12,500,000 Units RLJ Acquisition, Inc. UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
12,500,000
Units
____________,
2011
Lazard
Capital Markets LLC
00
Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
As
Representative of the
Underwriters
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
RLJ
Acquisition, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), proposes
to sell to the several underwriters (the “Underwriters”) named
in Schedule I hereto for whom you are acting as representative (the “Representative”) an
aggregate of 12,500,000 units (the “Firm Units”), with
each unit consisting of one share of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par
value (the “Common
Stock”), and one warrant (“Warrant”) to purchase
one share of Common Stock. The respective amounts of Firm Units to be
so purchased by each of the several Underwriters are set forth opposite their
respective names in Schedule I hereto. The Company also proposes to
sell, at the Underwriters’ option (“Over-allotment
Option”), an aggregate of up to 1,875,000 additional units of the Company
(the “Option
Units”) as set forth below. The terms of the Warrants are
provided for in the form of a Warrant Agreement (as defined
herein).
As the
Representative, you have advised the Company (a) that you are authorized to
enter into this Agreement on behalf of the several Underwriters, and (b) that
the several Underwriters are willing, acting severally and not jointly, to
purchase the numbers of Firm Units set forth opposite their respective names in
Schedule I, plus their pro rata portion of the Option Units if you elect to
exercise the Over-allotment Option in whole or in part for the accounts of the
several Underwriters. The Firm Units and the Option Units (to the
extent the aforementioned option is exercised) are hereinafter collectively
referred to as the “Units”, and the
Units, the shares of Common Stock and the Warrants included in the Units and the
shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants included in the
Units are hereinafter referred to as the “Securities.”
In
consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and of the interests of
the parties in the transactions contemplated hereby, the parties hereto agree as
follows:
1. Representations and
Warranties of the Company.
The
Company represents and warrants to each of the Underwriters as
follows:
(a) A
registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-170947) with respect to the
Units, the shares of Common Stock included in the Units, and the Warrants has
been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the rules
and regulations (the “Rules and
Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”)
thereunder and has been filed with the Commission. Copies of such
registration statement, including any amendments thereto, the preliminary
prospectuses (meeting the requirements of the Rules and Regulations) contained
therein and the exhibits, financial statements and schedules, as finally amended
and revised, have heretofore been delivered by the Company to
you. Such registration statement originally filed with the Commission
on December 3, 2010, as amended by any amendments thereto and together with any
registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the
Act, is herein referred to as the “Registration
Statement,” which shall be deemed to include all information omitted
therefrom in reliance upon Rules 430A or 430C under the Act and contained in the
Prospectus referred to below, has become effective under the Act and no
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed as of the
date of this Agreement (the “Effective
Date”). “Prospectus” means the
form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to and within the time
limits described in Rule 424(b) under the Act. The preliminary
prospectus included in the Registration Statement as of the Applicable Time (as
defined below) is herein referred to as the “Preliminary
Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Prospectus shall be
deemed to include any supplements or amendments thereto filed with the
Commission after the date of filing of the Prospectus under Rule 424(b) under
the Act, and prior to the termination of the offering of the Units by the
Underwriters. The Company has filed with the Commission a Form 8-A
(File Number 001-[_____]) providing for the registration under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), of
the Securities. The Securities have been authorized for quotation, subject to
official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution, on the
OTC Bulletin Board, and the Company knows of no reason or set of facts which is
likely to adversely affect such authorization.
(b) As
of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as
the case may be, the Preliminary Prospectus and the information included on
Schedule II hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure
Package”) did not and will not include any untrue statement of a material
fact and did not and will not omit to state a material fact necessary in order
to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no
representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from the
General Disclosure Package in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written
information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through
the Representative specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed
that the only such information is that described in Section 12
herein. The Company has not prepared or used and will not prepare or
use a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act, in
connection with the offering of Securities. As used in this subsection and
elsewhere in this Agreement, “Applicable Time”
means 5:00 p.m. (New York time) on the date of this Agreement or such other time
as agreed to by the Company and the Representative.
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(c) The
Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good
standing under the laws of the State of Nevada, with corporate power and
authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described
in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus. The Company has no subsidiaries, direct or indirect. The
Company is duly qualified to transact business and in good standing in all
jurisdictions in which the conduct of its business requires such qualification
except for any jurisdiction where the failure to be so qualified would not be
reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined
below).
(d) The
outstanding shares of Common Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued
and are fully paid and non-assessable. The shares of Common Stock
included in the Units have been duly authorized and, when issued and paid for as
contemplated herein, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; and
no preemptive rights of stockholders exist with respect to any of such shares or
the issue and sale thereof. The shares of Common Stock issuable upon
exercise of the Warrants have been duly authorized and, when issued and paid for
as contemplated in the Warrants and the Warrant Agreement, will be validly
issued, fully paid and non-assessable; and no preemptive rights of stockholders
exist with respect to any of such shares or the issue and sale
thereof.
(e) The
Warrants included in the Units have been duly authorized and, when executed by
the Company, countersigned in the manner provided for in the Warrant Agreement
and delivered and paid for as contemplated herein, will constitute valid and
binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in
accordance with their terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by
bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to
fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting
enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is
subject to equitable principles of general applicability (regardless of whether
enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
(f) Neither
the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Units
as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights, other than those
which have been waived or satisfied, for or relating to the registration of any
securities of the Company except for those rights provided for in the
Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the
Company and the Initial Stockholders (defined below). Except as set
forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, and except for those rights provided for in the Registration Rights
Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Company and certain
stockholders of the Company, no holders of any securities of the Company or any
rights exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into securities of the
Company have the right to require the Company to register any such securities of
the Company under the Act or to include any such securities in a registration
statement to be filed by the Company.
(g) The
information set forth under the caption “Capitalization” in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus (and any similar section or information contained
in the General Disclosure Package) is true and correct. All of the
Securities conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof
contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus. The form of the certificates for the shares of Common
Stock complies with the Nevada Revised Statutes.
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(h) Neither
the Commission nor any state regulatory authority has issued an order preventing
or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus relating
to the proposed offering of the Units, and no proceeding for that purpose or
pursuant to Section 8A of the Act has been instituted or, to the Company’s
knowledge, threatened by the Commission or any state regulatory
authority. Neither the Commission nor any state regulatory authority
has issued any order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section
8A of the Act has been instituted or is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge,
is contemplated or threatened by the Commission. The Registration
Statement complies as to form to, and the Prospectus and any amendments or
supplements thereto will comply as to form to, the requirements of the Act and
the Rules and Regulations. The Registration Statement and any
amendment thereto do not contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of
a material fact and do not omit, and will not omit, to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading. The Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto
do not contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact;
and do not omit, and will not omit, to state a material fact necessary in order
to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no
representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from 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 or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representative
specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such
information is that described in Section 12 herein.
(i) The
Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any
offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Units other
than the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and other materials, if any,
permitted under the Act.
(j) The
financial statements of the Company, together with related notes and schedules
as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and
the Prospectus, present fairly the financial position and the results of
operations and cash flows of the Company, at the indicated dates and for the
indicated periods. Such financial statements and related schedules
comply with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Rules and
Regulations and have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), consistently
applied throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed therein, and all
adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of results for such periods have
been made. The summary financial data included in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the
information shown therein and such data has been compiled on a basis consistent
with the financial statements presented therein and the books and records of the
Company. The Company does not have any material liabilities or
obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations
or any “variable interest entities” within the meaning of Financial Accounting
Standards Board Interpretation No. 46), not disclosed in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. There are no
financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included
in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus
that are not included as required.
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(k) Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxx & Company, P.C., who have certified certain financial statements that
are filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public
accounting firm with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and
the applicable Rules and Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”).
(l) Except
as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and
the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any (i) material weakness in its
internal control over financial reporting or (ii) change in internal control
over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely
to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial
reporting.
