SUPERIOR WELL SERVICES, INC. 4,800,000 Shares of Common Stock UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
4,800,000 Shares of Common Stock
June [ ], 2006
KeyBanc Capital Markets, a division of
McDonald Investments Inc.
As Representative of the several Underwriters
XxXxxxxx Investment Center
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000
McDonald Investments Inc.
As Representative of the several Underwriters
XxXxxxxx Investment Center
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Superior Well Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), together with the
stockholders of the Company listed in Schedule A hereto (the “Selling Stockholders”),
severally propose, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to sell 4,800,000 shares (the
“Firm Securities”) of common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”),
to the several underwriters named in Schedule B hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you
are acting as Representative (the “Representative”). The Firm Securities consist of 2,000,000
authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock to be issued and sold by the Company and 2,800,000
outstanding shares of Common Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholders.
In addition, the Company also proposes to grant the Underwriters an option to purchase up to
720,000 additional shares of Common Stock (the “Optional Securities”). The Firm Securities and the
Optional Securities are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Securities.” The Company and
the Selling Stockholders hereby confirm the agreement with you, acting as the Representative of the
Underwriters.
1. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and
agrees with, each of the Underwriters that:
(a) The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-134541) covering the registration of
the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), including the
preliminary prospectus relating to the Securities. Such registration statement, including the
exhibits thereto and schedules thereto, at the time it became effective, is herein called the
“Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the rules
and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act (the “Securities Act Regulations”) is
herein referred to as the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and after such filing the term
“Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include the Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement. Any preliminary prospectus included in such registration statement or filed with
the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the Securities Act Regulations before a prospectus in
final form is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act Regulations
is herein called a “Preliminary Prospectus.” The Preliminary Prospectus relating to the Securities
that was included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as
defined below) is herein called the “Time of Sale Prospectus.” The final prospectus, in the form
first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act Regulations, is
herein called the “Prospectus.” Any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433 of
the Securities Act Regulations) is herein called an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.” For purposes
of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the
Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to refer to and
include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and
Retrieval system (“XXXXX”). For purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” is ___:___ _.m.
(Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement.
(b) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission. Each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of
filing thereof, complied, and any further amendments or supplements thereto will comply, in all
material respects, with the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations, and did not contain
an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. The representation and warranty set forth in the immediately preceding sentence does
not apply to statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by an Underwriter expressly for inclusion therein, which
information consists solely of the information in the letter referred to in Section 9(f).
(c) The Time of Sale Prospectus, as supplemented by those Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses and
other documents and information listed in Schedule C hereto, taken together (collectively,
the “Disclosure Package”) as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Each Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule C or Schedule D hereto does not conflict with
the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the
Prospectus, and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together
with the Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representation
and warranty set forth in the immediately preceding sentence does not apply to statements or
omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company
by an Underwriter expressly for inclusion therein, which information consists solely of the
information in the letter referred to in Section 9(f).
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(d) Each of the Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has been
declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act. The Company has complied to the
Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental
information. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule
462(b) Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been initiated
or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, are contemplated by the Commission.
(e) The Registration Statement complies, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or
supplements thereto will comply, in all material respects, with the Securities Act and the
Securities Act Regulations. The Registration Statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto,
does not and will not contain, as of the applicable effective date, any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, and any supplements thereto, as of its date
or the date of such supplement and on each Delivery Date, does not and will not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
The representations and warranties set forth in the two immediately preceding sentences do not
apply to statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company by an Underwriter expressly for inclusion therein, which information
consists solely of the information in the letter referred to in Section 9(f). There are no
contracts or other documents required to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the
Prospectus or filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that have not been described or filed
as required.
(f) The Time of Sale Prospectus was, and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use
in connection with this offering will be, identical to the versions of the Time of Sale Prospectus
and Prospectus created to be transmitted to the Commission for filing via XXXXX, except to the
extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(g) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and at the date of this Agreement, the
Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act
Regulations).
(h) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing and in good standing as a
corporation under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), with the
requisite power and authority to own and lease its properties and conduct its business as described
in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. The Company is duly qualified to do business as
a foreign corporation in good standing in all jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of
property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be
so qualified would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the
financial condition, business, properties, business prospects (other than as a result of an event,
circumstance or condition applicable to the oil and gas or oilfield services
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industries as a whole) or results of operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries (as
defined below) taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”).
(i) The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association
or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Registration Statement
(each, a “Subsidiary” and collectively, the “Subsidiaries”). All of the outstanding limited
partner interests or limited liability company interests, as applicable, of each Subsidiary have
been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid (except to the extent required under the
respective limited partnership agreements and limited liability company agreements of the
Subsidiaries, as applicable) and nonassessable (except as may be limited by Section 18-607 of the
Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (the “Delaware LLC Act”) and are owned by the Company,
directly or indirectly through subsidiaries, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or
claims, other than those arising under the respective limited liability company agreements and
limited partnership agreements of the Subsidiaries.
(j) Each Subsidiary has been duly formed or organized, as applicable, and is validly existing
and in good standing as a limited liability company or limited partnership, as applicable, under
the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation or organization, as applicable, with the requisite
power and authority (limited liability company or limited partnership, as applicable) to own and
lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the
Prospectus. Each Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business as a foreign limited liability
company or limited partnership, as applicable, in good standing in all jurisdictions in which its
ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except
where the failure to be so qualified would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(k) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(l) The duly authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization of the Company is as set forth
under the caption “Capitalization” in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus as of the date
set forth therein; all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are
duly authorized and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, are free of any preemptive
rights, rights of first refusal or similar rights, were issued and sold in compliance with
applicable federal and state securities laws and conform in all material respects to the
description thereof in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; except as described in the
Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding options, warrants or other
rights calling for the issuance of, and there are no commitments, plans or arrangements to issue
any shares of capital stock of the Company or any security convertible or exchangeable or
exercisable for capital stock of the Company.
(m) The Common Stock conforms in substance in all material respects to all statements in
relation thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the
Prospectus; the Securities to be sold by the Company pursuant to
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this Agreement have been duly authorized and (i) when issued and delivered pursuant to this
Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and (ii) will conform to the
description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. All corporate
action required to be taken for the issuance of the Securities by the Company pursuant to this
Agreement has been validly taken. No preemptive rights of security holders of the Company exist
with respect to the issuance and sale of the Common Stock by the Company pursuant to this
Agreement. The certificates for the Common Stock of the Company are in due and legal form under
Delaware law.
(n) Other than as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no
contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the
right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect
to any shares of Common Stock or any other securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such
person or to require the Company to include such Common Stock or other securities in the
Registration Statement. To the extent any person has such registration or offer similar rights,
such rights have been waived with respect to the registration of securities in connection with the
Registration Statement, other than the sale of the Securities by the Selling Stockholders in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(o) No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing or registration with, any
governmental agency or body or any court is required for the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, except such as has been obtained or made under the Securities Act
or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or as may be required by
state securities or “blue sky” laws.
(p) The issuance and sale of the Securities and the compliance by the Company with all of the
provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein will not
conflict with, or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or
constitute a default under (i) the certificate of incorporation, by-laws, limited partnership
agreement, limited liability company agreement or similar organizational documents of the Company
or any of the Subsidiaries, as applicable, (ii) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, lease, loan
agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a
party or by which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property
or assets of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is subject, or (iii) any statute, law, order,
rule or regulation of any governmental agency or body or any court applicable to the Company or any
of the Subsidiaries or any of their property, assets or operations, except, with respect to clause
(ii), for such conflicts, breaches, violations or defaults that have been waived or as would not,
individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) None of the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is in violation of its certificate of
incorporation, by-laws, limited partnership agreement, limited liability company agreement or
similar organizational documents, as applicable, or in default (or,
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with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, would be in default) under any indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, lease, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the
Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is
bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is
subject, except for such violations or defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate,
have a Material Adverse Effect.
