UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

EX-10.26 2 dex1026.htm UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT Underwriting Agreement

Exhibit 10.26

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

July 27, 2004

 

UBS Securities LLC

CIBC World Markets Corp.

W.R. Hambrecht & Co., LLC

Delafield Hambrecht, Inc.

Punk, Ziegel & Company, L.P.

as Managing Underwriters

 

c/o UBS Securities LLC

299 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10171-0026

 

and

 

CIBC World Markets Corp.

417 5th Avenue, 2nd Floor

New York, New York 10016

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Cell Therapeutics, Inc., a Washington corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the underwriters named in Schedule A annexed hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), an aggregate of 9,000,000 shares (the “Firm Shares”) of Common Stock, no par value (the “Common Stock”), of the Company. In addition, solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, the Company proposes to grant to the Underwriters the option to purchase from the Company up to an additional 1,350,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Additional Shares”). The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares are hereinafter collectively sometimes referred to as the “Shares.” The Shares are described in the Prospectus which is referred to below.

 

The Company has filed, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Act”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-112681) including a prospectus, relating to the Shares, which incorporates by reference documents which the Company has filed or will file in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”). The Company has furnished to you, for use by the Underwriters and by dealers, copies of one or more preliminary prospectuses and the documents incorporated by reference therein (each such preliminary prospectus, including the documents incorporated


therein by reference, being herein called a “Preliminary Prospectus”) relating to the Shares. Except where the context otherwise requires, the registration statement, as amended when it became effective (the “Effective Date”), including all documents filed as a part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a prospectus subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act and deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430(A) under the Act and also including any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act, is herein called the “Registration Statement,” and the prospectus, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, in the form filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act on or before the second business day after the date hereof (or such earlier time as may be required under the Act) or, if no such filing is required, the form of final prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective, is herein called the “Prospectus.” As used herein, “business day” shall mean any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City.

 

The Company and the Underwriters agree as follows:

 

1. Sale and Purchase. Upon the basis of the representations and warranties and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the respective Underwriters and each of the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule A attached hereto, subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 8 hereof, in each case at a purchase price of $4.465 per Share. The Company is advised by you that the Underwriters intend (i) to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Firm Shares as soon after the date hereof as in your judgment is advisable and (ii) initially to offer the Firm Shares upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus. You may from time to time increase or decrease the public offering price after the initial public offering to such extent as you may determine.

 

In addition, the Company hereby grants to the several Underwriters the option to purchase, and upon the basis of the representations and warranties and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters shall have the right to purchase, severally and not jointly, from the Company, ratably in accordance with the number of Firm Shares to be purchased by each of them, all or a portion of the Additional Shares as may be necessary to cover over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm Shares, at the same purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters to the Company for the Firm Shares. This option may be exercised by the Representatives on behalf of the several Underwriters at any time and from time to time on or before the thirtieth day following the date of the Prospectus, by written notice to the Company. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Additional Shares as to which the option is being exercised, and the date and time when the Additional Shares are to be delivered (such date and time being herein referred to as the “additional time of purchase”); provided, however, that the additional time of purchase shall not be earlier than the time of purchase (as defined below) nor earlier than the second business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised nor later than the tenth business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised. The number of Additional Shares to be sold to each Underwriter shall be the number which bears the same proportion to the aggregate number of Additional

 

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Shares being purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule A hereto bears to the total number of Firm Shares (subject, in each case, to such adjustment as you may determine to eliminate fractional shares), subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 8 hereof.

 

2. Payment and Delivery. Payment of the purchase price for the Firm Shares shall be made to the Company by Federal Funds wire transfer, against delivery of the certificates for the Firm Shares to you through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) for the respective accounts of the Underwriters. Such payment and delivery shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on August 2, 2004 (unless another time shall be agreed to by you and the Company or unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 8 hereof). The time at which such payment and delivery are to be made is hereinafter sometimes called “the time of purchase. “ Electronic transfer of the Firm Shares shall be made to you at the time of purchase in such names and in such denominations as you shall specify.

 

Payment of the purchase price for the Additional Shares shall be made at the additional time of purchase in the same manner and at the same office as the payment for the Firm Shares. Electronic transfer of the Additional Shares shall be made to you at the additional time of purchase in such names and in such denominations as you shall specify.

 

Deliveries of the documents described in Section 6 hereof with respect to the purchase of the Shares shall be made at the offices of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, One Market, Spear Tower, Suite 3300, San Francisco, California 94105, at 9:00 A.M., New York City time on the date of the closing of the purchase of the Firm Shares or the Additional Shares, as the case may be.

