Shares China Security & Surveillance Technology, Inc. Common Stock FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
Shares
China Security & Surveillance Technology, Inc.
Common Stock
FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
May , 2010
Xxxxxxxxxxx & Co. Inc.
Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Carret & Co., LLC
As Representatives of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto
c/o Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
China Security & Surveillance Technology, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions contained herein, to sell to you and the other underwriters named on Schedule I to this Agreement (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as Representatives (the “Representatives”), an aggregate of shares (the “Firm Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”). The respective amounts of the Firm Shares to be purchased by each of the several Underwriters are set forth opposite their names on Schedule I hereto. In addition, the Company proposes to grant to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 2,250,000 shares (the “Option Shares”) of Common Stock for the purpose of covering over-allotments in connection with the sale of the Firm Shares. The Firm Shares and the Option Shares are collectively called the “Shares.”
The Company has prepared and filed in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the published rules and regulations thereunder (the “Rules”) adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a Registration Statement (as hereinafter defined) on Form S-3 (No. 333-165390), including a preliminary prospectus relating to the Shares, and such amendments thereof as may have been required to the date of this Agreement. Copies of such Registration Statement (including all amendments thereof) and of the related Preliminary Prospectus (as hereinafter defined) have heretofore been delivered by the Company to you. The term “Preliminary Prospectus” means any preliminary prospectus included at any time as a part of the Registration Statement or filed with the Commission by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the Rules. The term “Registration Statement” as used in this Agreement means the initial registration
statement (including all exhibits, financial schedules and all documents and information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement through incorporation by reference or otherwise), as amended at the time and on the date it becomes effective (the “Effective Date”), including the information (if any) contained in the form of final prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and deemed to be part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A of the Rules. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement to register additional Shares pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Rules (the “462(b) Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the Registration Statement shall also be deemed to include such 462(b) Registration Statement. The term “Prospectus” as used in this Agreement means the prospectus in the form included in the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness or, if Rule 430A of the Rules is relied on, the term Prospectus shall also include the final prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to and within the time limits described in Rule 424(b) of the Rules. Reference made herein to any Preliminary Prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus (as hereinafter defined) or to the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents incorporated by reference therein, including pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, as of the date of such Preliminary Prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus, or the Prospectus, as the case may be, or thereafter, and any reference to any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any document filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and incorporated by reference in such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.
The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Shares, as set forth in and pursuant to the Statutory Prospectus (as hereinafter defined) and the Prospectus, as soon after the Effective Date and the date of this Agreement as the Representatives deem advisable. The Company hereby confirms that the Underwriters and dealers have been authorized to distribute or cause to be distributed each Preliminary Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as hereinafter defined), and are authorized to distribute the Prospectus (as from time to time amended or supplemented if the Company furnishes amendments thereof or supplements thereto to the Underwriters).
1. Sale, Purchase, Delivery and Payment for the Shares. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements contained in, and subject to the terms and conditions of, this Agreement:
(a) The Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of $[ ] per share (the “Initial Price”), the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter under the column “Number of Firm Shares to be Purchased” on Schedule I to this Agreement, subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 8 hereof.
(b) The Company hereby grants to the several Underwriters an option to purchase, severally and not jointly, all or any part of the Option Shares at the Initial Price. The number of Option Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the same percentage (adjusted by the Representatives to eliminate fractions) of the total number of Option Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters as such Underwriter is purchasing the Firm Shares. Such option may be
2
exercised only to cover over-allotments in the sales of the Firm Shares by the Underwriters and may be exercised in whole or in part at any time on or before 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the business day before the Firm Shares Closing Date (as defined below), and from time to time thereafter within thirty (30) days after the date of this Agreement, in each case upon written, facsimile or telegraphic notice, or verbal or telephonic notice confirmed by written, facsimile or telegraphic notice, by the Representatives to the Company no later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the business day before the Firm Shares Closing Date or at least two (2) business days before the Option Shares Closing Date (as defined below), as the case may be, setting forth the number of Option Shares to be purchased and the time and date (if other than the Firm Shares Closing Date) of such purchase.
(c) Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, the Firm Shares shall be made at the offices of Xxxxxxxxxxx & Co. Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the third (3rd) business day following the date of this Agreement or at such time on such other date, not later than ten (10) business days after the date of this Agreement, as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representatives (such time and date of delivery and payment are called the “Firm Shares Closing Date”). In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Shares are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price, and delivery of the certificates, for such Option Shares shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, on each date of delivery as specified in the notice from the Representatives to the Company (such time and date of delivery and payment are called the “Option Shares Closing Date”). The Firm Shares Closing Date and any Option Shares Closing Date are called, individually, a “Closing Date” and, together, the “Closing Dates.”
(d) Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds or by certified or official bank check or checks payable in New York Clearing House (same day) funds drawn to the order of the Company, against delivery of the respective certificates to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates for the Shares to be purchased by them.
(e) Certificates evidencing the Shares shall be registered in such names and shall be in such denominations as the Representatives shall request at least two (2) full business days before the Firm Shares Closing Date or, in the case of Option Shares, on the day of notice of exercise of the option as described in Section 1(b) and shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representatives through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) for the account of such Underwriter. The Company will cause the certificates representing the Shares to be made available for checking and packaging, at such place as is designated by the Representatives, on the full business day before the Firm Shares Closing Date (or the Option Shares Closing Date in the case of the Option Shares).
2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Firm Shares Closing Date and as of each Option Shares Closing Date (if any), as follows:
(a) On the Effective Date, the Registration Statement complied, and on the date of the Prospectus, the date any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes
3
effective, the date any supplement or amendment to the Prospectus is filed with the Commission and each Closing Date, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (and any amendment thereof or supplement thereto) will comply, in all material respects, with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Rules and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. The Registration Statement did not, as of the Effective Date, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and on the Effective Date and the other dates referred to above neither the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus, nor any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, will contain any untrue statement of a material fact or will omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading. When any Preliminary Prospectus was first filed with the Commission (whether filed as part of the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto or pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the Rules) and when any amendment thereof or supplement thereto was first filed with the Commission, such Preliminary Prospectus as amended or supplemented complied in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act and the Rules and did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading. If applicable, each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. Notwithstanding the foregoing, none of the representations and warranties in this paragraph 2(a) shall apply to statements in, or omissions from, the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information herein or otherwise furnished in writing by the Representatives on behalf of the several Underwriters specifically for use in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be. With respect to the preceding sentence, the Company acknowledges that the only information furnished in writing by the Representatives on behalf of the several Underwriters for use in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus is the statements contained in the first table under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus, the information concerning discounts in the second table under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus and the bulleted paragraphs under the ninth paragraph of the text (entitled “stabilizing transactions”, “over-allotments and syndicate covering transactions”, “penalty bids” and “passive market making”) under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).