(m) Solely
to the extent that the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and
regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”)
has been applicable to the Company, there is and has been no failure on the part
of the Company to comply in all material respects with any provision of the
Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. The Company has taken all necessary actions to
ensure that it is in compliance with all provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act
that are in effect and with which the Company is required to comply and is
actively taking steps to ensure that it will be in compliance with other
provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act which have been proposed which are not
currently in effect or which will become applicable to the Company.
(n) There
is no action, suit, claim or proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened against the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company,
pending or threatened against any of the Company’s stockholders immediately
prior to the offering of Units (the “Initial
Stockholders”) or special advisors, before any court or administrative
agency or otherwise which if determined adversely to the Company would either
(i) have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the
earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations,
condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company or (ii) prevent
the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (the occurrence of any
such effect or any such prevention described in the foregoing clauses (i) and
(ii) being referred to as a “Material Adverse
Effect”), except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(o)
All leases of the Company described in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are valid and subsisting and in full force
and effect.
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(p) Since
the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as each may be
amended or supplemented, there has not been any event or development in respect
of the business or condition of the Company that, individually or in the
aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect, whether or not occurring in the
ordinary course of business, and there has not been any material transaction
entered into or any material transaction that is probable of being entered into
by the Company, other than transactions in the ordinary course of business and
changes and transactions described in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as each may be amended or supplemented,
and no member of the Company’s management or board of directors has resigned
from any position with the Company. The Company has no material
contingent obligations which are not disclosed in the Company's financial
statements which are included in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
Subsequent
to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as
otherwise specifically stated therein or in this Agreement, the Company has
not: (i) issued any securities or incurred any liability or
obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money; or (ii) declared or paid
any dividend or made any other distribution on or in respect of its capital
stock.
(q) The
Company is not, nor with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, will be,
(i) in violation of its amended and restated certificate of incorporation or
bylaws, (ii) in violation of or in default under any agreement, lease, contract,
indenture or other instrument or obligation to which it is a party or by which
it, or any of its properties, is bound or (iii) in violation of any law, order,
rule or regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree applicable to the Company of
any court or of any government, regulatory body or administrative agency or
other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, its properties or
assets. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement,
the Warrant Agreement and the Trust Agreement (each as defined below), and the
consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated and the
fulfillment of the terms hereof and thereof will not conflict with or result in
a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under,
(i) the amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the
Company, (ii) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or
instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company or any of its
properties is bound, or (iii) any law, order, rule or regulation, judgment,
order, writ or decree applicable to the Company of any court or of any
government, regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body
having jurisdiction over the Company, its properties or assets.
(r) The
execution and delivery of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations
under, this Agreement, the Warrant Agreement and the Trust Agreement have been
duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the
Company, and this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the
Company. On the Closing Date, the Warrant Agreement and the Trust
Agreement will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and they
will constitute the valid and binding agreements of the Company, enforceable
against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except (i) as
such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without
limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization,
moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally;
(ii) as such enforceability is subject to equitable principles of general
applicability (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding
in equity or at law); and (iii) as enforceability of any indemnification and
contribution provisions may be limited under state or federal securities
laws.
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(s) Each
approval, consent, order, authorization, designation, declaration or filing by
or with any regulatory, administrative or other governmental body necessary in
connection with the execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement, the
Warrant Agreement and the Trust Agreement, and the consummation of the
transactions herein and therein contemplated (except for such additional steps
as may be required by the Commission, or the Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or such
additional steps as may be necessary to qualify the Units for public offering by
the Underwriters under state securities or Blue Sky laws) has been obtained or
made and is in full force and effect.
(t) The
Company holds all material licenses, certificates and permits from governmental
authorities which are necessary to the conduct of its business.
(u) Neither
the Company, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any of its affiliates, has taken or
will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or
which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, the
stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Units to facilitate the sale
or resale of the Units in connection with the offering contemplated
hereby.
(v) The
Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Units
contemplated hereunder and the application of the net proceeds from such sale as
described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, will not be an “investment company” within the meaning of such term
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and the
rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(w) The
Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide
reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with
management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded
as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with
GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is
permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific
authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with
existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with
respect to any differences.
(x) The
operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance
with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the
Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable
money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder
(collectively, the “Money Laundering
Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or
governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company
with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s
knowledge, threatened.
7
(y) Neither
the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent,
employee or affiliate of the Company, is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions
administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury
Department (“OFAC”); and the
Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or
lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary,
joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing
the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions
administered by OFAC.
(z) The
Company is in compliance in all material respects with all presently applicable
provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended,
including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”); no
“reportable event” (as defined in ERISA) has occurred with respect to any
“pension plan” (as defined in ERISA) for which the Company would have any
liability; the Company has not incurred and does not expect to incur liability
under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from,
any “pension plan” or (ii) Sections 412 or 4971 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations
thereunder (the “Code”); and each
“pension plan” for which the Company would have any liability that is intended
to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in all material
respects and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which
would cause the loss of such qualification.
(aa)
Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package, and the Prospectus, to the Company’s knowledge, there are no
affiliations or associations between any member of FINRA and any of the
Company’s officers, directors or 5% or greater securityholders or special
advisors (prior to the sale of Units contemplated by this
Agreement).
(bb) There
are no relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any
other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus which have not been described as
required.
(cc) Neither
the Company nor any of the Initial Stockholders nor any other person in each
case acting on behalf of the Company (other than the Underwriters) has made any
contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal,
state or foreign office in violation of any law which violation is required to
be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and
the Prospectus.
(dd) All
information contained in the director’s and officer’s questionnaires completed
by each of the Company’s Initial Stockholders, directors, officers and special
advisors and provided to the Representative is true and correct in all respects
and the Company has not become aware of any information which would cause the
information disclosed in the questionnaires completed by each such Initial
Stockholder, officer, director and special advisor to become inaccurate and
incorrect in any respect.
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(ee) There
are no claims, payments, arrangements, agreements or understandings relating to
the payment of a finder’s, consulting or origination fee by the Company or any
Initial Stockholder with respect to the sale of the Units hereunder or any other
arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company or, to the Company’s
knowledge, any Initial Stockholder, that may reasonably be expected to affect
the Underwriters’ compensation, as determined by FINRA. The Company
has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or otherwise)
to: (i) any person, as a finder’s fee, consulting fee or otherwise, in
consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to
the Company persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) any
FINRA member; or (iii) any person or entity that has any direct or indirect
affiliation or association with any FINRA member, within the twelve months prior
to the Effective Date. None of the net proceeds of the offering will be paid by
the Company to any participating FINRA member or its affiliates, except as
specifically authorized herein and except as may be paid in connection with an
initial merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition or other similar
business combination with an operating business (“Business
Combination”) and/or one or more other transactions after the Business
Combination, including without limitation in connection with the payment of
investment banking fees, fees in connection with fairness opinions and other
similar fees or expenses.
(ff) The
Company has entered into a warrant agreement with respect to the Warrants with
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, which agreement is
substantially in the form of Exhibit 4.4 to the Registration Statement (the
“Warrant
Agreement”). The Company has entered into an Investment
Management Trust Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”)
with respect to certain proceeds of the offering, which agreement is
substantially in the form of Exhibit 10.[_] to the Registration
Statement.
(gg) The
Company has caused to be duly executed legally binding and enforceable
agreements (except (i) as enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy,
insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent
transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of
creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as enforcement thereof is subject to equitable
principles of general applicability (regardless of whether enforcement is
considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and (iii) as enforceability of
any indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited under state or
federal securities laws) in the form filed as Exhibit 10.[_] to the Registration
Statement (the “Insider Letters”),
pursuant to which each of the Initial Stockholders of the Company has agreed to
certain matters including, but not limited to, certain matters described as
being agreed to by such Initial Stockholder under the “Proposed Business”
section of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus.
(hh) Except
as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and
the Prospectus, no Initial Stockholder, employee, officer, director or special
advisor of the Company is subject to any non-competition or non-solicitation
agreement with any employer or prior employer which could reasonably be expected
to materially affect his ability to be an employee, officer, director or special
advisor of the Company.