 

3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:

 

(a) The Registration Statement has been declared effective under the Act; no stop order of the Commission preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, are contemplated by the Commission; the Registration Statement meets, and the offering of the Shares complies, in all material respects, with the requirements of the Act; the Registration Statement complied when it became effective, complies and will comply, at the time of purchase and any additional time of purchase, in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and the Prospectus will comply, as of its date and at the time of purchase and any additional times of purchase, in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement have been and will be so described or filed; the conditions to the use of Form S-3 have been satisfied; the Registration Statement did not when it became effective, does not and will not, at the time of purchase and any additional time of purchase, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a

 

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material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and the Prospectus will not, as of its date and at the time of purchase and any additional time of purchase, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no warranty or representation with respect to any statement contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information concerning an Underwriter and furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; the documents incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, at the time they became effective or were filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and the Company has not distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares other than the Registration Statement, the then most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus;

 

(b) as of the date set forth in the Registration Statement, the Company has an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the section of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus entitled “Capitalization”; all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock, including the Common Stock, of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws and were not issued in violation of any preemptive right, right of first refusal or similar right;

 

(c) the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Washington, with all requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, to execute and deliver this Agreement and to issue, sell and deliver the Shares as contemplated herein;

 

(d) the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, results of operation or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries (as hereinafter defined) taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”);

 

(e) the Company has no subsidiaries (as defined in the Act) other than those listed on Exhibit A hereto (collectively, the “Subsidiaries”); except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company, either directly or indirectly through one of the other Subsidiaries, owns all of the issued and outstanding capital stock

 

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of the Subsidiaries; except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, other than the capital stock of the Subsidiaries, the Company does not own, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or any other equity or long-term debt securities of any corporation or have any equity interest in any firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity; each Subsidiary has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with all requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; each Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned, either directly or indirectly through one of the other Subsidiaries, by the Company subject to no security interest, other encumbrance or adverse claims; and no options, warrants or other rights to convert any obligation into shares off capital stock or ownership interests in the Subsidiaries are outstanding;

 

(f) the Shares have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights;

 

(g) the capital stock of the Company, including the Shares, conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and the certificates for the Shares are in due and proper form;

 

(h) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;

 

(i) except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is in breach or violation of or in default under (nor has any event occurred which with notice, lapse of time or both would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) (A) its respective charter or by-laws, or (B) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them or any of their properties may be bound or affected, and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not conflict with, result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under (nor constitute any event which with notice,

 

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lapse of time or both would result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under) (x) the charter or by-laws of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, (y) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them or any of their respective properties may be bound or affected, or (z) any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule or any decree, judgment or order applicable to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, except, in the case of clause (y), to the extent that such conflict, breach, violation or default would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(j) no approval, authorization, consent or order of or filing with any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency is required in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby other than registration of the Shares under the Act, a filing of a listing of additional shares notice with the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation National Market System (“NASDAQ”) and a filing of a listing of additional shares notice with the Borsa Italiana S.p.A., Nuovo Mercato (the “Nuovo Mercato”) in Italy, each of which have been or will be effected, and any necessary qualification under the securities or blue sky laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Shares are being offered by the Underwriters or under the rules and regulations of the NASD;

 

(k) except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein, no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company (i) to issue or sell to it any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock or other equity interests of the Company and (ii) to register under the Act any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock or other equity interests of the Company, or to include any such shares or interests in the Registration Statement or the offering contemplated thereby, whether as a result of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the sale of the Shares as contemplated thereby or otherwise;

 

(l) each of the Company and the Subsidiaries has all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals and has made all necessary filings required under any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule, and has obtained all necessary authorizations, consents and approvals from other persons, in order to conduct its respective business, except, in each case, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is in violation of, or in default under, or has received notice of any proceedings relating to revocation or modification of, any such license, authorization, consent or approval, except where such violation, default, revocation or modification would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

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(m) all legal or governmental proceedings, affiliate transactions, off-balance sheet transactions, contracts, licenses, agreements, leases or documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement have been so described or filed as required;

 

(n) except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no actions, suits, claims, investigations or proceedings pending or threatened or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any of their respective directors or officers is or would be a party or of which any of their respective properties is or would be subject at law or in equity, before or by any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, except any such action, suit, claim, investigation or proceeding which would not result in a judgment, decree or order having, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect or preventing consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby;

 

