FLUSHING FINANCIAL CORPORATION (a Delaware corporation) 8,317,400 Shares of Common Stock (Par Value $0.01 Per Share) UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit
1.1
FLUSHING
FINANCIAL CORPORATION
(a
Delaware corporation)
8,317,400
Shares of Common Stock
(Par
Value $0.01 Per Share)
September
16, 2009
XXXXX,
XXXXXXXX & XXXXX, INC.
as
Representative of the several Underwriters
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
0xx
Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
Flushing
Financial Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), confirms its
agreement with Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx, Inc. (“Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx”) and each of
the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto
(collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter
substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxx is acting as representative (in such capacity, the “Representative”),
with respect to (i) the sale by the Company and the purchase by the
Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective number of
shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (“Common
Stock”) set forth in Schedule A hereto and
(ii) the grant by the Company to the Underwriters, acting severally and not
jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any
part of 1,247,610 additional shares of Common Stock to cover over-allotments, if
any. The aforesaid 8,317,400 shares of Common Stock (the “Initial
Securities”) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the
1,247,610 shares of Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b)
hereof (the “Option Securities”) are referred to herein collectively as the
“Securities.”
The
Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of
the Securities as soon as the Representative deems advisable after this
Agreement has been executed and delivered.
The
Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”)
a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-155762), including the
related base prospectus, covering the registration of certain classes of
securities of the Company (including the Securities) under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), for offer and sale from time to time in
accordance with Rule 415 of the rules and regulations of the Commission
promulgated under the 1933 Act (the “1933 Act Regulations”). The
Commission declared such registration statement effective on January 8,
2009. Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the
Company will prepare and file a prospectus supplement in accordance with the
provisions of Rule 430B of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 430B”) and paragraph
(b) of Rule 424 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”). Any
information included in such prospectus supplement that was omitted from such
registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be
part of and included in such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B is
referred to herein as “Rule 430B Information.” Each base prospectus
and prospectus supplement used in connection with the offering of the Securities
that omitted Rule 430B Information is referred to herein collectively as a
“preliminary prospectus.” Such registration statement, at any given
time, including any amendments thereto to such time, the exhibits and any
schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed
incorporated by reference therein at such time and the documents otherwise
deemed to be a part thereof or included therein by the 1933 Act Regulations, is
referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; provided, however, that the term
“Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such registration
statement as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Securities, which
time shall be considered the “new effective date” of such registration statement
with respect to the Underwriters and the Securities (within the meaning of Rule
430B(f)(2)); provided, further, that any registration statement filed pursuant
to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is referred to herein as the “Rule
462(b) Registration Statement”, and after such filing the term “Registration
Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The
final base prospectus and the prospectus supplement, in the form first furnished
or made available to the Underwriters for use in connection with the
confirmations of sales of the Securities, including the documents incorporated
or deemed incorporated by reference therein, are referred to herein collectively
as the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references
to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any
amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the
copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering,
Analysis and Retrieval system or any successor system thereto (collectively,
“XXXXX”).
All
references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other
information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration
Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the General Disclosure
Package (as defined herein) (or other references of like import) shall be deemed
to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information
which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by
the 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration
Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the General Disclosure
Package, as the case may be, prior to the execution of this Agreement; and all
references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration
Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the General Disclosure
Package shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), which is or is
deemed to be incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by the 1933 Act
Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, such
preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package, as the
case may be, at or after the execution of this Agreement.
SECTION
1.
Representations and Warranties and
Agreements.
(a)
Representations and Warranties by
the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each
Underwriter at the date hereof, at the Applicable Time (as defined in Section
1(a)(i) hereof), at the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, and at
each Date of Delivery (if any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agrees
with each Underwriter, as follows:
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(i)
Compliance with Registration
Requirements. The Company meets the requirements for use of
Form S-3 for registration under the 1933 Act. The Registration
Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) has been declared
effective by the Commission under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof has been issued
and no proceeding for that purpose has been instituted or is pending or, to the
knowledge of the Company, is threatened or contemplated by the Commission or any
other Governmental Entity (as defined in Section 1(a)(xii)
hereof). No order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary
prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below) or the Prospectus has
been issued, and no proceeding for that purpose has been instituted or is
pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened or contemplated by
the Commission or any other Governmental Entity. The Company has
fully complied with any request on the part of the Commission or other
Governmental Entity for additional information related to the Registration
Statement and the General Disclosure Package.
At the
respective times the Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement) and any post-effective amendments thereto became
effective, at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters and
the Securities pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2), at the Closing Time and at each Date
of Delivery (if any), each of the Registration Statement and any amendment or
supplement thereto complied, complies and will comply in all material respects
with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations, and did not,
does not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any
amendment or supplement thereto, at the respective dates of the Prospectus or
such amendment or supplement, at the respective times that the Prospectus and
any such amendment or supplement were issued, at the Closing Time or at any Date
of Delivery, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted, omits or will 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.
At the
Applicable Time, each Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus (as defined
below) identified on Schedule B hereto,
the Statutory Prospectus and the information agreed to in writing by the Company
and the Underwriters as the information to be conveyed orally by the
Underwriters to purchasers of the Securities at the Applicable Time as set forth
on Schedule C
hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure
Package”), did not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
The
representations and warranties in the preceding two paragraphs shall not apply
to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any amendment
thereto or the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package or any amendment or
supplement thereto made in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished to the Company in writing by the Representative on behalf of the
Underwriters expressly for use therein.
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Any
preliminary prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus complied or
will comply, as the case may be, when filed with the Commission in all material
respects with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.
As used
in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:
“Applicable
Time” means 7:20 p.m. (New York City time) on September 16, 2009 or such other
time as agreed by the Company and the Representative.
“Statutory
Prospectus”, at any given time, means the base prospectus that is included in
the Registration Statement and the preliminary prospectus supplement relating to
the Securities immediately prior to that time, including the documents
incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein at such
time. For purposes of this definition, information contained in a
form of prospectus that is deemed retroactively to be a part of the Registration
Statement pursuant to Rule 430B shall be considered to be included in the
Statutory Prospectus only at the actual time that such form of prospectus is
filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b).
