EXHIBIT 1
2,840,500 Shares
ADE CORPORATION
Common Stock
($.01 Par Value)
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
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[__________], 1997
Alex. Xxxxx & Sons Incorporated
Xxxxxxxxxx Securities
Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxx, Inc.
Sutro & Co. Incorporated
Xxxxxxx & Company, Inc.
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
c/o Alex. Xxxxx & Sons Incorporated
000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Gentlemen:
ADE Corporation, a Massachusetts corporation (the "Company"), and certain
shareholders of the Company (the "Selling Shareholders") propose to sell to the
several underwriters (the "Underwriters") named in Schedule I hereto for whom
you are acting as representatives (the "Representatives") an aggregate of
2,470,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock, $.01 par value (the "Firm
Shares"), of which 2,000,000 shares will be sold by the Company and 470,000
shares will be sold by the Selling Shareholders. The respective amounts of the
Firm Shares to be so purchased by the several Underwriters are set forth
opposite their names in Schedule I hereto, and the respective amounts to be sold
by the Selling Shareholders are set forth opposite their names in Schedule II
hereto. The Company and the Selling Shareholders are sometimes referred to
herein collectively as the "Sellers." The Company and certain Selling
Shareholders also propose to sell at the Underwriters' option an aggregate of up
to 370,500 additional shares of the Company's Common Stock (the "Option Shares")
as set forth below.
As the Representatives, you have advised the Company and the Selling
Shareholders (a) that you are authorized to enter into this Agreement on behalf
of the several Underwriters, and (b) that the several Underwriters are willing,
acting severally and not jointly, to purchase the numbers of Firm Shares set
forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I, plus their pro rata portion
of the Option Shares if you elect to exercise the over-allotment option in whole
or in part for the accounts
of the several Underwriters. The Firm Shares and the Option Shares (to the
extent the aforementioned option is exercised) are herein collectively called
the "Shares."
In consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and of the
interests of the parties in the transactions contemplated hereby, the parties
hereto agree as follows:
1. Representations and Warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholders.
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(a) The Company represents and warrants to each of the Underwriters as
follows:
(i) A registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. [333- ]) with
respect to the Shares has been carefully prepared by the Company in
conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the "Act"), and the Rules and Regulations (the "Rules and Regulations") of
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") thereunder and
has been filed with the Commission. The Company has complied with the
conditions for the use of Form S-3 in connection with the offering. Copies
of such registration statement, including any amendments thereto, the
preliminary prospectuses (meeting the requirements of the Rules and
Regulations) contained therein and the exhibits, financial statements and
schedules, as finally amended and revised, have heretofore been delivered
by the Company to you and, to the extent applicable, were identical to the
electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission on the
Commission's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System
("XXXXX"), except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. Such
registration statement, together with any registration statement filed by
the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act, herein referred to as
the "Registration Statement," which shall be deemed to include all
information omitted therefrom in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in
the Prospectus referred to below, has become effective under the Act and no
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed as of
the date of this Agreement. "Prospectus" means (a) the form of prospectus
first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, (b)
if no filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) is required and a term sheet in
accordance with Rules 434 and 424(b)(7) is not used, the form of prospectus
included in the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness or (c)
if a term sheet is used, the form of preliminary prospectus included in the
Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness that is delivered by
the Company to the Underwriters for delivery to purchasers of the Shares,
together with the term sheet or abbreviated term sheet filed with the
Commission in accordance with the provisions of Rule 434 and Rule 424(b)(7)
under the Act. Each preliminary prospectus included in the Registration
Statement prior to the time it becomes effective is herein referred to as a
"Preliminary Prospectus." Any reference herein to the Registration
Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to
include the documents incorporated therein by reference, and any
supplements or amendments thereto filed with the Commission after the date
of filing of the Prospectus under Rules 424(b) or 430A and prior to the
termination of the offering of the Shares by the Underwriters. Any
reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus,
the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing,
shall be deemed to include the respective copies thereof filed with the
Commission on XXXXX.
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(ii) The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a
corporation in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, with corporate power and authority to own or lease its
properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration
Statement. Each of the subsidiaries of the Company as listed in Exhibit 21
to Item 16(a) of the Registration Statement (collectively, the
"Subsidiaries") has been duly organized and is validly existing as a
corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation, with corporate power and authority to own or lease its
properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration
Statement. The Subsidiaries are the only subsidiaries, direct or indirect,
of the Company. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries are duly
qualified to transact business in all jurisdictions in which the conduct of
their business requires such qualification, except where the failure so to
qualify would not have a material adverse effect on the earnings, business,
management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or
otherwise) or prospects of the Company and of the Subsidiaries taken as a
whole (a "Material Adverse Effect"). The outstanding shares of capital
stock of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly
issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company or
another Subsidiary free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and equities
and claims; and no options, warrants or other rights to purchase,
agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any
obligations into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in the
Subsidiaries are outstanding.
(iii) The outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company,
including all shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholders, have been duly
authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; the
portion of the Shares to be issued and sold by the Company have been duly
authorized and when issued and paid for as contemplated herein will be
validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; and no preemptive rights of
stockholders exist pursuant to the Company's Restated Articles of
Organization (the "Charter"), its by-laws (the "By-Laws") or any other
agreement to which the Company is a party with respect to any of the Shares
or the issue and sale thereof. Neither the filing of the Registration
Statement nor the offering or sale of the Shares as contemplated by this
Agreement gives rise to any rights, other than those which have been waived
or satisfied, for or relating to the registration of any shares of Common
Stock.
(iv) The information set forth under the caption "Capitalization" in
the Prospectus is true and correct. All of the Shares conform to the
description thereof contained in the Registration Statement. The form of
certificates for the Shares conforms to the corporate law of the
jurisdiction of the Company's incorporation.
(v) The Commission has not issued an order preventing or suspending
the use of any Prospectus relating to the proposed offering of the Shares
nor instituted proceedings for that purpose. The Registration Statement
contains, and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto will
contain, all statements which are required to be stated therein by, and
will conform, to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations.
The Registration Statement and any amendment thereto do not contain, and
will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact and do not omit,
and will not omit, to state any material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
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The Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto do not contain,
and will not contain, any untrue statement of material fact and do not
omit, and will not omit, to state any material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided,
however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to
information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon, and in
conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on
behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives, specifically for use
in the preparation thereof.
(vi) The consolidated financial statements of the Company and the
Subsidiaries, together with related notes and schedules as set forth in the
Registration Statement, present fairly in all material respects the
financial position and the results of operations and cash flows of the
Company and the Subsidiaries, at the indicated dates and for the indicated
periods. Such financial statements and related schedules have been
prepared in accordance with generally accepted principles of accounting,
consistently applied throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed
herein, and all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of results
for such periods have been made. The summary financial data included in
the Registration Statement presents fairly the information shown therein
and such data has been compiled on a basis consistent with the financial
statements presented therein and the books and records of the Company.
(vii) Price Waterhouse LLP, who have certified certain of the
financial statements filed with the Commission as part of the Registration
Statement, are independent public accountants as required by the Act and
the Rules and Regulations.