(ii) Upon
delivery and payment for the Firm Units on the Closing Date and the filing of
the Closing 8-K (as defined below) promptly thereafter, the Company will not be
subject to Rule 419 under the Act and none of the Company’s outstanding
securities will be deemed to be a “xxxxx stock” as defined in Rule 3a-51-1 under
the Exchange Act.
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(jj) The
Company does not have any specific Business Combination under consideration or
contemplation and the Company has not, nor has anyone on its behalf, either
directly or indirectly, contacted any potential target business or their
representatives or had any discussions, formal or otherwise, with any of the
foregoing with respect to effecting a business combination with the
Company. The Company has not engaged or retained any agent or other
representative to identify or locate any suitable target.
(kk) The
Company has not provided investors with any material information (including oral
information other than oral information that is contained in Schedule II hereto)
in connection with the offering of securities, other than information that is
contained in the Preliminary Prospectus, Registration Statement, the Prospectus,
any amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference
therein, or any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act)
for the offering.
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2.
|
Purchase, Sale and
Delivery of the Firm Units.
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(a) On
the basis of the representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, and
subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to the
Underwriters and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to
purchase, at a price of $9.75 per Unit (the “Initial Purchase
Price”) (less $0.25 per Unit purchased hereunder (the “Deferred Discount”)
payable to the Underwriter upon consummation of a Business Combination, subject
to Section 4(mm) hereof), the number of Firm Units set forth opposite the name
of each Underwriter in Schedule I hereof, subject to any adjustments as may be
made in accordance with Section 13 hereof.
(b) Payment
for the Firm Units to be sold hereunder is to be made in Federal (same day)
funds against delivery of certificates therefor to the Representative for the
several accounts of the Underwriter. Such payment and delivery are to
be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), New York, New
York at 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the third business day
after the date of this Agreement (or the fourth business day
following the date of this Agreement, if the offering is priced after 4:30 p.m.,
New York time) or at such other time and date not later than five business days
thereafter as you and the Company shall agree upon, such time and date being
herein referred to as the “Closing Date.” (As
used herein, “business day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a
legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are
authorized or obligated by law to close in New York City.) Payment of
$121,875,000, representing the aggregate purchase price for the Firm Units based
on the Initial Purchase Price, shall be made on the Closing Date by wire
transfer in Federal (same day) funds, as follows: $119,750,000 (including
$3,125,000, representing the aggregate Deferred Discount without giving effect
to the Over-allotment Option) shall be deposited by the Representative directly
in the trust account established by the Company for the benefit of the public
securityholders as described in the Registration Statement (the “Trust Account”)
pursuant to the terms of the Trust Agreement, and the remaining $2,125,000 of
the proceeds (representing $1,000,000 of the proceeds not required to be held in
the Trust Account and $1,125,000 of offering expenses), shall be paid to the
Company, upon delivery to you of certificates (in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representative) representing the Firm Units (or through the
facilities of DTC) for the account of the Underwriter. The
certificates for the Firm Units will be delivered in such denominations and in
such registrations as the Representative request in writing not later than the
second full business day prior to the Closing Date, and will be made available
for inspection by the Representative at least one business day prior to the
Closing Date.
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(c) In
addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained
and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby
grants to the several Underwriters the Over-allotment Option to purchase the
Option Units at the same price per Unit as is set forth in the first paragraph
of this Section 2 with respect to the Firm Units. The Over-allotment Option
granted hereby may be exercised in whole or in part by giving written notice at
any time within 45 days after the date of this Agreement, by you, as
Representative of the several Underwriters, to the Company which notice shall
set forth the number of Option Units as to which the several Underwriters are
exercising the option and the time and date at which such certificates are to be
delivered. The time and date at which certificates for Option Units
are to be delivered shall be determined by the Representative but shall not be
earlier than three nor later than 10 full business days after the exercise of
such option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Date (such time and date
being herein referred to as the “Option Closing
Date”). If the date of exercise of the option is three or more
days before the Closing Date, the notice of exercise shall set the Closing Date
as the Option Closing Date. The number of Option Units to be
purchased by each Underwriter shall be in the same proportion to the total
number of Option Units being purchased as the number of Firm Units being
purchased by such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Units, adjusted
by you in such manner as to avoid fractional Units. The
Over-allotment Option granted hereunder may be exercised only to cover
over-allotments in the sale of the Firm Units by the
Underwriter. You, as Representative of the several Underwriters, may
cancel such option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice
of such cancellation to the Company. To the extent, if any, that the
Over-allotment Option is exercised, payment for the Option Units shall be made
on the Option Closing Date in Federal (same day funds) through the facilities of
DTC in New York, New York drawn to the order of the Company. Payment
for the Option Units shall be made on the Option Closing Date by wire transfer
in Federal (same day) funds, as follows: $9.75 per Option Unit sold (including
the Deferred Discount) shall be deposited in the Trust Account pursuant to the
Trust Agreement upon delivery to you of certificates (in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representative) representing the Option Units sold (or
through the facilities of DTC) for the account of the Underwriters.
|
3.
|
Offering by the
Underwriters.
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It is
understood that the several Underwriters are to make a public offering of the
Firm Units as soon as the Representative deem it advisable to do
so. The Firm Units are to be initially offered to the public at the
initial public offering price set forth in the Prospectus. The
Representative may from time to time thereafter change the public offering price
and other selling terms. It is further understood that you will act
as the Representative for the Underwriters in the offering and sale of the Units
in accordance with a Master Agreement Among Underwriters entered into by you and
the several other Underwriters.
11
|
4.
|
Covenants of the
Company.
|
The
Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters, and solely with
respect to Section 4(b), the Underwriters covenant and agree with the Company,
that:
(a) The
Company will (i) prepare and timely file with the Commission under Rule 424(b)
of the Rules and Regulations a Prospectus in a form approved by the
Representative containing information previously omitted at the time of
effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rules 430A or 430C of
the Rules and Regulations and (ii) not file any amendment to the Registration
Statement or distribute an amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure
Package or the Prospectus of which the Representative shall not previously have
been advised and furnished with a copy or to which the Representative shall have
reasonably objected in writing or which is not in compliance with the Rules and
Regulations.
(b) The
Company and each of the Underwriters will not make any offer relating to the
Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule
405 under the Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission under
Rule 433 under the Act.
(c) The
Company will advise the Representative promptly (i) when the Registration
Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto shall have become effective,
(ii) of receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request of the
Commission for amendment of the Registration Statement or for supplement to the
General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or for any additional information,
and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any order preventing or
suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the
institution of any proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the
Act. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the
issuance of any such order and to obtain as soon as possible the lifting
thereof, if issued.
(d) The
Company will cooperate with the Representative in endeavoring to qualify the
Securities for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the
Representative may reasonably have designated in writing and will make such
applications, file such documents, and furnish such information as may be
reasonably required for that purpose, provided 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 where it is not now so qualified or required to file
such a consent. The Company will, from time to time, prepare and file
such statements, reports, and other documents, as are or may be required to
continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period as the
Representative may reasonably request for distribution of the
Securities.
(e) The
Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representative, from time to
time, as many copies of the Preliminary Prospectus as the Representative may
reasonably request. The Company will deliver to, or upon the order
of, the Representative during the period when delivery of a Prospectus (or, in
lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the Act) is
required under the Act, as many copies of the Prospectus in final form, or as
thereafter amended or supplemented, as the Representative may reasonably
request. The Company will deliver to the Representative at or before
the Closing Date, upon request, two signed copies of the Registration Statement
and all amendments thereto including all exhibits filed therewith, and will
deliver to the Representative such number of copies of the Registration
Statement (including such number of copies of the exhibits filed therewith that
may reasonably be requested), and of all amendments thereto, as the
Representative may reasonably request.
12
(f) The
Company will comply with the Act and the Rules and Regulations, and the Exchange
Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit
the completion of the distribution of the Units as contemplated in this
Agreement and the Prospectus. If during the period in which a
prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under
the Act) is required by law to be delivered by an Underwriter or dealer, any
event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the
reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or
supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light
of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered to a
purchaser, not misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time to amend or
supplement the Prospectus to comply with any law, the Company promptly will
prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate amendment to the
Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus so that the Prospectus as
so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it
is so delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply with
applicable law.