(r) The Company and the Subsidiaries will have good and marketable title in fee simple to all
real property owned by them, and good and marketable title to all other property owned by them, in
each case free from mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions,
encumbrances and defects of any kind, except as (i) are described in the Time of Sale Prospectus
and the Prospectus or (ii) such would not, individually or in the aggregate, materially affect the
value of such property or materially interfere with the use made or to be made of such property by
them. All of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and the
Subsidiaries, and under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries holds the properties described
in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted
by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries under any such leases or
subleases, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such Subsidiary to the
continued possession of the leased or subleased property under any such lease or sublease.
(s) The Company and the Subsidiaries possess such certificates, permits, licenses, approvals,
consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by appropriate
federal, state or local governmental or regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the
businesses now operated by them; and the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance with the
terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure to so possess or
comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the
Governmental Licenses are valid in full force and effect, except where the invalidity of such
Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect
would not have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries have
received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such
Governmental Licenses that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries,
would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(t) Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no legal
or governmental actions, suits, arbitrations or other proceedings pending as to which the Company
or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries is the subject that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to individually or in the aggregate, have a Material
Adverse Effect or could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the ability of
the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement; and no such actions, suits or
proceedings are threatened or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated. No labor dispute with the
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employees of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the
Company, is threatened or imminent that could reasonably be expected to have, individually or in
the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) The Company and the Subsidiaries own, possess or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate
trademarks, trade names and other rights to inventions, know-how, patents, copyrights, confidential
information and other intellectual property (collectively, “intellectual property rights”)
necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, or presently employed by them, and have not
received any notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to
any intellectual property rights that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(v) Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, (i)
neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state or local
statute, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or
administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent,
decree or judgment, of any governmental agency or body or any court relating to the pollution or
protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface
water, groundwater, land surface, or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation,
laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants,
contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products
(collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use,
treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively,
“Environmental Laws”) and (ii) the Company and its Subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations
and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with
their requirements. There are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened
administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens,
notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental
Law against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. To the knowledge of the Company, there are no
events or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for
clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body
or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries relating to any Hazardous
Materials or the violation of any Environmental Laws that would, individually or in the aggregate,
have a Material Adverse Effect.
(w) The Company and the Subsidiaries have (i) filed on a timely basis all necessary federal,
state, local and foreign income and franchise tax returns required to be filed or have duly
requested extensions thereof; and (ii) paid all taxes shown as due on such tax returns (including
any related assessments, fines or penalties), except for taxes being contested in good faith for
which reserves in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been provided. No
tax deficiency has been asserted against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries which has had, nor
does the Company know of any tax deficiency that is likely to be asserted against the Company or
any of the
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Subsidiaries which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, would
have, a Material Adverse Effect.
(x) The Company and each of the Subsidiaries maintain insurance of the types and in the
amounts generally deemed adequate for their respective businesses and, to the Company’s knowledge,
consistent with insurance coverage maintained by similar companies in similar businesses.
(y) The Company and each of the Subsidiaries are in compliance in all respects with all
applicable provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as amended, including all
applicable regulations thereunder, except for such noncompliance as would not, individually or in
the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(z) Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, none of the
Subsidiaries is currently restricted, directly or indirectly, from (i) paying any dividends or
distributions to the Company, (ii) repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such Subsidiary
from the Company or (iii) transferring any property or assets to the Company or any other
Subsidiary of the Company.
(aa) The consolidated financial statements of the Company (including its predecessors)
included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, together
with the related schedules and notes, fairly present in all material respects the financial
condition of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the respective dates indicated and the
consolidated statements of income of the Company, cash flows and changes in stockholders’ equity
for the respective periods specified, in each case in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise
indicated in the notes thereto) and in accordance with Regulation S-X promulgated by the
Commission. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in
the Registration Statement. The summary and selected consolidated financial data of the Company
(including its predecessors) included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus
and the Prospectus fairly present in all material respects the information shown therein and have
been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the consolidated financial statements of the
Company included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
The other financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus
and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and the Subsidiaries
and present fairly, in all material respects, the information shown thereby. The Registration
Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus include all
financial and other information required to be included in connection with the presentation of
“non-GAAP financial measures” (as defined in Item 10 of Regulation S-K) therein, and the
presentation of such non-GAAP financial measures therein complies with Regulation G and Item 10 of
Regulation S-K, as applicable. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not have any material
liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), not
disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
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(bb) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the last
audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus
and the Prospectus any loss or interference with its business material to the Company and the
Subsidiaries considered as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Time of Sale
Prospectus and the Prospectus. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there has not been any (i)
material change in the capitalization of the Company or the Subsidiaries, (ii) material increase in
the aggregate in the consolidated short-term or long-term debt of the Company, (iii) any
transaction that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries contemplated or entered into by
the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, (iv) any obligation, contingent or otherwise, directly or
indirectly incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary that is material to the Company and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole or (v) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or
made by the Company on any class of its capital stock, in each case otherwise than as set forth or
contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(cc) Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx & Co., Inc., as of December 31, 2005 and during the periods covered by
the consolidated financial statements of the Company (including its predecessors) and the related
schedules and notes thereto included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and
the Prospectus on which they reported were, as of such dates and during such periods, and are
independent registered public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the Securities Act
Regulations. Xxxxxxxxx Downs & Co., Inc. is registered with the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board.
(dd) Each of the Company and the 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 authorization, (ii) transactions are recorded as
necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets, (iii) access to its 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 maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as defined
in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act
and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer,
or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial
reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles. As of the date hereof, the Company is not aware of (i)
any “significant deficiency” or “material weakness” (in each case, as defined in Public Company
Oversight Board Standard No. 2) in the Company’s internal control over reporting, whether or not
subsequently remediated, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, or
(ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that
9
involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal
control over financial reporting.
(ff) The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e)
under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act, which controls and
procedures (i) are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including
its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and its
principal financial officer by others within those entities, particularly during the periods in
which the periodic reports required under the Exchange Act are being prepared and (ii) are
effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established.
(gg) Neither the Company or any Subsidiary, nor any of their respective directors, manager, or
partners, as applicable, or officers, in their capacities as such, is in material breach or
violation of any provision of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations
promulgated in connection therewith.
(hh) The statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Time
of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company
believes to be reliable and accurate or represent the Company’s good faith estimates that are made
on the basis of data derived from such sources.
(ii) The Common Stock has been registered under Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the
Securities have been authorized for trading on the Nasdaq National Market (the “Nasdaq”).
(jj) Neither the Company, the Subsidiaries nor any of their respective officers or directors
has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or which
has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or
manipulation of the price of the Securities in order to facilitate the sale or resale of the
Securities or otherwise.
(kk) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities
and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the
Prospectus will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).
