TAOMEE HOLDINGS LIMITED [—] American Depositary Shares Representing [—] Ordinary Shares FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
TAOMEE HOLDINGS LIMITED
[—] American Depositary Shares
Representing
[—] Ordinary Shares
FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
[—], 2011
CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC
Eleven Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, X.X. 00000-0000
X.X.X.
DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.
00 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, X.X. 00000
X.X.X.
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
Dear Sirs:
1. Introductory. Taomee Holdings Limited, a Cayman Islands company (the “Company”) agrees with the several Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (the “Underwriters”) to issue and sell to the several Underwriters, for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), an aggregate of [—] American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”), each ADS representing 20 ordinary shares, par value US$0.00002 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), of the Company (such [—] ADSs being referred to as the “Firm Securities”). The Company also agrees to sell to the Underwriters, at the option of the Underwriters, an aggregate of not more than [—] additional ADSs (the “Optional Securities”). The Firm Securities and the Optional Securities are herein collectively called the “Offered Securities”. Unless the context otherwise requires, each reference to the Firm Securities, the Optional Securities or the Offered Securities herein also includes the underlying Ordinary Shares (hereinafter referred to as the “Firm Shares,” “Optional Shares” and “Offered Shares”).
The ADSs purchased by the Underwriters pursuant to this agreement will be evidenced by American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) to be issued pursuant to a deposit agreement (the “Deposit Agreement”), to be entered into among the Company, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as depositary (the “Depositary”), and owners and holders from time to time of the ADSs.
As part of the offering contemplated by this Agreement, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (the “Designated Underwriter”) has agreed to reserve out of the Firm Securities purchased by it under this Agreement, up to [—] ADSs, for sale to the Company’s directors, officers, employees and other parties associated with the Company (collectively, “Participants”), as set forth in the Final Prospectus (as defined herein) under the heading “Underwriting” (the “Directed Share Program”). The Firm Securities to be sold by the Designated Underwriter pursuant to the Directed Share Program (the “Directed Shares”) will be sold by the Designated Underwriter pursuant to this Agreement at the public offering price. Any Directed Shares not subscribed for by the end of the business day on which this Agreement is executed will be offered to the public by the Underwriters as set forth in the Final Prospectus.
2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. (a) The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters that:
(i) Filing and Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Certain Defined Terms. The Company has filed with the Commission a registration statement on Form F-1 (No. 333-174293) covering the registration of the Offered Securities under the Act, including a related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses. At any particular time, this initial registration statement, in the form then on file with the Commission, including all information contained in the registration statement (if any) pursuant to Rule 462(b) and then deemed to be a part of the initial registration statement, and all 430A Information and all 430C Information, that in any case has not then been superseded or modified, shall be referred to as the “Initial Registration Statement”. The Company may also have filed, or may file with the Commission, a Rule 462(b) registration statement covering the registration of Offered Securities. At any particular time, this Rule 462(b) registration statement, in the form then on file with the Commission, including the contents of the Initial Registration Statement incorporated by reference therein and including all 430A Information and all 430C Information, that in any case has not then been superseded or modified, shall be referred to as the “Additional Registration Statement”. A registration statement on Form F-6 (No. 333-174441) relating to the ADSs has been filed with the Commission and has become effective (such registration statement on Form F-6, including all exhibits thereto, as amended through the time such registration statement becomes effective, being hereinafter called the “ADS Registration Statement”). The Company has also filed, in accordance with Section 12 of the Exchange Act, a registration statement (such registration statement as amended through the time such registration statement becomes effective, being hereinafter called the “Exchange Act Registration Statement”), on Form 8-A (No. 001-35190) under the Exchange Act to register, under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, the Ordinary Shares and the ADSs. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Initial Registration Statement, the Additional Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement, the Exchange Act Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or any amendment or supplement, or the Final Prospectus (including any prospectus wrapper) to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“XXXXX”).
As of the time of execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Initial Registration Statement has been declared effective under the Act and is not proposed to be amended, and the Exchange Act Registration Statement has become effective, as provided in Section 12 of the Exchange Act. Any Additional Registration Statement has or will become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) and is not proposed to be amended. The Offered Securities all have been or will be duly registered under the Act pursuant to the Initial Registration Statement and, if applicable, the Additional Registration Statement.
For purposes of this Agreement:
“430A Information,” with respect to any registration statement, means information included in a prospectus and retroactively deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430A(b).
“430C Information,” with respect to any registration statement, means information included in a prospectus then deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430C.
“Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
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“Applicable Time” means [—]:[—] [a/p]m (U.S. Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement.
“Closing Date” has the meaning defined in Section 3 hereof.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Effective Time” with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or, if filed prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Additional Registration Statement means the date and time as of which such Registration Statement was declared effective by the Commission or has become effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(c). If an Additional Registration Statement has not been filed prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement but the Company has advised the Representatives that it proposes to file one, “Effective Time” with respect to such Additional Registration Statement means the date and time as of which such Registration Statement is filed and becomes effective pursuant to Rule 462(b).
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Final Prospectus” means the Statutory Prospectus that discloses the public offering price, other 430A Information and other final terms of the Offered Securities and otherwise satisfies Section 10(a) of the Act.
“General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors as evidenced by its being so specified in Schedule B to this Agreement.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, relating to the Offered Securities in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
“Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
The Initial Registration Statement and the Additional Registration Statement are referred to collectively as the “Registration Statements” and individually as a “Registration Statement.” A “Registration Statement” with reference to a particular time means the Initial Registration Statement and any Additional Registration Statement as of such time. A “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such Registration Statement as of its Effective Time. For purposes of the foregoing definitions, 430A Information with respect to a Registration Statement shall be considered to be included in such Registration Statement as of the time specified in Rule 430A.
“Rules and Regulations” means the rules and regulations of the Commission.
“Securities Laws” means, collectively, the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 (“Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx”), the Act, the Exchange Act, the Rules and Regulations, the auditing principles, rules, standards and practices applicable to auditors of “issuers” (as defined in Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx) promulgated or approved by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as applicable, the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (“Exchange Rules”).
“Statutory Prospectus” with reference to a particular time means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including any 430A Information or 430C Information with respect to such Registration Statement. For purposes of the foregoing definition, 430A Information shall be considered to be included in the Statutory Prospectus as of the actual time that form of prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or Rule 462(c) and not retroactively.
Unless otherwise specified, a reference to a “rule” is to the indicated rule under the Act.
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(ii) Compliance with Securities Act Requirements. (A) (1) At their respective Effective Times, (2) on the date of this Agreement and (3) on each Closing Date, each of the Initial Registration Statement, the Additional Registration Statement (if any), the ADS Registration Statement and any amendments and supplement thereto conformed and will conform in all respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, (B) on its date, at the time of filing of the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) or (if no such filing is required) at the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement in which the Final Prospectus is included, and on each Closing Date, the Final Prospectus will conform in all respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and (C) on the date of this Agreement, at their respective Effective Times or issue dates and on each Closing Date, each Registration Statement, the Final Prospectus, any Statutory Prospectus, any prospectus wrapper and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complied or comply, and such documents and any further amendments or supplements thereto will comply, with any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the Final Prospectus, any Statutory Prospectus, any prospectus wrapper or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document based upon written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
(iii) Ineligible Issuer Status. (A) At the time of the initial filing of the Initial Registration Statement and (B) at the date of this Agreement, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, including (1) the Company or any other Subsidiary in the preceding three years not having been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or having been made the subject of a judicial or administrative decree or order as described in Rule 405 and (2) the Company in the preceding three years not having been the subject of a bankruptcy petition or insolvency or similar proceeding, not having had a registration statement be the subject of a proceeding under Section 8 of the Act and not being the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities, all as described in Rule 405.
(iv) General Disclosure Package. As of the Applicable Time, neither (A) the General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and, the preliminary prospectus, dated May 24, 2011 (which is the most recent Statutory Prospectus distributed to investors generally) and the other information, if any, stated in Schedule B to this Agreement to be included in the General Disclosure Package, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (B) any individual Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted 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 preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Statutory Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
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(v) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representatives as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package or Final Prospectus. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement or as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if republished immediately following such event or development, would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would 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, (A) the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and (B) the Company has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(vi) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is existing and in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus; and the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification. The Memorandum and Articles of Association or other constitutive or organizational documents of the Company comply with the requirements of applicable Cayman Islands law and are in full force and effect. Complete and correct copies of all constitutive documents of the Company and all amendments thereto have been delivered to the Representatives; except as set forth in the exhibits to the Registration Statement, no change will be made to any such constitutive documents on or after the date of this Agreement through and including each Closing Date.