“Issuer-Represented
Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined
in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), relating to the Securities
that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a
“road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule
433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii)
is exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because
it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not
reflect the final terms, in each case 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).
Each
Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, at its issue date and at all
subsequent times through the completion of the public offering contemplated
hereby or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the
Representative as described in Section 3(e) hereof, did not, does not and will
not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the
information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus,
the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated
or deemed incorporated by reference therein and any preliminary or other
prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or
modified.
(A) At
the date of the original effectiveness of the Registration Statement, (B) at the
earliest time after the original effectiveness of the Registration Statement
that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the
meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Securities and (C)
at the execution of this Agreement (with such time of execution being used as
the determination date for purpose of this clause (C)), the Company was not and
is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act
Regulations (“Rule 405”), without taking account of any determination by the
Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be
considered an ineligible issuer.
(ii)
Incorporated
Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with
the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the
requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”), as applicable, and when read together
with the other information in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, (a) at the original effectiveness
of the Registration Statement, (b) at the earlier of the time the Prospectus was
first used and the date and time of the first contract of sale of the
Securities, (c) at the Closing Time and (d) at each Date of Delivery (if any),
did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading.
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(iii) Independent
Accountants. Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP, the accounting firm that
certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included,
incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent
registered public accounting firm as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act
Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations is not and has not been
in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Sarbanes Oxley Act
of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith
(collectively, the “Sarbanes Oxley Act”) and the related rules and regulations
of the Commission in respect of the Company.
(iv) Financial
Statements. The financial statements included, incorporated or
deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the
General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related
schedules and notes, present fairly the financial position of the Company and
its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statements of
operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its
consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified. Such financial
statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted
accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the
periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, included,
incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in
accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated
therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial
information included, incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in
the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus
present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis
consistent with that of the audited financial statements included, incorporated
or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the
General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. No other
financial statements or schedules are required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act
Regulations, the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations to be included,
incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement,
the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. To the extent
applicable, all disclosures contained in the Registration Statement the General
Disclosure Package or the Prospectus regarding “non GAAP financial measures” (as
such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with
Regulation G of the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and Item 10 of Regulation
S-K under the 1933 Act, as applicable.
(v)
No Material Adverse
Change. Since the respective dates as of which information is
included, incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, except as otherwise
stated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition,
financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business
prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise,
whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse
Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any
of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which
are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise, and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind
declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital
stock.
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(vi) Good Standing of the
Company. The Company is duly registered as a savings and loan
holding company under the Home Owners’ Loan Act of 1933, as
amended, and has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a
business corporation in good standing under the laws of the Delaware and has
corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to
conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its
obligations under this Agreement. The Company is duly qualified as a
foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other
jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the
ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the
failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not, singly or in the
aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(vii) Good Standing of Significant
Subsidiaries. Each “significant subsidiary” of the Company (as
such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) (each, a “Significant
Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Significant Subsidiaries”) has been duly
organized and is validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company,
limited partnership, trust company, statutory business trust or bank, as the
case may be, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
organization, has all necessary power and authority to own, lease and operate
its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly
qualified as a foreign entity to transact business and is in good standing in
each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of
the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where
the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not, singly or in the
aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The deposit accounts
of each of the Company’s subsidiary depository institutions are insured up to
the applicable limits by the Deposit Insurance Fund of the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) to the fullest extent permitted by law and
the rules and regulations of the FDIC, and no proceeding for the revocation or
termination of such insurance has been instituted or is pending or, to the
knowledge of the Company, is threatened or contemplated. Except as
otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital
stock or other equity interests of each Significant Subsidiary have been duly
authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned
by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security
interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity, and none of the
outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of any Significant
Subsidiary were issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any
securityholder of such Significant Subsidiary or any other
person. The only subsidiaries of the Company are (a) the Significant
Subsidiaries listed on Schedule D hereto and
(b) certain other subsidiaries which, considered in the aggregate as a single
subsidiary, do not constitute a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Rule 1-02
of Regulation S-X.
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(viii) Capitalization. The
authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization of the Company is as set forth
in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus
in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for
subsequent issuances of Common Stock, if any, pursuant to this Agreement,
pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in
the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or
pursuant to the exercise of outstanding convertible securities or options
referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and
the Prospectus). All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital
stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully
paid and non-assessable, and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of
the Company were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights
of any securityholder of the Company or any other person.
(ix) Authorization of this
Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed
and delivered by the Company and, when duly executed and delivered by the
Underwriters, will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the
Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as
enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights
generally or by general equitable principles.
(x)
Authorization and
Description of Securities. The Securities have been duly
authorized for issuance and sale by the Company to the Underwriters pursuant to
this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this
Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly
issued, fully paid and non-assessable. The issuance of the Securities
is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder
of the Company or any other person. No holder of Securities will be
subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder. The
Common Stock conforms in all material respects to all statements relating
thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package
and the Prospectus and such description conforms in all material respects to the
rights set forth in the instruments defining the same.
(xi) Other Outstanding
Securities. Except as described in the Registration Statement,
the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (A) there are no outstanding
rights (contractual or statutory), warrants or options to acquire from the
Company, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, or agreements or
understandings with respect to the sale or issuance by the Company of, any
shares of capital stock or other equity interests of the Company, and (B) 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 1933 Act or otherwise register for resale any
securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person.