(viii) There is no action, suit, claim or proceeding pending or, to
the knowledge of the Company, threatened or contemplated against the
Company or any of the Subsidiaries before any court or administrative
agency or otherwise which if determined adversely to the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries might result in any Material Adverse Effect or prevent the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, except as set forth
in the Registration Statement.
(ix) The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title
to all of the properties and assets reflected in the financial statements
(or as described in the Registration Statement) hereinabove described,
subject to no lien, mortgage, pledge, charge or encumbrance of any kind
except those reflected in such financial statements (or as described in the
Registration Statement) or which are not material in amount. The Company
and the Subsidiaries occupy their leased properties under valid and binding
leases conforming in all material respects to the description thereof set
forth in the Registration Statement.
(x) The Company and the Subsidiaries have filed all Federal, State,
local and foreign income tax returns which have been required to be filed
and have paid all taxes indicated by said returns and all assessments
received by them or any of them to the extent
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that such taxes have become due and are not being contested in good faith.
All tax liabilities have been adequately provided for in the financial
statements of the Company.
(xi) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in
the Registration Statement, as it may be amended or supplemented, there has
not been any change or any development involving a prospective change that
has had or would have a Material Adverse Effect, whether or not occurring
in the ordinary course of business, and there has not been any material
transaction entered into or any material transaction that is probable of
being entered into by the Company or the Subsidiaries, other than
transactions in the ordinary course of business and changes and
transactions described in the Registration Statement, as it may be amended
or supplemented. The Company and the Subsidiaries have no material
contingent obligations which are not disclosed in the Company's financial
statements which are included in the Registration Statement.
(xii) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is or with the
giving of notice or lapse of time or both, will be, in violation of or in
default under its Charter or By-Laws or under any agreement, lease,
contract, indenture or other instrument or obligation to which it is a
party or by which it, or any of its properties, is bound and which default
would have a Material Adverse Effect. The execution and delivery of this
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated and
the fulfillment of the terms hereof will not conflict with or result in a
breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under,
any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to
which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party, or of the Charter or By-
laws of the Company or any order, rule or regulation applicable to the
Company or any Subsidiary of any court or of any regulatory body or
administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction.
(xiii) Each approval, consent, order, authorization, designation,
declaration or filing by or with any regulatory, administrative or other
governmental body necessary in connection with the execution and delivery
by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions
herein contemplated (except such additional steps as may be required by the
Commission, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the
"NASD") or such additional steps as may be necessary to qualify the Shares
for public offering by the Underwriters under state securities or Blue Sky
laws) has been obtained or made and is in full force and effect.
(xiv) The Company and each of the Subsidiaries holds all material
licenses, certificates and permits from governmental authorities which are
necessary to the conduct of their businesses.
(xv) The Company or a Subsidiary owns or possesses adequate licenses
or other rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks,
trademark applications, service marks, service xxxx applications,
tradenames, copyrights, manufacturing processes, formulae, trade secrets
and know-how or other information (collectively, "Intellectual Property")
described in the Prospectus as owned by or used by them or which is
necessary to the conduct of their business as described in the Prospectus,
except where the failure to
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own or possess any such licenses or rights would not have a Material
Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, none of the patent rights
owned or licensed by the Company are unenforceable or invalid. The Company
is not aware of any infringement of or conflict with the rights or claims
of others with respect to any of the Company's products or Intellectual
Property where such infringement or conflict would have a Material Adverse
Effect. The Company is not aware of any ongoing infringement of any of the
Company's Intellectual Property rights by any third party which would have
a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has duly and properly filed or
caused to be filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office all
United States patent applications described or referred to in the
Prospectus. The Company has clear title to its patent and patent
applications referenced in the Prospectus.
(xvi) No contract or document of a character required to be described
in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as an
exhibit to the Registration Statement is not so described or filed as
required.
(xvii) Neither the Company, nor to the Company's best knowledge, any
of its affiliates, has taken or may take, directly or indirectly, any
action designed to cause or result in, or which has constituted or which
might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or
manipulation of the price of the shares of Common Stock to facilitate the
sale or resale of the Shares.
(xviii) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is an "investment
company" within the meaning of such term under the Investment Company Act
of 1940 and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the
"1940 Act").
(xix) The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls
sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are
executed in accordance with management's general or specific authorization;
(ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of
financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to
assets is permitted only in accordance with management's general or
specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is
compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate
action is taken with respect to any differences.
(xx) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries carry, or are covered
by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for
the conduct of their respective businesses and the value of their
respective properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar
industries.
(xxi) The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all
presently applicable provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published
interpretations thereunder ("ERISA"); no "reportable event" (as defined in
ERISA) has occurred with respect to any "pension plan" (as defined in
ERISA) for which the Company would have any liability; the Company has not
incurred and does not expect to incur liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA
with respect to termination of,
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or withdrawal from, any "pension plan" or (ii) Sections 412 or 4971 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including the regulations and
published interpretations thereunder (the "Code"); and each "pension plan"
for which the Company would have any liability that is intended to be
qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in all material
respects and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act,
which would cause the loss of such qualification.
(xxii) The Company has filed in a timely manner each document or
report required to be filed by it pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act
of 0000 (xxx "Xxxxxxxx Xxx"); each such document or report at the time it
was filed conformed to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules
and regulations thereunder; and none of such documents or reports contained
any untrue statement of material fact or omitted to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
not misleading.
(xxiii) The Shares have been listed on the Nasdaq National Market
System, subject to notice of issuance.
(b) Each of the Selling Shareholders severally represents and warrants as
follows:
(i) Such Selling Shareholder now has and at the Closing Date (as
such date is hereinafter defined) will have good and marketable title
to the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder, free and clear
of any liens, encumbrances, equities and claims, and full right, power
and authority to effect the sale and delivery of such Shares; and upon
the delivery of, against payment for, such Shares pursuant to this
Agreement, the Underwriters will acquire good and marketable title
thereto, free and clear of any liens, encumbrances, equities and
claims.
(ii) Such Selling Shareholder has full right, power and authority
to execute and deliver this Agreement, the Power of Attorney referred
to below, and the Custodian Agreement referred to below and to perform
its obligations under such Agreements. The execution and delivery of
this Agreement and the consummation by such Selling Shareholder of the
transactions herein contemplated and the fulfillment by such Selling
Shareholder of the terms hereof will not require any consent,
approval, authorization, or other order of any court, regulatory body,
administrative agency or other governmental body (except as may be
required under the Act, state securities laws or Blue Sky laws) and
will not result in a breach of any of the terms and provisions of, or
constitute a default under, organizational documents of such Selling
Shareholder, if not an individual, or any indenture, mortgage, deed of
trust or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling
Shareholder is a party, or of any order, rule or regulation applicable
to such Selling Shareholder of any court or of any regulatory body or
administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction.
(iii) Such Selling Shareholder has not taken and will not take,
directly or indirectly, any action designed to, or which has
constituted, or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result
in the stabilization or manipulation of the
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price of the Common Stock of the Company and, other than as permitted
by the Act, the Selling Shareholder will not distribute any prospectus
or other offering material in connection with the offering of the
Shares.