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(vii) Subsidiaries. (A) The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or any other equity interests or long-term debt securities of, or otherwise control, any corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity other than Taomee Holdings (HK) Limited (“Taomee HK”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company incorporated under the laws of Hong Kong, Shanghai Shengran Information Technology Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Shengran”), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company incorporated under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), Shanghai Taomee Network Technology Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Taomee”), a variable interest entity of the Company incorporated under the laws of the PRC, Shanghai Taomee Animation Co., Ltd. (“Taomee Animation”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Shanghai Taomee incorporated under the laws of the PRC, Shanghai Qidong Information Technology Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Qidong”), a variable interest entity of the Company incorporated under the laws of the PRC, Elyn Corporation (“Elyn”), a company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands in which the Company owns a minority interest, and Taiwan Taomee Co., Ltd. (“Taiwan Taomee”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Elyn incorporated under the laws of Taiwan. Taomee HK, Shanghai Shengran, Shanghai Taomee, Taomee Animation, Elyn and Taiwan Taomee shall be referred to hereinafter each as a “Subsidiary” and collectively as the “Subsidiaries;” (B) each Subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated and is existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where such failure to be qualified would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole (“Material Adverse Effect”). The constitutive documents of each Subsidiary comply with the requirements of applicable laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and are in full force and effect; (C) all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Taomee HK, Shanghai Shengran, Taomee Animation, Elyn and Taiwan Taomee has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and nonassessable, and such capital stock is owned by the Company, directly or through a Subsidiary, free from liens, encumbrances and defects; (D) all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Shanghai Taomee has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and nonassessable, and such capital stock is owned directly by Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxx Xxxx Wei, Roc Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx and Xxxxxxx Xxxx as set forth in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, free from liens, encumbrances and defects except such as disclosed therein; (E) all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Shanghai Qidong has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and nonassessable, and such capital stock is owned directly by Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxx Xxxx Wei, Roc Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx and Xxxxxxx Xxxx, free from liens, encumbrances and defects except such as disclosed therein. To the Company’s knowledge, Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxx Xxxx Wei, Roc Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx and Xxxxxxx Xxxx are citizens of the PRC, and no application is pending in any other jurisdiction by them or on their behalf for naturalization or citizenship.
(viii) Offered Securities and Capitalization. The Offered Securities and all other outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized; the authorized equity capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus; all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are, and, when the Offered Securities have been delivered and paid for in accordance with this Agreement on each Closing Date, such Offered Securities will have been, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, will conform to the information in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus and to the description of such Offered Securities contained in the Final Prospectus; except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, the shareholders of the Company have no preemptive rights with respect to the Offered Securities; and none of the outstanding Ordinary Shares of the Company have been issued in violation of any preemptive or similar rights of any security holder; the Offered Shares to be sold by the Company, when issued and delivered against payment thereof, may be freely deposited by the Company with the Depositary against issuance of ADRs evidencing the ADSs; the ADSs to be sold by the Company, when issued and delivered against payment thereof, will be freely transferable by the Company to or for the account of the Underwriters; and there are no restrictions on subsequent transfers of such ADSs under the laws of the Cayman Islands, the PRC or the United States, except as described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus.
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(ix) Intercompany Agreements. (A) The description of each of the Loan Agreement, Option Agreement, Proxy Agreement, Business Operation Agreement, Exclusive Technical and Marketing Services Agreement and Shares Pledges Agreement with Shanghai Taomee and/or its shareholders (collectively, the “Shanghai Taomee VIE Agreements”) in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus under the caption “Corporate History and Structure” is fair and accurate in all material respects. Each Shanghai Taomee VIE Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the relevant parties of such agreement, is in full force and effect, and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of such parties, enforceable against such parties in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws of general applicability affecting creditors’ rights or by equitable principles relating to enforceability.
(B) Each of the Option Agreement, Proxy Agreement, Business Operation Agreement, Exclusive Technical and Marketing Services Agreement and Shares Pledges Agreement with Shanghai Qidong and/or its shareholders (collectively, the “Shanghai Qidong VIE Agreements”; “Shanghai Taomee VIE Agreements” and “Shanghai Qidong VIE Agreements” are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Intercompany Agreements”) has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the relevant parties of such agreement, is in full force and effect, and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of such parties, enforceable against such parties in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws of general applicability affecting creditors’ rights or by equitable principles relating to enforceability.
(C) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company or its Subsidiary of each of the Intercompany Agreements will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or to which the Company or any Subsidiary is subject, nor will such actions result in any violation of any applicable law or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their properties or assets, except where such breach or violation would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; nor will such actions result in any violation of any provision of any constitutive documents of the Company or its Subsidiary; and except as disclosed in the the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency or body is required for the execution and delivery by the Company or its Subsidiary of, and compliance by the Company or its Subsidiary with, the provisions of each of the Intercompany Agreements, except such as shall have been obtained or waived.
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(D) The execution and delivery by Shanghai Shengran, Shanghai Taomee and Shanghai Qidong and the shareholders of Shanghai Taomee and Shanghai Qidong of, and the performance by Shanghai Shengran, Shanghai Taomee and Shanghai Qidong and the shareholders of Shanghai Taomee and Shanghai Qidong of their respective obligations under, each of the Intercompany Agreements and the consummation by Shanghai Shengran, Shanghai Taomee and Shanghai Qidong and the shareholders of Shanghai Taomee and Shanghai Qidong of the transactions contemplated therein did not, does not and will not: (1) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, lease, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company, Shanghai Shengran, Shanghai Taomee, Shanghai Qidong, or the shareholders of Shanghai Taomee or Shanghai Qidong, as the case may be, are a party or by which the Company, Shanghai Shengran, Shanghai Taomee, Shanghai Qidong or the shareholders of Shanghai Taomee or Shanghai Qidong are bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company, Shanghai Shengran, Shanghai Taomee, Shanghai Qidong or the shareholders of Shanghai Taomee or Shanghai Qidong are subject; (2) result in any violation of the provisions of constitutive documents or business license of the Company, Shanghai Shengran, Shanghai Taomee or Shanghai Qidong, as the case may be; or (3) result in any violation of any PRC statutes or any order, rule or regulation of any PRC governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company, Shanghai Shengran, Shanghai Taomee, Shanghai Qidong, the shareholders of Shanghai Taomee or Shanghai Qidong or any of their properties.
(E) The Company possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of Shanghai Taomee and Shanghai Qidong, through, among other things, its rights to direct the shareholders of Shanghai Taomee and Shanghai Qidong as to the exercise of their voting rights.
(x) No Finder’s Fee. There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this offering. There are no arrangements, agreements, understandings, payments or issuance with respect to the Company, its Subsidiaries, or any of their officers, directors, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the shareholders, partners, employees or affiliates that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation as determined by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (the “FINRA”).
(xi) Registration Rights. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final 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 Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to a Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Act (collectively, “registration rights”), and any person to whom the Company has granted registration rights has agreed not to exercise such rights until after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period referred to in Section 5 (xii) hereof.
(xii) Listing. The Offered Securities have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject only to notice of issuance.
(xiii) Authorization of Deposit Agreement. The Deposit Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws of general applicability affecting creditors’ rights or by equitable principles relating to enforceability. Upon due execution and delivery by the Depositary of ADRs evidencing Offered Securities and the deposit of Offered Shares in respect thereof in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement, such ADRs will be duly and validly issued and the persons in whose names the ADRs are registered will be entitled to the rights specified therein and in the Deposit Agreement; and the Deposit Agreement and the ADRs conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus.
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(xiv) Absence of Further Requirements. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing or registration with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is required to be obtained or made by the Company for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”) in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of the Offered Securities, except such as have been obtained, or made and such as may be required under state securities laws. No authorization, consent, approval, license, qualification or order of, or filing or registration with any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) in any foreign jurisdiction is required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of the Directed Shares under the laws and regulations of such jurisdiction except such as have been obtained or made.
(xv) Title to Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real properties and all other properties and assets owned by them, in each case free from liens, charges, encumbrances and defects that would materially affect the value thereof or materially interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them and, except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, the Company and its Subsidiaries hold any leased real or personal property under valid and enforceable leases with no terms or provisions that would materially interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them.