(g) If
the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Units
at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and
any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in
the reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or
supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information
contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if it is necessary at
any time to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with
any applicable law, the Company promptly will prepare, file with the Commission
(if required) and furnish to the Underwriters and any dealers an appropriate
amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package.
(h) The
Company will make generally available to its security holders, as soon as it is
practicable to do so, but in any event not later than 15 months after the
Effective Date, an earnings statement (which need not be audited) in reasonable
detail, covering a period of at least 12 consecutive months beginning after the
Effective Date, which earnings statement shall satisfy the requirements of
Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act and will advise you in
writing when such statement has been so made available unless such earnings
statement is filed via XXXXX.
(i) Prior
to the Closing Date, if requested, the Company will furnish to the Underwriters,
as soon as they have been prepared by or are available to the Company, a copy of
any unaudited interim financial statements of the Company for any period
subsequent to the period covered by the most recent financial statements
appearing in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
13
(j) Except
for securities issued in the Private Placement (as defined below), the Company
hereby agrees that until the Company consummates a Business Combination, it
shall not issue any shares of Common Stock or any options or other securities
convertible into Common Stock, or any shares of preferred stock, which in any
case participate in any manner in the Trust Account or which vote as a class
with the Common Stock on a Business Combination.
(k) The
Company shall apply the net proceeds of its sale of the Units as set forth in
the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and
shall file such reports with the Commission with respect to the sale of the
Units and the application of the proceeds therefrom as may be required in
accordance with Rule 463 under the Act.
(l) The
Company will maintain a transfer agent, warrant agent and, if necessary under
the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company, a registrar for the Units,
Common Stock and Warrants, as applicable.
(m)
The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action
that constitutes or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the
stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company
until completion of the distribution of the Units in the offering contemplated
hereby.
(n) For
a period of four years from the Effective Date, or until such earlier time upon
which the Company is required to be liquidated, the Company will maintain the
registration of the Securities under the provisions of the Exchange Act (except
in connection with a going private transaction).
(o) For
a period of four years from the Effective Date, or until such earlier time upon
which the Company is required to be liquidated (or the Company ceases public
reporting as a result of a going private transaction), the Company, at its
expense, shall cause its regularly engaged independent registered public
accounting firm to review (but not audit) the Company’s financial statements for
each of the first three fiscal quarters prior to the announcement of quarterly
financial information and the filing of the Company’s Form 10-Q quarterly
report.
(p) The
Company shall not consummate a Business Combination with any Initial Stockholder
or officer or director of the Company, or any entity which is affiliated with
any Initial Stockholder or officer or director of the Company, without first
obtaining an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a
member of FINRA that such Business Combination is fair to the Company’s
stockholders from a financial point of view.
(q) Except
as described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, the Company shall not pay any Initial Stockholder, any of the
Company’s executive officers, directors or any of their affiliates or family
members any fees or compensation from the Company, for services rendered to the
Company prior to, or in connection with, the consummation of a Business
Combination; provided that the Initial Stockholders and such officers, directors
and affiliates shall be entitled to reimbursement from the Company, subject to
approval by the Board of Directors of the Company, for their reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with seeking and consummating a
Business Combination.
14
(r) The
Company will take all necessary actions to ensure that, upon and at all times
after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, it will be in compliance
in all material respects with (i) all provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act that
are then in effect and applicable to it and shall take such steps as are
necessary to ensure that it will be in compliance in all material respects with
other provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act which have been proposed but which
are not currently in effect upon the effectiveness of such provisions to the
extent they are applicable to the Company.
(s) For
a period of four years from the Effective Date or until such earlier time upon
which the Company is required to be liquidated, the Company, upon request from
the Representative, will furnish to the Representative (i) copies of such
financial statements and other periodic and special reports as the Company from
time to time furnishes generally to holders of any class of securities, and
promptly furnish to the Representative a copy of such registration statements,
financial statements and periodic and special reports as the Company shall be
required to file with the Commission and from time to time furnishes generally
to holders of any such class of its securities, and (ii) such additional
documents and information with respect to the Company and the affairs of any
future subsidiaries of the Company as the Representative may from time to time
reasonably request, in each such case subject to the execution of a
confidentiality agreement reasonably satisfactory to the Company.
(t) For
a period of four years from the Effective Date or until such earlier time upon
which the Company is required to be liquidated, the Company will not take any
action or actions which may prevent or disqualify the Company’s use of Form S-1
(or other appropriate form) for the registration of the Warrants and the Common
Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, under the Act (except in
connection with a going private transaction).
(u) In
the event any person or entity (regardless of any FINRA affiliation or
association) is engaged to assist the Company in its search for a merger
candidate or to provide any other merger and acquisition services, the Company
will provide the following to FINRA, the Representative and their counsel prior
to the consummation of a Business Combination: (i) complete details of all
services and copies of agreements governing such services; and (ii)
justification as to why the person or entity providing the merger and
acquisition services should not be considered an “underwriter and related
person” with respect to the Company’s initial public offering, as such term is
defined in Rule 5110 of the FINRA Manual. The Company also agrees that proper
disclosure of such arrangement or potential arrangement will be made in the
tender offer documents or proxy statement which the Company will file in
connection with the Business Combination.
(v) The
Company will maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to
provide reasonable assurances that: (i) transactions are executed in
accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii)
transactions are recorded as necessary in order to permit preparation of
financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted
only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv)
the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at
reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any
differences.
15
(w) The
Company shall, on the date hereof, retain its independent public accountants to
audit the financial statements of the Company as of the Closing Date (the “Audited Financial
Statements”) reflecting the receipt by the Company of the proceeds of the
initial public offering. As soon as the Audited Financial Statements become
available, the Company shall promptly file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the
Commission (the “Closing 8-K”), which
Closing 8-K shall contain the Company’s Audited Financial
Statements. In addition, upon receipt of the proceeds from the sale
of any Option Units after the Closing Date, the Company shall promptly file a
second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K with the Commission, which Report
shall provide updated financial information to reflect the receipt of such
additional proceeds.
At or
prior to the commencement of separate trading of the Warrants and Common Stock,
the Company shall promptly issue a press release and file a Current Report on
Form 8-K announcing that separate trading of the Warrants and Common Stock will
begin.
(x) The
Company shall advise FINRA if it is aware that any 5% or greater securityholder
of the Company becomes an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member
participating in the distribution of the Units.
(y) The
Company shall, as set forth in the Trust Agreement and disclosed in the
Prospectus, cause the proceeds of the offering to be held in the Trust Account
to be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 180
days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7
promulgated under the 0000 Xxx. The Company shall not invest any of the proceeds
of the offering to be held in the Trust Account in any mutual fund that invests
in mortgages or mortgage-backed securities (other than prime mortgages and
mortgage-backed securities). The Company shall otherwise use its best
efforts to conduct its business (both prior to and after the consummation of an
initial Business Combination) in a manner so that it will not become subject to
the 1940 Act.
(z) The
Company will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than independent
accountants), prospective target business or other entities with which it does
business enter into an agreement waiving any right, title, interest or claim of
any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account for the benefit of the
Public Stockholders. Furthermore, prior to the Closing Date, each officer and
director of the Company shall execute an insider letter in the form attached
hereto as Exhibit A.
(aa) The
Company shall not take any action or omit to take any action that would cause
the Company to be in breach or violation of its amended and restated certificate
of incorporation or bylaws.