(xii) Noncontravention. The
execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the issue and sale of the
Securities by the Company and the performance by the Company of all of its
obligations under this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus (including the use of the proceeds from the sale of
the Securities as described therein) and compliance by the Company with its
obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate
action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or
passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or
Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or
imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, (i) any indenture, mortgage,
deed of trust, loan agreement, note, lease or other 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 property or assets of
the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) the provisions of the
charter, bylaws or other organizational documents of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or (iii) any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any U.S.
federal, state or local or international court, government or governmental or
regulatory body or agency (each, a “Governmental Entity”) having jurisdiction
over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their property, assets or
operations except, with respect to clauses (i) and (iii), for those conflicts,
breaches, defaults, Repayment Events, liens, charges or encumbrances that would
not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse
Effect. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or
condition which gives 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.
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(xiii) No
Consents. No filing with , or consent, approval,
authorization, order, license, registration, qualification or decree of or with
any Governmental Entity is necessary or required in connection with the due
authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement or for the offering,
issuance, sale or delivery of the Securities, the performance by the Company of
its obligations hereunder or the consummation by the Company of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, except as may be required (i) under the rules
and regulations of the NASDAQ Global Select Market (the “Nasdaq Global Select
Market”) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or (ii)
under the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states and other
jurisdictions in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities
by the Underwriters.
(xiv) Absence of
Defaults. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is
in violation of its charter, by-laws or other organizational documents or in
default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant
or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
agreement, note, lease or other 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 property or assets of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries is subject except for such violations or defaults
that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(xv) 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,
and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by
the employees of any of its or any of its subsidiary’s principal suppliers,
manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, would, singly or
in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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(xvi) Absence of
Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or
investigation before or brought by any Governmental Entity now pending, or, to
the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or
any of its subsidiaries, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration
Statement (other than as disclosed therein) or which would, singly or in the
aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which would, singly or in the
aggregate, materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions
contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its
obligations hereunder. The aggregate of all pending legal or
governmental proceedings to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a
party or of which any of their property or assets is the subject which are not
described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business,
would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(xvii) Accuracy of
Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are
required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package, the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein or to
be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so described and filed as
required.
(xviii) Possession of Intellectual
Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or
can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses,
inventions, copyrights, know how (including trade secrets and other unpatented
and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or
procedures and excluding generally commercially available “off the shelf”
software programs licensed pursuant to shrink wrap or “click and accept”
licenses), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property
(collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now
operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has
received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict
with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of
any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid
or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable
decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy would, singly or in the
aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xix) Possession of Licenses and
Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such
permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively,
“Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate Governmental Entities
necessary to conduct the business now operated by them. The Company
and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all of
the Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not,
singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. All
of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except
where the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such
Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the
aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company
nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to
the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, if the
subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would, singly or in the
aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company
nor any of its subsidiaries has failed to file with applicable Governmental
Entities any statement, report, information or form required by any applicable
law, regulation or order, except where the failure to be in such compliance
would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, all
such filings were in material compliance with applicable laws when filed and no
material deficiencies have been asserted by any Governmental Entity with respect
to any such filings or submissions.
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(xx) No Regulatory
Proceedings. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries
is a party to or subject to any order, decree, agreement, memorandum of
understanding or similar agreement or other regulatory enforcement action,
proceeding or order with or by, or is a party to or recipient of a commitment
letter, supervisory letter or similar undertaking to or from, or is subject to
any directive by, any Governmental Entity charged with the supervision or
regulation of depository institutions or engaged in the insurance of deposits
(including the FDIC) or the supervision or regulation of the Company or any of
its subsidiaries, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been
advised by any such Governmental Entity that such Governmental Entity is
contemplating issuing or requesting (or is considering the appropriateness of
issuing or requesting) any such order, decree, agreement, memorandum of
understanding, commitment letter, supervisory letter or similar
undertaking. There is no unresolved violation, criticism or exception
by any such Governmental Entity with respect to any examination of the Company
and its subsidiaries which would, singly or in the aggregate, result in a
Material Adverse Effect.
(xxi) Title to
Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and
marketable title to all real property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries
and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and
clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions
or encumbrances of any kind except such as (a) are described in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (b) do not,
singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do
not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the
Company or any of its subsidiaries. All of the leases and subleases
material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds
properties described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus are in full force and effect. Neither the
Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any notice of any material claim of any
sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or
any such subsidiary under any of such leases or subleases or affecting or
questioning the rights of the Company or any such subsidiary to the continued
possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or
sublease. All property of the Company and its subsidiaries is valued
on the books of the Company and its subsidiaries in accordance with
GAAP.
(xxii) Derivative
Instruments. Any and all material swaps, caps, floors,
futures, forward contracts, option agreements (other than employee stock
options) and other derivative financial instruments, contracts or arrangements,
whether entered into for the account of the Company or one of its subsidiaries
or for the account of a customer of the Company or one of its subsidiaries, were
entered into in the ordinary course of business and in accordance with prudent
business practice and applicable laws, rules, regulations and policies of all
applicable regulatory agencies and with counterparties believed to be
financially responsible at the time. The Company and each of its
subsidiaries have duly performed in all material respects all of their
obligations thereunder to the extent that such obligations to perform have
accrued, and there are no breaches, violations or defaults or allegations or
assertions of such by any party thereunder.
10
(xxiii) Environmental
Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the
General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or would not, singly or in the
aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any
of its subsidiaries is in violation of any U.S. federal, state or local or
foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of
common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including
any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to
pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without
limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface
strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations
relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants,
contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or
petroleum products, asbestos containing materials or mold (collectively,
“Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use,
treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials
(collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have
all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable
Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there
are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened administrative,
regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens,
notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to
any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D)
there are no events or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form
the basis of an order for clean up or remediation, or an action, suit or
proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or
affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials
or any Environmental Laws.
(xxiv)
Taxes. The
Company and each of its subsidiaries has (a) timely filed all material foreign,
United States federal, state and local tax returns, information returns, and
similar reports that are required to be filed (taking into account valid
extensions), and all tax returns are true, correct and complete, (b) paid in
full all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or
penalty levied against it, except for any such tax assessment, fine or penalty
that is currently being contested in good faith or as would not, singly or in
the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, and (c) established on the
most recent balance sheet reserves that are adequate for the payment of all
taxes not yet due and payable.
