Section 8.(e). The amount paid or payable as a result of the losses,
claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above
in this Section 8.(e) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by
any such party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or
claim. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of
Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) with respect to the transactions giving rise to the right of
contribution provided in this Section 8.(e) shall be entitled to
contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. The obligations in this Section 8.(e) for you to
contribute are several in proportion to your respective
underwriting obligations and not joint. For purposes of this Section 8.(e),
each person, if any, who controls you within the meaning of Section 15 of
the 1933 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as you, and
each director of the Company who signed the
Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within
the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, shall have the same rights to
contribution as the Company.
15
9. Representations
and Agreements to
Survive. Except as the context otherwise requires, all representations,
warranties, covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement shall remain
operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by
you, or on your behalf, or by any controlling person, or by or on behalf of the
Company, and shall survive until the fifth anniversary of the Offering
Termination Date and the termination of this Agreement pursuant to
Section 10 hereof.
10. Termination
of Agreement.
(a) Termination of Agreement. You
shall have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time prior to the
Closing Date (i) if any representation or warranty of the Company hereunder
shall be found to have been incorrect or misleading in any material respect when
made or the Company shall fail, refuse, or be unable to perform any of its
agreements hereunder or to fulfill any condition of your obligations hereunder,
(ii) if there shall have been since the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Registration Statement, a material adverse change,
or any development which could reasonably be expected to result in a prospective
material adverse change, in or affecting the business, prospects, management,
properties, assets, results of operations, or condition (financial or otherwise)
of the Company, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business,
(iii) if trading on any national securities exchange shall have been
suspended (other than for reasons unrelated to the securities markets), or
minimum or maximum prices for trading generally shall have been fixed or maximum
ranges for prices for all securities shall have been required on any such
exchange by such exchange or by order of the Commission or any other
governmental authority having jurisdiction, (iv) if there has occurred or
accelerated any outbreak of hostilities or other national or international
calamity or crisis or change in economic or political conditions the effect of
which on the financial markets of the United States is such as to make it, in
your reasonable judgment, impracticable to market the Shares or enforce
contracts for the sale of the Shares, (v) if a banking moratorium has been
declared by Virginia, New York or U.S. authorities, (vi) any applicable
statute, regulation, rule, or order of any court or other governmental authority
has been enacted, published, decreed, or otherwise promulgated that in your sole
judgment materially adversely affects or will materially adversely affect the
business or operations of the Company, or (vii) any action has been taken
by any applicable government or agency in respect of its monetary or fiscal
affairs that in your reasonable opinion has a material adverse effect on the
securities markets in the United States. You shall have no liability to the
Company pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise as a result of any such
termination.
(b) Result of
Termination.
(i) If
the sale of Shares provided for herein is not consummated by December 31,
2010 due to reasons beyond the control of either party hereto or if the Company
abandons the Offering for reasons within its control, then in addition to its
obligations with respect to expenses as set forth in Section 6, the Company
will reimburse you on demand for all your reasonable out-of-pocket expenses
(including the fees and expenses of your counsel), including disbursements
reasonably incurred by you in reviewing the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, and in investigating and making preparations for the marketing of
the Shares up to a maximum of $75,000.
16
(ii) If
the sale of the Shares provided for herein is not consummated for any other
reason, the Company shall pay expenses as required by Section 6, and the
neither party shall have any additional liability to the other except for such
liabilities, if any, as may exist or thereafter arise under
Section 8.
11. Notices.
(a) Method and Location of
Notices. All communications hereunder, except as herein otherwise
specifically provided, shall be in writing and shall be sent by overnight
courier, hand-delivered or telecopied and confirmed as follows:
To
the Company:
000 Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxx
Jimo
City, Qingdao, Shandong, PRC
Attention: Xxx
Xxxx, Chief Executive Officer
with a copy to:
XxxXxxxxx
Law Offices
Citigroup
Tower, 14/F No. 33 Xxx Xxxx
Shi Qiao
Road
Pudong
New Area Shanghai, PRC, 200120
To
you:
Xxxxxxxx &
Xxxxxxxxx, Incorporated
000 Xxxx
Xxxx Xxxxxx
20th Floor
Richmond,
Virginia 23219
Attention:
Xx. X. XxXxxxxx Xxxxx, III
with
a copy to:
Xxxxxxx &
Xxxxxxx, P.C.
Three
Xxxxx Center
0000 Xxxx
Xxxx Xxxxxx, 12th Floor
Richmond,
Virginia 23219
Attention:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, Esquire
(b) Time of Notices.
Notice shall be deemed to be given by you to the Company or by the Company to
you when it is sent by overnight courier, hand-delivered or telecopied as
provided in Section 11.(a).
12. Parties.
This Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall be binding upon
you, the Company and the controlling persons referred to in Section 8, and
their respective successors, legal representatives and assigns, and no other
person shall have or be construed to have a legal or equitable right, remedy or
claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Agreement or any provision
herein contained.
13. Governing
Law, Construction, and Time. This Agreement shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Specified
time of day refers to United States Eastern Time. Time shall be of the essence
of this Agreement.
14. Description
Headings. The descriptive headings of the several sections and paragraphs
of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and do not constitute a part
of this Agreement.
15. Counterparts.
This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and if executed in
more than one counterpart, the executed counterparts shall together constitute a
single instrument.
[Signature
Page Follows]
17
[Signature
Page to Underwriting Agreement]
If the
foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between you and the Company,
please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this
letter shall constitute a binding agreement between us.
Very
truly yours,
|
||
By:
|
||
Name:
|
Xxx
Xxxx
|
|
Title:
|
Chief
Executive Officer
|
Confirmed
and accepted as of the date first above written:
XXXXXXXX & XXXXXXXXX, INCORPORATED
|
||
By:
|
||
Name:
|
X.
XxXxxxxx Xxxxx, III
|
|
Title:
|
Managing
Director
|
18
EXHIBIT
A
Form
of Warrant
EXHIBIT
B
Form
of XxxXxxxxx Law Offices Opinion
EXHIBIT
C
Form
of Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx Opinion