2. Representations and Warranties of the Selling Stockholders.
Each Selling Stockholder, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants to, and agrees
with, the several Underwriters as follows:
(a) As of the First Delivery Date, such Selling Stockholder will be the record and beneficial
owner of the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder under this Agreement, free and clear
of all adverse claims, except for those arising under this Agreement; and upon delivery of and
payment for such Securities hereunder in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(d) hereof, the
several Underwriters will
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acquire a security entitlement (as that term is defined in the Uniform Commercial Code as in
effect in the State of New York (the “New York UCC”) with respect to the Securities, and no action
based on an adverse claim (as that term is defined under the New York UCC) to the Securities may be
asserted against any of the Underwriters, provided that each such Underwriter does not have notice
of any adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the New York UCC). Such Selling
Stockholder is selling the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder for such Selling
Stockholder’s own account and is not selling such Securities, directly or indirectly, for the
benefit of the Company, and no part of the proceeds of such sale received by such Selling
Stockholder will inure, either directly or indirectly, to the benefit of the Company other than as
described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(b) Such Selling Stockholder has duly authorized, executed and delivered a Custody Agreement
(“Custody Agreement”), which Custody Agreement is a valid and binding obligation of such Selling
Stockholder, to the Company, as Custodian (the “Custodian”); pursuant to the Custody Agreement the
Selling Stockholder will, on or prior to the First Delivery Date, place in custody with the
Custodian, for delivery under this Agreement, the certificates representing the Securities to be
sold by such Selling Stockholder; as of the First Delivery Date, such certificates will represent
validly issued, outstanding, fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock; and, as of the
First Delivery Date, such certificates will be duly and properly endorsed in blank for transfer, or
will be accompanied by all documents duly and properly executed that are necessary to validate the
transfer of title thereto, to the Underwriters, free of any legend, restriction on transferability,
proxy, lien or claim, whatsoever.
(c) Such Selling Stockholder has the power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to
sell, transfer and deliver the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this
Agreement; and such Selling Stockholder has duly authorized, executed and delivered to Xxxxxx X.
Xxxxxx, Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx and Xxxx X. Xxxxxx, each as attorney-in-fact (the “Attorneys-in-Fact”), an
irrevocable power of attorney (a “Power of Attorney”) authorizing and directing the
Attorneys-in-Fact to effect the sale and delivery of the Securities being sold by such Selling
Stockholder, to enter into this Agreement and to take all such other action as may be necessary
hereunder.
(d) This Agreement, the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney have each been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder. The execution and
delivery of this Agreement, the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney and the performance of
the terms hereof and thereof and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein
contemplated will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or
constitute a default under, any agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a
party or by which such Selling Stockholder is bound, or any law, regulation, order or decree
applicable to such Selling Stockholder. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing
with, any court or governmental agency or body is required for the execution, delivery and
performance of this Agreement, the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney or for the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby,
11
including the sale of the Securities being sold by such Selling Stockholder, except such as
has been obtained or made under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or as may be required by
state securities or “blue sky” laws.
(e) Such Selling Stockholder has not distributed and will not distribute any prospectus or
other offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or other materials permitted
by the Securities Act to be distributed by such Selling Stockholder.
(f) The Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, and the Registration Statement, any
Preliminary Prospectus and the Time of Sale Prospectus did not include, and the Prospectus and any
further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, when they
become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will not include, any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
The representation and warranty set forth in the immediately preceding sentence only applies to
statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information about such
Selling Stockholder furnished to the Company by such Selling Stockholder expressly for use therein,
which information consists solely of the information set forth with respect to such Selling
Stockholder in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus in the table under the caption
“Selling Stockholders.”
(g) Other than as contemplated by this Agreement and except as disclosed in the Registration
Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there is no broker, finder or other
party that is entitled to receive from such Selling Stockholder any brokerage or finder’s fee or
any other fee, commission or payment as a result of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
(h) Such Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not 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 Securities in order
to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities or otherwise.
3. Sale, Purchase and Delivery of Securities.
(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but
subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (i) the Company agrees to issue and sell
2,000,000 Firm Securities, and each Selling Stockholder agrees, severally and not jointly, to sell
the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite the name of such Selling Stockholder in
Schedule A hereto, to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and
not jointly, to purchase from the Company and the Selling Stockholders the respective number of
Firm Securities set forth opposite the Underwriter’s name in Schedule B hereto, at a
purchase price per share of $[ ], and (ii) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriters
shall exercise their option to purchase Optional Securities as provided in Section 3(b) below, the
Company agrees to issue and
12
sell up to 720,000 Optional Securities. The number of Optional Securities to be purchased by
each Underwriter shall be the same percentage of the total number of Optional Securities to be
purchased by the several Underwriters as the number of Firm Securities to be purchased by such
Underwriter is of the total number of Firm Securities to be purchased by the several Underwriters,
as adjusted by the Representative in such manner as the Representative deem advisable to avoid
fractional shares. The purchase price per share of the Optional Securities shall be the same as
that of the Firm Securities.
(b) The Company hereby grants to the Underwriters the right to purchase, at their election the
number of Optional Securities indicated with respect to the Company in Section 3(a) above, at a
purchase price per share equal to the purchase price per share of the Firm Securities, for the sole
purpose of covering any over-allotments in connection with the sale and distribution of the Firm
Securities. Any such election to purchase Optional Securities may be exercised only by written
notice from the Representative to the Company, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the
date of this Agreement and setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Securities to be
purchased and the date on which such Optional Securities are to be delivered, as determined by the
Representative but in no event earlier than the First Delivery Date (as defined below) or, unless
the Representative and the Company otherwise agree in writing, no earlier than two or later than
ten business days after the date of such notice.
(c) The several Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale upon the terms and
conditions and in the manner set forth in the Prospectus.
(d) The Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in definitive form, and in
such authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Representative may request upon
at least forty-eight hours’ prior notice to the Company and the Custodian, shall be delivered by or
on behalf of the Company and the Custodian to the Underwriters, through the facilities of the
Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), for the accounts of such Underwriters, against payment by or on
behalf of the Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of federal (same-day)
funds to the account specified by the Company and the Custodian to McDonald Investments Inc. at
least forty-eight hours in advance. The Company and the Custodian will cause the certificates
representing the Securities to be made available for checking and packaging at least twenty-four
hours prior to the Delivery Date (as defined below) with respect thereto at a location in New York,
New York as may be designated by you or at the office of DTC or its designated custodian. The date
of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm
Securities, [ ], 2006 or such other
time and date as the Representative, the Company and the Custodian may agree upon in writing, and,
with respect to the Optional Securities, on the date specified by the Representative in the written
notice given by the Representative of its election to purchase such Optional Securities, or such
date as the Representative, the Company and the Custodian may agree upon in writing. Such date for
delivery of the Common Stock is herein called the “First Delivery Date,” such date for delivery of
the Optional Securities, if not the First Delivery Date, is herein called an “Optional Delivery
Date,” and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a “Delivery Date.”
13
(e) Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified pursuant to
this Agreement is a further condition of the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder.
4. Certain Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each of the
Underwriters:
(a) To furnish such information as may be required and otherwise to cooperate in qualifying
the Securities for offering and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions
(both domestic and foreign) as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications
in effect as long as requested by the Representative for the distribution of the Securities,
provided that the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to consent
to the service of process under the laws of any such state (except service of process with respect
to the offering and sale of the Securities).
(b) If, after the time this Agreement is executed and delivered, it is necessary for a
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement to be declared effective before the offering
of the Securities may commence, the Company will endeavor to cause such post-effective amendment to
become effective as soon as possible and will advise the Representative promptly and, if requested
by the Representative, will confirm such advice in writing, when such post-effective amendment has
become effective.