(xvi) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities, the deposit of the Offered Shares with the Depositary against issuance of the ADRs evidencing the Offered Securities and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents in connection with this offering will not (A) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any material property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, charter, by-laws or other constitutive documents of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, any statute, rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their properties, or any material agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the material properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject; a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(xvii) Absence of Existing Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its respective Memorandum and Articles of Association, charter, by-laws or other constitutive documents or (B) in default (or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would be in default) under any existing obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, loan agreement, mortgage, lease or other agreement or instrument to which any of them is a party or by which any of them is bound or to which any of the properties of any of them is subject, except in the case of (B) such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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(xviii) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(xix) Compliance with Laws. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable laws in the jurisdictions to which such entities are subject, except where failure to be in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xx) Possession of Licenses and Permits. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries possess, and are in compliance with the terms of, all material certificates, authorizations, franchises, licenses and permits and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate domestic or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities (collectively, “Licenses”) necessary or material to the conduct of the business now conducted or proposed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus to be conducted by them and have not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Licenses that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxi) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent that could have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxii) Possession of Intellectual Property. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries own, possess or can acquire on reasonable terms trademarks, trade names, patent rights, copyrights, domain names, licenses, approvals, trade secrets, inventions, technology, know-how and other intellectual property and similar rights, including registrations and applications for registration thereof (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) necessary or material to the conduct of the business now conducted or proposed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus to be conducted by them, and the expected expiration of any such Intellectual Property Rights would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus and to the Company’s knowledge, (A) there are no rights of third parties to any of the material Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Company or its Subsidiaries; (B) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any such Intellectual Property Rights, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (C) there is no material infringement, misappropriation, breach, default or other violation, or the occurrence of any event that with notice or the passage of time would constitute any of the foregoing, by any third parties of any of the Intellectual Property Rights of the Company or its Subsidiaries; (D) none of the Company and its Subsidiaries is in violation of any Intellectual Property Rights of any third parties, except where such violations would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, and there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s rights in or to, or the violation of any of the terms of, any of such third parties’ Intellectual Property Rights, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; and (E) none of the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or its Subsidiaries in their businesses has been obtained or is being used by the Company or its Subsidiaries in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company, or any of its Subsidiaries, or is in violation of the rights of any third parties.
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(xxiii) Environmental Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any statute, any rule, regulation, decision or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively, “environmental laws”), owns or operates any real property contaminated with any substance that is subject to any environmental laws, is liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any environmental laws, or is subject to any claim relating to any environmental laws; and the Company is not aware of any pending investigation which might lead to such a claim.
(xxiv) Description of Transaction Documents. Description of each Transaction Document in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus conforms in all material respects to such Transaction Document.
(xxv) Accurate Disclosure. The statements in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus under the headings “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Use of Proceeds,” “Dividend Policy,” “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities,” “Business,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Regulation,” “Management,” “Related Party Transactions,” “Description of Share Capital,” “Description of American Depositary Shares,” “Shares Eligible for Future Sale,” “Taxation” and “Underwriting,” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings and present the information required to be shown. The preceding sentence, insofar as it relates to statements in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the heading “Underwriting,” does not apply to information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
(xxvi) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on its behalf has taken, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted or that would 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 the Offered Securities.
(xxvii) Operating and Other Company Data. All operating and other Company data disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, including but not limited to, the number of active accounts and active paying accounts, the amount of per paying account average net revenues, and sales discount offered to the Company’s distributors as well as subscription fees and other charges related to the Company’s offering and operation of the virtual worlds, are true and accurate in all material respects.
(xxviii) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any third party statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably believes to be reliable and accurate, and such data is consistent with the sources from which they are derived. The Company has obtained the written consent for the use of such data from such sources to the extent required.
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(xxix) Virtual World Operations. There have been no material disruptions of the operations of any online virtual world of, nor any material breaches to any online-payment systems used by, the Company and its Subsidiaries, and to the best knowledge of the Company after due inquiry, there are no facts or circumstances that are reasonably likely to lead to such material disruptions or breaches.
(xxx) Internal Controls and Compliance with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, the Company, its Subsidiaries and the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) are in compliance with Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx and all applicable Exchange Rules, to the extent applicable as of the date of this Agreement. The Company maintains a system of internal controls, including, but not limited to, disclosure controls and procedures, internal controls over accounting matters and financial reporting and legal and regulatory compliance controls (collectively, “Internal Controls”) that comply with the Securities Laws and are sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. general accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and to maintain accountability for assets, (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Internal Controls are, or upon consummation of the offering of the Offered Securities will be, overseen by the Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”) of the Board in accordance with Exchange Rules. The Company has not publicly disclosed or reported to the Audit Committee or the Board, and within the next 135 days the Company does not reasonably expect to publicly disclose or report to the Audit Committee or the Board, a significant deficiency, material weakness, change in Internal Controls or fraud involving management or other employees who have a significant role in Internal Controls (each, an “Internal Control Event”), any violation of, or failure to comply with, the Securities Laws, or any matter which, if determined adversely, would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxxi) Absence of Accounting Issues. A member of the Audit Committee has confirmed to the Chief Financial Officer that, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, the Audit Committee is not reviewing or investigating, and neither the Company’s independent auditors nor its internal auditors have recommended that the Audit Committee review or investigate, (A) adding to, deleting, changing the application of, or changing the Company’s disclosure with respect to, any of the Company’s material accounting policies; (B) any matter which could result in a restatement of the Company’s financial statements for any annual or interim period during the current or prior three fiscal years; or (C) any Internal Control Event.
(xxxii) Litigation. There are no pending actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) against or affecting the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect, or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents, or which are otherwise material in the context of the sale of the Offered Securities; and no such actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) are threatened or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated.
(xxxiii) Directors and Officers. To the Company’s knowledge, none of the Company’s directors, director nominees or executive officers is a party to any legal, governmental or regulatory proceeding that causes such director or officer to be unsuitable for his or her position on the board or in the Company.
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(xxxiv) Exhibits. There are no statutes, regulations or contracts or other documents that are required under the Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus that are not so filed or described.
(xxxv) Financial Statements. The financial statements and the related notes thereto included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus comply in all respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated entities as of the dates shown and their results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown, and, except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby; and the schedules included in each Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus present fairly the information required to be stated therein, Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, the assumptions used in preparing the pro forma financial statements included in each Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant effects directly attributable to the transactions or events described therein, the related pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions, and the pro forma columns therein reflect the proper application of those adjustments to the corresponding historical financial statement amounts.
(xxxvi) Independent Accountants. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd., which has certified certain financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Act.
(xxxvii) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, since the end of the period covered by the latest audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, (A) there has been no change, nor any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, that would result in a Material Adverse Effect; (B) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock; (C) there has been no material adverse change in the capital stock, short-term indebtedness, long-term indebtedness, net current assets or net assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries; (D) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has entered into any material transaction or agreement or incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is not disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus; and (E) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority.
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(xxxviii) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, will not be an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Investment Company Act”).
(xxxix) PFIC Status. Based on the Company’s current and projected income, assets and activities, the Company does not expect to be classified as a “passive foreign investment company” as defined in Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for its taxable year ending December 31, 2011 or in the foreseeable future.
(xl) Payments in Foreign Currency. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, under current laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands, the PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan and any political subdivision thereof, all dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the Offered Securities may be paid by the Company to the holder thereof in United States dollars or any other currency that may be converted into United States dollars and freely transferred out of the Cayman Islands, the PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan and all such payments made to holders thereof or therein who are non-residents of the Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, xxx XXX, Xxxx Xxxx and Taiwan will not be subject to income, withholding or other taxes under laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands, the PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and will otherwise be free and clear of any other tax, duty, withholding or deduction in the Cayman Islands, the PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in the Cayman Islands, the PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein.
(xli) Taxes. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all tax returns that are required to be filed or have requested extensions thereof (except in any case in which the failure so to file would not have a Material Adverse Effect); and the Company and its Subsidiaries have paid all taxes (including any assessments, fines or penalties) required to be paid by them, to the extent that such taxes (including any assessments, fines or penalties) are due and payable, except for any such taxes (including assessments, fines or penalties) that are currently being contested in good faith or as would not have a Material Adverse Effect. All local and national PRC governmental tax holidays, exemptions, waivers, financial subsidies, and other local and national PRC tax relief, concessions and preferential treatment enjoyed by the Company or any Subsidiary (including any predecessor) as described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus are valid, binding and enforceable and do not violate any laws, regulations, rules, orders, decrees, guidelines, judicial interpretations, notices or other legislation of the PRC.
(xlii) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Act to be described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents.
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(xliii) No Immunity. None of the Company, its Subsidiaries, and any of their properties, assets or revenues is entitled to any right of immunity on the grounds of sovereignty from any legal action, suit or proceeding, from set-off or counterclaim, from the jurisdiction of any court, from services of process, from attachment prior to or in aid of execution of judgment, or from any other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of any judgment. The irrevocable and unconditional waiver and agreement of the Company in the Transaction Documents not to plead or claim any such immunity in any legal action, suit or proceeding based on the Transaction Documents is valid and binding under the laws of the Cayman Islands, the PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
(xliv) Insurance. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has (A) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (B) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has been denied any material insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.