(o) Ernst & Young LLP, whose reports are filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, are, and during the periods covered by their reports were, to the Company’s knowledge, independent public accountants as required by the Act; as described in the Company’s reports on Form 8-K/A and 8-K dated July 13, 2004, KPMG, S.p.A. informed the Company that it had determined that it had not been independent under U.S. rules for auditor independence in connection with its audits of an reports on the financial statements of Novuspharma S.p.A. for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001 and the period from January 1, 1999 (inception) to December 31, 2003;

 

(p) the audited financial statements included, or incorporated by reference, in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related notes and schedules, if any, present fairly the consolidated financial position, results of operations, cash flows and changes in financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries on the basis stated at the respective dates or for the respective periods to which they apply; such financial statements, together with the related notes and schedules, have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles of the United States applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved, except as disclosed therein; and the other financial and statistical data set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are, in all material respects, accurately presented and prepared on a basis consistent with such financial statements and books and records of the Company;

 

(q) except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has not been (i) any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the business, management, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (ii) any pending or consummated transaction which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iii) any obligation, direct or contingent (including

 

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any off-balance sheet obligations), incurred by the Company or the Subsidiaries, which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iv) any change in the capital stock (other than as a result of the approval of the Company’s proposal to increase its authorized shares in its definitive proxy statement dated April 19, 2004, the exercise of outstanding stock options or warrants or of the grant of additional stock options or other awards, as disclosed as being outstanding or reserved for future issuance in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the conversion of any of the Company’s outstanding 5.75% Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes Due June 15, 2008, 5.75 % Convertible Subordinated Notes Due July 10, 2010 and 4% Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes Due July 1, 2010 into shares of Common Stock, or the issuance of Common Stock pursuant to Silvano Spinelli’s employment agreements or the PolaRx Merger Agreement);) or increase in outstanding indebtedness of the Company or the Subsidiaries (except for payables incurred since such dates in the ordinary course of business that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect) or (v) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company;

 

(r) the Company has obtained for the benefit of the Underwriters the agreement (a “Lock-Up Agreement”), in substantially the form set forth as Exhibit B hereto, of each of its directors and executive officers;

 

(s) the Company is not an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company,”as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”) or a “passive foreign investment company” or a “controlled foreign corporation” as such terms are defined in the Internal Revenue Code);

 

(t) except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company and each of the Subsidiaries has good and valid title to all property (real and personal) described in the Registration Statement and in the Prospectus as being owned by each of them, free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests or other encumbrances, except as do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its Subsidiaries; all real property described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as being held under lease by the Company or a Subsidiary is held thereby under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases;

 

(u) except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company and the Subsidiaries own, or have obtained valid and enforceable licenses for, or other rights to use, or can acquire on reasonable terms the inventions, patent applications, patents, trademarks (both registered and unregistered), tradenames, copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary information described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as being owned or licensed by them or which are necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses, except where the failure to own, license or have such rights would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, “Intellectual Property”); neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries have received any notice of infringement of or conflict with assert rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property, that individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

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(v) (i) There is (A) no unfair labor practice complaint pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries before the National Labor Relations Board, and no grievance or arbitration proceeding arising out of or under collective bargaining agreements is pending or threatened, (B) no strike, labor dispute, slowdown or stoppage pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and (C) no union representation dispute currently existing concerning the employees of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, except in the case of clauses (A), (B) and (C) for such actions that individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect, and (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, (A) no union organizing activities are currently taking place concerning the employees of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and (B) there has been no violation by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries of any federal, state, local or foreign law relating to discrimination in the hiring, promotion or pay of employees, any applicable wage or hour laws or any provision of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder concerning the employees of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, except for any such violation as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(w) the Company and the Subsidiaries and their properties, assets and operations are in compliance with, and hold all permits, authorizations and approvals required under, Environmental Laws (as defined below), except to the extent that failure to so comply or to hold such permits, authorizations or approvals would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; there are no past, present or, to the Company’s knowledge, reasonably anticipated future events, conditions, circumstances, activities, practices, actions, omissions or plans that could reasonably be expected to give rise to any material costs or liabilities to the Company or the Subsidiaries under, or to interfere with or prevent compliance by the Company or the Subsidiaries with, Environmental Laws; except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries (i) is the subject of any investigation, (ii) has received any notice or claim, (iii) is a party to or affected by any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding, (iv) is bound by any judgment, decree or order or (v) has entered into any agreement, in each case relating to any alleged violation of any Environmental Law or any actual or alleged release or threatened release or cleanup at any location of any Hazardous Materials (as defined below) (as used herein, “Environmental Law” means any federal, state, local or foreign law, statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, order, decree, judgment, injunction, permit, license, authorization or other binding requirement, or common law, relating to health, safety or the protection, cleanup or restoration of the environment or natural resources, including those relating to the distribution, processing, generation, treatment, storage, disposal, transportation, other handling or release or threatened release of Hazardous Materials, and “Hazardous Materials” means any material (including, without limitation, pollutants, contaminants, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes) that is regulated by or may give rise to liability under any Environmental Law);