(iv) Without having undertaken to determine independently the
accuracy or completeness of either the representations and warranties
of the Company contained herein or the information contained in the
Registration Statement, such Management Selling Shareholder (defined
as the Selling Shareholders marked with an "*" in the attached
Schedule of Selling Shareholders) has no reason to believe that the
representations and warranties of the Company contained in this
Section 1 are not true and correct, is familiar with the Registration
Statement and has no knowledge of any material fact, condition or
information not disclosed in the Registration Statement which has
adversely affected or may adversely affect the business of the Company
or any of the Subsidiaries; and
(v) The sale of the Shares by such Selling Shareholder pursuant
hereto is not prompted by any information concerning the Company or
any of the Subsidiaries which is not set forth in the Registration
Statement. The information pertaining to such Selling Shareholder
under the caption "Principal and Selling Stockholders" in the
Prospectus is complete and accurate in all material respects.
2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Firm Shares.
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(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties and covenants
herein contained, and subject to the conditions herein set forth, the
Sellers agree to sell to the Underwriters and each Underwriter agrees,
severally and not jointly, to purchase, at a price of [$______] per share,
the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of each Underwriter
in Schedule I hereof, subject to adjustments in accordance with Section 9
hereof. The number of Firm Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter from
each Seller shall be as nearly as practicable in the same proportion to the
total number of Firm Shares being sold by each Seller as the number of Firm
Shares being purchased by each Underwriter bears to the total number of
Firm Shares to be sold hereunder. The obligations of the Company and of
each of the Selling Shareholders shall be several and not joint.
(b) Payment for the Firm Shares to be sold hereunder is to be made by
wire transfer of same-day funds to an account of the Company for the Shares
to be sold by it and to an account of American Stock Transfer & Trust
Company "as Custodian" for the Shares to be sold by the Selling
Shareholders, in each case against delivery of certificates therefor to the
Representatives for the several accounts of the Underwriters. Such payment
and delivery are to be made at the offices of Alex. Xxxxx & Sons
Incorporated, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx, at 10:00
a.m., Baltimore time, on the fourth business day after the date of this
Agreement or at such other time and date not later than five business days
thereafter as you and the Company shall agree upon, such time and date
being herein referred to as the "Closing Date." (As used herein, "business
day" means a day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading
and on which banks in New York are open for business and not permitted by
law or executive order to be closed.) The certificates for
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the Firm Shares will be delivered in such denominations and in such
registrations as the Representatives request in writing not later than the
second full business day prior to the Closing Date, and will be made
available for inspection by the Representatives at least one business day
prior to the Closing Date.
(c) In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties
herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth,
the Company and certain Selling Shareholders (marked with an "+" in
Schedule II) hereby grant an option to the several Underwriters to purchase
the Option Shares at the price per share as set forth in the first
paragraph of this Section 2. The option granted hereby may be exercised in
whole or in part by giving written notice (i) at any time before the
Closing Date and (ii) only once thereafter within 30 days after the date of
this Agreement, by you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, to
the Company and such certain Selling Shareholders, setting forth the number
of Option Shares as to which the several Underwriters are exercising the
option, the names and denominations in which the Option Shares are to be
registered and the time and date at which such certificates are to be
delivered. The time and date at which certificates for Option Shares are to
be delivered shall be determined by the Representatives but shall not be
earlier than three nor later than 10 full business days after the exercise
of such option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Date (such time and
date being herein referred to as the "Option Closing Date"). If the date of
exercise of the option is three or more days before the Closing Date, the
notice of exercise shall set the Closing Date as the Option Closing Date.
The number of Option Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be in
the same proportion to the total number of Option Shares being purchased as
the number of Firm Shares being purchased by such Underwriter bears to the
total number of Firm Shares, adjusted by you in such manner as to avoid
fractional shares. The option with respect to the Option Shares granted
hereunder may be exercised only to cover over-allotments in the sale of the
Firm Shares by the Underwriters. You, as Representatives of the several
Underwriters, may cancel such option at any time prior to its expiration by
giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company. To the extent,
if any, that the option is exercised, payment for the Option Shares shall
be made on the Option Closing Date by wire transfer of same-day funds to an
account of the Company for the Option Shares to be sold by it and to an
account of American Stock Transfer & Trust Company "as Custodian" for the
Option Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholders, in each case against
delivery of certificates therefor at the offices of Alex. Xxxxx & Sons
Incorporated, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx.
(d) Certificates in negotiable form or option certificates in
exercisable form for the total number of the Shares to be sold hereunder by
the Selling Shareholders have been placed in custody with American Stock
Transfer & Trust Company as custodian (the "Custodian") pursuant to a
Custodian Agreement executed by each Selling Shareholder for delivery of
all Shares to be sold hereunder by the Selling Shareholders (the "Custodian
Agreement"). Each of the Selling Shareholders specifically agrees that the
Shares represented by the certificates held in custody for the Selling
Shareholders under the Custodian Agreement are subject to the interests of
the Underwriters hereunder, that the arrangements made by the Selling
Shareholders for such custody are to that extent irrevocable, and that the
obligations of the Selling Shareholders hereunder shall not be
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terminable by any act or deed of the Selling Shareholders (or by any other
person, firm or corporation including the Company, the Custodian or the
Underwriters) or by operation of law (including the death of an individual
Selling Shareholder or the dissolution of a corporate Selling Shareholder)
or by the occurrence of any other event or events, except as set forth in
the Custodian Agreement. If any such event should occur prior to the
delivery to the Underwriters of the Shares hereunder, certificates for the
Shares shall be delivered by the Custodian in accordance with the terms and
conditions of this Agreement as if such event has not occurred. The
Custodian is authorized to receive and acknowledge receipt of the proceeds
of sale of the Shares held by it against delivery of such Shares.
(e) If on the Closing Date any Selling Shareholder fails to sell the
Shares which such Selling Shareholder has agreed to sell on such date as
set forth in Schedule II hereto, the Company agrees that it will sell or
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arrange for the sale of that number of shares of Common Stock to the
Underwriters which represents Shares which such Selling Shareholder has
failed to so sell, as set forth in Schedule II hereto, or such lesser
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number as may be requested by the Representatives.
3. Offering by the Underwriters.
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It is understood that the several Underwriters are to make a public
offering of the Firm Shares as soon as the Representatives deem it advisable to
do so. The Firm Shares are to be initially offered to the public at the initial
public offering price set forth in the Prospectus. The Representatives may from
time to time thereafter change the public offering price and other selling
terms. To the extent, if at all, that any Option Shares are purchased pursuant
to Section 2 hereof, the Underwriters will offer them to the public on the
foregoing terms.
It is further understood that you will act as the Representatives for the
Underwriters in the offering and sale of the Shares in accordance with a Master
Agreement Among Underwriters entered into by you and the several other
Underwriters.