16
(bb) During
the period prior to the Company’s initial Business Combination, the Company may
instruct the trustee under the Trust Agreement that up to an aggregate of
$2,000,000 of interest income (after appropriate reserve for payment of taxes)
be released to the Company solely for the purposes described in the Registration
Statement. After an aggregate of $2,000,000 is released to the Company, any
interest income earned on the amounts held in the Trust Account (net of taxes
payable thereon) will remain in the Trust Account until the earlier of the
consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination or the liquidation of
the Company, except as otherwise provided in this Section 4(bb) or Section
4(cc). The amount of interest income permitted to be released from the Trust
Account to the Company may be increased by up to $300,000, if the Underwriters’
over-allotment option is exercised in full. If the Underwriters’ over-allotment
option is not exercised in full, but is exercised in part, the amount of
interest income permitted to be released from the Trust Account shall be
increased proportionally in relation to the proportion of the over-allotment
option which was exercised by the Underwriters. Moreover, the amount of interest
income that the Company may instruct the trustee under the Trust Agreement to
release to the Company may be further increased, to the extent that there is any
interest accrued in the Trust Account not required to pay income taxes on
interest income earned on the balance then in the Trust Account or franchise
taxes, by up to an additional $100,000 if the proceeds of the Offering held
outside of the Trust Account and the funds otherwise released to the Company to
cover its operating expenses are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses
associated with implementing the liquidation of the Company.
(cc) If
the Company seeks stockholder approval of the initial Business Combination,
prior to the consummation thereof, the Company may instruct the trustee under
the Trust Agreement that amounts necessary to purchase up to 25% of the shares
of Common Stock sold as part of the Units in the Offering (the “Public Shares” and
the holder of such shares “Public Shareholder”)
(3,125,000 shares, or 3,593,750 shares if the Underwriters’ over-allotment
option is exercised in full) at any time commencing after the filing of a
preliminary proxy statement for the initial Business Combination and ending on
the record date for the stockholder meeting to approve such initial Business
Combination (such purchases being referred to herein as “Open Market
Purchases”) be released to the Company from the Trust Account. Such Open
Market Purchases (i) may be made only in open market transactions at times
when the Company is not in possession of material non-public information,
(ii) may not be made during a restricted period under Regulation M
under the Exchange Act and (iii) are intended to comply with
Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, at prices (inclusive of commissions)
not to exceed an amount equal to (A) the aggregate amount then on deposit
in the Trust Account divided by (B) the total number of Public Shares then
outstanding. All Public Shares purchased in Open Market Purchases shall
immediately be cancelled.
(dd) The
Company will reserve and keep available that maximum number of its authorized
but unissued securities which are issuable upon exercise of any of the Warrants
and outstanding from time to time.
17
(ee) The
Company may consummate the initial Business Combination and conduct redemptions
of shares of Common Stock for cash upon consummation of such Business
Combination without a stockholder vote pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and
Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, including the filing of tender offer
documents with the Commission. Such tender offer documents will contain
substantially the same financial and other information about the initial
Business Combination and the redemption rights as is required under the
Commission’s proxy rules. The Company will provide each stockholder of the
Company with the opportunity upon consummation of the initial Business
Combination to redeem the shares of Common Stock held by such stockholder for an
amount of cash equal to (A) the aggregate amount then on deposit in the
Trust Account as of the commencement of such tender offer plus interest accrued
from the date of the commencement of such tender offer until two business days
prior to the consummation of the Business Combination less franchise and income
takes payable, divided by (B) the total number of Public Shares then
outstanding (the “Tender Redemption
Price”). The Company shall keep such tender offer open for at least 20
business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) of the Exchange Act. If,
however, the Company elects not to file such tender offer documents, a
stockholder vote is required by law in connection with the initial Business
Combination, or the Company decides to hold a stockholder vote for business or
other legal reasons, the Company will submit such Business Combination to the
Company’s stockholders for their approval (“Business Combination
Vote”). With respect to the initial Business Combination Vote, if any,
the Initial Stockholders have agreed to vote all of their Common Stock
(including any shares of Common Stock purchased during or after the Offering) in
favor of the Company’s initial Business Combination. If the Company seeks
stockholder approval of the initial Business Combination, the Company will offer
to each Public Shareholder the right to have its shares redeemed in conjunction
with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules of the Commission at a per
share redemption price (the “Vote Redemption
Price”, and collectively with the Tender Redemption Price, the “Redemption Price”)
equal to (I) the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account as
of two business days prior to the consummation of the Business Combination less
franchise and income taxes payable, divided by (II) the total number of
Public Shares then outstanding. If the Company seeks stockholder approval of the
initial Business Combination, the Company may proceed with such Business
Combination only if a majority of the shares voted are voted to approve such
Business Combination. If, after seeking and receiving such stockholder approval,
the Company elects to so proceed, it will redeem shares, at the Redemption
Price, from those Public Shareholders who affirmatively requested such
redemption. Only Public Stockholders holding shares of Common Stock who properly
exercise their redemption rights, in accordance with the applicable tender offer
or proxy materials related to such Business Combination, shall be entitled to
receive distributions from the Trust Account in connection with an initial
Business Combination, and the Company shall pay no distributions with respect to
any other holders or shares of capital stock of the Company in connection
therewith. In the event that the Company does not effect a Business Combination
by twenty-one (21) months from the date of the consummation of the Offering
(or twenty-seven (27) months from the date of the consummation of the Offering
if the Company executes a letter of intent, agreement in principle or definitive
agreement relating to a proposed initial Business Combination before such
21-month period ends), the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the
purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible, redeem 100% of
the Common Stock held by the Public Stockholders, at a per-share price, payable
in cash, equal to the aggregate amount including interest then on deposit in the
Trust Account (including (a) the proceeds held in the Trust Account from
the Offering and the Private Placement that are not released for Open Market
Purchases, (b) the amount held in the Trust Account representing the
Deferred Discount and (c) any interest income earned on the funds held in
the Trust Account, less franchise and income taxes payable and less up to
$100,000 of such net interest to pay liquidation expenses, that are not released
to the Company to cover its operating expenses in accordance with Section
4(bb)), but net of any taxes payable (less up to $100,000 of such net interest
to pay reasonable expenses of dissolution), divided by the number of shares of
Common Stock then outstanding, together with the contingent right to receive, in
cash, following the Company’s dissolution, a pro rata share of the balance of
the Company’s net assets, if any, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible
following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining
stockholders and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate,
subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Delaware law to provide
for claims of creditors and other requirements of applicable law. Only Public
Stockholders holding shares of Common Stock included in the Securities shall be
entitled to receive such amounts upon liquidation of the Company, and the
Company shall pay no such amounts or any distributions upon liquidation of the
Company with respect to any other shares of capital stock of the
Company.
18
(ff) In
the event that the Company desires or is required by an applicable law or
regulation to cause an announcement (“Business Combination
Announcement”) to be placed in The Wall Street Journal, The New York
Times or any other news or media publication or outlet or to be made via a
public filing with the Commission announcing the consummation of the Business
Combination that indicates that the Underwriters were the underwriters in the
Offering, the Company shall supply the Representative with a draft of the
Business Combination Announcement and provide the Representative with a
reasonable advance opportunity to comment thereon, subject to the agreement of
the Underwriters to keep confidential such draft announcement in accordance with
the Representative’s standard policies regarding confidential
information.
(gg) During
such time as the Securities, Common Stock and Warrants are quoted on the OTC
Bulletin Board (or any successor trading market such as the Bulletin Board
Exchange) or the Pink Sheets, LLC (or similar publisher of quotations) and no
other automated quotation system, the Company shall provide to the
Representative, at its expense, to the extent reasonably available, such reports
published by FINRA or the Pink Sheets, LLC relating to price and trading of the
Securities, Common Stock and Warrants, as the Representative shall reasonably
request. In addition to the requirements of the preceding sentence, for a period
of two (2) years from the Closing Date, the Company, at its expense, shall
provide the Representative a subscription to the Company’s weekly Depository
Transfer Company Security Position Reports.