(xlv) Business Practices. None of the Company and the Subsidiaries, or to the best knowledge of the Company after due inquiry, any of their respective executive officers or directors, employees, representatives, consultants or agents of the Company or any Subsidiary has offered, promised, authorized or made, directly or indirectly, (A) any unlawful payments or (B) payments or other inducements (whether lawful or unlawful) to any Government Official (as defined below), with the intent or purpose of: (1) influencing any act or decision of such Government Official in his official capacity, (2) inducing such Government Official to do or omit to do any act in violation of the lawful duty of such Government Official, (3) securing any improper advantage for the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, or (4) inducing such Government Official to use his influence with a government or instrumentality thereof, political party or international organization to affect or influence any act or decision of such government or instrumentality, political party or international organization, in order to assist the Company or any of the Subsidiaries in obtaining or retaining business for or with, or directing business to, any person. None of the Company and the Subsidiaries, or, any of the respective executive officers or directors, or to the best knowledge of the Company after due inquiry, any employees, representatives, consultants or agents of the Company or any Subsidiary has offered, promised, authorized or made, directly or indirectly, any payments or other inducements specified in the proceeding sentence to a Government Officials in violation of anti-bribery laws, including but not limited to, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or any other law, rule or regulation of similar purpose and scope. As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement, “Government Official” means (A) any employee or official of any government, including any employee or official of any entity owned or controlled by a government, (B) any employee or official of a political party, (C) any candidate for political office or his employee, or (D) any employee or official of an international organization. For the avoidance of doubt, the term Government Official shall include any employee or official of a television station owned or controlled by a government.
(xlvi) Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or threatened.
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(xlvii) Compliance with OFAC. None of the Company, the Subsidiaries, or to the best knowledge of the Company after due inquiry, any of the respective officers, employees, directors, representatives, consultants or agents of the Company or any Subsidiary, has conducted or entered into a contract to conduct any transaction with the governments or any subdivision thereof, agents or representatives, residents of, or any entity based or resident in the countries that are currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and none of the Company or the Subsidiaries has financed the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(xlviii) No Restrictions on Dividends from Subsidiary. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, no Subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any applicable laws or regulations, any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such Subsidiaries’ capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such Subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company.
(xlix) No Transfer Taxes. No stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes or duties and no capital gains, income, withholding or other taxes are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters to the government of the Cayman Islands or the PRC, or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein in connection with (A) the deposit with the Depositary of Offered Shares by the Company against the issuance of ADRs evidencing Offered Securities; (B) the sale and delivery by the Company of the Offered Securities to or for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters; or (C) the sale and delivery outside the Cayman Islands by the several Underwriters of the Offered Securities to the initial purchasers thereof in the manner contemplated by this Agreement.
(l) No Reduction from Amounts Payable. All amounts payable by the Company under this Agreement shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for or on account of any taxes imposed, assessed or levied by the Cayman Islands or the PRC or any authority thereof or therein, nor are any taxes imposed in the Cayman Islands or the PRC on, or by virtue of the execution or delivery of, such documents.
(li) No Sale, Issuance or Distribution of Shares. The Company has not sold, issued or distributed any shares of its capital stock during the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A, Regulation D or Regulation S of the Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants.
(lii) Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act.
(liii) Transaction Documents under Cayman Law. Each of the Transaction Documents is in proper form to be enforceable against the Company in the Cayman Islands in accordance with its terms; to ensure the legality, validity, enforceability or admissibility into evidence in the Cayman Islands of the Transaction Documents, it is not necessary that the Transaction Documents be filed or recorded with any court or other authority in the Cayman Islands (other than court filings in the normal course of proceedings) or that any stamp or similar tax (other than nominal stamp duty if the Transaction Documents are executed in or brought into the Cayman Islands) in the Cayman Islands be paid on or in respect of the Transaction Documents or any other documents to be furnished hereunder.
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(liv) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus has been made without basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(lv) No Undisclosed Benefits. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, the Company has no obligation to provide retirement, death or disability benefits to any of the present or past employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or to any other person. The Company and each Subsidiary are in material compliance with all applicable laws relating to employee benefits.
(lvi) Critical Accounting Policies. The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus truly, accurately and completely in all respects describes: (A) accounting policies which the Company believes are important in the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and which require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments (“Critical Accounting Policies”); (B) judgments and uncertainties affecting the application of Critical Accounting Policies; and (C) the likelihood that different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions; and the Board and management of the Company have reviewed and agreed with the selection, application and disclosure of Critical Accounting Policies and have consulted with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm with regard to such disclosure.
(lvii) Liquidity and Capital Resources. The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources” in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus accurately and fully describes all trends, demands, commitments, events, uncertainties and risks, and the potential effects thereof, that the Company believes would materially affect liquidity and are reasonably likely to occur.
(lviii) Action against the Company. Under the laws of the Cayman Islands, no holder of ADSs issued pursuant to the Deposit Agreement shall be entitled, except under the terms of the Deposit Agreement, to seek enforcement of its rights through the Depositary or its nominee registered as representative of the holders of the ADSs in a direct suit, action or proceeding against the Company.
(lix) Choice of Law. The choice of the laws of the State of New York as the governing law of the Transaction Documents is a valid choice of law under the laws of the Cayman Islands and the PRC and will be honored by courts in the Cayman Islands and the PRC, subject to the conditions and restrictions described under the caption “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 16 of this Agreement and Section 19 of the Deposit Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each New York State and United States Federal court sitting in The City of New York (each, a “New York Court”) and has validly and irrevocably waived any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court; and the Company has the power to designate, appoint and authorize, and pursuant to Section 16 of this Agreement and Section 19 of the Deposit Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably designated, appointed and authorized, an agent for service of process in any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Deposit Agreement, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus, the ADS Registration Statement or the offering of the Offered Securities in any New York Court, and service of process in any manner permitted by applicable laws effected on such authorized agent will be effective to confer valid personal jurisdiction over the Company as provided hereof or in the Deposit Agreement.
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Any final judgment for a fixed or readily calculable sum of money rendered by a New York Court having jurisdiction under its own domestic laws in respect of any suit, action or proceeding against the Company based upon the Transaction Documents and any instruments or agreements entered into for the consummation of the transactions contemplated therein (A) would be declared enforceable against the Company without reexamination or review of the merits of the cause of action in respect of which the original judgment was given or re-litigation of the matters adjudicated upon or payment of any stamp, registration or similar tax or duty by the courts of the Cayman Islands, provided that (1) adequate service of process has been effected and the defendant has had a reasonable opportunity to be heard, (2) such judgments or the enforcement thereof are not contrary to the law, public policy, security or sovereignty of the Cayman Islands, (3) such judgments were not obtained by fraudulent means and do not conflict with any other valid judgment in the same matter between the same parties, and (4) an action between the same parties in the same matter is not pending in any Cayman Islands court at the time the lawsuit is instituted in the foreign court, and (B) may be recognized and enforced by the courts of the PRC subject to the conditions and restrictions described under the caption “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus. The Company is not aware of any reason why the enforcement in the Cayman Islands or the PRC of such a New York Court judgment would be, as of the date hereof, contrary to public policy of the Cayman Islands or the PRC.
(lx) Related Party Transactions. All the related party transactions required to be disclosed under the Securities Laws are disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus under the heading “Related Party Transactions,” and such disclosure is true and accurate in all material respects.
(lxi) Merger or Consolidations. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has entered into any memorandum of understanding, letter of intent, definitive agreement or any similar agreements with respect to a merger or consolidation or an acquisition or disposition of assets, technologies, business units or businesses.
(lxii) Termination of Contracts. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, or referred to or described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or, to the best knowledge of the Company after due inquiry, by any other party to any such contract or agreement.
(lxiii) SAFE Compliance. The Company has taken all reasonable steps to comply with, and to ensure compliance by all of the Company’s shareholders who are PRC residents or PRC citizens with any applicable rules and regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (the “SAFE Rules and Regulations”), including without limitation, taking reasonable steps to require each shareholder that is, or, to the Company’s knowledge, is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or PRC citizen to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations. To the Company’s knowledge and except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, all current beneficial owners of the Company who are PRC residents or PRC citizens to the Company’s knowledge have complied with all registration and other procedures required under applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations.
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(lxiv) PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules. The Company is aware of and has been advised as to the content of the Rules on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors (the “PRC Mergers and Acquisition Rules”) jointly promulgated by the Ministry of Commerce, the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Tax Administration, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CSRC”) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC on August 8, 2006, including the relevant provisions thereof which purport to require offshore special purpose entities formed for listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by PRC companies or individuals, to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of their securities on an overseas stock exchange. The Company has received legal advice specifically with respect to the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules from its PRC counsel and the Company understands such legal advice. The issuance and sale of the Offered Securities, the listing and trading of the Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents is not and will not be, as of the date hereof or at each Closing Date, as the case may be, adversely affected by the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules or any official clarifications, guidance, interpretations or implementation rules in connection with or related to the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules.