4. Covenants of the Company and the Selling Shareholders.
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(a) The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(i) The Company will (A) use its best efforts to cause the
Registration Statement to become effective or, if the procedure in Rule
430A of the Rules and Regulations is followed, to prepare and timely file
with the Commission under Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations a
Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives containing information
previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration
Statement in reliance on Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations, and (B)
not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the
Prospectus of which the Representatives shall not previously have been
advised and furnished with a copy or to which the Representatives shall
have reasonably objected in writing or which is not in compliance with the
Rules and Regulations. To the extent applicable, the copies of the
Registration Statement (including all exhibits filed therewith), any
Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus furnished to the Underwriters shall be
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identical to the copies thereof electronically filed with the Commission on
XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(ii) The Company will advise the Representatives promptly (A) when the
Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto shall have
become effective, (B) of receipt of any comments from the Commission, (C)
of any request of the Commission for amendment of the Registration
Statement or for supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional
information, and (D) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of
the Prospectus or of the institution of any proceedings for that purpose.
The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such
stop order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus and to obtain
as soon as possible the lifting thereof, if issued.
(iii) The Company will cooperate with the Representatives in
endeavoring to qualify the Shares for sale under the securities laws of
such jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably have designated in
writing and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish
such information as may be reasonably required for that purpose, provided
the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to
file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it
is not now so qualified or required to file such a consent. The Company
will, from time to time, prepare and file such statements, reports, and
other documents, as are or may be required to continue such qualifications
in effect for so long a period as the Representatives may reasonably
request for distribution of the Shares.
(iv) The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the
Representatives, from time to time, as many copies of any Preliminary
Prospectus as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will
deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives during the period
when delivery of a Prospectus is required under the Act, as many copies of
the Prospectus in final form, or as thereafter amended or supplemented, as
the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to the
Representatives, at or before the Closing Date, four signed copies of the
Registration Statement and all amendments thereto including all exhibits
filed therewith, and will deliver to the Representatives such number of
copies of the Registration Statement (including such number of copies of
the exhibits filed therewith that may reasonably be requested), and of all
amendments thereto, as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(v) The Company will comply with the Act and the Rules and
Regulations, and the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution
of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement and the Prospectus. If
during the period in which a prospectus is required by law to be delivered
by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur as a result of which, in
the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the
Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not
misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the
Prospectus to comply with any law, the Company promptly will prepare and
file with the
-11-
Commission an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or
supplement to the Prospectus so that the Prospectus as so amended or
supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it is so
delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply with the
law.
(vi) The Company will make generally available to its security
holders, as soon as it is practicable to do so, but in any event not later
than 15 months after the effective date of the Registration Statement, an
earning statement (which need not be audited) in reasonable detail,
covering a period of at least 12 consecutive months beginning after the
effective date of the Registration Statement, which earning statement shall
satisfy the requirements of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 of the
Rules and Regulations and will advise you in writing when such statement
has been so made available.
(vii) The Company will, for a period of five years from the Closing
Date, deliver to the Representatives copies of annual reports and copies of
all other documents, reports and information furnished by the Company to
its stockholders or filed with any securities exchange pursuant to the
requirements of such exchange or with the Commission pursuant to the Act or
the Exchange Act. The Company will deliver to the Representatives similar
reports with respect to significant subsidiaries, as that term is defined
in the Rules and Regulations, which are not consolidated in the Company's
financial statements. To the extent applicable, such reports and documents
shall be identical to the copies thereof electronically filed with the
Commission on XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(viii) The Company will not sell or otherwise dispose of, directly or
indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or other securities convertible into
or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of Common Stock or derivative of
Common Stock (or enter into any agreement for such) for a period of 90
days after the date of this Agreement otherwise than hereunder or with the
prior written consent of Alex. Xxxxx & Sons Incorporated except that the
Company may, without such consent, (A) issue shares upon the exercise of
options outstanding on the date of this Agreement issued pursuant to its
[1982 Stock Option Plan, as amended, the 1992 Stock Option Plan and the
1995 Stock Option Plan] and (B) grant options and offer to sell shares of
Common Stock to its employees and directors pursuant to the plans listed in
clause (A). The Company will not file a registration statement on Form S-8
under the Act until 90 days after the date of this Agreement.
(ix) The Company will use its best efforts to list, subject to notice
of issuance, the Shares on the NASDAQ National Market.
(x) The Company has caused each officer and director and specific
shareholders of the Company to furnish to you, on or prior to the date of
this agreement, a letter or letters, in form and substance satisfactory to
the Underwriters, pursuant to which each such person shall agree not to
offer to sell, contract to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of, directly
or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock, any options, rights or warrants
to purchase any shares of Common Stock (including any stock appreciation
right, or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege at a price
related to, or derived from, the market price of the
-12-
Common Stock) or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares
of Common Stock or engage in any hedging transactions with respect to the
Common Stock that may have an impact on the market price of the Common
Stock for a period of 90 days after the date of this Agreement, directly or
indirectly, except with the prior written consent of Alex. Xxxxx & Sons
Incorporated ("Lockup Agreements").
(xi) The Company shall apply the net proceeds of its sale of the
Shares substantially as set forth in the Prospectus.
(xii) The Company shall not invest, or otherwise use the proceeds
received by the Company from its sale of the Shares in such a manner as
would require the Company or any of the Subsidiaries to register as an
investment company under the 1940 Act.
(xiii) The Company will maintain a transfer agent and, if necessary
under the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company, a registrar for the
Common Stock.
(xiv) The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action
designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably
be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price
of any securities of the Company in violation of the Act or the Rules and
Regulations or the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder.
(b) Each of the Selling Shareholders covenants and agrees with the
several Underwriters that:
(i) Such Selling Shareholder will not offer to sell, contract to sell,
transfer or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common
Stock, any options, rights or warrants to purchase any shares of Common Stock
(including any stock appreciation right, or similar right with an exercise or
conversion privilege at a price related to, or derived from, the market price of
the Common Stock) or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares
of Common Stock or engage in any hedging transactions with respect to the Common
Stock that may have an impact on the market price of the Common Stock for a
period of 90 days after the date of this Agreement, otherwise than hereunder or
with the prior written consent of Alex. Xxxxx & Sons Incorporated.
(ii) In order to document the Underwriters' compliance with the reporting
and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of
1982 and the Interest and Dividend Tax Compliance Act of 1983 with respect to
the transactions herein contemplated, each of the Selling Shareholders agrees to
deliver to you prior to or at the Closing Date a properly completed and executed
United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or other applicable form or
statement specified by Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof).