(xxv) ERISA. Each
of the Company, the Company’s subsidiaries and their respective “ERISA
Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with
all applicable provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations
thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”). No “reportable event” (as defined
in ERISA) has occurred with respect to any “employee benefit plan” (as defined
in ERISA) for which the Company, any of the Company’s subsidiaries or their
respective ERISA Affiliates would have any liability. None of the
Company, the Company’s subsidiaries or their respective ERISA Affiliates have
incurred, or expect to incur, liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect
to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (ii)
Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the United States Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder
(collectively, the “Code”). Each “employee benefit plan” for which
the Company, any of the Company’s subsidiaries or any of their respective ERISA
Affiliates would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under
Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in all material respects and nothing
has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss
of such qualification. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the
Company or any of its subsidiaries, any member of any group of organizations
described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code or Section 210(c) of
ERISA of which the Company or such subsidiary is a member.
11
(xxvi) Reportable
Transactions. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries
has participated in any reportable transaction, as defined in Treasury
Regulation Section 1.6011 (4)(b)(1).
(xxvii) Insurance. The
Company and its subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts
and covering such risks as the Company reasonably believes are adequate for the
conduct of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries and the value of
their properties and as are customary in the business in which the Company and
its subsidiaries are engaged. Neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for, and
the Company has no reason to believe that they will not be able to renew their
existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain
similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its
business at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(xxviii) OFAC. None
of the Company, any of the Company’s subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the
Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate (as such term is
defined in rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act, “Affiliates”) of the Company or any
of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by
the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department
(“OFAC”). The Company will not directly or indirectly use the
proceeds of any sale of Securities, 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.
(xxix) Unlawful
Payments. None of the Company, any of the Company’s
subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any Affiliate of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries has: (A) used any corporate funds for any
unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to
political activity; (B) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any
foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (C)
violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices
Act of 1977, as amended; or (D) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence
payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.
(xxx) Investment Company
Act. The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and
sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net
proceeds therefrom as described in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an
“investment company”, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
12
(xxxi) Statistical and Market
Data. The statistical and market related data contained in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are
based on or derived from sources which the Company believes are reliable and is
accurate in all material respects.
(xxxii) Relationship. 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
hand, that is required by the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations to be
described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus and that is not so described.
(xxxiii) Internal Control Over
Financial Reporting. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain
a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined
in Rule 13a-15(f) under the 0000 Xxx) accounting controls sufficient to provide
reasonable assurance 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 GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (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. Except as described in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, since the
end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (I) no
material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting
(whether or not remediated) and (II) no change in the Company’s internal control
over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely
to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial
reporting.
(xxxiv) Disclosure Controls and
Procedures. The Company and its subsidiaries employ disclosure
controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the
1934 Act), which (A) are designed to ensure that information required to be
disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934
Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods
specified in the Commission’s rules and forms and that material information
relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s
principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within the
Company and its subsidiaries to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure, and
(B) are effective to perform the functions for which they were
established. Based on the evaluation of the disclosure controls and
procedures of the Company and its subsidiaries, the Company is not aware of (1)
any significant deficiency in the design or operation of internal controls which
could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and
report financial data or any material weaknesses in internal controls or (2) any
fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who
have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls. Since the
most recent evaluation of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company
and its subsidiaries, there have been no significant changes in internal
controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal
controls.
(xxxv) Compliance with the Sarbanes
Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the
Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as
such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes
Oxley Act, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906
related to certifications.
13
(xxxvi) Pending Procedures and
Examinations. The Registration Statement is not the subject of
a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act,
and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of
the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.
(xxxvii) No Stabilization or
Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any of the Company’s
subsidiaries or any other Affiliates has taken, directly or indirectly, any
action that has constituted or is designed to or that could reasonably be
expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of
any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the
Securities.
(xxxviii) No Unauthorized
Dissemination of Materials. Neither the Company nor any of the
Company’s subsidiaries or other Affiliates has distributed or, prior to the
later to occur of (i) the expiration of the option described in Section 2(b)
hereof and (ii) completion of the distribution of the Securities, will
distribute any prospectus (as such term is defined in the 1933 Act and the 1933
Act Regulations) in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities
other than the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the General
Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or other materials, if any, permitted by the
1933 Act or by the 1933 Act Regulations and approved by the Representative in
accordance with Section 3(n) hereof.
(xxxix) Forward Looking
Statements. No forward looking statement (within the meaning
of Section 27A of the 1933 Act and Section 21E of the 0000 Xxx) contained in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has
been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or other than in good
faith.
(xl)
Lock-Up
Agreements. Each of the Company’s executive officers and
directors and 5% or greater shareholders and certain other shareholders, in each
case, as listed on Schedule E hereto,
has executed and delivered lock-up agreements as contemplated by Section 5(i)
hereof.
(xli) Fees. Other
than as specified in this Agreement, there is no broker, finder or other party
that is entitled to receive from the Company or any subsidiary any brokerage or
finder’s fee or any other fee, commission or payment as a result of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(b)
Officer’s
Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Representative or to counsel
for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the
Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.
SECTION
2. Sale and
Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.
(a)
Initial
Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties
herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the
Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each
Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company at
the price per share set forth in Schedule C hereto
that number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A hereto
opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Initial
Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to
the provisions of Section 10 hereof, bears to the total number of Initial
Securities, subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as
the Representative in its sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or
purchases of fractional shares.
14
(b)
Option
Securities. In addition, on the basis of the representations
and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein
set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally
and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 1,247,610 Option Securities, at
the price per share set forth in Schedule C hereto,
less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the
Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option
Securities. The option hereby granted will expire 30 days after the
date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time only for
the purpose of covering over-allotments which may be made in connection with the
offering and distribution of the Initial Securities upon notice by the
Representative to the Company setting forth the number
of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising
the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option
Securities. Any such time and date of delivery (a “Date of Delivery”)
shall be determined by the Representative, but shall not be later than seven
full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to
the Closing Time. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion
of the Option Securities, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not
jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Securities
then being purchased which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A hereto
opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Initial
Securities, subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as
the Representative in its sole discretion
shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional
shares.