 

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(x) in the ordinary course of its business, the Company and each of the Subsidiaries conducts a periodic review of the effect of the Environmental Laws on its business, operations and properties, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for cleanup, closure of properties or compliance with the Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval that the Company or any of the Subsidiaries may be required to obtain, and any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(y) except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, all tax returns required to be filed by the Company and each of the Subsidiaries have been filed, other than those being contested in good faith, and all material taxes and other assessments of a similar nature (whether imposed directly or through withholding) including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto due or claimed to be due from such entities have been paid, other than those being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been provided;

 

(z) the Company and each of the Subsidiaries maintains insurance covering its properties, operations, personnel and businesses as the Company deems adequate; such insurance insures against such losses and risks to an extent which is adequate in accordance with customary industry practice to protect the Company and the Subsidiaries and their businesses; all such insurance is fully in force on the date hereof and will be fully in force at the time of purchase and any additional time of purchase;

 

(aa) except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the last audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus any loss or interference with its respective business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree;

 

(bb) except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and except for any termination or non-renewal that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company has not sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party to any such contract or agreement;

 

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(cc) the Company and each of the Subsidiaries maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer of the Company have made all certifications required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) and any related rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission, and the statements contained in any such certification are complete and correct; the Company maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-14(c) under the Exchange Act); the Company is otherwise in compliance in all material respects with all applicable effective provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and is actively taking steps to ensure that it will be in compliance with other applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act upon the effectiveness of such provisions;

 

(dd) the Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-14 and 15d-14 under the Exchange Act); such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer by others within those entities, and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective to perform the functions for which they were established; the Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a role in the Company’s internal controls; any material weaknesses in internal controls have been identified for the Company’s auditors; and since the date of the most recent evaluation of such disclosure controls and procedures, there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses;

 

(ee) the Company has provided you with true, correct, and complete copies of all documentation pertaining to any extension of credit in the form of a personal loan made, directly or indirectly, by the Company to any director or executive officer of the Company, or to any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer of the Company that are currently outstanding; and except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference therein, since July 30, 2002, the Company has not directly or indirectly, including through any subsidiary: (i) extended credit, arranged to extend credit, or renewed any extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any director or executive officer of the Company, or

 

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to or for any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer of the Company; or (ii) made any material modification, including any renewal thereof, to any term of any personal loan to any director or executive officer of the Company, or any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer, which loan was outstanding on July 30, 2002, in violation of Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;

 

(ff) the Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which has constituted or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares;

 

(gg) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of it subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending, or to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened;

 

(hh) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, 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; and

 

(ii) The Company does not have any plans to issue any press release or other communication directly or indirectly or to hold any press conference prior to the Closing, other than a press release with respect to the pricing of the offering of the Shares.

 

In addition, any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and delivered to the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company or Subsidiary, as the case may be, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.

 

4. Certain Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby agrees:

 

(a) to furnish such information as may be required and otherwise to cooperate in qualifying the Shares for offering and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such states or other jurisdictions as you may designate and to maintain such qualifications in

 

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effect so long as you may request for the distribution of the Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to consent to the service of process under the laws of any such jurisdiction (except service of process with respect to the offering and sale of the Shares); and to promptly advise you of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose;

 

(b) to make available to the Underwriters in New York City, as soon as practicable after the date hereof, and thereafter from time to time to furnish to the Underwriters, as many copies of the Prospectus (or of the Prospectus as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have made any amendments or supplements thereto after the effective date of the Registration Statement) as the Underwriters may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the Act; in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus after the nine-month period referred to in Section 10(a)(3) of the Act in connection with the sale of the Shares, the Company will prepare, at its expense, promptly upon request such amendment or amendments to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as may be necessary to permit compliance with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;

 

(c) if, at the time this Agreement is executed and delivered, it is necessary for any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement to be declared effective before the Shares may be sold, the Company will endeavor to cause such post-effective amendment to become effective as soon as possible and the Company will advise you promptly and, if requested by you, will confirm such advice in writing, (i) when any such post-effective amendment thereto has become effective, and (ii) if Rule 430A under the Act is used, when the Prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act (which the Company agrees to file in a timely manner under such Rule);