(iii) Such Selling Shareholder will not take, directly or indirectly, any
action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might
reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the
price of any securities of the Company in
-13-
violation of the Act or the Rules and Regulations or the Exchange Act and
the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
5. Costs and Expenses.
------------------
The Company will pay all costs, expenses and fees incident to the
performance of the obligations of the Sellers under this Agreement, including,
without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the following: accounting
fees of the Company; the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company; the
cost of printing and delivering to, or as requested by, the Underwriters copies
of the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus, this
Agreement, the Underwriters' Invitation Letter, the Listing Application, the
Blue Sky Survey and any supplements or amendments thereto; the filing fees of
the Commission; the filing fees incident to securing any required review by the
NASD of the terms of the sale of the Shares; the Listing Fee of the Nasdaq
National Market; and the expenses, including the fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Underwriters, incurred in connection with the qualification of
the Shares under State securities or Blue Sky laws. The Company shall not,
however, be required to pay for any of the Underwriters expenses (other than
those related to qualification under NASD regulation and State securities or
Blue Sky laws) except that, if this Agreement shall not be consummated because
the conditions in Section 6 hereof are not satisfied, or because this Agreement
is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 11 hereof , or by
reason of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company or the
Selling Shareholders to perform any undertaking or satisfy any condition of this
Agreement or to comply with any of the terms hereof on their part to be
performed, unless such failure to satisfy said condition or to comply with said
terms be due to the default or omission of any Underwriter, then the Company
shall reimburse the several Underwriters for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses,
including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred in connection
with investigating, marketing and proposing to market the Shares or in
contemplation of performing their obligations hereunder; but the Company shall
not in any event be liable to any of the several Underwriters for damages on
account of loss of anticipated profits from the sale by them of the Shares.
6. Conditions of Obligations of the Underwriters.
---------------------------------------------
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Firm Shares on
the Closing Date and the Option Shares, if any, on the Option Closing Date are
subject to the accuracy, as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as
the case may be, of the representations and warranties of the Company and the
Selling Shareholders contained herein, and to the performance by the Company and
the Selling Shareholders of their covenants and obligations hereunder and to the
following additional conditions:
(a) The Registration Statement and all post-effective amendments
thereto shall have become effective and any and all filings required by
Rule 424 and Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations shall have been made,
and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be
included in the Registration Statement or otherwise) shall have been
disclosed to the Representatives and complied with to their reasonable
satisfaction. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement, as amended from time to time, shall have been
issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been taken or,
-14-
to the knowledge of the Company, shall be contemplated by the Commission
and no injunction, restraining order, or order of any nature by a Federal
or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the
Closing Date which would prevent the issuance of the Shares.
(b) The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date or the
Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the opinions of Warner &
Xxxxxxxxx, counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date or the Option
Closing Date, as the case may be, addressed to the Underwriters (and
stating that it may be relied upon by counsel to the Underwriters) to the
effect that:
(i) The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing
as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts, with corporate power and authority to own or lease
its properties and conduct its business as described in the
Registration Statement; each of the Subsidiaries has been duly
organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing
under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with
corporate power and authority to own or lease its properties and
conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement; the
Company and each of the Subsidiaries are duly qualified to transact
business in all jurisdictions in which the conduct of their business
requires such qualification, or in which the failure to qualify would
have a Material Adverse Effect; and the outstanding shares of capital
stock of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and
validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by
the Company or a Subsidiary; and, to the best of such counsel's
knowledge, the outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the
Subsidiaries is owned free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and
equities and claims, and no options, warrants or other rights to
purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to
convert any obligations into any shares of capital stock or of
ownership interests in the Subsidiaries are outstanding.
(ii) The Company has authorized and outstanding capital stock as
set forth under the caption "Capitalization" in the Prospectus; the
authorized shares of the Company's Common Stock have been duly
authorized; the outstanding shares of the Company's Common Stock,
including the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholders, have been
duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-
assessable; all of the Shares conform to the description thereof
contained in the Prospectus; the certificates for the Shares, assuming
they are in the form filed with the Commission, are in due and proper
form; the shares of Common Stock, including the Option Shares, if any,
to be sold by the Company pursuant to this Agreement have been duly
authorized and will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable
when issued and paid for as contemplated by this Agreement; and no
statutory preemptive rights of stockholders or, to the knowledge of
such counsel, similar contractual rights exist with respect to any of
the Shares or the issue or sale thereof.
-15-
(iii) Except as described in or contemplated by the Prospectus,
to the knowledge of such counsel, there are no outstanding securities
of the Company convertible or exchangeable into or evidencing the
right to purchase or subscribe for any shares of capital stock of the
Company and there are no outstanding or authorized options, warrants
or rights of any character obligating the Company to issue any shares
of its capital stock or any securities convertible or exchangeable
into or evidencing the right to purchase or subscribe for any shares
of such stock; and except as described in the Prospectus, to the
knowledge of such counsel, no holder of any securities of the Company
or any other person has the right, contractual or otherwise, which has
not been satisfied or effectively waived, to cause the Company to
sell or otherwise issue to them, or to permit them to underwrite the
sale of, any of the Shares or the right to have any Common Shares or
other securities of the Company included in the Registration Statement
or the right, as a result of the filing of the Registration Statement,
to require registration under the Act of any shares of Common Stock or
other securities of the Company.
(iv) The Registration Statement has become effective under the
Act and, to the best of the knowledge of such counsel, no stop order
proceedings with respect thereto have been instituted or are pending
or threatened under the Act.
(v) The Registration Statement, the Prospectus and each amendment
or supplement thereto comply as to form in all material respects with
the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations (except that
such counsel need express no opinion as to the financial statements
and related schedules therein) and that the documents incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement and Prospectus complied as to
form when filed in all material respects with the requirements of the
Exchange Act.
(vi) The statements under the captions "[_____________]" and
"Shares Eligible for Future Sale" in the Prospectus, insofar as such
statements constitute a summary of documents referred to therein or
matters of law, fairly summarize in all material respects the
information called for with respect to such documents and matters.
(vii) Such counsel does not know of any contracts or documents
required to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or
described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which are
not so filed or described as required, and such contracts and
documents as are summarized in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus are fairly summarized in all material respects.
(viii) Such counsel knows of no material legal or governmental
proceedings pending or threatened against the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries except as set forth in the Prospectus.
(ix) The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the
consummation of the transactions herein contemplated do not and will
not conflict with or result in
-16-
a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default
under, the Charter or By-laws of the Company, or any agreement or
instrument known to such counsel to which the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries may be bound.
(x) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company.
(xi) No approval, consent, order, authorization, designation,
declaration or filing by or with any regulatory, administrative or
other governmental body is necessary in connection with the execution
and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions herein contemplated (other than as may be required by the
NASD or as required by State securities and Blue Sky laws as to which
such counsel need express no opinion) except such as have been
obtained or made, specifying the same.
(xii) The Company is not, and will not become, as a result of
the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement,
and application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the
Prospectus, required to register as an investment company under the
1940 Act.
(xiii) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered on behalf of the Selling Shareholders.
(xiv) Each Selling Shareholder has full legal right, power and
authority, and any approval required by law (other than as required by
State securities and Blue Sky laws as to which such counsel need
express no opinion), to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the portion
of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder.
(xv) The Custodian Agreement and the Power of Attorney executed
and delivered by each Selling Shareholder are valid, irrevocable
instruments legally sufficient for the purposes intended.
(xvi) Upon registration of the Shares to be sold by the Selling
Shareholders hereunder in the names of the Underwriters in the stock
records of the Company, and assuming the Underwriters purchased such
Shares in good faith and without notice of any adverse claim within
the meaning of Section 8-302 of the Uniform Commercial Code as in
effect in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Underwriters will
have acquired all rights of the Selling Shareholders in such Shares
free of any adverse claim, any lien in favor of the Company, and any
restrictions on transfer imposed by the Company; and the owner of such
Shares, if other than such Selling Shareholder, is precluded from
asserting against the Underwriters the ineffectiveness of any
unauthorized endorsement.