(c)
Payment. Payment
of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, the Initial
Securities shall be made at the offices of Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, LLP, 000 Xxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon
by the Representative and the Company, at 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the
third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (New York City time) on any
given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance
with the provisions of Section 10 hereof), or such other time not later than ten
business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and
the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being referred to herein
called “Closing Time”).
In
addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are being
purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery
of certificates for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above mentioned
offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative
and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the
Representative to the Company.
15
Payment
shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of
immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company against delivery to the
Representative for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of the
Securities being purchased by them. The Company shall deliver the
Initial Securities and Option Securities, if any, through the facilities of The
Depository Trust Company (the “DTC”) unless the Representative shall otherwise
instruct. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the
Representative, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make
payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities and the Option
Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase. Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
individually and not as Representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not
be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities
or the Option Securities, if any, being purchased by any Underwriter whose funds
have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as
the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its
obligations hereunder.
(d)
Denominations;
Registration. Certificates for the Initial Securities and the
Option Securities, if any, shall be in such denominations and registered in such
names as the Representative may request in writing at least one full business
day before the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may
be. The certificates for the Initial Securities and the Option
Securities, if any, will be made available for examination and packaging by the
Representative in The City of New York not later than 10:00 A.M. (New York City
time) on the business day prior to the Closing Time or the relevant Date of
Delivery, as the case may be.
SECTION
3. Covenants of the
Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as
follows:
(a)
Compliance with Securities
Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to
Section 3(b) hereof, will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B and will
notify the Representative immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i)
when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any new
registration statement relating to the Securities shall de declared or otherwise
become effective, or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have
been transmitted to the Commission for filing, (ii) of the transmittal to the
Commission for filing of any document to be filed or furnished pursuant to the
1934 Act, (iii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission with respect
to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Statutory
Prospectus or the Prospectus or the documents incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference therein, (iv) of any request by the Commission for any
amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the
General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or for additional information
relating thereto, (v) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or of any order by
any Governmental Entity preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary
prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the initiation or
threatening of any proceeding for any of such purpose, (vi) of any examination
pursuant to Section 8(d) or Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the
Registration Statement, (vii) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding
under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the
Securities, and (viii) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with
respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for sale 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 stop, prevention or suspension order or notification and, if
issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible
moment.
16
The
Company will promptly effect the filings necessary pursuant to Rule 424(b) in
the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance
on Rule 424(b)(8)) and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain
promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b)
was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it
will promptly file such prospectus
If,
immediately prior to the third anniversary of the initial effective date of the
Registration Statement (the “Renewal Deadline”), any of the Securities remain
unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline,
file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, a new automatic
shelf registration statement (as defined in Rule 405) relating to the
Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Representative. If the
Company is not eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the
Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, if it has not already done so, file
a new shelf registration statement on a proper form relating to the Securities,
in a form satisfactory to the Representative, and will use its best efforts to
cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after
the Renewal Deadline and the Company shall immediately notify the Representative
of such effectiveness. The Company will take all other action
necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the
Securities to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement
relating to the Securities. References herein to the Registration
Statement relating to the Securities shall include such new automatic shelf
registration statement or other new shelf registration statement, as the case
may be.
(b)
Filing of
Amendments. The Company will give the Representative notice of
its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement
(including any filing under Rule 462(b)) or any amendment or supplement to the
General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any new registration statement
relating to the Securities, whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or
otherwise, will furnish the Representative with copies of any such documents a
reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may
be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or
counsel for the Underwriters shall object.
(c)
Delivery of Registration
Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the
Representative and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies
of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto
(including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein) and
signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver
to the Representative, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration
Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (without exhibits)
for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration
Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be
identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the
Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation
S-T.
(d)
Delivery of
Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter,
without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus and the Statutory
Prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested. The Company will
furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, such number of copies of the
Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably
request. The Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for
purposes permitted by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. The
preliminary prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus, the Prospectus and any
amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be
identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the
Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation
S-T.
17
(e)
Continued Compliance with Securities
Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act
Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the
completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this
Agreement. If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the
Securities is required to be delivered (or but for the exception afforded by
Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations would be required to be delivered) under
the 1933 Act, any event or development occurs as a result of which the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus would
include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material
fact necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the General
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under
which they were made) not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the
Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Statutory Prospectus or the
Prospectus to comply with the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or to file a
new registration statement relating to the Securities, the Company promptly will
(1) notify the Representative of any such event or development, (2) prepare and
file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b) hereof, such amendment,
supplement or new registration statement which will correct such untrue
statement or omission, effect such compliance or satisfy such filing
requirement, (3) use its best efforts to have any such amendment to the
Registration Statement or new registration statement declared effective as soon
as possible (if not an automatic shelf registration statement) and (4) supply
any amended or supplemented General Disclosure Package or Prospectus to the
Underwriters in such quantities as they may reasonably request. If at
any time following the issuance of an Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus
there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such
Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the
information contained in the Registration Statement (or any other registration
statement relating to the Securities), any preliminary prospectus, the Statutory
Prospectus or the Prospectus or included, includes or would include an untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or would omit to state a material
fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company
will promptly notify the Underwriters and will promptly amend or supplement, at
its own expense, such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or
correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission. The
Underwriters’ delivery of any such amendment or supplement shall not constitute
a waiver of any of the conditions in Section 5 hereof.
(f)
Blue Sky
Qualifications. The Company will use its best efforts, in
cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and
sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions
as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications in
effect until the later of (i) the expiration of the option described in Section
2(b) hereof and (ii) the completion of the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company
shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to
qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any
jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in
respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so
subject. The Company will also supply the Underwriters with such
information as is necessary for the determination of the legality of the
Securities for investment under the laws of such jurisdiction as the
Underwriters may request.