(b) As of the Applicable Time (as hereinafter defined), neither (i) the price to the public and the number of shares offered and sold, as indicated on the cover page of the Prospectus and the Statutory Prospectus (as hereinafter defined), all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Issuer Free Writing Prospectus when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements in or omissions in the General Disclosure Package made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
4
Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as hereinafter defined), including any electronic road show (including without limitation any “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act) (each, a “Road Show”) (i) is identified in Schedule III hereto and (ii) complied when issued, and complies, in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
As used in this Section and elsewhere in this Agreement:
“Applicable Time” means [ ]:00 [ ]m (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement.
“Statutory Prospectus” as of any time means the Preliminary Prospectus relating to the Shares that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the Applicable Time including any document incorporated by reference therein.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means each “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules) prepared by or on behalf of the Company or used or referred to by the Company in connection with the offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, each Road Show.
(c) The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act and no stop order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or preventing the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are threatened under the Securities Act. Any required filing of any Preliminary Prospectus and/or the Prospectus and any supplement thereto pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules has been or will be made in the manner and within the time period required by such Rule 424(b). Any material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) or Rule 164 of the Rules has been or will be made in the manner and within the time period required by such Rules.
(d) The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, at the time they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Rules or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.
(e) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the Option Shares Closing Date or until any earlier date that the Company notified or
5
notifies the Representative as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, including any document incorporated by reference therein that has not been superseded or modified, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus.
If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representative and has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(f) The financial statements of the Company (including all notes and schedules thereto) included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and Prospectus present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; and such financial statements and related schedules and notes thereto, and the unaudited financial statements filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement, have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles of the United States (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved. The summary and selected financial data and other financial information included in the Statutory Prospectus and Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein as at the respective dates and for the respective periods specified and have been presented on a basis consistent with the consolidated financial statements set forth in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus. There are no pro forma or adjusted financial statements which are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus in accordance with Regulation S-X which have not been included as so required.
(g) To the Company’s knowledge, GHP Xxxxxxx, P.C. (the “Auditor”) whose reports are filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement, are and, during the periods covered by their reports, were independent public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the Rules.
(h) The Company and each of its subsidiaries, including each entity (corporation, partnership, joint venture, association or other business organization) controlled directly or indirectly by the Company (each, a “subsidiary”), is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of incorporation or organization and each such entity has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as is currently being conducted as described in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, and to own, lease and operate its properties. Other than subsidiaries that have timely submitted applications for reduction of registered capital and have not received any indication of adverse action, all of the issued shares of capital stock of, or other ownership interests in, each subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned, directly
6
or indirectly, by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, mortgage, pledge, security interest, claim, limitation on voting rights, equity, trust or other encumbrance, preferential arrangement, defect or restriction of any kind whatsoever. The Company and each of its subsidiaries is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted by it or location of the assets or properties owned, leased or licensed by it requires such qualification, except for such jurisdictions where the failure to so qualify individually or in the aggregate would not have a material adverse effect on the assets, properties, condition, financial or otherwise, or in the results of operations, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”); and to the Company’s knowledge, no proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing, or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail, such power and authority or qualification.
(i) The Company and each of its subsidiaries has all requisite corporate power and authority, and all necessary authorizations, approvals, consents, orders, licenses, certificates and permits of and from all governmental or regulatory bodies or any other person or entity (collectively, the “Permits”), to own, lease and license its assets and properties and conduct its business, all of which are valid and in full force and effect, except where the lack of such Permits, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and each of its subsidiaries has fulfilled and performed in all material respects all of its obligations with respect to such Permits and no event has occurred that allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or results in any other material impairment of the rights of the Company thereunder. Except as may be required under the Securities Act, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and state and foreign Blue Sky laws, no other Permits are required to enter into, deliver and perform this Agreement and to issue and sell the Shares.
(j) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, and (ii) at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules, including (but not limited to) the Company or any of its subsidiaries in the preceding three (3) years not having been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or having been made the subject of a judicial or administrative decree or order as described in Rule 405 of the Rules.
(k) Other than disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, each of the Company and its subsidiaries (i) owns or possesses adequate right to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, domain names, trade names, trademark registrations, service xxxx registrations, copyrights, licenses, and know-how and other intellectual property (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures, “Intellectual Property”) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as presently conducted and as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus and (ii) has no reason to believe that the conduct of their respective businesses does or will conflict with, and has not received any notice of any claim of conflict with, any such right of others. To the Company’s knowledge, all material technical information developed by and belonging to the Company or any of its subsidiaries which has not been patented has been kept confidential. To the Company’s knowledge, there is no infringement by third parties of any such Intellectual Property. There is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ rights in or
7
to any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim. There is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company or any of its subsidiaries infringes or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others, and the Company is unaware of any fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim.
(l) The Company and each of its subsidiaries has good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property, and good and marketable title to all other property owned by it other than Intellectual Property, which is covered by section 2(k), in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims, security interests and defects, except such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries. All property held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries is held by them under valid, existing and enforceable leases, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims, security interests and defects, except such as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries.
(m) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any event which could have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its assets, businesses or properties (whether owned or leased) from fire, explosion, earthquake, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or any court or legislative or other governmental action, order or decree which would have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) since the date of the latest balance sheet included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor its subsidiaries has (A) issued any securities (other than an issuance permitted pursuant to this Agreement), or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money, except such liabilities or obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business, (B) entered into any transaction not in the ordinary course of business or (C) declared or paid any dividend or made any distribution on any shares of its stock or redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired or agreed to redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire any shares of its capital stock.
(n) There is no document, contract or other agreement required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement which is not described or filed as required by the Securities Act or Rules. Each description of a contract, document or other agreement in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus accurately reflects in all material respects the terms of the underlying contract, document or other agreement. Each contract, document or other agreement described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus or listed in the exhibits to the Registration Statement or incorporated by reference is in full force and effect and is valid and enforceable by and against the Company or its subsidiary, as the case may be, in accordance with its terms. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, if a subsidiary is a party, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in default in the observance or performance of any term or obligation to be performed by it under any such agreement, and no event has occurred which with notice or lapse of time or both would constitute such a default, in any such case which default or event, individually or in the
8
aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect. No default exists, and no event has occurred which with notice or lapse of time or both would constitute a default, in the due performance and observance of any term, covenant or condition, by the Company or its subsidiary, if a subsidiary is a party thereto, of any other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which Company or its properties or business or a subsidiary or its properties or business may be bound or affected which default or event, individually or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(o) The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate.