In rendering such opinion, Warner & Xxxxxxxxx may rely as to matters
governed by the laws of states other than Massachusetts or Federal laws on
local counsel in such
-17-
jurisdictions and as to the matters set forth in subparagraphs (xiii),
(xiv) and (xv) on opinions of other counsel representing the respective
Selling Shareholders, provided that in each case Warner & Xxxxxxxxx shall
state that they believe that they and the Underwriters are justified in
relying on such other counsel. In addition to the matters set forth above,
such opinion shall also include a statement to the effect that nothing has
come to the attention of such counsel which leads them to believe that (i)
the Registration Statement, at the time it became effective under the Act
(but after giving effect to any modifications incorporated therein pursuant
to Rule 430A under the Act) and as of the Closing Date or the Option
Closing Date, as the case may be, contained an untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii)
the Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, on the date it was filed
pursuant to the Rules and Regulations and as of the Closing Date or the
Option Closing Date, as the case may be, contained an untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to
make the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they are
made, not misleading and (iii) any of the documents incorporated by
reference in the Propsectus, as of the respective dates when such documents
were filed with the Commission contained any untrue statement of material
fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (except that such
counsel need express no view as to financial statements, schedules and
statistical information therein). With respect to such statement, Warner &
Xxxxxxxxx may state that their belief is based upon the procedures set
forth therein, but is without independent check and verification.
(c) The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date or the
Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the opinion of patent and
trademark counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date or the Option
Closing Date, as the case may be, addressed to the Underwriters that is in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to them and their counsel.
In rendering such opinion, such counsel may, to the extent stated
therein, rely as to matters of fact on certificates of officers of the
Company, copies of which shall be attached to the opinion. In rendering
such opinion, such counsel need not have conducted any independent
investigation or conducted searches to locate any third party patents, mask
works, copyrights or other intellectual property rights that might impact
the Company's activities.
(d) The Representatives shall have received from Ropes & Xxxx, counsel
for the Underwriters, an opinion dated the Closing Date or the Option
Closing Date, as the case may be, substantially to the effect specified in
subparagraphs (ii), (iv), (x) and (xiii) of Paragraph (b) of this Section
6. In addition to the matters set forth above, such opinion shall also
include a statement to the effect that nothing has come to the attention of
such counsel which leads them to believe that (i) the Registration
Statement, or any amendment thereto, as of the time it became effective
under the Act (but after giving effect to any modifications incorporated
therein pursuant to Rule 430A under the Act) contained an untrue statement
of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
and (ii) the Prospectus, or any supplement
-18-
thereto, on the date it was filed pursuant to the Rules and Regulations and
as of the Closing Date contained an untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements,
in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading
(except that such counsel need express no view as to financial statements,
schedules and statistical information therein). With respect to such
statement, may state that their belief is based upon the procedures set
forth therein, but is without independent check and verification.
(e) The Representatives shall have received at or prior to the Closing
Date from Ropes & Xxxx a memorandum or summary, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representatives, with respect to the qualification for
offering and sale by the Underwriters of the Shares under the State
securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives
may reasonably have designated to the Company.
(f) You shall have received, on each of the dates hereof, the Closing
Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, a letter dated the
date hereof, the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may
be, in form and substance satisfactory to you, of Price Waterhouse LLP
confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning
of the Act and the applicable published Rules and Regulations thereunder
and stating that in their opinion the financial statements and schedules
examined by them and included in the Registration Statement comply in form
in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the
Act and the related published Rules and Regulations; and containing such
other statements and information as is ordinarily included in accountants'
"comfort letters" to Underwriters with respect to the financial statements
and certain financial and statistical information contained in the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the documents incorporated by
reference therein.
(g) The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date or the
Option Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate or certificates of
the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company
to the effect that, as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as
the case may be, each of them severally represents as follows:
(i) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act
and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose have
been taken or are, to his knowledge, contemplated by the Commission;
(ii) The representations and warranties of the Company contained
in Section 1 hereof are true and correct as of the Closing Date or the
Option Closing Date, as the case may be;
(iii) All filings required to have been made pursuant to Rules
424 or 430A under the Act have been made;
(iv) He has carefully examined the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus and, in his opinion, as of the effective date of the
Registration Statement,
-19-
the statements contained in the Registration Statement were true and
correct, and such Registration Statement and Prospectus did not omit
to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in
order to make the statements therein not misleading, and since the
effective date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred
which should have been set forth in a supplement to or an amendment of
the Prospectus which has not been so set forth in such supplement or
amendment; and
(v) Since the respective dates as of which information is given
in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, there has not been any
material adverse change or any development involving a prospective
material adverse change in or affecting the condition, financial or
otherwise, of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or the
earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights,
operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the
Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising
in the ordinary course of business.
(h) The Company and the Selling Shareholders shall have furnished to
the Representatives such further certificates and documents confirming the
representations and warranties, covenants and conditions contained herein
and related matters as the Representatives may reasonably have requested.
(i) The Firm Shares and Option Shares, if any, have been approved for
designation upon notice of issuance on The Nasdaq National Market.
(j) The Lockup Agreements are in full force and effect.
The opinions and certificates mentioned in this Agreement shall be deemed
to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in all material
respects satisfactory to the Representatives and to Ropes & Xxxx, counsel for
the Underwriters.
If any of the conditions hereinabove provided for in this Section 6 shall
not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled,
the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the
Representatives by notifying the Company and the Selling Shareholders of such
termination in writing or by telegram at or prior to the Closing Date or the
Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
In such event, the Selling Shareholders, the Company and the Underwriters
shall not be under any obligation to each other (except to the extent provided
in Sections 5 and 8 hereof).
7. Conditions of the Obligations of the Sellers.
--------------------------------------------
The obligations of the Sellers to sell and deliver the portion of the
Shares required to be delivered as and when specified in this Agreement are
subject to the conditions that at the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date,
as the case may be, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of
-20-
the Registration Statement shall have been issued and in effect or proceedings
therefor initiated or threatened.