18
(g)
Rule 158. The
Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary
in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as
practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the
benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act
and Rule 158 of the 1933 Act Regulations.
(h)
Use of
Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it
from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(i)
Listing. The
Company will use its best efforts to obtain, effect and maintain the listing of
the Securities on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
(j)
Restriction on Sale of
Securities. During a period beginning on the date of this
Agreement and ending 90 calendar days from such date (the “90-Day Restricted
Period”), the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the
Representative, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to
sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract
to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or
dispose of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or
exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or file any registration statement
under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any
swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in
part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the
Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or
(ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other
securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not
apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of Common Stock
issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the
conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof and referred to in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (C)
any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common Stock granted
pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, provided that such options
shall not be vested and exercisable within the 90-Day Restricted Period referred
to above, or (D) any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to any non employee
director stock plan or dividend reinvestment plan. In the event that
either (i) during the period that begins on the date that is 15 calendar days
plus three (3) business days before the last day of the 90-Day Restricted
Period and ends on the last day of the 90-Day Restricted Period, the
Company issues an earnings release, the Company issues material news or a
material event relating to the Company and/or subsidiaries occurs, or (ii) prior
to the expiration of the 90-Day Restricted Period, the Company announces that it
will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day
of the 90-Day Restricted Period, the restrictions set forth herein will continue
to apply until the expiration of the date that is 15 calendar days plus three
(3) business days after the date on which the earnings release is issued or the
material news or event related to the Company and/or subsidiaries
occurs. The Company shall promptly notify the Representative of any
earnings releases, news or events that may give rise to an extension of any such
restricted period.
19
(k)
Reporting
Requirements. The Company, until the later of (i) the
expiration of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof and (ii) the
completion of the distribution of the Securities, will file, subject to Section
3(b) hereof, all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to
the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act
Regulations.
(l)
Lock-Up
Agreements. The Company agrees to restrict the transfer of
Securities by persons listed on Schedule E hereto
within the 90-Day Restricted Period following the date of this
Agreement.
(m) Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus. The Company represents and agrees that, unless it
obtains the prior written consent of the Representative and each Underwriter
represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the
Company and the Representative, it has not made and will not make any offer
relating to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing
prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, or that would otherwise constitute a “free
writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the
Commission other than the Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectuses, if any,
identified on Schedule
B hereto. Each of the Issuer-Represented Free Writing
Prospectuses, if any, identified on Schedule B hereto and
free writing prospectuses consented to by the Company and the Representative is
referred to herein as an “Issuer-Permitted Free Writing
Prospectus.” The Company represents that it has treated or agrees
that it will treat each Issuer-Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer
free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will
comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Issuer-Permitted Free
Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required,
legending and record keeping. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Company consents to the use by any Underwriter of a free writing prospectus that
contains only (a)(i) information describing the preliminary terms of the
Securities or their offering, or (ii) information that describes the final terms
of the Securities or their offering or (b) other customary information that is
neither “issuer information,” as defined in Rule 433, nor otherwise an
Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus.
SECTION
4. Payment of
Expenses.
(a)
Expenses. The
Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of
its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing
and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and
exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the
preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of this Agreement, any
Agreement Among Underwriters and such other documents as may be required in
connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the
Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for
the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes
and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the
Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s
counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities
under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof,
including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for
the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation
of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (vi) the printing and
delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, the
Statutory Prospectus, any Issuer-Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the
Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto (including any costs
associated with electronic delivery of these materials), (vii) the fees and
expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (viii) the costs
and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road
show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including,
without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides
and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with
the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the officers and
other representatives of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of
aircraft and other transportation in connection with the road show as approved
by the Company, (ix) any review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of
the Securities, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements
of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith, and (x) the fees and
expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities in the Nasdaq
Global Select Market.
20
(b)
Termination of
Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the
Representative in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a) or
Section 10 hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their
out of pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Underwriters.
SECTION
5. Conditions of Underwriters’
Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters
hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of
the Company contained in Section 1(a) hereof or in certificates of any officer
of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company delivered pursuant to the
provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other
obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:
(a)
Effectiveness of Registration
Statement. (i) The Registration Statement, including any Rule
462(b) Registration Statement, has been declared effective by the
Commission, and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement shall have been issued or proceedings therefor initiated
or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission
for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable
satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters, (ii) each of the preliminary
prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus shall have been filed
with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule
424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) (or a post-effective amendment
providing such information shall have been filed and declared effective in
accordance with the requirements of Rule 430B), and no order preventing or
suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus or
the Prospectus shall have been issued by the Commission or any other
Governmental Entity, (iii) any material required to be filed by the Company
pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act shall have been filed with the
Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by
Rule 433, and (iv) there shall not have come to the Representative’s attention
any facts that would cause the Representative to believe that the General
Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, at the time it was, or was required to be,
delivered or made available to purchasers of the Securities, included an untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances existing at
such time, not misleading.
21
(b)
Opinion of Counsel for
Company. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have
received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxx
& Xxxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory
to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of
such letter for each of the other Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto and
to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request,
each in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters,
together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other
Underwriters.
(c)
Opinion of Counsel for the
Underwriters. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have
received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Xxxxxxxxx Traurig
LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of
such letter for each of the other Underwriters. The opinion shall
address the matters the Representative may reasonably request. In
giving such opinion such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the
laws of jurisdictions other than the laws of the State of Delaware and the
federal securities laws of the United States, upon the opinions of counsel
satisfactory to the Representative. Such counsel may also state that,
insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the
extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers and other representatives
of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public
officials.
(d)
Officers’
Certificates.
(i)
At the Closing Time, there shall not have been, since
the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any Material
Adverse Effect, and the Representative shall have received a certificate of the
President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief
accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that
(A) there has been no Material Adverse Effect, (B) the representations and
warranties in Section 1(a) hereof are true and correct with the same force and
effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time, (C) the Company
has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be
performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time, and (D) no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or order preventing
or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus or
the Prospectus has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been
instituted or is pending or, to his or her knowledge, is threatened or
contemplated by the Commission or any other Governmental Entity.