(hh) The
Company will endeavor in good faith, in cooperation with the Representative, at
or prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective, to qualify
the Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws of such
jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably designate, provided that no
such qualification shall be required in any jurisdiction where, as a result
thereof, the Company would be subject to service of general process or to
taxation as a foreign corporation doing business in such jurisdiction. Until the
earliest of (i) the date on which all Underwriters shall have ceased to engage
in market-making activities in respect of the Securities, (ii) the date on
which the Securities are listed or quoted, as the case may be, on the New York
Stock Exchange, the NYSE American Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market (or
any successor to such entities) and (iii) the date of the liquidation of
the Company (the period from the Effective Date to such earliest date, the
“Blue Sky Compliance
Period”), in each jurisdiction where such qualification shall be
effected, the Company will, unless the Representative agrees that such action is
not at the time necessary or advisable, use all reasonable efforts to file and
make such statements or reports at such times as are or may be required to
qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws of such
jurisdiction.
19
(ii) During
the Blue Sky Compliance Period, the Company shall promptly take such action as
may be reasonably requested by the Representative to maintain secondary market
trading in such other states as may be reasonably requested by the
Representative.
(jj) The
Company agrees that it will use its best efforts to prevent the Company from
becoming subject to Rule 419 under the Act prior to the consummation of a
Business Combination, including, but not limited to, using its best efforts to
prevent any of the Company’s outstanding securities from being deemed to be a
“xxxxx stock” as defined in Rule 3a-51-1 under the Exchange Act during such
period.
(kk) The
Company shall deposit into the Trust Account the $4,625,000 of proceeds from the
private placement (“Private Placement”)
of 6,166,667 Warrants to the Company’s executive officers, directors and Initial
Stockholders, to be completed prior to the Closing Date.
(ll) Upon
consummation of a Business Combination, the Company shall pay the Deferred
Discount to the Representative, on behalf of the Underwriters, as the deferred
portion of the Underwriters’ compensation. The Underwriters shall
have no claim to payment of any interest earned on the portion of the proceeds
held in the Trust Account representing the Deferred Discount. If the
Company fails to consummate its initial Business Combination within the required
time period set forth in the Registration Statement, the Deferred Discount will
not be paid to the Representative and will, instead, be included in the
liquidating distribution of the proceeds held in the Trust
Account. In connection with any such liquidating distribution, the
Underwriters forfeit any rights or claims to the Deferred Discount, including
any accrued interest thereon.
20
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5.
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Costs and
Expenses.
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The
Company will pay all costs, expenses and fees incident to the performance of the
obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including, without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the following: accounting fees of the
Company; the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company; the cost of
printing and delivering to, or as requested by, the Underwriters copies of the
Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus, this Agreement
and the Listing Application; the filing fees of the Commission; the filing fees,
costs and expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of Underwriters’
counsel) incident to securing any required review by FINRA of the terms of the
sale of the Units; the preparation, printing, authentication, issuance and
delivery of certificates for the Securities, including any stamp or transfer
taxes in connection with the original issuance and sale of the Securities; the
printing (or reproduction) and delivery of this Agreement and all other
agreements or documents printed (or reproduced) and delivered in connection with
the offering of the Securities; the registration of the Securities under the
Exchange Act and the quotation of the Securities on the OTC Bulletin Board; the
printing and delivery of a blue sky memorandum and the Secondary Market Trading
Survey (as defined in Section 6(i) hereof); and any registration or
qualification of the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or blue
sky laws of the several states (including filing fees and fees for counsel for
the Underwriter relating to such memorandum, survey, registration and
qualification in an aggregate amount previously agreed upon between the Company
and the Representative). Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the
Underwriters will reimburse the cost of a chartered aircraft incurred by or on
behalf of the Company in connection with presentations to prospective purchasers
of the Units (the “Roadshow”) up to the
equivalent commercial airfare expenses for the Underwriters traveling on the
chartered aircraft; (ii) each party will pay for their own hotel and commercial
airfare expenses incurred in connection with the Roadshow; and (iii) all other
incidental costs and expenses in connection with the Roadshow will be paid by
the Underwriters. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay for
any of the Underwriters’ expenses except as otherwise specifically provided
herein and except that, if this Agreement shall not be consummated because the
conditions in Section 6 hereof are not satisfied by reason of any failure or
refusal on the part of the Company to perform any undertaking or satisfy any
condition of this Agreement or to comply with any of the terms hereof on its
part to be performed, unless such failure or refusal is due primarily to the
default or omission of any Underwriter, the Company shall reimburse the several
Underwriters for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including fees and
disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred in connection with investigating,
marketing and proposing to market the Units or in contemplation of performing
their obligations hereunder. The Company shall not be required to pay
for any of the Underwriters’ expenses if this Agreement is terminated pursuant
to Section 13 hereof.
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6.
|
Conditions of
Obligations of the
Underwriters.
|
The
several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Firm Units on the
Closing Date and the Option Units, if any, on the Option Closing Date are
subject to the accuracy, as of the Applicable Time, the Closing Date or the
Option Closing Date, as the case may be, of the representations and warranties
of the Company contained herein, and to the performance by the Company of its
covenants and obligations hereunder and to the following additional
conditions:
(a) The
Registration Statement and all post-effective amendments thereto shall have
become effective and the Prospectus shall have been filed as required by Rule
424 under the Act, within the time period prescribed by, and in compliance with,
the Rules and Regulations, and any request of the Commission for additional
information (to be included in the Registration Statement or otherwise) shall
have been disclosed to the Representative and complied with to its reasonable
satisfaction. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement, as amended from time to time, shall have been issued and
no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Act shall
have been taken or, to the knowledge of the Company, shall be contemplated or
threatened by the Commission and no injunction, restraining order or order of
any nature by a Federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been
issued as of the Closing Date which would prevent the issuance of the
Units.
21
(b) The
Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Option
Closing Date, as the case may be, the opinion of Xxxxxxxxx Traurig, LLP, counsel
for the Company, dated the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case
may be, addressed to the Underwriters in substantially the form attached hereto
as Exhibit B.
In
rendering such opinion, Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, LLP may rely as to matters governed
by the laws of states other than Nevada, New York or Federal laws on local
counsel in such jurisdictions, provided that in each case Xxxxxxxxx Traurig, LLP
shall state that they believe that they and the Underwriters are justified in
relying on such other counsel.
(c) The
Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Option
Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion and statement of Skadden, Arps,
Slate, Xxxxxxx & Xxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to
such matters as the Representative may reasonably request, and such counsel
shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably
request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(d) The
Representative shall have received, on each of the date hereof, the Closing Date
and, if applicable, the Option Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof, the
Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and
substance satisfactory to you, of Xxxxxxxxx, Kass & Company, P.C. confirming
that they are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to
the Company within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules and
Regulations and the PCAOB and stating that in their opinion the financial
statements and schedules examined by them and included in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply as to form
in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act
and the related Rules and Regulations; containing such other statements and
information as are ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to
underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial
information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus.
(e) The
Representative shall have received on the Closing Date and, if applicable, the
Option Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate or certificates of the
Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company to the
effect that, as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may
be, each of them severally represents as follows:
(i) The
Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and no order
preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus
has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A
of the Act have been taken or are, to his or her knowledge, contemplated or
threatened by the Commission;
22
(ii) The
representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof are
true and correct as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case
may be (except for representations and warranties which refer to a particular
date, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and
correct as of such date);
(iii) All
filings required to have been made pursuant to Rules 424, 430A, 430B or 430C
under the Act have been made as and when required by such rules;
(iv) He
or she has carefully examined the General Disclosure Package and, in his or her
opinion, as of the Applicable Time, the statements contained in the General
Disclosure Package did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact, and
such General Disclosure Package did not omit to state a material fact necessary
in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading;
(v) He
or she has carefully examined the Registration Statement and, in his or her
opinion, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement, the
Registration Statement and any amendments thereto did not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not
misleading, and since the effective date of the Registration Statement, no event
has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement to or an amendment
of the Prospectus which has not been so set forth in such supplement or
amendment;
(vi) He
or she has carefully examined the Prospectus and, in his or her opinion, as of
its date and the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be,
the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto did not contain any
untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and
(vii) Since
the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been
any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material
adverse change in or affecting the business, management, properties, assets,
rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the
Company, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of
business.
23
(f) The
Company shall have furnished to the Representative such further certificates and
documents confirming the representations and warranties, covenants and
conditions contained herein and related matters as the Representative may
reasonably have requested.