8. Indemnification.
---------------
(a) The Company agrees, and each Selling Shareholder severally agrees,
to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any,
who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act, against any
losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter or any
such controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise,
insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or
proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained
in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus
or any amendment or supplement thereto, (ii) 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, or (iii) any act
or failure to act or any alleged act or failure to act by any Underwriter
in connection with, or relating in any manner to, the shares or the
offering contemplated hereby, and which is included as part of or referred
to in any loss, claim, damage, liability or action arising out of or based
upon matters covered by clause (i) or (ii) above (provided that the Company
and the Selling Shareholders shall not be liable under this clause (iii) to
the extent that it is determined in a final judgment by a court of
competent jurisdiction that such loss, claim, damage, liability or action
resulted directly from any such acts or failures to act undertaken or
omitted to be taken by such Underwriter through its gross negligence or
willful misconduct); and will reimburse each Underwriter and each such
controlling person upon demand for any legal or other expenses reasonably
incurred by such Underwriter or such controlling person in connection with
investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage or liability,
action or proceeding or in responding to a subpoena or governmental inquiry
related to the offering of the Shares, whether or not such Underwriter or
controlling person is a party to any action or proceeding; provided that,
with respect to the indemnity of each Selling Shareholder, other than the
Management Selling Shareholders, the indemnity shall, in each case, apply
only to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises
out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement, or
omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement
thereto, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished by such Selling Shareholder specifically for use in the
preparation thereof; and provided further that the Company and the Selling
Shareholders will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any
such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged
omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus,
the Prospectus, or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or through
the Representatives specifically for use in the preparation thereof. In no
event, however, shall the liability of any Selling Shareholder for
indemnification under this Section 8(a) exceed the proceeds received by
such Selling Shareholder from the Underwriters hereunder. This indemnity
agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company or the
Selling Shareholders may otherwise have. Neither the Underwriters nor any
such controlling person shall seek indemnification from the Selling
Shareholders for any
-21-
losses, claims, damages, expenses, or liabilities suffered by them unless
either: (i) they have first reduced their indemnification claims against
the Company to judgment and exhausted all collection remedies against the
Company in respect of such claims and such claims remain unsatisfied; or
(ii) the Company is then bankrupt, in which event the Underwriters and any
such controlling person shall be entitled to seek indemnification from the
Selling Shareholders for the unsatisfied portion of such losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses. The Company agrees that the Selling
Shareholders may implead the Company in any action in which the
Underwriters or any such controlling person is seeking indemnification from
the Selling Shareholders. The Company also agrees that to the extent that
the Management Selling Shareholders satisfy any indemnification claims of
Underwriters or such controlling persons hereunder (for which claims they
would not be liable but for their status as Management Selling
Shareholders) such Management Selling Shareholders shall be subrogated to
the rights against the Company of the Underwriter and such controlling
persons.
(b) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly will indemnify and hold
harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who have
signed the Registration Statement, the Selling Shareholders, and each
person, if any, who controls the Company or the Selling Shareholders within
the meaning of the Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities
to which the Company or any such director, officer, Selling Shareholder or
controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar
as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings
in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in
the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or
any amendment or supplement thereto, or (ii) the omission or the alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made; and will reimburse any legal or
other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company or any such director,
officer, Selling Shareholder or controlling person in connection with
investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action
or proceeding; provided, however, that each Underwriter will be liable in
each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement
or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made
in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus
or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information furnished to the Company by or through the
Representatives specifically for use in the preparation thereof. This
indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which such
Underwriter may otherwise have.
(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation)
shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may
be sought pursuant to this Section 8, such person (the "indemnified party")
shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought
(the "indemnifying party") in writing. No indemnification provided for in
Section 8(a) or (b) shall be available to any party who shall fail to give
notice as provided in this Section 8(c) if the party to whom notice was not
given was unaware of the proceeding to which such notice would have related
and was materially prejudiced by the failure to give such notice, but the
failure to give such notice shall not
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relieve the indemnifying party or parties from any liability which it or
they may have to the indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than
on account of the provisions of Section 8(a) or (b). In case any such
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 therein and, to the extent that it
shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified,
to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such
indemnified party and shall pay as incurred the fees and disbursements of
such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any
indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel at its own
expense. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnifying party shall pay as
incurred (or within 30 days of presentation) the fees and expenses of the
counsel retained by the indemnified party in the event (i) the indemnifying
party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention
of such counsel, (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including
any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the
indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel
would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests
between them or (iii) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume
the defense and employ counsel acceptable to the indemnified party within a
reasonable period of time after notice of commencement of the action. It is
understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any
proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for
the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm for all
such indemnified parties. Such firm shall be designated in writing by you
in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a) and by the
Company and the Selling Shareholders in the case of parties indemnified
pursuant to Section 8(b). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for
any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent but
if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the
plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party
from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or
judgment. In addition, the indemnifying party will not, without the prior
written consent of the indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent
to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or
proceeding of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not
any indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such claim, action
or proceeding) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an
unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising
out of such claim, action or proceeding.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is
unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under
Section 8(a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to
therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid
or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) in
such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received
by the Company and the Selling Shareholders on the one hand and the
-23-
Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however,
the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not
permitted by applicable law then each indemnifying party shall contribute
to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion
as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the
relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholders on the one hand
and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or
omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities,
(or actions or proceedings in respect thereof), as well as any other
relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the
Company and the Selling Shareholders on the one hand and the Underwriters
on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net
proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the
Company and the Selling Shareholders bear to the total underwriting
discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set
forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault
shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue
or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged
omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the
Company or the Selling Shareholders on the one hand or the Underwriters on
the other and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to
information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or
omission.
(e) The Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Underwriters agree
that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to
Section 8(d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the
Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other
method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable
considerations referred to above in Section 8(d). The amount paid or
payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages
or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to
above in Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with
investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the
provisions of subsection (d), (i) no Underwriter shall be required to
contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and
commissions applicable to the Shares purchased by such Underwriter, (ii) no
person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of
Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person
who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation, and (iii) no
Selling Shareholder shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of
the proceeds received by such Selling Shareholder from the Underwriters in
the Offering. The Underwriters' obligations in Section 8(d) to contribute
are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and
not joint.
(f) In any proceeding relating to the Registration Statement, any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any supplement or amendment
thereto, each party against whom contribution may be sought under this
Section 8 hereby consents to the jurisdiction of any court having
jurisdiction over any other contributing party, agrees that process issuing
from such court may be served upon him or it by any other contributing
party and consents to the service of such process and agrees that any other
contributing party may join him or it as an additional defendant in any
such proceeding in which such other contributing party is a party.
(g) Any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses for which an
indemnified party is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this
Section 8 shall be paid by the indemnifying party to the indemnified party
as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are incurred. The
indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 8 and the
representations and warranties of the Company set forth in this Agreement
shall
-24-
remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any
investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any person
controlling any Underwriter, the Company, its directors or officers or any
persons controlling the Company, (ii) acceptance of any Shares and payment
therefor hereunder, and (iii) any termination of this Agreement. A
successor to any Underwriter, or to the Company, its directors or officers,
or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of
the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this
Section 8.