(p) Neither the Company nor any subsidiary (i) is in violation of its certificate or articles of incorporation, by-laws, certificate of formation, partnership agreement or other organizational documents, (ii) is in default under, and no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute a default under any agreement, covenant or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge, mortgage, pledge, security interest, claim, limitation on voting rights, equity, trust or other encumbrance, preferential arrangement, defect or restriction of any kind whatsoever upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to any bond, debenture, note, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its properties or assets is subject, (iii) is in violation of any statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, directive, judgment, decree or order of any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body, foreign or domestic or (iv) is in breach or in default of any of the Permits, except (in the case of clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv) above) for violations or defaults that could not (individually or in the aggregate) reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(r) Neither the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company nor the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby (including, without limitation, the issuance and sale by the Company of the Shares) will (i) give rise to a right to terminate or accelerate the due date of any payment due under, or conflict with or result in the breach of any term or provision of, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would constitute a default) under, or require any consent or waiver under, or result in the execution or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties or assets of the Company or its subsidiaries pursuant to the terms of, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which either the Company or its subsidiaries or any of their properties or businesses is bound, (ii) violate or conflict with any franchise, license, permit, judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) violate or conflict with any provision of the certificate or articles of incorporation, by-laws, certificate of formation, , partnership agreement or other organizational documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except for such consents or waivers which have already been obtained and are in full force and effect; other than, with respect to clauses (i) and (ii) above, any conflict, breach, default or violation that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
9
(s) The Company has authorized and outstanding capital stock as set forth under the caption “Description of Capital Stock” in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus. The certificates evidencing the Shares are in due and proper legal form and have been duly authorized for issuance by the Company. All of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock have been duly and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable. There are no statutory preemptive or other similar rights to subscribe for or to purchase or acquire any shares of Common Stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any such rights pursuant to its certificate or articles of incorporation or by-laws or any agreement or instrument to or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or bound. The Shares, when issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and none of them will be issued in violation of any preemptive or other similar right. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, there is no outstanding option, warrant or other right calling for the issuance of, and there is no commitment, plan or arrangement to issue, any share of stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any security convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, such stock. The exercise price of each option to acquire Common Stock (each, a “Company Stock Option”) is no less than the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined on the date of grant of such Company Stock Option. All grants of Company Stock Options were validly issued and properly approved by the Board of Directors of the Company in material compliance with all applicable laws and the terms of the plans under which such Company Stock Options were issued and were recorded on the Company Financial Statements, including filings with the Commission, in accordance with GAAP, and no such grants involved any “back dating”, “forward dating,” “spring loading” or similar practices with respect to the effective date of grant. The Common Stock and the Shares conform in all material respects to all statements in relation thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus. All outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the Company’s subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, and are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned directly by the Company or by another wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company free and clear of any security interests, liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, other than those described in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(t) The Shares are freely transferable to and for the account of the several Underwriters; there are no restrictions on subsequent transfers of the Shares under the laws of the United States, Hong Kong or the PRC, except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus. No holder of the Shares is or will be subject to personal liability solely by reason of being such a holder.
(u) No holder of any security of the Company has any right, which has not been waived, to have any security owned by such holder included in the Registration Statement or to demand registration of any security owned by such holder for a period of 180 days after the date of this Agreement. Each director and officer of the Company and each stockholder of the Company listed on Schedule II hereto has delivered to the Representatives his or her enforceable written lock-up agreement in the form attached to this Agreement as Exhibit A hereto (“Lock-Up Agreement”).
(v) There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
10
the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries could individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the knowledge of the Company, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others.
(w) All necessary corporate action has been duly and validly taken by the Company and to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company.
(x) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is involved in any labor dispute nor, to the knowledge of the Company, is any such dispute threatened, which dispute would have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors which would have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not aware of any threatened or pending litigation between the Company or its subsidiaries and any of its officers which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could have a Material Adverse Effect, and has no reason to believe that such officers will not remain in the employment of the Company.
(y) No transaction has occurred between or among the Company and any of its officers or directors, five percent (5%) shareholders or any affiliate or affiliates of any such officer or director or five percent (5%) shareholder that is required to be described in and is not described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(z) Neither the Company or any of its affiliates (within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act) has taken, nor will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or which might reasonably be expected 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 Common Stock or any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares.
(aa) The Company and each of its subsidiaries has filed all tax returns required to be filed by it through the date hereof, which returns are true and correct in all material respects. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has paid or made provision for the payment of all taxes, assessments, governmental or other similar charges, with respect to the periods covered by such tax returns (whether or not such amounts are shown as due on any tax return). No deficiency assessment with respect to a proposed adjustment of the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ taxes is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened. The accruals and reserves on the books and records of the Company and its subsidiaries in respect of tax liabilities for any taxable period not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments and related liabilities for any such period and, since the date of the most recent audited financial statements, the Company and its subsidiaries have not incurred any liability for taxes other than in the ordinary course of their business. There is no tax lien imposed by any taxing authority, outstanding against the assets, properties or business of the Company or any subsidiary. There are no tax audits or investigations pending which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would have a Material Adverse Effect.
11
(bb) The Shares have been duly authorized for listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
(cc) The Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or listing on the New York Stock Exchange, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the New York Stock Exchange is contemplating terminating such registration or quotation.
(dd) The books, records and accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries accurately and fairly reflect, the transactions in, and dispositions of, the assets of, and the results of operations of, the Company and its subsidiaries. The Company and each of its subsidiaries 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 authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (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 the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
(ee) The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act), which: (i) are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer by others within the Company, particularly during the periods in which the periodic reports required under the Exchange Act are required to be prepared; (ii) provide for the periodic evaluation of the effectiveness of such disclosure controls and procedures at the end of the periods in which the periodic reports are required to be prepared; and (iii) are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established.
(ff) Based on the evaluation of its disclosure controls and procedures, the Company is not aware of (i) any material weakness or significant deficiency in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data or any material weaknesses in internal controls; (ii) any matter which could result in a restatement of the Company’s financial statements for any annual or interim period during the current fiscal year or prior fiscal years; or (iii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a role in the Company’s internal controls.
(gg) The Auditor has not been engaged by the Company to perform any “prohibited activities” (as defined in Section 10A of the Exchange Act).