(lxv) Affiliation. There are no affiliations or associations between (A) any member of the FINRA and (B) the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the Company’s officers, directors or 5% or greater security holders or any beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities that were acquired at any time on or after the 180th day immediately preceding the date the Registration Statement was first submitted to the Commission.
(lxvi) Representation of Officers and/or Directors. Any certificate signed by any officer or director of the Company and delivered to the Representatives as required or contemplated by this Agreement shall constitute a representation and warranty hereunder by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.
(lxvii) Absence of Unlawful Influence. The Company has not offered or sold, or caused the Underwriters to offer or sell, any Offered Securities to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (A) a customer or supplier of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or (B) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or its products.
(lxviii) Private Placement. The sale of [—] Ordinary Shares by each of Joy Union Holdings Limited, a BVI company owned by Xx. Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxx, Universys Holdings Ltd., a BVI company owned by Xx. Xxxx Xxxx Xxx and Charming China Limited, a BVI company owned by Mr. Roc Xxxxxxx Xxxxx (collectively, the “Private Placement Selling Shareholders”), to Saban Media Ventures LLC (“Saban Media”), a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Delaware, pursuant to a Share Purchase Agreement and Registration Rights Addendum dated as of May 4, 2011 (such Registration Rights Addendum and Share Purchase Agreement collectively, the “Private Placement Agreements” and such transactions collectively, the “Private Placement”) were, assuming the truth and accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Private Placement Selling Shareholders and Saban Media under the Private Placement Agreements, conducted in accordance with Section 4(2) under the Act and be exempt from registration with the Commission, and all requirements of Section 4(2) were duly complied with by them.
(lxix) No Integration. Assuming the truth and accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Private Placement Selling Shareholders and Saban Media under the Private Placement Agreements, the Private Placement will not be integrated with the offering of Shares and ADSs hereunder pursuant to applicable rules and regulations issued under the Act.
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(b) Representations and Warranties of the Management Shareholders. Xx. Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxx and Roc Xxxxxxx Xxxxx (the “Management Shareholders”) represent and warrant to, and agree with, the several Underwriters that the Management Shareholders have reviewed the Registration Statement and General Disclosure Package and will review the Final Prospectus and none of the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto includes any untrue statement of a material fact or omits 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.
3. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Offered Securities. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of $[—] per ADS (representing the initial public offering price less underwriting discounts and commissions), the respective number of Firm Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule A hereto, plus any additional number of Firm Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 9 hereof (rounded up or down at the discretion of the Representatives to avoid fractions).
The Company agrees to deliver or cause to be delivered the Firm Securities to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters through the facilities of DTC in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives against payment of the purchase price by the Underwriters in Federal (same day) funds by official bank checks or wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Company at [—]a.m. U.S. Eastern time, on [—], 2011, or at such other time not later than seven full business days thereafter as the Representatives and the Company determine, such time being herein referred to as the “First Closing Date.” For purposes of Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act, the First Closing Date (if later than the otherwise applicable settlement date) shall be the settlement date for payment of funds and delivery of securities for all the Offered Securities sold pursuant to the offering. The Firm Securities so to be delivered or evidence of their issuance will be made available for checking at the office of Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx at 18/F, the Hong Kong Club Building, 3A Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong, at least 24 hours prior to the First Closing Date.
In addition, upon written notice from the Representatives given to the Company from time to time not more than 30 days subsequent to the date of the Final Prospectus, the Underwriters may purchase all or less than all of the Optional Securities at the same purchase price per ADS to be paid for the Firm Securities. The Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters the Optional Securities and such Optional Securities shall be purchased for the account of each Underwriter in the same proportion as the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name bears to the total number of Firm Securities (subject to adjustment by the Representatives to eliminate fractions) and may be purchased by the Underwriters only for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the sale of the Firm Securities. No Optional Securities shall be sold or delivered unless the Firm Securities previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered. The right to purchase the Optional Securities or any portion thereof may be exercised from time to time and to the extent not previously exercised may be surrendered and terminated at any time upon notice by the Representatives to the Company.
Each time for the delivery of and payment for the Optional Securities, being herein referred to as an “Optional Closing Date”, which may be the First Closing Date (the First Closing Date and each Optional Closing Date, if any, being sometimes referred to as a “Closing Date”), shall be determined by the Representatives but shall be not later than five full business days after written notice of election to purchase Optional Securities is given. The Company agrees to deliver or cause to be delivered the Optional Securities being purchased on each Optional Closing Date to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives, against payment of the purchase price therefor in Federal (same day) funds by wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Company. The Optional Securities being purchased on each Optional Closing Date or evidence of their issuance will be made available for checking at the office of Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx at 18/F, the Hong Xxxx Xxxx Xxxxxxxx, 0X Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx at a reasonable time in advance of such Optional Closing Date.
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4. Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Offered Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Final Prospectus. It is further understood that the Offered Securities are to be offered to the public initially at $[—] per ADS and to certain dealers selected by the several Underwriters at a price that represents a concession not in excess of $[—] per ADS.
5. Certain Agreements of the Company.
The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(i) Additional Filings. Unless filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) as part of the Additional Registration Statement in accordance with the next sentence, the Company will file the Final Prospectus, in a form approved by the Representatives, with the Commission pursuant to and in accordance with subparagraph (1) (or, if applicable and if consented to by the Representatives, subparagraph (4)) of Rule 424(b) not later than the earlier of (A) the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement or (B) the fifteenth business day after the Effective Time of the Initial Registration Statement. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly of any such filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and provide satisfactory evidence to the Representatives of such timely filing. If an Additional Registration Statement is necessary to register a portion of the Offered Securities under the Act but the Effective Time thereof has not occurred as of the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will file the Additional Registration Statement or, if filed, will file a post-effective amendment thereto with the Commission pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 462(b) on or prior to 10:00 p.m., U.S. Eastern time, on the date of this Agreement or, if earlier, on or prior to the time the Final Prospectus is finalized and distributed to any Underwriter, or will make such filing at such later date as shall have been consented to by the Representatives.
(ii) Filing of Amendments: Response to Commission Requests. The Company will promptly advise the Representatives of any proposal to amend or supplement at any time the Initial Registration Statement, any Additional Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus and will not effect such amendment or supplementation without the Representatives’ consent; and the Company will also advise the Representatives promptly of (1) the effectiveness of any Additional Registration Statement (if its Effective Time is subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement), (2) any amendment or supplementation of a Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus, (3) any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment to any Registration Statement, for any supplement to any Statutory Prospectus or for any additional information, (4) the institution by the Commission of any stop order proceedings in respect of a Registration Statement or the threatening of any proceeding for that purpose, and (5) the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Offered Securities in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceedings for such purpose. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the suspension of any such qualification and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
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(iii) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act by any Underwriter or dealer, any event occurs as a result of which the Final Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives of such event and will promptly prepare and file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and the dealers and any other dealers upon request of the Representatives, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or an amendment which will effect such compliance. Neither the Representatives’ consent to, nor the Underwriters’ delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 7 hereof.
(iv) Rule 158. As soon as practicable, but not later than the Availability Date (as defined below), the Company will make generally available to its security holders an earnings statement covering a period of at least 12 months beginning after the Effective Date of the Initial Registration Statement (or, if later, the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement) which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act. For the purpose of the preceding sentence, “Availability Date” means the 45th day after the end of the fourth fiscal quarter following the fiscal quarter that includes such Effective Time, except that, if such fourth fiscal quarter is the last quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, “Availability Date” means the 90th day after the end of such fourth fiscal quarter.
(v) Furnishing of Prospectuses. The Company will furnish to the Representatives copies of each Registration Statement (four of which will be signed and will include all exhibits), each related Statutory Prospectus, and, so long as a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act, the Final Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each case in such quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Final Prospectus shall be so furnished on or prior to 3:00 p.m., U.S. Eastern time, on the business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement. All other documents shall be so furnished as soon as available. The Company will pay the expenses of printing and distributing to the Underwriters all such documents.
(vi) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will arrange for the qualification of the Offered Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives designate and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution.
(vii) Reporting Requirements. During the period of five (5) years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and, upon request, to each of the other Underwriters, as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, a copy of its annual report to shareholders for such year; and the Company will furnish to the Representatives (i) as soon as available, a copy of each report and any definitive proxy statement of the Company filed with the Commission under the Exchange Act or mailed to shareholders, and (ii) from time to time, such other information concerning the Company as the Representatives may reasonably request. However, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act and is timely filing reports with the Commission on XXXXX, it is not required to furnish such reports or statements to the Underwriters.