9. Default by Underwriters.
-----------------------
If on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any
Underwriter shall fail to purchase and pay for the portion of the Shares which
such Underwriter has agreed to purchase and pay for on such date (otherwise than
by reason of any default on the part of the Company or a Selling Shareholder),
you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, shall use your reasonable efforts
to procure within 36 hours thereafter one or more of the other Underwriters, or
any others, to purchase from the Company and the Selling Shareholders such
amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms set forth herein, the Firm
Shares or Option Shares, as the case may be, which the defaulting Underwriter or
Underwriters failed to purchase. If during such 36 hours you, as such
Representatives, shall not have procured such other Underwriters, or any others,
to purchase the Firm Shares or Option Shares, as the case may be, agreed to be
purchased by the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then (a) if the
aggregate number of shares with respect to which such default shall occur does
not exceed 10% of the Firm Shares or Option Shares, as the case may be, covered
hereby, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in proportion to
the respective numbers of Firm Shares or Option Shares, as the case may be,
which they are obligated to purchase hereunder, to purchase the Firm Shares or
Option Shares, as the case may be, which such defaulting Underwriter or
Underwriters failed to purchase, or (b) if the aggregate number of shares of
Firm Shares or Option Shares, as the case may be, with respect to which such
default shall occur exceeds 10% of the Firm Shares or Option Shares, as the case
may be, covered hereby, the Company or you as the Representatives of the
Underwriters will have the right, by written notice given within the next 36-
hour period to the parties to this Agreement, to terminate this Agreement
without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters or of the
Company or of the Selling Shareholders except to the extent provided in Section
8 hereof. In the event of a default by any Underwriter or Underwriters, as set
forth in this Section 9, the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case
may be, may be postponed for such period, not exceeding seven days, as you, as
Representatives, may determine in order that the required changes in the
Registration Statement or in the Prospectus or in any other documents or
arrangements may be effected. The term "Underwriter" includes any person
substituted for a defaulting Underwriter. Any action taken under this Section 9
shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any
default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
-25-
10. Notices.
-------
All communications hereunder shall be in writing and, except as otherwise
provided herein, will be mailed, delivered, telecopied or telegraphed and
confirmed as follows: if to the Underwriters, to Alex. Xxxxx & Sons
Incorporated, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, Attention:
Syndicate; with a copy to Alex. Xxxxx & Sons Incorporated, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000. Attention: General Counsel; if to the Company
or the Selling Shareholders, to ADE Corporation, 00 Xxxxxx Xxx, Xxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000; Attention: Chief Executive Officer; with a copy to Warner
& Xxxxxxxxx, 00 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx, XX 00000, Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx,
Esq.
11. Termination.
-----------
This Agreement may be terminated by you by notice to the Sellers as
follows:
(a) at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the time the Shares are
released by you for sale by notice to the Underwriters, or (ii) 11:30 a.m.
on the first business day following the date of this Agreement;
(b) at any time prior to the Closing Date if any of the following has
occurred: (i) since the respective dates as of which information is given
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, any material adverse
change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change
in or affecting the condition, financial or otherwise, of the Company and
its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or the earnings, business, management,
properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise)
or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether
or not arising in the ordinary course of business, (ii) any outbreak or
escalation of hostilities or declaration of war or national emergency or
other national or international calamity or crisis or change in economic or
political conditions if the effect of such outbreak, escalation,
declaration, emergency, calamity, crisis or change on the financial markets
of the United States would, in your reasonable judgment, make it
impracticable to market the Shares or to enforce contracts for the sale of
the Shares, or (iii) suspension of trading in securities generally on the
New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock Exchange or limitation on
prices (other than limitations on hours or numbers of days of trading) for
securities on either such Exchange, (iv) the enactment, publication, decree
or other promulgation of any statute, regulation, rule or order of any
court or other governmental authority which in your opinion materially and
adversely affects or may materially and adversely affect the business or
operations of the Company, (v) declaration of a banking moratorium by
United States or New York State authorities, (vi) any downgrading in the
rating of the Company's debt securities by any "nationally recognized
statistical rating organization" (as defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)
under the Exchange Act); (vii) the suspension of trading of the Company's
common stock by the Commission on The Nasdaq National Market or (viii) the
taking of any action by any governmental body or agency in respect of its
monetary or fiscal affairs which in your reasonable opinion has a material
adverse effect on the securities markets in the United States; or
(c) as provided in Sections 6 and 9 of this Agreement.
-26-
12. Successors.
----------
This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the
Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders and their respective
successors, executors, administrators, heirs and assigns, and the officers,
directors and controlling persons referred to herein, and no other person will
have any right or obligation hereunder. No purchaser of any of the Shares from
any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign merely because of such
purchase.
13. Information Provided by Underwriters.
------------------------------------
The Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Underwriters acknowledge and
agree that the only information furnished or to be furnished by any Underwriter
to the Company for inclusion in any Prospectus or the Registration Statement
consists of the information set forth in the last paragraph on the front cover
page (insofar as such information relates to the Underwriters), legends required
by Item 502(d) of Regulation S-K under the Act and the information under the
caption "Underwriting" in the Prospectus.
14. Miscellaneous.
-------------
The reimbursement, indemnification and contribution agreements contained in
this Agreement and the representations, warranties and covenants in this
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of (a) any
termination of this Agreement, (b) any investigation made by or on behalf of
any Underwriter or controlling person thereof, or by or on behalf of the Company
or its directors or officers and (c) delivery of and payment for the Shares
under this Agreement.
This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which
shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and
the same instrument. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in
accordance with, the laws of the State of Maryland.
If the foregoing letter is in accordance with your understanding of our
agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicates hereof,
whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Selling Shareholders, the
Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
-27-
Any person executing and delivering this Agreement as Attorney-in-Fact for
a Selling Shareholder represents by so doing that he has been duly appointed as
Attorney-in-Fact by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to a validly existing and
binding Power of Attorney (the "Power of Attorney") which authorizes such
Attorney-in-Fact to take such action.
Very truly yours,
ADE CORPORATION
By_______________________________
President
Selling Shareholders listed on Schedule II
By_______________________________
Attorney-in-Fact
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is
hereby confirmed and accepted as of the
date first above written.
Alex. Xxxxx & Sons Incorporated
Xxxxxxxxxx Securities
Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxx, Inc.
Sutro & Co. Incorporated
Xxxxxxx & Company, Inc.
As Representatives of the several
Underwriters listed on Schedule I
By: Alex. Xxxxx & Sons Incorporated
By_____________________________
Authorized Officer
-28-
SCHEDULE I
SCHEDULE OF UNDERWRITERS
NUMBER OF
UNDERWRITER FIRM SHARES
TO BE PURCHASED
Alex. Xxxxx & Sons Incorporated
Xxxxxxxxxx Securities
Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxx, Inc.
Sutro & Co. Incorporated
Xxxxxxx & Company, Inc.
---------------
TOTAL UNDERWRITERS ( )
-29-
SCHEDULE II
SCHEDULE OF SELLING SHAREHOLDERS
NUMBER OF NUMBER OF
FIRM SHARES OPTIONAL SHARES
SELLING SHAREHOLDER TO BE SOLD TO BE SOLD
--------------------- ---------- ----------
-30-
SCHEDULE II
SCHEDULE OF SELLING SHAREHOLDERS
NUMBER OF NUMBER OF
FIRM SHARES OPTIONAL SHARES
SELLING SHAREHOLDER TO BE SOLD TO BE SOLD
--------------------- ---------- ----------
TOTAL 0
---------------
* Management Selling Shareholders. See Section 1(b)(iv).
+ Selling Shareholders who have granted an option to the Underwriters for the
sale of Option Shares. See Section 2(c).
-31-