(hh) Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no material off-balance sheet arrangements (as defined in Item 303 of Regulation S-K) that have or are reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) The Company’s Board of Directors has validly appointed an audit committee whose composition satisfies the requirements of Section 303A of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual and the Board of Directors and/or the audit committee has complied with, and
12
adopted a charter that satisfies, the requirements of Section 303A of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual. The Board of Directors and/or audit committee has reviewed the adequacy of such charter within the past twelve (12) months.
(jj) There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of its directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act, including, without limitation, Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(kk) The Company and its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in China ; all policies of insurance and fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Company or any of its subsidiaries or the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect; the Company and each of its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; and neither the Company nor any subsidiary of the Company has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that is not materially greater than the current cost. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.
(ll) Each approval, consent, order, authorization, designation, declaration or filing of, by or with any regulatory, administrative or other governmental body necessary in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated required to be obtained or performed by the Company (except such additional steps as may be required by FINRA or may be necessary to qualify the Shares for public offering by the Underwriters under the state securities or Blue Sky laws) has been obtained or made and is in full force and effect.
(mm) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, the PRC regulation “Provisions Regarding Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors” does not require an application to be submitted to the China Security Regulatory Commission for the approval for the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(nn) There are no affiliations or associations between any member of FINRA and any of the Company’s officers, directors or, to the best knowledge of the Company, any five percent or greater stockholder of the Company, except as set forth in the Registration Statement or otherwise disclosed in writing to the Representatives.
(oo) The Company does not expect to be a Passive Foreign Investment Company (“PFIC”) within the meaning of Section 1297(a) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder for the year ending December 31, 2010, and has no plan or intention to conduct its business in a manner that would be reasonably expected to result in the Company becoming a PFIC in the future under current laws and regulations.
13
(pp) (i) Each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries is in compliance with all rules, laws and regulation relating to the use, treatment, storage and disposal of toxic substances and protection of health or the environment (“Environmental Law”) which are applicable to its business; (ii) neither the Company nor its subsidiaries has received any notice from any governmental authority or third party of an asserted claim under Environmental Laws; (iii) each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries has received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of it under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct its business and is in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval; and (iv) to the Company’s knowledge, no facts currently exist that will require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to make future material capital or other expenditures to comply with Environmental Laws.
(qq) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offer and sale of the Shares and the application of proceeds thereof as described in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, will not be an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).
(rr) The Company or any other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company including, without limitation, any director, officer, agent, employee or Affiliate of the Company or its subsidiaries, has not, directly or indirectly, while acting on behalf of the Company or its subsidiaries (i) used any corporate funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds; (iii) violated any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended; or (iv) made any other unlawful payment.
(ss) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (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 or any of it subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending, or to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(tt) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries 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 from the sale of the Shares, 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.
(uu) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any of their respective properties, assets or revenues has any right of immunity from any legal action, suit or proceeding, from the giving of any relief in any such legal action, suit or proceeding, from set-
14
off or counterclaim, from the jurisdiction of any court, from service of process, attachment upon or prior to judgment, or attachment in aid of execution of judgment, or from execution of a judgment, or from other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of a judgment, with respect to its obligations, liabilities or any other matter under or arising out of or in connection with this Agreement. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries waives or will waive such right to the extent permitted by law and has consented to such relief and enforcement as provided in Section 9 of this Agreement. The irrevocable and unconditional waiver and agreement of the Company in this Agreement not to plead or claim any such immunity in any legal action, suit or proceeding based on this Agreement is valid and binding under the laws of the PRC, Hong Kong and the United States.
(vv) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding guarantees or other contingent obligations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ww) Except pursuant to this Agreement, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or, to the Company’s knowledge, any arrangements, agreements, understandings, payments or issuance with respect to the Company or any of its officers, directors, shareholders, partners, employees, or its subsidiaries that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation as determined by FINRA.
(xx) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company has taken all reasonable steps to comply with, and to ensure compliance by all of the Company’s shareholders, directors and officers who are PRC residents or PRC citizens with any applicable rules and regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (the “SAFE Rules and Regulations”), including without limitation, requiring each shareholder, director and officer that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or PRC citizen to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations.
(yy) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and Prospectus (i) none of the Company’s subsidiaries in the PRC is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company or from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company and (ii) all dividends declared by any of the Company’s subsidiaries in the PRC may under the current laws and regulations of the PRC be freely transferred out of the PRC and may be paid in U.S. dollars, subject to the successful completion of PRC formalities required for such remittance, and all such dividends and other distributions will not be subject to withholding or other taxes under the laws and regulations of the PRC and are otherwise free and clear of any other tax, withholding or deduction in the PRC, and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in the PRC.
15
(zz) The choice of laws of the State of New York as the governing law of this Agreement is a valid choice of law under the laws of Delaware and will be honored by courts in Delaware. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each United States federal court and New York state court located in the Borough of Manhattan, in The City of New York, New York, U.S.A. (each, a “New York Court”), and the Company has the power to designate, appoint and authorize, and pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably designated, appointed an authorized agent for service of process in any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or the Shares in any New York Court, and service of process effected on such authorized agent will be effective to confer valid personal jurisdiction over the Company as provided in Section 9 hereof.
(aaa) Except as described in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company has not sold or issued any shares of Common Stock during the six-month period preceding the date of this Agreement, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulations D or S of, the Securities Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock options plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants.
(bbb) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company has no obligation to provide retirement, death or disability benefits to any of the present or past employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or to any other person.
(ccc) None of the Company, its directors or its officers has distributed nor will distribute prior to the later of (i) the Firm Shares Closing Date, or the Option Shares Closing Date, as the case may be, and (ii) completion of the distribution of the Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement and other materials, if any, permitted by the Securities Act and consistent with Section 3(d) below.
(ddd) PRC Related Matters.
(i) It is not necessary that this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any other document be filed or recorded with any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental authority in the PRC.
(ii) The entry into, and performance or enforcement of the this Agreement in accordance with its terms will not subject the Underwriters to any requirement to be licensed or otherwise qualified to do business in the PRC, nor will the Underwriters be deemed to be resident, domiciled, carrying on business through an establishment or place in the PRC or in breach of any laws or regulations in the PRC by reason of entry into, performance or enforcement of this Agreement.