(g)
The Company shall have delivered to the Representative executed copies of
the Trust Agreement, the Warrant Agreement and each of the Insider
Letters.
(h)
FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the
fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and
arrangements.
(i) On
or before the Effective Date, the Representative shall have received from
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Xxxxxxx & Xxxx LLP a written report detailing those
states in which the Securities may be traded in non-issuer transactions under
the Blue Sky laws of the fifty (50) States (the “Secondary Market Trading
Survey”).
(j) No
order preventing or suspending the sale of the Units in any jurisdiction
designated by the Representative pursuant to Section 4(hh) hereof shall have
been issued as of the Closing Date, and no proceedings for that purpose shall
have been instituted or shall have been threatened.
The
opinions and certificates mentioned in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in
compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in all material respects
reasonably satisfactory to the Representative and to Skadden, Arps, Slate,
Xxxxxxx & Xxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters.
If any of
the conditions hereinabove provided for in this Section 6 shall not have been
fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, the
obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the
Representative by notifying the Company of such termination in writing at or
prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may
be.
In such
event, the Company and the Underwriters shall not be under any obligation to
each other (except to the extent provided in Sections 5 and 7
hereof).
24
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7.
|
Indemnification and
Contribution.
|
(a) The
Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates and
each of its and their respective directors, officers, members, employees,
representatives and agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter
within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the
Exchange Act (collectively the “Underwriter Indemnified
Parties,” and each an “Underwriter Indemnified
Party”) against any loss, claim, damage, expense or liability whatsoever
(or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), joint or
several, to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under
the Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability,
action, investigation or proceeding arises out of or is based upon (i) any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any
amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference therein,
or in any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) for the
offering (“Marketing
Materials”) or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state
in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or
in any amendment or supplement thereto, or in any Marketing Materials, a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, or (iii) any breach of the representations and
warranties of the Company contained herein or failure of the Company to perform
its obligations hereunder or pursuant to any law, any act or failure to act, or
any alleged act or failure to act, by any Underwriter in connection with, or
relating in any manner to, the Units or the offering of the Units contemplated
herein, and which is included as part of or referred to in any loss, claim,
damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding arising out of
or based upon matters covered by subclause (i), (ii) or (iii) above of this
Section 7(a) (provided
that the Company shall not be liable in the case of any matter covered by this
subclause (C) to the extent that it is determined in a final judgment by a court
of competent jurisdiction that such loss, claim, damage, expense
or liability resulted directly from any such act or failure to act
undertaken or omitted to be taken by such Underwriter through its gross
negligence or willful misconduct), and shall reimburse the Underwriter
Indemnified Party promptly upon demand for any legal fees or other expenses
reasonably incurred by that Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with
investigating, or preparing to defend, or defending against, or appearing as a
third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any
such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or
proceeding, as such fees and 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, expense or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement
or alleged untrue statement in, or omission or alleged omission from any
Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any
such amendment or supplement thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity
with written information furnished to the Company by the Representative by or on
behalf of any Underwriter specifically for use therein, which information the
parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriters’ Information (as defined in
Section 12). This indemnity agreement is not exclusive and will be in
addition to any liability which the Company might otherwise have and shall not
limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available at law or in
equity to each Underwriter Indemnified Party.
25
(b) Each
Underwriter, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and hold harmless the
Company and its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement
and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of
Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively
the “Company
Indemnified Parties” and each a “Company Indemnified
Party”) against any loss, claim, damage, expense or liability whatsoever
(or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), joint or
several, to which such Company Indemnified Party may become subject, under the
Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability,
action, investigation or proceeding arises out of or is based upon (i) any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any
amendment or supplement thereto, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to
state in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
but in each case only to the extent that the untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the
Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for use therein,
which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriters’
Information (as defined in Section 12), and shall reimburse the Company for any
legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with
investigating or preparing to defend or defending against, or appearing as a
third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any
such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or
proceeding, as such fees and expenses are incurred. Notwithstanding
the provisions of this Section 7(b), in no event shall any indemnity by an
Underwriter under this Section 7(b) exceed the total compensation received
by such Underwriter in accordance with Section 2.
26
(c) Promptly
after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 7 of notice of the
commencement of any action, the indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect
thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 7, notify
such indemnifying party in writing of the commencement of that action; provided, however, that the
failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability
which it may have under this Section 7 except to the extent it has been
materially prejudiced by such failure; and, provided, further, that the
failure to notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability
which it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under this Section
7. If any such action shall be brought against an indemnified party,
and it shall notify the indemnifying party thereof, the indemnifying party shall
be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it wishes, jointly
with any other similarly notified indemnifying party, to assume the defense of
such action with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party (which
counsel shall not, except with the written consent of the indemnified party, be
counsel to the indemnifying party). After notice from the
indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the
defense of such action, except as provided herein, the indemnifying party shall
not be liable to the indemnified party under Section 7 for any legal or
other expenses subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with
the defense of such action other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that any
indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such
action and to participate in the defense of such action but the fees and
expenses of such counsel (other than reasonable costs of investigation) shall be
at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment thereof has
been specifically authorized in writing by the Company in the case of a claim
for indemnification under Section 7(a) or the Underwriters in the case of a
claim for indemnification under Section 7(b), (ii) such indemnified party shall
have been advised by its counsel that there may be one or more legal defenses
available to it which are different from or additional to those available to the
indemnifying party, or (iii) the indemnifying party has failed to assume the
defense of such action and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the
indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of the
commencement of the action or the indemnifying party does not diligently defend
the action after assumption of the defense, in which case, if such indemnified
party notifies the indemnifying party in writing that it elects to employ
separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying
party shall not have the right to assume the defense of (or, in the case of a
failure to diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, to
continue to defend) such action on behalf of such indemnified party and the
indemnifying party shall be responsible for legal or other expenses subsequently
incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense of such
action; provided, however, that the
indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one such action or separate
but substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising
out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the
reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any
time for all such indemnified parties (in addition to any local counsel), which
firm shall be designated in writing by the Representative if the indemnified
parties under this Section 7 consist of any Underwriter Indemnified Party or by
the Company if the indemnified parties under this Section 7 consist of any
Company Indemnified Parties. Subject to this Section 7(c), the amount
payable by an indemnifying party under Section 7 shall include, but not be
limited to, (x) reasonable legal fees and expenses of counsel to the indemnified
party and any other expenses in investigating, or preparing to defend or
defending against, or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or
otherwise incurred in connection with, any action, investigation, proceeding or
claim, and (y) all amounts paid in settlement of any of the
foregoing. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written
consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry
of judgment with respect to any pending or threatened action or any claim
whatsoever, in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought
under this Section 7 (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or
potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i)
includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party in form and
substance reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party from all liability
arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to
or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any
indemnified party. Subject to the provisions of the following
sentence, no indemnifying party shall be liable for settlement of any pending or
threatened action or any claim whatsoever that is effected without its written
consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), but if
settled with its written consent, if its consent has been unreasonably withheld
or delayed or if there be a judgment for the plaintiff in any such matter, the
indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any indemnified party
from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or
judgment. In addition, if at any time an indemnified party shall have
requested that an indemnifying party reimburse the indemnified party for fees
and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable
for any settlement of the nature contemplated herein effected without its
written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than forty-five (45)
days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the request for reimbursement,
(ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such
settlement at least thirty (30) days prior to such settlement being entered into
and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such
indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such
settlement.