(ii)
At the time of the execution of this
Agreement, the Underwriters shall have received a certificate of the Chief
Financial Officer of the Company (the “CFO”), dated such date certifying that
the CFO or a member of his staff has reviewed the amounts marked on copies of
certain pages of the Prospectus and documents incorporated by reference into the
Registration Statement; and that with regard to such amounts they (A) compared
the respective amounts with the corresponding amounts in the Company’s financial
statements and found them to be in agreement, (B) recomputed the amounts based
upon amounts appearing in the Company’s financial statements and found them to
be in agreement, or (C) compared the amounts to the internal accounting records
or financial reporting schedules of the Company from which the Company’s
financial statements, footnotes, and disclosures were derived and found them to
be in agreement.
22
(iii) At
the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received from the CFO a
certificate, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that he reaffirms the
statements made in the certificate furnished pursuant to subsection (d)(ii) of
this Section.
(e)
Accountant’s Comfort
Letter. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the
Underwriters shall have received from Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP a letter dated such
date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, together with
signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters,
containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in
accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial
statements and certain financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries
contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus.
(f)
Bring down Comfort
Letter. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have
received from Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP a letter, dated the Closing Time, to the effect
that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to
subsection (e) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall
be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing
Time.
(g)
Approval of
Listing. The Common Stock (including the Securities) is
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the 1934 Act and is listed on the Nasdaq
Global Select Market, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely
to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under
the 1934 Act or delisting the Common Stock from the Nasdaq Global Select Market,
and the Company has not received any notification that the Commission or the
Nasdaq Global Select Market is contemplating terminating such registration or
listing.
(h)
No
Objection. FINRA shall have confirmed that it has not raised
any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the
underwriting terms and arrangements in the public offering contemplated
hereby.
(i)
Lock-Up
Agreements. At the date of this Agreement, the Representative
shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto
signed by the persons listed on Schedule E
hereto.
(j)
Delivery of General
Disclosure Package and Prospectus. The Company shall have
furnished to the Underwriters the General Disclosure Package prior to the
Applicable Time and the Prospectus on the New York business day next succeeding
the date of this Agreement.
(k)
No Termination
Event. On or after the date hereof, there shall not have
occurred any of the events, circumstances or occurrences set forth in Section
5(a) or (g) or Section 9(a) hereof.
(l)
Conditions to Purchase of
Option Securities. In the event that the Underwriters exercise
their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of
the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the Company
contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company
or any of its subsidiaries hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date
of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Underwriters shall have
received:
23
(i)
Officers’
Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of
the President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial or
chief accounting officer of the Company confirming that the certificate
delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(d) hereof remains true and
correct as of such Date of Delivery.
(ii)
Opinion of
Counsel for Company. The favorable opinion of Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxx & Xxxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company, in form and substance
satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery,
relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and
otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b)
hereof.
(iii) Opinion of Counsel for
Underwriters. The favorable opinion of Xxxxxxxxx Traurig LLP,
counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the
Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the
same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(c) hereof.
(iv) Bring down Comfort
Letter. Letter from Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representative and dated such Date of Delivery,
substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the
Underwriters pursuant to Section 5(f) hereof, except that the “specified date”
in the letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than
three business days prior to such Date of Delivery.
(v)
No Termination
Event. There shall not have occurred prior to such Date of
Delivery any of the events, circumstances or occurrences set forth in Section
5(a) or (g) or Section 9(a) hereof.
(m) Additional
Documents. At the Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery,
counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and
opinions as they may have reasonably requested for the purpose of enabling them
to pass upon the issuance and sale of the 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
Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to
the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters.
(n)
Termination of
Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section 5 shall
not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement,
or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities on a Date
of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the several
Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be terminated by
the Representative by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing
Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be
without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section
4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8 and 14 shall survive any such termination
and remain in full force and effect.
24
SECTION
6.
Indemnification.
(a)
Indemnification of
Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless each Underwriter, its Affiliates, its selling agents and each person,
if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the
1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:
(i)
against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage
and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration
Statement, including the Rule 430B Information, or any amendment thereto or the
omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising
out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
included in any preliminary prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus, any
Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the
Prospectus or the roadshow materials used in connection with the offer of the
Securities or in any amendment or supplement thereto or the omission or alleged
omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading;
(ii)
against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and
expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in
settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any
Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based
upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement
or omission, provided
that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the
written consent of the Company; and
(iii) against
any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and
disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representative), reasonably incurred in
investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any
investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened,
or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any
such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense
is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;
provided, however, that this indemnity
agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to
the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue
statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the
Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, including the
Rule 430B Information, or any amendment thereto, or in any preliminary
prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus, any Issuer-Represented Free Writing
Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any amendment or
supplement thereto; it being understood that the parties acknowledge and agree
that the only written information that the Underwriters have furnished through
the Representative to the Company specifically for inclusion therein are the
concession and reallowance figures and references to stabilization
and penalty bids appearing in the Prospectus in the section entitled
“Underwriting,” including all subheadings thereunder.
25
(b)
Indemnification of Company,
Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who
signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the
Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the
1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense
described in the indemnity contained in Section 6(a), as incurred, but only with
respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or
omissions, made in the Registration Statement, including the Rule 430B
Information, or any amendment thereto, or in any preliminary prospectus, the
Statutory Prospectus, any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, the
General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement
thereto, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished
to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use
therein; it being understood that the parties acknowledge and agree that the
only written information that the Underwriters have furnished to the Company
specifically for inclusion therein are the concession and reallowance
figures and references to stabilization and penalty bids appearing in the
Prospectus in the section entitled “Underwriting,” including all subheadings
thereunder.