(iii) Each of the Company and each of the Company’s directors that signed the Registration Statement is aware of and has been advised as to, the content of the Rules on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors jointly promulgated by
16
the Ministry of Commerce (the “MOFCOM”), the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Tax Administration, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CSRC”) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC on August 8, 2006 (the “M&A Rules”), in particular the relevant provisions thereof which purport to require offshore special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, formed for listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by PRC companies or individuals, to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of their securities on an overseas stock exchange, and the relevant provisions thereof which purport to require foreign companies acquiring PRC companies to obtain the approval of MOFCOM prior to the acquisition by the foreign company of such PRC company; the Company has received legal advice specifically with respect to the M&A Rules from its PRC counsel and the Company understands such legal advice; and the Company has fully communicated such legal advice from its PRC counsel to each of its directors that signed the Registration Statement and each director has confirmed that he or she understands such legal advice; and as of the date of the Prospectus and as of the date of this Agreement, the M&A Rules did not and do not apply to the issuance and sale of the Shares, the listing and trading of the Shares on the New York Stock Exchange, the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, nor is the CSRC, MOFCOM or other PRC governmental approval required in connection with the above. The Company and its subsidiaries have received all proper and necessary approvals, permits and authorizations from government bodies for its business transactions.
(iv) Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that would lead it to believe that the CSRC is taking any action to require the Company to seek its approval for the consummation of the transactions contemplated under this Agreement or that would otherwise have a Material Adverse Effect.
3. Conditions of the Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the Underwriters under this Agreement are several and not joint. The respective obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Shares are subject to each of the following terms and conditions:
(a) Notification that the Registration Statement has become effective shall have been received by the Representatives and the Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission in accordance with Section 4(a) of this Agreement and any material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules shall have been timely filed with the Commission in accordance with such rule.
(b) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules), shall have been or shall be in effect and no order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect and no proceedings for such purpose shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission, and any requests for additional information on the part of the Commission (to be included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to the satisfaction of the Commission and the Representatives. If the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 430A, Rule 430A information previously omitted from the effective Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A shall have been transmitted to the Commission for filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the prescribed time period and the Company shall have provided evidence satisfactory to the Underwriters of such timely filing, or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been promptly filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A.
17
(c) The representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement and in the certificates delivered pursuant to Section 4(d) shall be true and correct when made and on and as of each Closing Date as if made on such date. The Company shall have performed all covenants and agreements and satisfied all the conditions contained in this Agreement required to be performed or satisfied by them at or before such Closing Date.
(d) The Representatives shall have received on each Closing Date a certificate, addressed to the Representatives and dated such Closing Date, of the chief executive or chief operating officer and the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company to the effect that: (i) the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company in this Agreement were true and correct when made and are true and correct as of such Closing Date; (ii) the Company has performed all covenants and agreements and satisfied all conditions contained herein; (iii) they have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, and any individual Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and, in their opinion (A) as of the Effective Date the Registration Statement and Prospectus did not include, and as of the Applicable Time, neither (i) the General Disclosure Package, nor (ii) any individual Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included, any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and (B) since the Effective Date no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement or otherwise required an amendment to the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus; (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and, to their knowledge, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending under the Securities Act; and (v) there has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change on the assets, properties, condition, financial or otherwise, or in the results of operations, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as a whole.
(e) The Representatives shall have received: (i) simultaneously with the execution of this Agreement a signed letter from the Auditor addressed to the Representatives and dated the date of this Agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package, and (ii) on each Closing Date, a signed letter from the Auditor addressed to the Representatives and dated the date of such Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(f) The Representatives shall have received on each Closing Date from Pillsbury Xxxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxxx LLP, United States counsel for the Company, an opinion, addressed to the Representatives and dated such Closing Date, substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto.
18
(g) The Representatives shall have received on each Closing Date from China Commercial Law Firm, PRC counsel for the Company, an opinion, addressed to the Representatives and dated such Closing Date, substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto.
(h) The Representatives shall have received on each Closing Date from Xxxx Xxxxxxx LLP, United States counsel for the Underwriters, and Zhong Lun Law Firm, PRC counsel for the Underwriters, an opinion, addressed to the Representatives and dated such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.
(i) All proceedings taken in connection with the offer and sale of the Firm Shares and the Option Shares as herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives, and their counsel.
(j) The Representatives shall have received copies of the Lock-up Agreements executed by each entity or person listed on Schedule II hereto.
(k) The Shares shall have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject only to official notice of issuance.
(l) The Representatives shall be reasonably satisfied that since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) there shall not have been any material change in the capital stock of the Company (other than as a result of or exercise of outstanding stock option and warrants outstanding on the date hereof) or any material change in the indebtedness (other than in the ordinary course of business) of the Company, (ii) except as set forth or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, no material oral or written agreement or other transaction shall have been entered into by the Company that is not in the ordinary course of business or that could reasonably be expected to result in a material reduction in the future earnings of the Company, (iii) no loss or damage (whether or not insured) to the property of the Company shall have been sustained that had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (iv) no legal or governmental action, suit or proceeding affecting the Company or any of its properties that is material to the Company or that affects or could reasonably be expected to affect the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall have been instituted or threatened and (v) there shall not have been any material change in the assets, properties, condition (financial or otherwise), or in the results of operations, business affairs or business prospects of the Company or its subsidiaries considered as a whole that makes it impractical or inadvisable in the Representatives’ judgment to proceed with the purchase or offering of the Shares as contemplated hereby.
(m) On the Firm Shares Closing Date, FINRA shall have confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and agreements in connection with the offering of the Shares.
(n) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Representatives such further certificates or documents as the Representatives shall have reasonably requested.
19
4. Covenants and other Agreements of the Company and the Underwriters.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees as follows:
(i) The Company will use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement, if not effective at the time of execution of this Agreement, and any amendments thereto, to become effective as promptly as possible. The Company shall prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives and file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second (2nd) business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by the Rules. The Company will file with the Commission all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses in the time and manner required under Rules 433(d) or 164, as the case may be.
(ii) The Company shall promptly advise the Representatives in writing (A) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall have become effective or any supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (B) of any request by the Commission for any amendment of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for any additional information, (C) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any “free writing prospectus”, as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules, or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose and (D) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company shall not file any amendment of the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or any document incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus unless the Company has furnished the Representatives a copy for its review prior to filing and shall not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object. The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(iii) If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Shares (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Rules) is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or the Rules, the Company shall promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the second sentence of paragraph (ii) of this Section 4(a), an amendment or supplement which shall correct such statement or omission or an amendment which shall effect such compliance.
(iv) If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or would omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
20
(v) The Company shall make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives as soon as practicable, but not later than forty-five (45) days after the end of the 12-month period beginning at the end of the fiscal quarter of the Company during which the Effective Date occurs (or ninety (90) days if such 12-month period coincides with the Company’s fiscal year), an earning statement (which need not be audited) of the Company, covering such 12-month period, which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 158 of the Rules.