27
(d) If
the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable or
insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 7(a) or Section
7(b), then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such
indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid, payable or otherwise incurred
by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage, expense or
liability (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), as
incurred, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative
benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the
other hand from the offering of the Units, or (ii) if the allocation provided by
clause (i) of this Section 7(d) is not permitted by applicable law, in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred
to in clause (i) of this Section 7(d) but also the relative fault of the Company
on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other with respect to the
statements, omissions, acts or failures to act which resulted in such loss,
claim, damage, expense or liability (or any action, investigation or proceeding
in respect thereof) as well as any other relevant equitable
considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the
one hand and the Underwriters on the other with respect to such offering shall
be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the
offering of the Units purchased under this Agreement (before deducting expenses)
received by the Company bear to the total discounts and commissions received by
the Underwriters in connection with the offering, in each case as set forth in
the table on the cover page of the Prospectus (but in the case of the
Underwriters, including the Deferred Discount only to the extent actually
received by the Underwriters). The relative fault of the Company on
the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference
to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact
relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the
Underwriters on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative
knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such
untrue statement, omission, act or failure to act; provided that the parties
hereto agree that the written information furnished to the Company by the
Underwriters for use in the Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement
or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, consists solely of
the Underwriters’ Information (as defined in Section 12). The Company
and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if
contributions pursuant to this Section 7(d) were to be determined by pro rata
allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account
the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or
payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, damage, expense,
liability, action, investigation or proceeding referred to above in this Section
7(d) shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 7(d), any legal or
other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with
investigating, preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as a third
party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any such
loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or
proceeding. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7(d), no
Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the total
compensation received by such Underwriter in accordance with Section 2 less the
amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise paid or become liable
to pay by reason of any untrue or alleged untrue statement, omission or alleged
omission, act or alleged act or failure to act or alleged failure to
act. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the
meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from
any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute
as provided in this Section 7(d) are several in proportion to their respective
obligations and not joint.
28
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8.
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Notices.
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All
communications hereunder shall be in writing and, except as otherwise provided
herein, will be mailed, delivered, telecopied or telegraphed and confirmed as
follows: if to the Underwriters, to Lazard Capital Markets LLC, 00
Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attn: Xxxxxx Xxxxx, General
Counsel; if to the Company, to RLJ Acquisition, Inc., 0 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, Attn: X. Xxx Xxxxxxxx.
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9.
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Termination.
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This
Agreement may be terminated by you by notice to the Company (a) at any time
prior to the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date (if different from the
Closing Date and then only as to Option Units) if any of the following has
occurred: (i) since the respective dates as of which information is
given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, a Material Adverse Effect shall have occurred, (ii) trading in
securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq Global Market or the
American Stock Exchange or in the over-the-counter market, or trading in any
securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market,
shall have been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices or
maximum range for prices shall have been established on any such exchange or
such market by the Commission, by such exchange or market or by any other
regulatory body or governmental authority having jurisdiction, (iii) a banking
moratorium shall have been declared by Federal or state authorities or a
material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement
or clearance services in the United States, (iv) the United States shall have
become engaged in hostilities, or the subject of an act of terrorism, or there
shall have been an outbreak of or escalation in hostilities involving the United
States, or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by
the United States or (v) there shall have occurred such a material adverse
change in general economic, political or financial conditions (or the effect of
international conditions on the financial markets in the United States shall be
such) as to make it, in the judgment of the Representative, impracticable or
inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Units on the terms and
in the manner contemplated in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus;
or
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(b)
|
as
provided in Sections 6 and 13 of this
Agreement.
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|
10.
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Successors.
|
This
Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and
the Company and their respective successors, executors, administrators, heirs
and assigns, and the officers, directors and controlling persons referred to
herein, and no other person will have any right or obligation
hereunder. No purchaser of any of the Units from any Underwriter
shall be deemed a successor or assignee merely because of such
purchase.
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11.
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Information Provided
by Underwriters.
|
The
Company and the Underwriters acknowledge and agree that the only information
furnished or to be furnished by any Underwriter to the Company for inclusion in
the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus
consists of the information set forth in the third and eighth paragraphs under
the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus and each Underwriter’s name as
contained on the cover page of the Prospectus (the “Underwriters’
Information”).
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12.
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Default by
Underwriters.
|
If on the
Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any Underwriter
shall fail to purchase and pay for the portion of the Units which such
Underwriter has agreed to purchase and pay for on such date (otherwise than by
reason of any default on the part of the Company), you, as Representative of the
Underwriters, shall use your reasonable efforts to procure within 36 hours
thereafter one or more of the other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase
from the Company such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms set forth
herein, the Units which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to
purchase. If during such 36 hours you, as such Representative, shall
not have procured such other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase the Units
agreed to be purchased by the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then (a)
if the aggregate number of Units with respect to which such default shall occur
does not exceed 10% of the Units to be purchased on the Closing Date or the
Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the other Underwriters shall be
obligated, severally, in proportion to the respective numbers of Units which
they are obligated to purchase hereunder, to purchase the Units which such
defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase, or (b) if the
aggregate number of Units with respect to which such default shall occur exceeds
10% of the Units to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date,
as the case may be, the Company or you as the Representative of the Underwriters
will have the right, by written notice given within the next 36-hour period to
the parties to this Agreement, to terminate this Agreement without liability on
the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters or of the Company except to the
extent provided in Section 7 hereof. In the event of a default by any
Underwriter or Underwriters, as set forth in this Section 13, the Closing Date
or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, may be postponed for such period,
not exceeding seven days, as you, as Representative, may determine in order that
the required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package or in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be
effected. The term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for
a defaulting Underwriter. Any action taken under this Section 13
shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any
default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
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13.
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Absence of Fiduciary
Duty.
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The
Company acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) the
Underwriters’ responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature, the
Underwriters have been retained solely to act as underwriters in connection with
the offering of the Units contemplated herein and no fiduciary, advisory or
agency relationship between the Company and the Underwriters has been created in
respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective
of whether the Underwriters, the Representative or Lazard Frères & Co. LLC
have advised or are advising the Company on other matters;
30
(b) the
price of the Units set forth in this Agreement was established following
arms-length negotiations and the Company is capable of evaluating and
understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(c) it
has been advised that the Underwriters, the Representative, Lazard Frères &
Co. LLC and their respective affiliates are engaged in a broad range of
transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company
and that the Underwriters have no obligation to disclose such interests and
transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency
relationship; and
(d) it
waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against
the Underwriters for breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Underwriters
shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect
of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim
on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, employees or
creditors of the Company.
|
14.
|
Miscellaneous.
|
The
reimbursement, indemnification and contribution agreements contained in this
Agreement and the representations, warranties and covenants contained in this
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of (a) any
termination of this Agreement, (b) any investigation made by or on behalf of any
Underwriter or controlling person thereof, or by or on behalf of the Company or
its directors or officers and (c) delivery of and payment for the Units under
this Agreement.
This
Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be
deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
This
Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the
State of New York, including, without limitation, Section 5-1401 of the New York
General Obligations Law. In any proceeding relating to the
Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any
supplement or amendment thereto, each party hereby (i) irrevocably submits to
the jurisdiction of the United States District Court sitting in the Southern
District of New York and the courts of the State of New York located in New York
county for the purposes of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or
relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby and (ii)
hereby waives, and agrees not to assert in any such suit, action or proceeding,
any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of such court,
that the suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or that
the venue of the suit, action or proceeding is improper. Each party
hereto consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding
by mailing a copy thereof to such party at the address in effect for notices to
it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and
sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained
in this section shall affect or limit any right to serve process in any other
manner permitted by law.
31
If the
foregoing letter is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement,
please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicates hereof, whereupon it will
become a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters in
accordance with its terms.
32
Very
truly yours,
|
|
By
|
|
Name:
|
|
Title:
|
The
foregoing Underwriting Agreement
is
hereby confirmed and accepted as
of
the date first above written.
|
|
LAZARD
CAPITAL MARKETS LLC
|
|
By
|
|
Authorized
Officer
|
As
Representative of the
Underwriters
listed on Schedule I
SCHEDULE
I
Schedule
of Underwriters
Underwriter
|
Number
of Firm Units
to be Purchased
|
|||
Lazard
Capital Markets LLC
|
12,500,000 | |||
Total
|
12,500,000 |
SCHEDULE
II
[To
come.]
EXHIBIT
A
[To
come.]
A-1
EXHIBIT
B
[To
come.]
B-1