(c)
Actions against Parties;
Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as
promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action
commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but
failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying
party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced
as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability
which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity
agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section
6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the
Representative and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b)
above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the
Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in
the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the
indemnifying party shall not (except with the written consent of the indemnified
party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall
the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one
counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for
all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but
similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same
general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall,
without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or
compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any
litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity,
commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which
indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section
7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties
thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an
unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out
of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include
a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by
or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d)
Settlement Without Consent if
Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party
shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party
for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall
be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(iii)
effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more
than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request,
(ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such
settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and
(iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party
in accordance with such request prior to the date of such
settlement.
26
SECTION
7. Contribution. If
the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason
unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect
of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein,
then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such
losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified
party, as incurred, (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 hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to
this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) 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 of the Underwriters, on the other hand, in
connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses,
liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant
equitable considerations.
The
relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the
Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the
Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same
respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the
Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by
the Company, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by
the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of
the Prospectus.
The
relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the
other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any
such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or
alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the
Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge,
access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or
omission.
The
Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, agree that it
would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were
determined by pro rata
allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such
purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the
equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The
aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred
by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed
to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified
party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any
investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened,
or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement
or omission or alleged omission.
27
Notwithstanding
the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute
any amount in excess of the underwriting discount received by such Underwriter
from the sale of the Securities underwritten by such Underwriter.
No person
guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of
the 0000 Xxx) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not
guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For
purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act
and each of the Underwriter’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same
rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company,
each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and each
person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the
1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to
contribution as the Company. The Underwriters’ respective obligations
to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number
of Initial Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and
not joint.
SECTION
8. Representations, Warranties
and Agreements to Survive Delivery. All representations,
warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of
officers and other representatives of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
submitted pursuant hereto shall remain operative and in full force and effect,
regardless of any (i) investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or
its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter or its
officers or other representatives, or by or on behalf of the Company, and (ii)
delivery of and payment for the Securities.
SECTION
9. Termination
of Agreement.
(a) Termination;
General. The Representative may terminate this Agreement, by
notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if there
has been, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any
Material Adverse Effect, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse
change in the financial markets in the United States or the international
financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other
calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change
in national or international political, financial or economic conditions,
including, without limitation, as a result of terrorist activities, in each case
the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the
Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to
enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any
securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the
Commission or the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or if trading generally on the
NYSE or in the Nasdaq Global Select Market has been suspended or materially
limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum
ranges for prices have been required, by the NYSE or the Nasdaq Global Select
Market or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other Governmental Entity, or
(iv) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities
settlement or clearance services in the United States or Europe, or (v) if a
banking moratorium has been declared by either United States federal or New York
authorities.
28
(b)
Liabilities. If
this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be
without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section
4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8 and 14 shall survive
such termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION
10. Default by One or More of
the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall
fail at Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Securities which it
or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted
Securities”), the Representative shall have the right, within 24 hours
thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non- defaulting
Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all,
of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the
terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representative shall not have completed
such arrangements within such 24 hour period, then:
(a)
if the number of Defaulted
Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on
such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally
and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that
their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting
obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
(b)
if the number of Defaulted Securities
exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this
Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the
Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company
to sell the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery
shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting
Underwriter.
No action
taken pursuant to this Section 10 shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from
liability in respect of its default.
In the
event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this
Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time,
which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to
purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may
be, either the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone
Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period
not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or Prospectus or in any
other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term
“Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this
Section 10.
SECTION
11. Notices. All
notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be
deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of
telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to
the Representative at Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx, Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx
Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, attention of General Counsel, with copies
(which shall not constitute notice) to Xxxxxxxxx Traurig, LLP, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxxxx 00000, Attention of: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Esq.; notices
to the Company shall be directed to it at Flushing Financial Corporation, 0000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxx Xxxxxxx, XX 00000, Attention of: President, with
copies (which shall not constitute notice) to Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxxx
LLP, Two World Financial Center, New York, New York 10281, attention
of Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxxxxx, Esq.
29
SECTION
12. Parties. This
Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the
Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and
assigns. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended
or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the
Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors and assigns and the
controlling persons and officers, directors, Affiliates and selling agents
referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any
legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement
or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions
and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of
the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and assigns,
and said controlling persons, officers, directors, Affiliates and selling agents
and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other
person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any
Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such
purchase.
SECTION
13. No
Fiduciaries. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the
purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the
determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related
discounts and commissions, is an arm’s length commercial transaction between the
Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, (ii) in
connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such
transaction, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and
is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, any of the Company’s subsidiaries,
any shareholders, creditors or employees of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or any other third party, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will
assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or any of
its subsidiaries with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process
leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is
currently advising the Company or any of its subsidiaries on other matters), and
no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company or any of its subsidiaries with
respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set
forth in this Agreement, (iv) the Underwriters and their respective Affiliates
may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that
differ from those of the Company and its subsidiaries, and (v) the Underwriters
have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect
to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal,
accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed
appropriate.
SECTION
14. GOVERNING LAW AND
TIME. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. SPECIFIED TIMES
OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
30
SECTION
15. General
Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of
the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all
contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to
the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two or
more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, but all of which
together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The exchange
of copies of this Agreement and of signature pages by facsimile or other
electronic means shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this
Agreement by the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original
signature pages to this Agreement for all purposes. This Agreement
may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto,
and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in
writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The
Section and provision headings herein are for convenience only and shall not
affect the construction hereof.
[Signature
Page Follows]
31
If the
foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign
and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along
with all counterparts, will become a valid and legally binding agreement among
the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very
truly yours,
|
||
FLUSHING
FINANCIAL CORPORATION
|
||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxx
|
|
Name: Xxxx
X. Xxxxx
|
||
Title: President
& C.E.O.
|
CONFIRMED
AND ACCEPTED,
as
of the date first above written:
XXXXX
XXXXXXXX & XXXXX, INC.
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
|
Name: Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
|
|
Title: Managing
Director
|
For
itself and as Representative of the other Underwriters
named in
Schedule A hereto.
32