(vi) The Company shall furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement (including all exhibits thereto and amendments thereof) and to each other Underwriter a copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and all amendments thereof and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the Securities Act or the Rules, as many copies of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments thereof and supplements thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request. If applicable, the copies of the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and Prospectus and each amendment thereof and supplement thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(vii) The Company shall cooperate with the Representatives and its counsel in endeavoring to qualify the Shares for offer and sale in connection with the offering under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and shall maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith, as a condition thereof, to qualify as a foreign corporation or to execute a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction or subject itself to taxation as doing business in any jurisdiction.
(viii) The Company, during the period when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Rules) is required to be delivered under the Securities Act and the Rules or the Exchange Act, will file all reports and other documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15 of the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
(ix) Without the prior written consent of Xxxxxxxxxxx & Co. Inc., for a period of 90 days after the date of this Agreement, the Company and each director, officer and stockholder listed on Schedule II hereto shall not issue, sell or register with the Commission (other than on Form S-8 or on any successor form), or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any equity securities of the Company (or any securities convertible into, exercisable for or exchangeable for equity securities of the Company), except for (i) the issuance of the Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement, (ii)the issuance of shares pursuant to the Company’s existing stock option plan or bonus plan as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, and (iii) issuances of Common Stock pursuant to valid exercises or
21
conversions of options, warrants, convertible securities or rights outstanding on the date hereof. In the event that during this period, (A) any shares are issued pursuant to the Company’s existing stock option plan or bonus plan that are exercisable during such 90-day period or (B) any registration is effected on Form S-8 or on any successor form relating to shares that are exercisable during such 90-day period, the Company shall obtain the written agreement of such grantee or purchaser or holder of such registered securities that, for a period of 90 days after the date of this Agreement, such person will not, without the prior written consent of Xxxxxxxxxxx & Co. Inc., offer for sale, sell, distribute, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, or exercise any registration rights with respect to, any shares of Common Stock (or any securities convertible into, exercisable for, or exchangeable for any shares of Common Stock) owned by such person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the Company represents and warrants that each such grantee or purchaser or holder of such registered securities shall be subject to similar lockup restrictions as set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto and the Company shall enforce such rights and impose stop-transfer restrictions on any such sale or other transfer or disposition of such shares until the end of the 90-day period and (ii) if (x) during the last 17 days of the 90-day period described in this Section 4(a)(ix) the Company issues an earnings release results or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (y) prior to the expiration of such 90-day period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16 day period beginning on the last day of the 90-day period; the restrictions imposed during this Section 4(a)(ix) shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the release of the earnings results or the occurrence of the material news or material event; provided, however, that this sentence shall not apply if the research published or distributed on the Company is compliant under Rule 139 of the Securities Act and the Company’s securities are actively traded as defined in Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M of the Exchange Act.
(x) On or before completion of this offering, the Company shall make all filings required under applicable securities laws and by the New York Stock Exchange (including any required registration under the Exchange Act).
(xi) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company will issue no press release or other communications directly or indirectly and hold no press conference without the prior written consent of the Representatives unless in the judgment of the Company and its counsel, and after notification to the Representatives, such press release or communication is required by law.
(xii) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares in the manner set forth under “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus.
(xiii) The Company will comply with the SAFE Rules and Regulations, and will use best efforts to cause its shareholders and option holders that are, or that are directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, PRC residents or PRC citizens, to comply with the SAFE Rules and Regulations applicable to them in connection with the Company, including without limitation, requesting each shareholder and option holder, that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or PRC citizen to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations.
22
(xiv) The Company will at all times maintain transfer restrictions (including the inclusion of legends in share certificates, as may be required) with respect to the Company’s Common Stock which are subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to this Agreement and the Lock-Up Agreements and shall ensure compliance with such restrictions on transfer of restricted Common Stock. The Company shall retain all share certificates which are by their terms subject to transfer restrictions until such time as such transfer restrictions are no longer applicable to such securities.
(xv) The Company will use its best efforts to comply with the Sarbanes–Oxley Act, and to use its best efforts to cause the Company’s directors and officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act.
(xvi) The Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds from the sale of Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any of its subsidiaries, 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.
(b) The Company agrees to pay, or reimburse if paid by the Representatives, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, all costs and expenses incident to the offer and sale of the Shares and the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement including those relating to: (i) the preparation, printing, reproduction filing and distribution of the Registration Statement including all exhibits thereto, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, all amendments thereof and supplements thereto and any document incorporated by reference therein, and the printing, filing and distribution of this Agreement; (ii) the preparation and delivery of certificates for the Shares to the Underwriters; (iii) the registration or qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various jurisdictions referred to in Section 4(a)(vii), including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such registration and qualification and the preparation, printing, distribution and shipment of preliminary and supplementary Blue Sky memoranda; (iv) the furnishing (including costs of shipping and mailing) to the Representatives and to the Underwriters of copies of each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and all amendments or supplements to the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and of the several documents required by this Section to be so furnished, as may be reasonably requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares by the Underwriters or by dealers to whom Shares may be sold; (v) the filing fees of FINRA in connection with its review of the terms of the public offering and reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such review; (vi) inclusion of the Shares for listing on the New York Stock Exchange; (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any road show undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Shares, including without limitation, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations and travel and lodging expenses of the officers of the Company and any such consultants; and (viii) all transfer taxes, if any, with respect to the sale and delivery of the Shares by the Company to the Underwriters. Subject to the provisions of Section 7, the Underwriters agree to pay, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, all costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Underwriters under this Agreement not payable by the Company pursuant to the preceding sentence, including, without limitation, the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.
23
(c) The Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Underwriters has acted and is acting solely in the capacity of a principal in an arm’s length transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, with respect to the offering of Shares contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor, agent or fiduciary to the Company or any other person. Additionally, the Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters have not and will not advise the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company has consulted with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Underwriters shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company or any other person with respect thereto, whether arising prior to or after the date hereof. Any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions have been and will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company. The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary duty to the company or any other person in connection with any such transaction or the process leading thereto.
(d) The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. The Company represents that is has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions set forth in Rule 433 of the Rules to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act.
(e) Until the Representatives shall have notified the Company of the completion of the offering of the Shares, that the Company will not, and will cause its affiliated purchasers (as defined in Regulation M under the Exchange Act) not to, either alone or with one or more other persons, bid for or purchase, for any account in which it or any of its affiliated purchasers has a beneficial interest, any Shares, or attempt to induce any person to purchase any Shares; and not to, and to cause its affiliated purchasers not to, make bids or purchase for the purpose of creating actual, or apparent, active trading in or of raising the price of the Shares.