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(viii) Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company, as the case may be, under this Agreement, including but not limited to any filing fees and other expenses (excluding fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters) incurred in connection with qualification of the Offered Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives designate and the preparation and printing of prospectus relating thereto, fees charged by and reasonable costs and expenses related to the filing with, and clearance of the offering by the FINRA, reasonable costs and expenses relating to investor presentations or any “road show” in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities including, without limitation, reimbursements of any travel expenses of the Company’s officers and employees and any other expenses of the Company including the chartering of airplanes, fees and expenses incident to listing the Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange, fees and expenses in connection with the registration of the Offered Securities under the Exchange Act and expenses incurred in distributing preliminary prospectuses and the Final Prospectus (including any amendments and supplements thereto) to the Underwriters and for expenses incurred for preparing, printing and distributing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses to investors or prospective investors. Such amount may be deducted from the purchase price for the Offered Securities set forth in Section 3 hereof.
(ix) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it in connection with this offering in the manner described in the “Use of Proceeds” section of the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus. The Company does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Offered Securities hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter.
(x) Absence of Manipulation. None of the Company or any of its directors, officers, agents, employees, affiliates or person acting on its behalf will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.
(xi) Taxes. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters against any documentary, stamp or similar issue tax, including any interest and penalties, on the creation, issue and sale of the Offered Securities and on the execution and delivery of this Agreement. All payments to be made by the Company hereunder shall be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties or governmental charges whatsoever unless the Company is compelled by law to deduct or withhold such taxes, duties or charges. In that event, the Company shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary in order that the net amounts received after such withholding or deduction shall equal the amounts that would have been received if no withholding or deduction had been made.
(xii) Restriction on Sale of Securities by Company. The Company agrees to enter into a lock-up agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit H hereto.
(xiii) Agreement to announce lock-up waiver. If the Representatives, in their sole discretion, agree to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up agreement described in Section 7(g) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provide the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit J hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.
(xiv) Listing of Securities. The Company will use its best efforts to have the Offered Securities accepted for listing on the New York Stock Exchange and maintain the listing of the Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange.
(xv) Deposit of Shares. The Company will, prior to the First Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, deposit the Offered Shares with the Depositary in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement and otherwise comply with the Deposit Agreement so that ADSs will be issued by the Depositary against receipt of such Offered Shares and delivered to the Underwriters at the First Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
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(xvi) Filing of Reports. The Company, during the period when a prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required to be delivered under the Act in connection with the offer or sale of the Offered Securities, will file all reports and other documents required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations within the time periods required thereby.
(xvii) License of Trademarks. Upon request of any Underwriter, the Company will furnish, or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s trademarks, service marks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the offering of the Offered Securities.
(xviii) Judgment and Approval. The Company agrees that (i) it will not attempt to avoid any judgment applied or denied to it in a court of competent jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands; (ii) following the consummation of the offering of the Offered Securities, it will use its best efforts to obtain and maintain all approvals required in the Cayman Islands (if any) to pay and remit outside the Cayman Islands all dividends declared by the Company and payable on the Ordinary Shares, if any; and (iii) it will use its best efforts to obtain and maintain all approvals required in the Cayman Islands (if any) for the Company to acquire sufficient foreign exchange for the payment of dividends, if any, and all other relevant purposes.
(xix) Compliance with SAFE Rules and Regulations. The Company will comply in all material respects with any applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations, and will use its best efforts to cause its directors, officers, option holders and shareholders named in the Company’s share register that are, or that are directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, PRC residents or PRC citizens to the Company’s knowledge, to comply in all material respects with the SAFE Rules and Regulations applicable to them in connection with the Company, including, without limitation, requesting each shareholder named in the Company’s share register, option holder, director and officer that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or PRC citizen to the Company’s knowledge to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations.
(xx) Interim Financial Statements. The Company will furnish to the Representatives as early as practicable prior to the time of purchase and any additional time of purchase, as the case may be, but not later than two business days prior thereto, a copy of the latest available unaudited interim and monthly consolidated financial statements, if any, of the Company which have been read by the Company’s independent registered public accountants, as stated in their letter to be furnished pursuant to Section 7(a) hereof.
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(xxi) Accounting Controls. The Company will undertake measures to implement, by the time such systems are required by the Exchange Act, systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. GAAP, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
(xxii) Compliance with Laws. The Company will use its best efforts to comply with Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx, and to use its best efforts to cause the Company’s directors and officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in with Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx.
(xxiii) OFAC. The Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the Offered Securities hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(xxiv) Transfer Restrictions. The Company will at all times maintain transfer restrictions (including the inclusion of legends in share certificates, as may be required) with respect to the Company’s Ordinary Shares which are subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to this Agreement and the Lock-Up Agreements entered into pursuant to Section 7(n) hereof and shall ensure compliance with such restrictions on transfer of restricted Ordinary Shares. The Company will retain all share certificates which are by their terms subject to transfer restrictions until such time as such transfer restrictions are no longer applicable to such securities.
(xxv) Transfer Restrictions. In connection with the Directed Share Program, the Company will ensure that the Directed Shares will be restricted to the extent required by the FINRA or the FINRA rules from sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation for a period of three months following the date of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Designated Underwriter will notify the Company as to which Participants will need to be so restricted. The Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon such securities for such period of time.
(xxvi) Payment of Expenses Related to Directed Share Program. The Company will pay all fees and disbursements of counsel (including non-U.S. counsel) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program and stamp duties, similar taxes or duties or other taxes, if any, incurred by the underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program.
(xxvii) Compliance with Foreign Laws. The company will comply with all applicable securities and other applicable laws, rules and regulations in each foreign jurisdiction in which the Directed Shares are offered in connection with the Directed Share Program.
6. Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that, unless they obtain the prior consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Offered Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and the Representatives is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” Each of the Company severally and not jointly and for itself only, represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and have complied and will comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely Commission filing where required, legending and record keeping. The Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.
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7. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Firm Securities on the First Closing Date and the Optional Securities to be purchased on each Optional Closing Date will be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein (as though made on such Closing Date), to the accuracy of the statements of Company officers made pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions precedent:
(a) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. The Representatives shall have received letters, dated, respectively, the date hereof and each Closing Date, of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Ltd. confirming that it is a registered public accounting firm and independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Laws and substantially in the form of Schedule C hereto (except that, in any letter dated a Closing Date, the specified date referred to in Schedule C hereto shall be a date no more than three days prior to such Closing Date).
(b) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement and the Exchange Act Registration Statement shall have become effective. If the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement (if any) is not prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, such Effective Time shall have occurred not later than 10:00 p.m., U.S. Eastern time, on the date of this Agreement or, if earlier, the time the Final Prospectus is finalized and distributed to any Underwriter, or shall have occurred at such later time as shall have been consented to by the Representatives. The Final Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with the Rules and Regulations and Section 5(a) hereof. Prior to such Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company or the Representatives, shall be contemplated by the Commission.
(c) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred (i) any change, or any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole which, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities; (ii) any change in either U.S. or the PRC or international financial, political or economic conditions or currency exchange rates or exchange controls the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impractical to market or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities, whether in the primary market or in respect of dealings in the secondary market; (iii) any suspension or material limitation of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ Stock Market, or any setting of minimum or maximum prices for trading on such exchange; (iv) or any suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market; (v) any banking moratorium declared by any U.S. federal, New York or the PRC authorities; (vi) any major disruption of settlements of securities, payment or clearance services in the United States or the PRC, or (vii) any attack on, outbreak or escalation of hostilities or act of terrorism involving the United States or the PRC, any declaration of war by Congress or any other national or international calamity or emergency if, in the judgment of the Representatives, the effect of any such attack, outbreak, escalation, act, declaration, calamity or emergency is such as to make it impractical or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities.
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(d) Opinion of United States Counsel for the Company. The Representatives and the Depositary shall have received an opinion or opinions from Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, United States counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, substantially to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto. In giving such opinion such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than the law of the State of New York and the federal law of the United States, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Representatives.
(e) Opinion of PRC Counsel for the Company. The Company and the Depositary shall have received an opinion from King & Wood PRC Lawyers, PRC counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, substantially to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto. A copy of such opinion shall have been provided to the Representatives with consent from such counsel.
(f) Opinion of Cayman Islands Counsel for the Company. The Representatives and the Depositary shall have received an opinion from Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx, Cayman Islands counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, substantially to the effect set forth in Exhibit C hereto.
(g) Opinion of Hong Kong Counsel for the Company. The Representatives shall have received an opinion from Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx, Hong Kong counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, substantially to the effect set forth in Exhibit D hereto.
(h) Opinion of Taiwan Counsel for the Company. The Representatives shall have received an opinion from Xxx and Li, Taiwan counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, substantially to the effect set forth in Exhibit E hereto.