(c) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Representative and to file such
Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act Regulations not later than the
Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the execution and delivery of
this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under
the Securities Act Regulations; during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the
date, which in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, a prospectus is no longer required by
law to be delivered in connection with the offering and sales of the Securities, to make no further
amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus which shall be disapproved
by the Representative promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise the Representative,
promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration
Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended
Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Representative with copies thereof; to file promptly,
and in any event within the time periods specified, all reports and any definitive proxy or
information statements required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or
15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus for so long as the delivery of a
prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act
Regulations) is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities; to advise the
Representative, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any
stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the
Prospectus or any other prospectus in respect of the Securities, of the suspension of the
qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in
14
any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or
of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or
Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of
any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or other
prospectus or suspending any such qualification, promptly to use its reasonable best efforts to
obtain the withdrawal of such order.
(d) No later than 12:00 p.m., New York City time, on the second business day succeeding the
date of this Agreement, and from time to time, to furnish the Underwriters with written and
electronic copies of the Prospectus in such quantities as the Representative may reasonably
request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule
173(a) under the Securities Act Regulations) is required at any time prior to the expiration of
nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of
the Securities and if at such time any events shall have occurred as a result of which the
Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of
the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice
referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act Regulations) is delivered, not misleading, or,
if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such period to amend or supplement the
Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act, to notify the Representative and upon its
request to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities
as many written and electronic copies as the Representative may from time to time reasonably
request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such
statement or omission or effect such compliance, and in case any Underwriter is required by law,
rule or regulation to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule
173(a) under the Securities Act Regulations) in connection with sales of any of the Securities at
any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon the request of the
Representative but at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter
as many written and electronic copies as the Representative may reasonably request of an amended or
supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act.
(e) To make generally available to its securityholders via XXXXX within the required time
periods after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as the term “effective date” is
defined in Rule 158(c) under the Securities Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its
consolidated subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with the provisions of Section
11(a) of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations (including, at the option of the
Company, Rule 158 under the Securities Act).
(f) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date
90 days after the date of the Prospectus, except as provided hereunder, not to, directly or
indirectly, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any
transaction or device which is designed to, or could be
15
expected to, result in the disposition of) any shares of Common Stock or any securities that
are substantially similar to the Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for
Common Stock or any securities that are substantially similar to the Common Stock, or sell or grant
options, rights or warrants with respect to any shares of Common Stock or any securities that are
substantially similar to Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common
Stock or any securities that are substantially similar to Common Stock, or publicly announce the
intention to do any of the foregoing (other than pursuant to employee option plans existing on the
date of this Agreement), without the prior written consent of McDonald Investments Inc., provided,
however, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, if (i) during the last 17 days of the 90-day
restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event
relating to the Company occurs or (ii) prior to the expiration of the 90-day restricted 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 in this Section 4(f) shall continue to
apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release
or the occurrence of the material news or material event. The foregoing sentence shall not
prohibit the issuance of any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common Stock or
other Common Stock-based awards, in each case granted pursuant to any equity compensation plan or
agreement referred to in the Prospectus.
(g) During a period of two years from the effective date of the Registration Statement, to
deliver or to make available via XXXXX to the Representative promptly after they become available,
copies of any reports and financial statements furnished by the Company to its stockholders or
filed with the Commission, the NASD or any national securities exchange on which the Common Stock
is listed.
(h) To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities pursuant to this
Agreement in the manner specified in the Time of Sale Prospectus under the caption “Use of
Proceeds.”
(i) To use its best efforts to list, subject to official notice of issuance, the Securities on
the Nasdaq prior to the First Delivery Date and to maintain such listing and to file with the
Nasdaq all documents and notices required in connection therewith.
(j) To engage and maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Securities.
(k) Not to, and to use its best efforts to cause its officers, directors and affiliates not
to, (i) take, directly or indirectly prior to termination of the underwriting syndicate
contemplated by this Agreement, any action designed to stabilize or manipulate the price of any
security of the Company, or which may cause or result in, or which might in the future reasonably
be expected to cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security
of the Company, to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities, (ii) sell, bid for,
purchase or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Securities or (iii) pay or
agree to pay any person any compensation for soliciting any order to purchase any other securities
of the Company.
16
(l) To cause each person listed on Schedule F hereto to furnish to the Representative,
prior to the First Delivery Date, a letter or letters, substantially in the form of Schedule
E hereto, pursuant to which each such person shall agree not to, except as provided by this
Agreement, directly or indirectly (1) offer for sale, sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of (or
enter into any transaction or device which is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the
disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any shares of Common Stock or securities
convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives
transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks
of ownership of such shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1)
or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or
otherwise, in each case for a period of 90 days from the date of the Prospectus, without the prior
written consent of the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, each person listed on Schedule F hereto shall be entitled to transfer and assign
shares of Common Stock (i) in the case of any such person that is a corporation, partnership,
limited liability company or other entity (an “Entity”), to any other Entity that controls, is
controlled by or is under common control with such Entity or to any equity holder of such Entity
and (ii) in the case of any such person that is an individual, to a trust or limited partnership
for the benefit of such person’s spouse or members of such person’s immediate family; provided
that, in each case, such transferee or assignee of shares of Common Stock shall furnish to the
Representative a letter substantially in the form of Schedule E hereto prior to any such
transfer.
(m) To comply with all of the provisions of any undertakings in the Registration Statement.
(n) If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act Regulations, the
Company shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule
462(b) by 10:00 p.m., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and the Company shall
at the time of filing either pay to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111(b)
under the Securities Act Regulations.
5. Certain Agreements of the Selling Stockholders
Each Selling Stockholder, severally and not jointly, covenants and agrees with each of the
Underwriters as follows:
(a) Such Selling Stockholder will pay all taxes, if any, on the transfer and sale,
respectively, of the Securities being sold by such Selling Stockholder and the fees of such Selling
Stockholder’s counsel.
(b) The Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder, represented by the certificates to
be deposited with the Custodian pursuant to the Custody Agreement of such Selling Stockholder, will
be subject to the interest of the several Underwriters and the other Selling Stockholders; the
arrangements made for such custody are, except as
17
specifically provided in the Custody Agreement, irrevocable; and the obligations of such
Selling Stockholder hereunder shall not be terminated, except as provided in this Agreement or in
the Custody Agreement, by any act of such Selling Stockholder, by operation of law, whether by the
liquidation, dissolution or merger of such Selling Stockholder, by the death of such Selling
Stockholder, or by the occurrence of any other event. If any Selling Stockholder should liquidate,
dissolve or be a party to a merger or if any other such event should occur before the delivery of
the Securities hereunder, certificates for the Securities deposited with the Custodian shall be
delivered by the Custodian in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement as if such
liquidation, dissolution, merger or other event had not occurred, whether or not the Custodian
shall have received notice thereof.
(c) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date
90 days after the date of the Prospectus, except as provided in this Agreement, such Selling
Stockholder will not, directly or indirectly, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise
dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device which is designed to, or could be expected to,
result in the disposition of) any shares of Common Stock or any securities that are substantially
similar to the Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock or any
securities that are substantially similar to the Common Stock, or sell or grant options, rights or
warrants with respect to any shares of Common Stock or any securities that are substantially
similar to Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock or any
securities that are substantially similar to Common Stock, or publicly announce the intention to do
any of the foregoing, without the prior written consent of McDonald Investments Inc., provided,
however, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, if (i) during the last 17 days of the 90-day
restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event
relating to the Company occurs or (ii) prior to the expiration of the 90-day restricted 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 in this Section 5(c) shall continue to
apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release
or the occurrence of the material news or material event.
(d) The Selling Stockholder will not, without the prior written consent of McDonald
Investments Inc., within 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, make any demand for or exercise
any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security
convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.
(e) Such Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any
action designed to or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or
manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the
Securities, and has not effected any sales of Common Stock which, if effected by the Company, would
be required to be disclosed in response to Item 701 of Regulation S-K.