5. Indemnification.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities, joint or several (including any reasonable investigation, legal and other expenses incurred in
24
connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted), to which they, or any of them, may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or state law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any “issuer-information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules, any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or in any Blue Sky application or other information or other documents executed by the Company filed in any state or other jurisdiction to qualify any or all of the Shares under the securities laws thereof (any such application, document or information being hereinafter referred to as a “Blue Sky Application”) or arise out of or are based upon any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that such indemnity shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter (or any person controlling such Underwriter) on account of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities arising from the sale of the Shares to any person by such Underwriter if such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission was made in such Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or such amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or in any Blue Sky Application in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.
(b) Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, each director of the Company, and each officer of the Company who signs the Registration Statement, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) to which such party may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information; provided, however, that the obligation of each Underwriter to indemnify the Company (including any controlling person, director or officer thereof) shall be limited to the amount of the underwriting discount and commissions applicable to the Shares to be purchased by such Underwriter hereunder.
(c) Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action, suit or proceeding against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, suit or proceeding, enclosing a copy of all papers served. No indemnification provided for in Sections 5(a) or 5(b) shall be available to any party who shall fail to give notice as provided in this
25
Section 5(c) if the party to whom notice was not given was unaware of the proceeding to which such notice would have related and was prejudiced by the failure to give such notice but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party of any such action, suit or proceeding shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than under this Section. In case any such action, suit or proceeding shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof and the approval by the indemnified party of such counsel, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party for any legal or other expenses, except as provided below and except for the reasonable costs of investigation subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof. The indemnified party shall have the right to employ its counsel in any such action, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment of counsel by such indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying parties, (ii) the indemnified party shall have been advised by counsel that there may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying parties shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (iii) the indemnifying parties shall not have employed counsel to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after notice of the commencement thereof, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying parties. An indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any action, suit, and proceeding or claim effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
6. Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in Sections 5(a) or 5(b) is due in accordance with its terms but for any reason is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect to any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses (including any investigation, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claims asserted, but after deducting any contribution received by any person entitled hereunder to contribution from any person who may be liable for contribution) incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (a) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement or, (b) if such allocation is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 6 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims,
26
damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6, no Underwriter (except as may be provided in the Agreement Among Underwriters) shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Shares purchased by such Underwriter. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 6, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. Any party entitled to contribution will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action, suit or proceeding against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made against another party or parties under this Section 6, notify such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission so to notify such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought shall not relieve the party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have hereunder or otherwise than under this Section 6. No party shall be liable for contribution with respect to any action, suit, proceeding or claim settled without its written consent. The Underwriter’s obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 6 are several in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments and not joint.
7. Termination.
(a) This Agreement may be terminated with respect to the Shares to be purchased on a Closing Date by the Representatives by notifying the Company at any time at or before a Closing Date in the absolute discretion of the Representatives if: (i) there has occurred any material adverse change in the securities markets or any event, act or occurrence that has materially disrupted, or in the opinion of the Representatives, will in the future materially disrupt, the securities markets or there shall be such a material adverse change in general financial, political or economic conditions or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States or the PRC is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, inadvisable or impracticable to market the Shares or enforce contracts for the sale of the Shares; (ii) there has occurred any outbreak or material escalation of hostilities or acts of terrorism or other calamity or crisis the effect of which on the financial markets of the United States or the PRC is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, inadvisable or impracticable to market the Shares or enforce contracts for the sale of the Shares; (iii) trading in the Shares or any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., the NYSE Amex or the NASDAQ has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities have been required, by any of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, FINRA, or any other
27
governmental or regulatory authority; or (iv) a banking moratorium has been declared by any state or Federal authority; or (v) in the judgment of the Representatives, there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the assets, properties, condition, financial or otherwise, or in the results of operations, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business.
(b) If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to any of its provisions, the Company shall not be under any liability to any Underwriter, and no Underwriter shall be under any liability to the Company, except that (i) if this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives or the Underwriters because of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of their counsel) incurred by them in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Shares or in contemplation of performing their obligations hereunder and (ii) no Underwriter who shall have failed or refused to purchase the Shares agreed to be purchased by it under this Agreement, without some reason sufficient hereunder to justify cancellation or termination of its obligations under this Agreement, shall be relieved of liability to the Company, or to the other Underwriters for damages occasioned by its failure or refusal.
8. Substitution of Underwriters. If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase on any Closing Date the Shares agreed to be purchased hereunder on such Closing Date, the Representatives shall have the right, within thirty-six (36) hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase such Shares on the terms contained herein. If, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 36-hour period, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to the Underwriters to purchase such Shares on such terms. If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Company as provided above, the aggregate number of Shares which remains unpurchased on such Closing Date does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Shares that all the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such date, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such date and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default. In any such case, either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the applicable Closing Date for a period of not more than seven (7) days in order to effect any necessary changes and arrangements (including any necessary amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any other documents), and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in the opinion of the Company and the Underwriters and their counsel may thereby be made necessary.
28
If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Company as provided above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased on such date, then this Agreement, or, with respect to a Closing Date which occurs after the Firm Share Closing Date, the obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Option Shares to be purchased and sold on such date, shall terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter to the Company, and without liability on the part of the Company, except as provided in Sections 4(b), 5, 6 and 7. The provisions of this Section 8 shall not in any way affect the liability of any defaulting Underwriter to the Company or the nondefaulting Underwriters arising out of such default. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section 8 with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Shares.
9. Governing Law and Jurisdiction. 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.
Each of the parties hereto hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. Each of the parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York and irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. The Company irrevocably appoints Pillsbury Xxxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxxx LLP as their respective authorized agent in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York upon which process may be served in any such suit or proceeding, and agrees that service of process upon such agent, and written notice of said service to the Company by the person serving the same to the address provided in this Agreement, shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company in any such suit or proceeding. The Company further agrees to take any and all action as may be necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect for a period of seven (7) years from the date of this Agreement.
10. Judgment Currency. The obligations of the Company pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any sum due to any Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first (1st) business day, following receipt by such Underwriter of any sum adjudged to be so due in such other currency, on which (and only to the extent that) such Underwriter may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency; if the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder, the Company agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Underwriter against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder, such Underwriter agrees to pay to the Company an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder.
29
11. Miscellaneous. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or the or any of their respective officers, directors or controlling persons referred to in Sections 5 and 6 hereof, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares. In addition, the provisions of Sections 4(b), 5, 6 and 7 shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.