(i) Opinion of United States Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received an opinion or opinions from Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, United States counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters. In giving such opinion such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than the law of the State of New York and the federal law of the United States, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Representatives.
(j) Opinion of PRC Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received an opinion from Xxx Xx Law Offices, PRC counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may require.
(k) Officer’s Certificate. The Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated such Closing Date, of an executive officer of the Company and a principal financial or accounting officer of the Company in which such officers shall state that: the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct; the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the best of their knowledge and after reasonable investigation, are contemplated by the Commission; the Additional Registration Statement (if any) satisfying the requirements of subparagraphs (1) and (3) of Rule 462(b) was timely filed pursuant to Rule 462(b), including payment of the applicable filing fee in accordance with Rule 111(a) or (b) of Regulation S-T of the Commission; and, subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus, there has been no material adverse change, nor any development or event involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole except as set forth in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus or as described in such certificate.
(l) Secretary’s Certificate. The Representatives shall have received a certificate set forth in Exhibit F hereto, dated such Closing date, of the secretary of the Company, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably require.
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(m) Certificate of Chief Financial Officer. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate of the chief financial officer of the Company substantially in the form of Exhibit G hereto.
(n) Lock-Up Agreements. On or prior to the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received lock-up agreements, substantially to the effect set forth in Exhibit H hereto, from each of the directors, officers, existing shareholders of the Company and each holder of options and warrants of the Company, a list of which is set forth in Exhibit I.
(o) Execution of Deposit Agreement. The Company and the Depositary shall have executed and delivered the Deposit Agreement and the Deposit Agreement shall be in full force and effect and the Company and the Depositary shall have taken all actions necessary to permit the deposit of the Offered Shares and the issuance of the Offered Securities in accordance with the Deposit Agreement.
(p) Depositary’s Certificates. The Depositary shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Representatives at such Closing Date, certificates satisfactory to the Representatives evidencing the deposit with it of the Offered Shares being so deposited against issuance of ADRs evidencing the Offered Securities to be delivered by the Company at such Closing Date, and the execution, countersignature (if applicable), issuance and delivery of ADRs evidencing such Offered Securities pursuant to the Deposit Agreement and such other matters related thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(q) Opinion of Depositary’s Counsel. The Representatives shall have received an opinion from Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx & Associates LLP, counsel for the Depositary, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.
(r) No Legal Impediment to Issuance. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of such Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Offered Securities; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of such Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Offered Securities.
(s) Additional Documents. On or prior to such Closing Date, the Representatives shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling the Underwriters to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities as herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives.
(t) Exchange Listing. The Offered Securities shall have been approved to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
(u) DTC Settlement. On or prior to the First Closing Date, the Offered Securities shall be eligible for clearance and settlement through the facilities of DTC.
(v) Filing of Amendments. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Prospectus or amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall have been filed to which the Representatives object in writing.
(w) Payment of Commission Fees. The Company shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Offered Securities in such amount and within the time frame provided in the Act and the Rule 456(b)(1) thereunder.
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(x) No FINRA Objection. FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness or reasonableness of the underwriting or other arrangements of the transactions contemplated hereby.
The Company will furnish the Representatives with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and documents as the Representatives reasonably request. The Representatives may in their sole discretion waive on behalf of the Underwriters compliance with any conditions to the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, whether in respect of an Optional Closing Date or otherwise.
If any of the conditions hereinabove provided for in this Section 7 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representatives by notifying the Company of such termination in writing or by telegram at or prior to the First Closing Date or any Additional Closing Date, as the case may be. In such event, the Company and the Underwriters shall not be under any obligation to each other (except to the extent provided in Sections 5(viii) and 10 hereof).
8. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) Indemnification of Underwriters by Company and the Management Shareholders. The Company and the Management Shareholders will, jointly and severally, indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its partners, members, directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each an “Indemnified Party”), against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to any of the above as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company and the Management Shareholders will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or omission or alleged omission from any of such documents in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (b) below, and provided further that the aggregate liability of the Management Shareholders pursuant to this Section 8(a) shall not exceed US$ 3,000,000.
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The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Designated Underwriter and its affiliates and each person, if any, who controls the Designated Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (the “Designated Entities”), from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) (i) arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for distribution to Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program or arising out of or based upon any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) arising out of or based upon the failure of any Participant to pay for and accept delivery of Directed Shares that the Participant agreed to purchase; or (iii) arising out of, related to, or in connection with the Directed Share Program, other than losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or expenses relating thereto) that are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the Designated Entities.
(b) Indemnification of Company by Underwriters. Each Underwriter will severally and not jointly indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors and each of its officers who signs a Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”) against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus at any time, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission of 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 reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Underwriter Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission as such expenses are incurred, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Final Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the concession and reallowance figures appearing in the [fourth] paragraph, sales to discretionary accounts appearing in the [tenth] paragraph and the information discussing possible stabilization measures appearing in the [fifteenth and sixteenth] paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting.”
(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under subsection (a) or (b) above, notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof; but the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under subsection (a) or (b) above except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided further that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under subsection (a) or (b) above. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies an indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be 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 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. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, if indemnity may be sought pursuant to the last paragraph in Section 8(a) hereof in respect of such action or proceeding, then in addition to such separate firm for the indemnified parties, the indemnifying party shall be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of not more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for the Designated Underwriter for the defense of any losses, claims, damages and liabilities arising out of the Directed Share Program, and all persons, if any, who control the Designated Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act of Section 20 of the Exchange Act. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on any claims that are the subject matter of such action and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of an indemnified party.
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(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in subsection (a) or (b) above (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of 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 action or claim which is the subject of this subsection (d). Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (e), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the ADSs purchased by such Underwriter. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8(d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 8(d).
9. Default of Underwriters. If any Underwriter or Underwriters default in their obligations to purchase Offered Securities hereunder on either the First or any Optional Closing Date and the aggregate number of Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase does not exceed 10% of the total number of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date, the Representatives may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons, including any of the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by such Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated severally, in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder, to purchase the Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase on such Closing Date. If any Underwriter or Underwriters so default and the aggregate number of Offered Securities with respect to which such default or defaults occur exceeds 10% of the total number of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives, the Company for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement will terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter, the Company, except as provided in Section 10 (provided that if such default occurs with respect to Optional Securities after the First Closing Date, this Agreement will not terminate as to the Firm Securities or any Optional Securities purchased prior to such termination). As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section. Nothing herein will relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
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10. Survival of Certain Representations and Obligations. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or officers and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the Company or any of their respective representatives, officers or directors or any controlling person, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Securities. If the purchase of the Offered Securities by the Underwriters is not consummated for any reason other than solely because of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 9 hereof, the Company will, severally and not jointly, reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel) reasonably incurred by them in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities, and the respective obligations of the Company and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8 hereof shall remain in effect. In addition, if any Offered Securities have been purchased hereunder, the representations and warranties in Section 2 and all obligations under Section 5 shall also remain in effect.
11. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and, if sent to the Underwriters, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to the Representatives, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Eleven Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010-3629, Attention: LCD-IBD, and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, X.X. 00000, Attention: Equity Capital Markets Syndicate, tel: 0 000 0000000, fax: 0 000 000 0000, or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to it at 16/F, Building No. A-2, No. 1528 Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 000000, People’s Republic of China, Attention: Chief Financial Officer; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 8 will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to such Underwriter.
12. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective personal representatives and successors and the officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 7, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
13. Representation of the Underwriters. The Representatives will act for the several Underwriters in connection with this offering, and any action under this Agreement taken by the Representatives jointly or by either Representative individually will be binding upon all the Underwriters.
14. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.
15. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) No Other Relationship. The Representatives have been retained solely to act as underwriters in connection with the sale of the Offered Securities and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company, on the one hand, and the Representatives, on the other, has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Final Prospectus, irrespective of whether the Representatives have advised or are advising the Company on other matters;
(b) Arm’s Length Negotiations. The price of the Offered Securities set forth in this Agreement was established by the Company following discussions and arm’s-length negotiations with the Representatives and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(c) Absence of Obligation to Disclose. The Company has been advised that the Representatives and their affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the Representatives have no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and
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(d) Waiver. The Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Representatives for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Representatives shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including its shareholders, employees or creditors, if applicable.
16. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
Each of the Company and the Management Shareholders hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. Each of the Company and the Management Shareholders irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York and irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. Each of the Company and the Management Shareholders irrevocably appoints CT Corporation System at 000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000, as its authorized agent in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York upon which process may be served in any such suit or proceeding, and agrees that service of process upon such agent, and written notice of said service to the Company and the Management Shareholders by the person serving the same to the address provided in Section 11, shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company and the Management Shareholders in any such suit or proceeding. Each of the Company and the Management Shareholders further agrees to take any and all action as may be necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect for a period of seven years from the date of this Agreement.