18
(f) Such Selling Stockholder shall immediately notify you if such Selling Stockholder has
knowledge of any event that occurs, or of any change in information relating to such Selling
Stockholder, which results in the Prospectus (as supplemented) including an untrue statement of a
material fact or omitting to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
6. Additional Agreements.
(a) Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholders represents and agrees that, without the
prior consent of the Representative, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the
Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the
Securities Act Regulations). Each Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior
consent of the Company and the Representative, it has not made and will not make any offer relating
to the Securities that would constitute a free writing prospectus. Any such free writing
prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Company and the Representative is listed
on Schedule C or Schedule D hereto.
(b) The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the
Securities Act Regulations applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely
filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending.
(c) The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or
the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will give prompt notice thereof to the Representative
and, if requested by the Representative, will prepare and furnish without charge to each
Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or other document which will correct such conflict,
statement or omission. The representation and warranty set forth in the immediately preceding
sentence does not apply to statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information furnished to the Company by an Underwriter expressly for inclusion therein,
which information consists solely of the information in the letter referred to in Section 9(f).
7. Expenses. The Company will pay or cause to be paid: (a) the fees, disbursements and
expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the
Securities under the Securities Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation,
printing and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and
delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (b) the cost of printing or producing
of a reasonable number of each of this Agreement, any underwriting and selling group documents, a
Blue
19
Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents
in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities; (c) all expenses in
connection with the qualification of the Securities for offering and sale under state securities
laws as provided in Section 4(a) hereof, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel
for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky
Memorandum; (d) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Securities on the Nasdaq; (e)
the filing fees incident to, securing any required review by the National Association of Securities
Dealers, Inc. of the terms of the sale of the Securities; (f) the cost of preparing share
certificates; (g) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar; and (h) all other costs
and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise
specifically provided for in this Section. Except as specifically provided in clause (c) above,
the Company shall have no liability for fees or disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
8. Conditions of the Obligation of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several
Underwriters hereunder shall be subject to the accuracy, when made and on each Delivery Date, of
the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein, to the performance by the
Company of its obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:
(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) within
the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the Securities Act Regulations and in
accordance with Section 4(c) hereof; all material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to
Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act Regulations shall have been filed with the Commission within
the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 433; if the Company has elected to
rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act Regulations, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement
shall have become effective by 10:00 p.m., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement; no
stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall
have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the
Commission; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose
shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional
information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to the reasonable
satisfaction of the Representative.
(b) The Underwriters shall not have discovered and disclosed to the Company prior to or on
such Delivery Date that the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto contains any untrue
statement of fact that, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, is material or omits to
state a fact that is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading.
20
(c) Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representative
their written opinion, dated such Delivery Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the
Representative, to the effect that:
(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing and in good standing as a
corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware, with the requisite power and authority to own
and lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and
the Prospectus; and the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good
standing in each jurisdiction and as of the dates listed on Exhibit A attached to such opinion.
(ii) Each Subsidiary of the Company has been duly formed or organized, as applicable, and is
validly existing and in good standing as a limited liability company or limited partnership, as
applicable, under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation or organization, as applicable,
with the requisite power and authority (limited liability company or limited partnership, as
applicable) to own and lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Time of
Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; and each Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business as a
foreign limited liability company or limited partnership, as applicable, in good standing in each
jurisdiction and as of the dates listed on Exhibit B attached to such opinion.
(iii) The Company’s authorized, issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock are as described
in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus in the first paragraph under the caption
“Description of Capital Stock.” Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the
Prospectus, there are no outstanding options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or
other obligations to issue, or rights to convert any obligation into or exchange any Common Stock
or other ownership interests in the Company or any security convertible or exchangeable or
exercisable for Common Stock or other ownership interests in the Company. All of the outstanding
limited partner interests or limited liability company interests, as applicable, of each Subsidiary
have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid (except to the extent required under
the respective limited liability company agreements and limited partnership agreements of the
Subsidiaries, as applicable) and nonassessable (except as may be limited by Section 18-706 of the
Delaware LLC Act) and are owned by the Company, directly or indirectly through Subsidiaries, to
such counsel’s knowledge, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, other than
those arising under the respective limited liability company agreements and limited partnership
agreements of the Subsidiaries, and are free of any preemptive rights or similar rights.
(iv) Each of the Selling Stockholders is the sole record and beneficial owner of the
Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement.
(v) Upon (i) payment for the Securities to be sold by each Selling Stockholder pursuant to
this Agreement, (ii) physical delivery of the certificates representing the Securities to the
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company in its capacity as the Company’s transfer agent (the
“Transfer Agent”), and registration of the
21
Securities in the name of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee upon
registration of the transfer by the Transfer Agent acting on behalf of the Company, on the
Company’s share registry, and (iii) appropriate crediting on the books of DTC to the securities
account of the Underwriters in accordance with the New York UCC, (A) DTC will be a “protected
purchaser” of such Securities within the meaning of Section 8-303 of the New York UCC (assuming
that DTC does not have notice of any adverse claim to such securities), (B) under Section 8-501 of
the New York UCC, the Underwriters will acquire a valid security entitlement of such security
entitlements and (C) no action based on any “adverse claim” (within the meaning of Section
8-102(a)(l) of the New York UCC) to such Securities may be asserted against the Underwriters with
respect to such securities entitlements (assuming that the Underwriters acquire such security
entitlement without notice of any adverse claims).
(vi) The Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney are valid and binding agreements of the
Selling Stockholders, enforceable in accordance with their respective terms (except as rights to
indemnity hereunder or thereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws and except as
such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws
affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity).
(vii) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(viii) The Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered
against payment therefor in accordance with this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable and free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims. The issuance and
sale of the Securities will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights and the Securities
will conform in all material respects to the description thereof in the Time of Sale Prospectus and
the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Capital Stock.”
(ix) The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission under the
Securities Act; to the knowledge of such counsel, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings for such purpose
have been initiated or are pending or are contemplated or threatened by the Commission; and the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement to the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus (other than the financial statements, including the notes and
schedules thereto and the auditors’ reports thereon, included therein or omitted therefrom, as to
which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the
applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations.
(x) To such counsel’s knowledge, other than as described in the Prospectus, there are no
contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the
right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect
to any shares of Common Stock or any other securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such
person or to
22
require the Company to include such Common Stock or other securities in the Registration
Statement, and to the extent any person has such registration or other similar rights, such rights
have been waived with respect to registration of securities in connection with the Registration
Statement, other than the sale of the Securities by the Selling Stockholders in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(xi) To such counsel’s knowledge, there are no contracts or documents of a character which are
required to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or required to be described or
summarized in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus which have not been so filed,
summarized or described, and all such summaries and descriptions fairly and accurately set forth
the material provisions of such contracts and documents.
(xii) No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing or registration under the
DGCL, the Delaware LLC Act or federal law is required for the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, except such as has been obtained or made under the Securities Act
or the Exchange Act or as may be required by state securities or “blue sky” laws.
(xiii) The issuance and sale of the Securities and the compliance by the Company with all of
the provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein will
not constitute a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default
under (A) the certificate of incorporation, by-laws, limited partnership agreement, limited
liability company agreement or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries, as applicable, (B) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, lease, loan agreement or
other agreement or instrument which is listed on Exhibit C to such opinion, or (C) the DGCL, the
Delaware LLC Act or federal law.