This Agreement has been and is made for the benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors and assigns, and, to the extent expressed herein, for the benefit of persons controlling any of the Underwriters, or the Company, and directors and officers of the Company, and their respective successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. The term “successors and assigns” shall not include any purchaser of Shares from any Underwriter merely because of such purchase.
All notices and communications hereunder shall be in writing and mailed or delivered or by telephone or telegraph if subsequently confirmed in writing, (a) if to the Representatives, c/o Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 Attention: Xxxxxx XxxXxxxx, Equity Capital Markets, with a copy to Xxxxxxxxxxx & Co. Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 Attention: Attention: R. Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Investment Banking Counsel, and to Xxxxx X. Xxxxx, x/x Xxxx Xxxxxxx XXX, 0000 Avenue of the Stars, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000, and (b) if to the Company, to its agent for service as such agent’s address appears on the cover page of the Registration Statement with a copy to Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx, c/o Pillsbury Xxxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxxx LLP, 0000 X Xxxxxx, X.X., Xxxxxxxxxx, X.X. 00000.
This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement among us.
Very truly yours, | ||
China Security & Surveillance Technology, Inc. | ||
By |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
30
Confirmed: |
XXXXXXXXXXX & CO. INC. |
XXXXX XXXXXX, CARRET & CO., LLC |
Acting severally on behalf of itself
and as representative of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I annexed
hereto.
By XXXXXXXXXXX & CO. INC. | XXXXX XXXXXX, CARRET & CO., LLC | |||||
By |
|
By |
| |||
Title: | Title: |
31
SCHEDULE I
UNDERWRITERS
Sch I - 1
SCHEDULE II
LOCK UP SIGNATORIES
Sch II - 1
SCHEDULE III
ISSUER FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES
Sch III - 1
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
May [ ], 2010
Xxxxxxxxxxx & Co. Inc.
Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Carret & Co., LLC
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
c/o Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned is a security holder of China Security & Surveillance Technology, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and wishes to facilitate the public offering (the “Offering”) of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”) pursuant to the Company’s registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) on Form S-3 transmitted for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2010 (File No. 333-165390).
In consideration of the foregoing, and in order to induce you and other underwriters to act as underwriters (the “Underwriters”) in the Offering, the undersigned hereby irrevocably agrees that it will not, without the prior written consent of Xxxxxxxxxxx & Co. Inc. (“Oppenheimer”) for a period of 90 days from the date that the Registration Statement becomes effective (the “Lock-Up Period”), directly or indirectly, (i) offer, sell (including “short” selling), assign, transfer, encumber, pledge, contract to sell, grant an option, right or warrant to purchase, establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), announce the intention to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock or securities, options or rights convertible or exchangeable into, or exercisable for, Common Stock held of record or beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act); or (ii) enter any swap or other arrangement that transfers all or a portion of the economic consequences associated with the ownership of any Common Stock; provided, however, that if (1) during the last 17 days of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company releases earnings results or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (2) prior to the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the initial Lock-Up Period, then in either case, the Lock-Up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of release of the earnings results or the occurrence of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless Oppenheimer waives, in writing, such extension.
C-1
The undersigned agrees that, prior to engaging in any transaction or taking any other action that is subject to the terms of this agreement during the period from and including the date that the Registration Statement becomes effective through and including the 34th day following the expiration of the 90-day period, the undersigned will give prior notice thereof to the Company and will not consummate any such transaction or take any such action unless it has received written confirmation from the Company that the Lock-Up Period (as the same may have been extended pursuant to the previous paragraph) has expired.
The undersigned further agrees that it will not, during the Lock-Up Period, make any demand or request for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for the Company’s Common Stock either during his or her lifetime or on death by will or intestacy to his or her immediate family or to a trust the beneficiaries of which are exclusively the undersigned and/or a member or members of his or her immediate family, or if the undersigned is a corporation, company, business trust, association, limited liability company, partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability limited partnership or other entity (collectively, the “Entities” or, individually, the “Entity”), the undersigned may transfer shares of Common Stock to any Entity which is directly or indirectly controlled by the undersigned; provided, however, that, prior to any such transfer, each transferee shall execute an agreement, satisfactory to Oppenheimer pursuant to which each transferee shall agree to receive and hold such shares of Common Stock, or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for the Common Stock, subject to the provisions hereof, and there shall be no further transfer except in accordance with the provisions hereof. For the purposes of this paragraph, “immediate family” shall mean spouse, lineal descendant, father, mother, brother or sister of the transferor. In addition, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this agreement shall restrict the ability of the undersigned to purchase shares of Common Stock on the open market or exercise any option to purchase shares of Common Stock granted under any benefit plan of the Company.
The undersigned hereby waives any rights of the undersigned to sell shares of Common Stock or any other security issued by the Company pursuant to the Registration Statement. The undersigned also hereby waives any notice requirement concerning the Company’s intention to file the Registration Statement and sell shares of Common Stock thereunder.
The undersigned agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent against the transfer of Common Stock, or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for the Common Stock, held by the undersigned except in compliance with this agreement.
The undersigned understands that the agreements of the undersigned are irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.
C-2
The undersigned understands and agrees that Oppenheimer shall have the right to specifically enforce all of the obligations of the undersigned under this agreement (without posting a bond or other security), in addition to recovering damages by reason of any breach of any provision of this agreement and to exercise all other rights granted by law. Furthermore, the undersigned recognizes that if it fails to perform, observe, or discharge any of its obligations under this agreement, any remedy at law may prove to be inadequate relief to Oppenheimer. Therefore, the undersigned agrees that Oppenheimer shall be entitled to seek temporary and permanent injunctive relief in any such case without the necessity of proving actual damages and without posting a bond or other security.
The undersigned understands that the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this agreement if (i) the Company or the Underwriters inform the other in writing that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering, (ii) the underwriting agreement providing for the offering (the “Underwriting Agreement”) does not become effective before June 30, 2010, (iii) the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) is terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Common Stock to be sold thereunder, or (iv) the Offering is not completed by June 30, 2010
The undersigned agrees that if any provision of this agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable for any reason, such provision will be conformed to prevailing law rather than voided, if possible, in order to achieve the intent of the parties and, in any event, the remaining provisions of this agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall be binding upon the undersigned.
The undersigned agrees that the terms and provisions of this agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York and the federal laws of the United States of America applicable therein.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
C-3
Very truly yours, | ||
Dated: May [ ], 2010 |
| |
Signature | ||
| ||
Printed Name and Title |
C-4