The obligation of the Company and the Management Shareholders pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any sum due to any Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day, following receipt by such Underwriter of any sum adjudged to be so due in such other currency, on which (and only to the extent that) such Underwriter may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency; if the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder, each of the Company and the Management Shareholders agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Underwriter against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder, such Underwriter agrees to pay to the Company and the Management Shareholders, as applicable, an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder.
[Signature Pages Follow]
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If the foregoing is in accordance with the Representatives’ understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company one of the counterparts hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Management Shareholders, the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
TAOMEE HOLDINGS LIMITED | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: | ||
XXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXX | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: | ||
ROC XXXXXXX XXXXX | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.
Acting on behalf of themselves and as the Representatives of the several Underwriters |
CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC | ||||
By: |
| |||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC. | ||||
By: |
| |||
Name: | ||||
Title: |
34
SCHEDULE A
Underwriter |
Number of Firm Securities to be Purchased |
Maximum Number of Optional Securities | ||||
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC | ||||||
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. | ||||||
Xxxxxxxxxxx & Co. Inc | ||||||
Pacific Crest Securities LLC | ||||||
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Company, Incorporated | ||||||
China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited |
||||||
SCH A – 1
SCHEDULE B
1. | General Use Free Writing Prospectuses (included in the General Disclosure Package) |
“General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” includes each of the following documents:
1. The issuer free writing prospectus filed by the Company with the Commission on [—]
2. | Other Information Included in the General Disclosure Package |
The following information is also included in the General Disclosure Package:
1. The initial price to the public of the Offered Securities is US$[—] per ADS
SCH B – 1
SCHEDULE C
Form of Comfort Letter
SCH C – 1
Exhibit A
Form of Opinion of the Company’s U.S. Counsel
Exhibit A – 1
Exhibit B
Form of Opinion of the Company’s PRC Counsel
Exhibit B – 1
Exhibit C
Form of Opinion of the Company’s Cayman Islands Counsel
Exhibit C – 1
Exhibit D
Form of Opinion of the Company’s Hong Kong Counsel
Exhibit D – 1
Exhibit E
Form of Opinion of the Company’s Taiwan Counsel
Exhibit E – 1
Exhibit F
Form of Secretary’s Certificate
Exhibit F – 1
Exhibit G
Form of Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate
The undersigned, Chief Financial Officer of Taomee Holdings Limited (collectively with its subsidiaries, the “Company”), pursuant to Section 7(m) of the Underwriting Agreement, dated [—], 2011 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), among the Company, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., as representatives of the several underwriters named on Schedule A (the “Underwriters”) thereto, hereby certifies that:
1. | I am providing this certificate to the Underwriters in connection with the Company’s offer and sale of [—] ADSs representing [—] Ordinary Shares (the “Offering”) as described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. |
2. | I am familiar with the accounting, operations, records systems and internal controls of the Company. I have participated in the preparation of the Registration Statements, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus. I have supervised the compilation of and reviewed the circled information contained on Exhibit A attached hereto (the “Circled Information”), as disclosed in the Registration Statements, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus. |
3. | With respect to the Circled Information, I have performed the following procedures, which were applied as indicated with respect to the letters explained below: |
A. I have compared the amount to, or computed the amount from, the Company’s accounting books and records prepared by the Company’s accounting personnel for the periods, or as of the dates, indicated and found such information to be in agreement (giving effect to rounding where applicable).
B. I have compared the amount or percentage to, or computed the amount or percentage from, the corresponding data and other records maintained by the Company for the periods, or as of the dates, indicated and found such information to be in agreement (giving effect to rounding where applicable).
4. | The Circled Information is true, complete and accurate as of the Applicable Time and the Closing Date. |
Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Underwriting Agreement. This certificate is to assist the Underwriters in conducting and documenting their investigation of the affairs of the Company in connection with the Offering.
Exhibit G – 1
Exhibit H
Form of Lock-Up Agreements
, 2011
Taomee Holdings Limited
16/F, Building No. A-2
No. 1528 Xxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx 000000
People’s Republic of China
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Eleven Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10010-3629
U.S.A.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
00 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
X.X.X.
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters,
Dear Sirs:
As an inducement to the Underwriters to execute the Underwriting Agreement on or around , 2011, among Taomee Holdings Limited, [the Selling Shareholder / Shareholders named in the Underwriting Agreement,] and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., as the Representatives on behalf of the several Underwriters to be named in Schedule A of the Underwriting Agreement, pursuant to which an offering (the “Offering”) will be made that is intended to result in the establishment of a public market for the American Depositary Shares (the “ADSs”), each representing 20 ordinary shares, par value US$0.00002 per ordinary share (the “Ordinary Shares”) of Taomee Holdings Limited, and any successor (by merger or otherwise) thereto, (the “Company”), the undersigned hereby agrees with each Underwriter to be named in the Underwriting Agreement that during the period specified in the following paragraph (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not, directly or indirectly, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of any Ordinary Shares or ADSs of the Company, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any of Ordinary Shares or ADSs of the Company (the “Lock-Up Securities”), or enter into a transaction which would have the same effect, or enter into any swap, hedge or other arrangement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities, whether any such aforementioned transaction is to be settled by delivery of the Ordinary Shares, ADSs or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, or publicly disclose the intention to make any such offer, sale, contract to sell, pledge or disposition, or to enter into any such transaction, swap, hedge or other arrangement, without, in each case, the prior written consent of the Representatives. In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, it will not, during the Lock-Up Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any Lock-Up Securities. This Agreement shall not apply to (a) transactions relating to Ordinary Shares, ADSs or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Offering or in the issuer directed share program, (b) transfers of Lock-Up Securities as a bona fide gift or through will or intestacy, provided that the transferee agrees to be bound in writing by the terms of this Agreement, (c) distributions of Lock-Up Securities to limited partners, general partners, affiliates or shareholders of the undersigned, or transfers of Lock-Up Securities to a family member or trust, provided that the transferee agrees to be bound in writing by the terms of this Agreement prior to such transfer, and no filing by any party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such transfer, (d) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of Ordinary Shares or ADSs, provided that such plan does not provide for the transfer of Ordinary Shares or ADSs during the restricted period, (e) the registration of the offer and sale of ADSs as contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement and the sale of the ADSs to the Underwriters (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) in the Offering, or (f) the exercise of any of the undersigned’s rights to acquire Ordinary Shares, ADSs or other securities of the Company issued pursuant to any share option or similar equity incentive or compensation plan of the Company for the issuance of share options or equity grants.
The initial Lock-Up Period will commence on the date of this Lock-Up Agreement and continue and include the date 180 days after the public offering date set forth on the final prospectus used to sell the ADSs (the “Public Offering Date”) pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, to which the Underwriters are or expect to become parties; provided, however, that if (1) during the last 17 days of the initial Lock-up Period, the Company releases earnings results or material news or a material event relating to us occurs or (2) prior to the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results or become aware that material news or a material event will occur during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the initial Lock-Up Period, then in either case the Lock-Up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of the release of the earnings results or the occurrence of the material news or event, as applicable, unless the Representatives waive, in writing, such an 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 the Representatives to the Company (in accordance with Section 11 of the Underwriting Agreement) and that any such notice properly delivered will be deemed to have 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.
Any Lock-Up Securities received upon exercise of options granted to the undersigned will also be subject to this Agreement.
In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent and registrar are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of Lock-Up Securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Agreement.
If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing restrictions in this Agreement shall be equally applicable to any issuer-directed Securities the undersigned may purchase in the above-referenced offering.
This Agreement shall be binding on the undersigned and the successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns of the undersigned. If (i) the Company notifies the Representatives in writing that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering and withdraws the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to the Offering; or (iii) for any reason the Underwriting Agreement shall be terminated prior to the “Closing Date” (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement), this Agreement shall be terminated and the undersigned shall be released from its obligations hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement shall lapse and become null and void if the Offering shall not have closed on or before October 31, 2011. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
Very truly yours, | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: |
Exhibit H – 1
Exhibit I
List of Persons and Entities Subject To Lock-Up
Exhibit I – 1
Exhibit J
Form of Press Release
Taomee Holdings Limited
[Date]
Taomee Holdings Limited (“Company”) announced today that Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank, the lead book-running managers in the Company’s recent public sale of shares of American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) representing the Company’s ordinary shares, is [waiving] [releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to ADSs/ordinary shares of the Company held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver] [release] will take effect on , 20 , and the ADSs/ordinary shares may be sold on or after such date.
This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Exhibit J – 1