(xiv) To such counsel’s knowledge, there are no actions, suits, proceedings, inquiries or
investigations pending or threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any of their
respective officers and directors or to which the properties, assets or rights of any such entity
are subject that are required to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus but
are not so described.
(xv) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities
and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus will not be, required to
register as an “investment company” as such term is defined under the Investment Company Act.
(xvi) The statements contained in (i) the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the
captions, “Business—Environmental Regulation,” “Description of Capital Stock,” and “Shares Eligible
For Future Sale” and (ii) in Item 14 of the Registration Statement, insofar as such statements
purport to summarize legal matters or provisions of the documents referred to therein, present
accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters and provisions.
23
Such counsel shall state that, although such counsel has not independently verified, is not
passing upon, and does not assume any responsibility for, the accuracy or completeness (except as
and to the extent set forth in paragraph (xvi) above) of the information contained in the
Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, they have participated in the
preparation of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; from time to
time, such counsel has had discussions with officers, directors and employees of the Company, with
representatives of Xxxxxxxxx Downs & Co., Inc., the independent accountants who examined the
financial statements of the Company contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package
and the Prospectus, with representatives of the Underwriters and with counsel to the Underwriters;
and, on the basis of the foregoing (relying as to the facts upon which determinations of
materiality are made upon statements of fact made by officers and other representatives of the
Company that such counsel has deemed necessary or appropriate for the purpose of such letter), such
counsel advises you that nothing has come to such counsel’s attention which would lead them to
believe that (a) the Registration Statement, at the time it became effective, 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 (it being understood that such counsel need
express no opinion with respect to the financial statements, including the notes and schedules
thereto and the auditors’ reports thereon, or other financial or statistical data contained in the
Registration Statement), (b) the Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time and at the First
Delivery Date or the Optional Delivery Date, as the case may be, when considered with and
supplemented with the price of the Securities set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus,
contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading (it being understood that such counsel need express no opinion with respect to the
financial statements, including the notes and schedules thereto and the auditors’ reports thereon,
or other financial or statistical data contained in the Disclosure Package) or (c) the Prospectus,
as of its date and at the First Delivery Date or the Optional Delivery 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 therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading (it being understood that such counsel need express no opinion with respect to the
financial statements, including the notes and schedules thereto and the auditors’ reports thereon,
or other financial or statistical data contained in the Prospectus).
In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (i) as to matters involving the application
of laws of any jurisdiction other than the States of New York, Texas and Delaware or the federal
laws of the United States, to the extent they deem proper and specified in such opinion, upon the
opinion (which shall be dated the First Delivery Date or the Optional Delivery Date, as the case
may be, shall be in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter, shall expressly state that
the Underwriter may rely on such opinion as if it were addressed to it and shall be furnished to
the Underwriter) of other counsel of good standing whom they believe to be reliable and who are
satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriter and (ii) as to matters of fact, to the extent
24
they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials.
(d) Xxxx Xxxxx and Xxxxx & Xxxxxx, P.C., counsel for each of the Selling Stockholders, shall
have furnished to the Representative their written opinion, dated such Delivery Date, in form and
substance satisfactory to the Representative, to the effect that:
(i) Each of the Selling Stockholders has the power and authority to enter into the Custody
Agreement, the Power of Attorney and this Agreement and to perform and discharge such Selling
Stockholder’s obligations thereunder and hereunder; and this Agreement, the Custody Agreements and
the Powers of Attorney have been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by (or by the
Attorneys-in-Fact, or either of them, on behalf of) the Selling Stockholders.
(ii) The execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Custody Agreement and the Power of
Attorney and the performance of the terms hereof and thereof and the consummation of the
transactions herein and therein contemplated will not result in a breach or violation of any of the
terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, any statute, rule or regulation, or any
agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by
which such Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of its property is subject, any such
Selling Stockholder’s charter, by-laws or other governing document, or any order or decree known to
such counsel of any court or government agency or body having jurisdiction over such Selling
Stockholder or any of its respective properties; and no consent, approval, authorization or order
of, or filing with, any court or governmental agency or body is required for the execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney or for
the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including the sale of the
Securities being sold by such Selling Stockholder, except such as may be required under the Act or
state securities laws or blue sky laws.
In rendering such opinion such counsel may rely as to matters of fact, to the extent such
counsel deems reasonable upon certificates of officers of the Selling Stockholders provided that
the extent of such reliance is specified in such opinion.
(e) Xxxxx Day, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished to the Representative their
written opinion, dated such Delivery Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the
Representative.
(f) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and each Delivery Date, a
letter dated the date hereof or such Delivery Date, as the case may be, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representative, from Xxxxxxxxx Downs & Co., Inc., 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 of the Company and its
consolidated subsidiaries contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus.
25
(g) The Company will, on each Delivery Date, deliver to the Underwriters a certificate of its
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, dated such Delivery Date, to the effect that:
(i) The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct,
as if made on and as of the date thereof and provided that any reference therein to the First
Delivery Date shall be deemed to refer to the applicable Delivery Date on which such certificate is
delivered; and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on
its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such Delivery Date;
(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any
post-effective amendment thereto has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been
instituted or are pending or threatened under the Securities Act;
(iii) No stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus or any part thereof has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have
been instituted or are pending or threatened under the Securities Act;
(iv) When the Registration Statement became effective and at all times subsequent thereto up
to the date hereof, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and any amendments or
supplements thereto contained all material information required to be included therein by the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder, as the case may be, and in all material respects conformed to the requirements of the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder, as the case may be; the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto, did not and do not include any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading; and, since the effective date of the Registration Statement, there has
occurred no event required to be set forth in an amendment or supplemented Prospectus which has not
been so set forth; and
(v) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus, except as set forth in the Time of Sale
Prospectus and the Prospectus, there has not been any (a) transaction or event which has a Material
Adverse Effect, (b) change in the capitalization of the Company or any Subsidiary that is material
to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (c) any obligation, contingent or otherwise,
directly or indirectly incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary that is material to the Company
and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole or (d) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared,
paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.
26
(h) On each Delivery Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as Representative of the
several Underwriters, a certificate or certificates, dated such Delivery Date and addressed to you,
signed by each of the Selling Stockholders or such Selling Stockholder’s Attorneys-in-Fact to the
effect that the representations and warranties of such Selling Stockholder contained in this
Agreement are true and correct as if made on and as of the date thereof, and that such Selling
Stockholder has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on such Selling
Stockholder’s part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such Delivery Date.
(i) (i) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date
of the latest audited financial statements included in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the
Prospectus any loss or interference with its business, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated
in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and (ii) since the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Prospectus, there shall not have been any change in the capitalization
of the Company or any change, or any development or event involving a prospective change, on the
condition (financial or otherwise), business, properties, business prospects (other than as a
result of an event, circumstance or condition applicable to the oil and gas or oilfield services
industries as a whole) or results of operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a
whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the
Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in the
judgment of the Representative so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable
to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities being delivered on such
Delivery Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the
Prospectus.
(j) On or after the date hereof, there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a
suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock
Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq, (ii) a suspension or material limitation in
trading in the Company’s securities on the Nasdaq, (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking
activities declared by United States federal or New York or Ohio state authorities or a material
disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United
States, (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the
declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or (v) the occurrence of any other
calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United
States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in the
judgment of the Representative makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public
offering or the delivery of the Securities being delivered on such Delivery Date on the terms and
in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.
(k) The Representative shall have received from each person listed on Schedule F
hereto an executed lock-up letter agreement substantially to the effect set forth in the form
attached hereto as Schedule E.
27
(l) The Company shall have furnished to the Representative such further information,
certificates and documents as the Representative may reasonably request.