 

(d) to advise you promptly, confirming such advice in writing, of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information with respect thereto, or of notice of institution of proceedings for, or the entry of a stop order, suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and, if the Commission should enter a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, to use its best efforts to obtain the lifting or removal of such order as soon as possible; to advise you promptly of any proposal to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including by filing any documents that would be incorporated therein by reference, and to provide you and Underwriters’ counsel copies of any such documents for review and comment a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing and to file no such amendment or supplement to which you shall reasonably object in writing, provided, however, that the Company’s obligations under this Section 4(d) shall terminate when the delivery of a prospectus is no longer required under applicable law in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares (including such Shares that any Underwriter may offer subsequent to the initial distribution of the Shares);

 

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(e) subject to Section 4(d) hereof, to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statement required to be filed by the Company with the Commission in order to comply with the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required under applicable law in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares; and, for so long as the delivery of a prospectus may be required under applicable law in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares (including such Shares that any Underwriter may offer subsequent to the initial distribution of Shares) to provide you with a copy of such reports and statements and other documents to be filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during such period a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing, and to promptly notify you of such filing;

 

(f) if necessary or appropriate in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares, to file a registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act;

 

(g) to advise the Underwriters promptly of the happening of any event within the time during which a prospectus relating to the Shares is required to be delivered under the Act which could require the making of any change in the Prospectus then being used so that the Prospectus would not include an untrue statement of material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading, and, during such time, subject to Section 4(d) hereof, to prepare and furnish, at the Company’s expense, to the Underwriters promptly such amendments or supplements to such Prospectus as may be necessary to reflect any such change;

 

(h) to make generally available to its security holders, and to deliver to you, an earnings statement of the Company (which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act) covering a period of twelve months beginning after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act) as soon as is reasonably practicable after the termination of such twelve-month period but not later than August 1, 2005;

 

(i) to furnish to its shareholders as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a consolidated balance sheet and statements of income, shareholders’ equity and cash flow of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for such fiscal year, accompanied by a copy of the certificate or report thereon of nationally recognized independent certified public accountants);

 

(j) to furnish to you six copies of the Registration Statement, as initially filed with the Commission, and of all amendments thereto (including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein) and sufficient copies of the foregoing (other than exhibits) for distribution of a copy to each of the other Underwriters;

 

(k) to furnish to you promptly and, upon request, to each of the other Underwriters for a period of two years from the date of this Agreement (i) copies of any reports,

 

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proxy statements, or other communications which the Company shall send to its shareholders or shall from time to time publish or publicly disseminate, (ii) copies of all annual, quarterly and current reports filed with the Commission on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, or such other similar forms as may be designated by the Commission, (iii) copies of documents or reports filed with any national securities exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed, and (iv) such other non-confidential information as you may reasonably request regarding the Company or the Subsidiaries; provided, however, that in no case shall the Company be required to furnish materials pursuant to this paragraph that are filed and publicly accessible via the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval (“EDGAR”) database;

 

(l) to furnish to you as early as practicable prior to the time of purchase and any additional time of purchase, as the case may be, but not later than two business days prior thereto, a copy of the latest available unaudited interim and monthly consolidated financial statements, if any, of the Company and the Subsidiaries which have been read by the Company’s independent certified public accountants, as stated in their letter to be furnished pursuant to Section 6(e) hereof;

 

(m) to apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares in the manner set forth under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus;

 

(n) to pay, and reimburse if paid by the Underwriters, all costs, expenses, fees and taxes in connection with (i) the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto, and the printing and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the Underwriters and to dealers (including costs of mailing and shipment), (ii) the registration, issue, sale and delivery of the Shares including any stock or transfer taxes and stamp or similar duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, (iii) the producing, word processing and/or printing of this Agreement, any Agreement Among Underwriters, any dealer agreements, any Powers of Attorney and any closing documents (including compilations thereof) and the reproduction and/or printing and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the Underwriters and (except closing documents) to dealers (including costs of mailing and shipment), (iv) the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state or foreign laws and the determination of their eligibility for investment under state or foreign law as aforesaid (including the reasonable legal fees and filing fees and other disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters) and the printing and furnishing of copies of any blue sky surveys or legal investment surveys to the Underwriters and to dealers, (v) any listing of the Shares on any securities exchange or qualification of the Shares for quotation on NASDAQ and any registration thereof under the Exchange Act, (vi) any filing for review of the public offering of the Shares by the NASD, including the reasonable legal fees and filing fees and other disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters, (vii) the fees and disbursements of any transfer agent or registrar for the Shares, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to presentations or meetings undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering and sale of the Shares to prospective investors and the Underwriters’ sales forces, including, without limitation, expenses