All opinions, certificates, letters and documents mentioned above or elsewhere in this
Agreement shall be deemed to be compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and
substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
9. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, their
respective officers, directors, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls any
Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, against any losses, claims,
damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which the Underwriter may become subject, under the
Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in
respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of
a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of
Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule
433(d) under the Securities Act Regulations, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or
other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or
defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred;
provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any
such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or
supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information furnished to the Company by an Underwriter expressly for inclusion therein,
which information consists solely of the information set forth in the letter referred to in Section
9(f).
(b) Each Selling Stockholder, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and hold harmless
each Underwriter, its affiliates, their respective officers, directors, employees and agents, and
each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the
Securities Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such
Underwriter may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses,
claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration
Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any
amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, 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,
28
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 the Registration Statement, any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or
supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity
written information furnished to the Company by such Selling Stockholder expressly for inclusion
therein, which information consists solely of the information set forth with respect to such
Selling Stockholder in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus in the table under the
caption “Selling Stockholders,” and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending against any
such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred. Notwithstanding
anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the liability of each Selling Stockholder under this
Section 9(b) shall be limited to the total proceeds received by such Selling Stockholder from the
sale of Securities (net of underwriting discounts and commissions, but before deducting expenses)
pursuant to this Agreement.
(c) Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and hold harmless the
Company, its affiliates, their respective officers, directors, employees and agents, and each
person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act,
and each Selling Stockholder, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the
Company or such Selling Stockholder may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise,
insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of
or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in
the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the
Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, 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 the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus,
the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company by such Underwriter expressly for inclusion therein, which information
consists solely of the information set forth in the letter referred to in Section 9(f), and will
reimburse the Company and each Selling Stockholder for any legal or other expenses reasonably
incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim,
damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred.
(d) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section of notice of the
commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be
made against the indemnifying party under subsection (a), (b) or (c) above, notify the indemnifying
party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party
will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than
under subsection (a), (b) or (c) above. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified
party and it notifies the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party
shall be
29
entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly with any other
indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to
such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel
to the indemnifying party), and, except as provided in the following sentence, after notice from
the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof,
the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section for any
legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the
defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. After notice from the indemnifying
party to the indemnified party of the indemnifying party’s election to assume the defense of such
action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ its own 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 indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of
such counsel, (ii) if the named parties in any such action include both the indemnifying party and
the indemnified party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there is an
actual or potential conflict between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified
party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to
it or other indemnified parties that are different from or additional to those available to the
indemnifying party or (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel to assume the
defense of such action within a reasonable time after notice of commencement thereof, in each of
which cases the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party
(it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the fees and
expenses of more than one separate counsel in addition to any counsel). No indemnifying party
shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement or
compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened
action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder
(whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim)
unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the
indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include
a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or failure to act by or on behalf of any
indemnified party.
(e) If the indemnification provided for in this Section is unavailable to or insufficient to
hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a), (b) or (c) above in respect of any losses,
claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each
indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a
result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, the Selling
Stockholders and the Underwriters, respectively, from the offering of the Securities. 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 the relative benefits but also the
relative fault of the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters, respectively, in
connection with the statements or omissions which resulted
30
in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any
other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, the Selling
Stockholders and the Underwriters, respectively, shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as
the total net proceeds from the offering (net of underwriting discounts and commissions but before
deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, respectively, 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, the Selling Stockholders or the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge,
access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The
Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and
equitable if contributions pursuant to this subsection (e) were determined by pro rata allocation
or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations
referred to above in this subsection (e). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a
result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to
above in this subsection (e) 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 based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (e), (i) no Underwriter shall be required to
contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the underwriting discounts and commissions
applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter exceeds the amount of any damages that
such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission and (ii) no Selling Stockholder shall be required to
contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total proceeds to such Selling
Stockholder from the sale of the Securities sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this
Agreement exceed the amount of any damages that such Selling Stockholder has otherwise been
required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of
the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such
fraudulent misrepresentation.
(f) Prior to the First Delivery Date, the Underwriters shall deliver a letter to the Company
and the Selling Stockholders identifying the statements furnished by them in writing expressly for
inclusion in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus
and the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Company and the Selling
Stockholders hereby acknowledge that the only information that the Underwriters have furnished to
the Company expressly for inclusion the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the
Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus are the
statements to be contained in such letter.
31
10. Default of the Several Underwriters. If, on any Delivery Date, any one or more of the
several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities that it or they have agreed to
purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Securities which such defaulting
Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the
aggregate number of the Securities to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be
obligated, severally, in the proportions that the number of shares of Common Stock set forth
opposite their respective names on Schedule B bears to the aggregate number of shares of
Common Stock set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other
proportions as may be specified by the Representative with the consent of the non-defaulting
Underwriters, to purchase the Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed
but failed or refused to purchase on such date. If, on any Delivery Date, any one or more of the
Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities and the aggregate number of Securities
with respect to which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Securities to be
purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representative and the Company for the
purchase of such Securities are not made within forty-eight hours after such default, this
Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to any other party except that the
provisions of Section 7, Section 9 and Section 12 shall at all times be effective and shall survive
such termination. In any such case, either the Representative or the Company shall have the right
to postpone the Delivery Date but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required
changes, if any, to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or
arrangements may be effected.
11. Termination. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the
Underwriters by notice given to and received by the Company prior to delivery of and payment for
the Common Stock or the Optional Securities, respectively, if, prior to that time, any of the
events described in Sections 8(i) or (j) shall have occurred or if the Underwriters shall decline
to purchase such Securities for any reason permitted under this Agreement. In such case, the
Company shall have no liability hereunder except as provided by Sections 7, 9 and 12 hereof.
12. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If (a) the Company or any Selling Stockholder
shall fail to tender the Securities for delivery to the Underwriters for any reason under this
Agreement other than a breach by the Underwriters of their representations herein or obligations
hereunder or (b) the Underwriters shall decline to purchase the Securities for any reason permitted
under this Agreement (including the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 11, other
than by reason of the occurrence of any event specified in Sections 8(j)(i), (iii), (iv) or (v),
but excluding the failure of any of the conditions herein to be satisfied as a result of a breach
by the Underwriters of their representations herein), the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters
for the reasonable fees and expenses of their counsel and for such other out-of-pocket expenses as
shall have been reasonably incurred by them in connection with this Agreement and the proposed
purchase of the Securities, and upon demand, the Company shall pay the full amount thereof to the
Underwriters. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 10 hereof by reason of the
default of one or more
32
Underwriters, the Company shall not be obligated to reimburse any defaulting Underwriter on
account of those expenses.
13. Default by the Company. If the Company shall fail at the First Delivery Date to sell and
deliver the number of Securities which it is obligated to sell hereunder, then this Agreement shall
terminate without any liability on the part of any non-defaulting party. No action taken pursuant
to this Section 13 shall relieve the Company from liability, if any, in respect of such default.
14. Notices. All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing,
and:
(a) If to the Underwriters, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile
transmission to KeyBanc Capital Markets, KeyBanc Tower, 000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000,
Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx; and with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to Xxxxx Day, 000
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxxxxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Esq. (Facsimile:
000-000-0000; Telephone: 000-000-0000);
(b) if to the Company, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to
it at 0000 Xx. 000 Xxxx, Xxxxx #000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx;
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, First City Tower, 0000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000-0000, Attention: T. Xxxx Xxxxx, Esq. (Facsimile:
000-000-0000; Telephone: 000-000-0000.);
(c) if to any of the Selling Stockholders, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or
facsimile transmission to the address of the Attorney-in-Fact as set forth in the Powers of
Attorney.
Any notice of a change of address or facsimile transmission number must be given by the
Company or the Underwriters, as the case maybe, in writing at least three days in advance of such
change.
15. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of
and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company, the Selling Stockholders and their respective
successors. This Agreement and the terms and provisions hereof are for the sole benefit of only
those persons, except that (a) the representations, warranties, indemnities and agreements of the
Company and the Selling Stockholders contained in this Agreement shall also be deemed to be for the
benefit of the officers and employees of the Underwriters and the person or persons, if any, who
control the Underwriters within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and (b) the
representations and warranties of the Underwriters in this Agreement and the indemnity agreement of
the Underwriters contained in Section 8(c) of this Agreement shall be deemed to be for the benefit
of directors, officers and employees of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, and any person
controlling the Company and the Selling Stockholders within the meaning of Section 15 of the
Securities Act. Nothing contained in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any
person, other than the
33
persons referred to in this Section 14, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or
in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein.
16. Survival. The respective indemnities, representations, warranties and agreements of the
Company and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them,
respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall survive the delivery of and payment for the
Securities and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination or cancellation
of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of any of them or any person
controlling any of them.
17. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the
purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial
transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other, (ii)
in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction, each Underwriter is
acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (iii) no Underwriter
has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the
offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such
Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other
obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the
Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
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 or similar duty to the Company, in
connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
18. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the
laws of the State of Ohio, without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of laws thereof.
19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts and, if executed
in more than one counterpart, the executed counterparts shall each be deemed to be an original but
all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.
20. Headings. The headings herein are inserted for convenience of reference only and are not
intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows.]
34
If the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement between the Company and the Underwriters,
please indicate your acceptance in the space provided for that purpose below.
Very truly yours, SUPERIOR WELL SERVICES, INC. |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
SELLING STOCKHOLDERS |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Attorney-in-Fact | ||||
Accepted and agreed by:
KeyBanc Capital Markets, a division of
McDonald Investments Inc.
Acting as Representative of the
Several Underwriters named
in attached Schedule B
Several Underwriters named
in attached Schedule B
McDonald Investments Inc.
By: |
||||
Title: |
35
SCHEDULE A
Selling Stockholders
Number of Firm | ||||
Name | Securities to be Sold | |||
Xxxxxx Associated Companies, Inc. |
600,000 | |||
X.X. Xxxxxx, Xx. Grantor Retained Annuity Trust |
200,000 | |||
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx |
200,000 | |||
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx |
200,000 | |||
Xxxx X. Xxxxxx |
200,000 | |||
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx |
300,000 | |||
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx |
200,000 | |||
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx |
300,000 | |||
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx |
300,000 | |||
Rhys X. Xxxxx |
300,000 |
A-1
SCHEDULE B
Number of | ||||
Firm Securities | ||||
to be | ||||
Underwriter | Purchased | |||
KeyBanc Capital Markets, a division of
McDonald Investments Inc. |
||||
X.X. Xxxxxxx & Sons, Inc. |
||||
RBC Capital Markets Corporation |
||||
Xxxxxxx & Company International |
||||
Xxxxxxx Rice & Company L.L.C |
||||
Total |
4,800,000 | |||
B-1
SCHEDULE C
Materials other than the Time of Sale Prospectus that comprise the Disclosure Package:
C-1
SCHEDULE D
Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses not included in the Disclosure Package:
D-1
SCHEDULE E
FORM OF LOCK-UP LETTER AGREEMENT
_________ ____, 2006
KeyBanc Capital Markets, a division of
McDonald Investments Inc.
As Representative of the several Underwriters
c/x XxXxxxxx Investments Inc.
c/x XxXxxxxx Investments Inc.
XxXxxxxx Investment Center
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that you, as representative (the “Representative”), propose to
enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) on behalf of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule B to such agreement (the “Underwriters”), with Superior Well
Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and the Selling Stockholders named therein
(the “Selling Stockholders”) providing for a public offering (the “Offering”) of shares of the
common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”). The undersigned
recognizes that the Offering will be of benefit to the undersigned and will benefit the Company and
the Selling Stockholders. The undersigned acknowledges that the Company, the Selling Stockholders,
you and the other Underwriters will proceed with the Offering in reliance of this Lock-Up Letter
Agreement.
In consideration of the foregoing, the undersigned hereby agrees that the undersigned will not
(and will cause any spouse or immediate family member of the spouse or the undersigned living in
the undersigned’s household not to), without the prior written consent of McDonald Investments Inc.
(which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), directly or indirectly, sell, offer,
contract or grant any option to sell (including, without limitation, any short sale), pledge,
transfer, establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock,
options or warrants to acquire shares of Common Stock, or securities exchangeable or exercisable
for or convertible into shares of Common Stock currently or hereafter owned either of record or
beneficially (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) by
the undersigned (or such spouse or family member), or publicly announce an intention to do any of
the foregoing, for a period commencing on the date of
E-1
execution of this Lock-Up Letter Agreement and continuing through the close of trading on the
date 90 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”). Notwithstanding the
foregoing, during the Lock-Up Period the undersigned shall be entitled to transfer and assign
shares of Common Stock [if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company
or other entity: to any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity that
controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the undersigned or to any equity holder
of the undersigned] [if the undersigned is an individual: to a trust or limited partnership for the
benefit of the undersigned’s spouse or members of the undersigned’s immediate family]; provided
that such transferee or assignee of shares of Common Stock shall furnish to the Representative a
Lock-Up Letter substantially in the form of Schedule E to the Underwriting Agreement prior
to any such transfer.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, (1) during the last 17 days of the initial Lock-Up Period, the
Company issues an earnings release 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 each case the Lock-Up Period will be extended until the expiration of the
18-day period beginning on the date of the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of
the material news or material event, as applicable, unless McDonald Investments Inc. waives, in
writing, such extension.
The undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees that written notice of any extension of the
Lock-Up Period pursuant to the previous paragraph will be delivered by McDonald Investments Inc. to
the Company and that any such notice properly delivered will be deemed to have been given to, and
received by, the undersigned. The undersigned further agrees that, prior to engaging in any
transaction or taking any other action that is subject to the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement
during the period from the date of this Lock-Up Agreement to and including the 34th day
following the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, it will give notice thereof to the Company
and will not consummate such transaction or take any such action unless it has received written
confirmation from the Company that the Lock-Up Period (as may have been extended pursuant to the
previous paragraph) has expired.
The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the
Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of shares of Common Stock or securities
convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of Common Stock held by the undersigned
except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
With respect to the Offering only, the undersigned waives any registration rights relating to
registration under the Securities Act of 1933 of any shares of Common Stock owned either of record
or beneficially by the undersigned, including any rights to receive notice of the Offering.
E-2
If for any reason the Underwriting Agreement is terminated prior to the First Delivery Date
(as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) pursuant to the provisions thereof, then the agreements
set forth herein shall likewise be terminated.
This Lock-Up Letter Agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on the undersigned and the
respective successors, heirs, personal representatives, and assigns of the undersigned.
Very truly yours, |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: |
E-3
SCHEDULE F
Persons to Execute Lock-Up Letter Agreements:
X.X. Xxxxxx, Xx.
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx Associated Companies, Inc.
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Rhys X. Xxxxx
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
Xxxx X. Xxxxxx, XX
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Allegheny Mineral Corp.
Xxxxxxxxx Cement & Supply Corp.
X.X. Xxxxxx, Xx. Grantor Retained Annuity Trust
F-1