 

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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, lodging and other expenses incurred by the officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, and (ix) the performance of the Company’s other obligations hereunder;

 

(o) not to sell, offer to sell, contract or agree to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agree to dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock or warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock or any other securities of the Company that are substantially similar to Common Stock, or file or cause to be declared effective a registration statement under the Act relating to the offer and sale of any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or other rights to purchase Common Stock or any other securities of the Company that are substantially similar to Common Stock for a period of 90 days after the date hereof (the “Lock-Up Period”), without the prior written consent of the Representatives, except for (i) the registration of the Shares and the sales to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, (ii) issuances of Common Stock upon the exercise of options or warrants disclosed as outstanding in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (iii) the issuance of employee stock options not exercisable during the Lock-Up Period pursuant to stock option plans described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (iv) the filing of a registration statement on Form S-8 to register shares approved by the Company’s shareholders at its annual shareholders meeting on May 21, 2004, (v) the filing of any post-effective amendment to a registration statement and prospectus in connection with outstanding debt securities or issuance of shares of Common Stock upon conversion of any of the Company’s outstanding 5.75% Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes Due June 15, 2008, 5.75 % Convertible Subordinated Notes Due July 10, 2010 and 4% Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes Due July 1, 2010 into shares of Common Stock, and (vi) sales of any share of Common Stock pledged to the Company by James Bianco;

 

(p) to maintain a transfer agent and, if necessary under the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company, a registrar for the Common Stock; and

 

(q) prior to the Closing Date, not issue any press release or other communications directly or indirectly and not hold any press conference with respect to the Company, the condition, financial or otherwise, or the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of any of them, or the offering of the Shares without the prior notification of the Representatives.

 

5. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If the Shares are not delivered for any reason other than the termination of this Agreement pursuant to the fifth paragraph of Section 8 hereof or the default by one or more of the Underwriters in its or their respective obligations hereunder, the Company shall, in addition to paying the amounts described in Section 4(n) hereof, reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses actually incurred related to the marketing and/or sale of the Shares, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of their counsel.

 

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6. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The several obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company on the date hereof, at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions precedent:

 

(a) The Company shall furnish to you at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, an opinion of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, counsel for the Company, addressed to the Underwriters, and dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, with reproduced copies for each of the other Underwriters and in form and substance satisfactory to McDermott, Will & Emery LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, stating that:

 

(i) the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Washington, with all requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, to execute and deliver this Agreement and to issue, sell and deliver the Shares as contemplated herein, other than requirements under state and foreign blue sky laws;

 

(ii) all necessary corporate action has been duly and validly taken by the Company to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the issuance and sale of the Shares;

 

(iii) the Shares have been duly authorized and when issued will be validly issued and will be fully paid and non-assessable and the issuance of the Shares will not be subject to any preemptive or, to such counsel’s knowledge, similar rights pursuant to any agreement currently filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or currently filed as an exhibit to any document incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement;

 

(iv) the authorized capital stock of the Company, including the Shares, conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus;

 

(v) (A) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (except as to the financial statements and schedules and other financial data contained therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act; (B) at the time the Registration Statement was filed with the Commission and at the time the Registration Statement became effective. the conditions to the use of Form S-3 have been satisfied; and (C) the documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus,

 

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at the time they became effective or were filed with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act (except as to the financial statements and schedules and other financial data contained therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion);

 

(vi) the Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and, to such counsel’s knowledge, no stop order proceedings with respect thereto are pending or threatened under the Act and any required filing of the Prospectus and any supplement thereto pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act has been made in the manner and within the time period required by such Rule 424;

 

(vii) no approval, authorization, consent or order of or filing with any federal, state or local governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency is required in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares and consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby, other than registration of the Shares under the Act and a filing of a listing of additional shares notice with NASDAQ and the Nuovo Mercato (except such counsel need express no opinion as to any necessary qualification under the state or foreign securities or blue sky laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Shares are being offered by the Underwriters), except where such approval, authorization, consent or order would not have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(viii) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, the issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby do not and, based on facts and law in existence as of the date of such opinion, will not conflict with, result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under (nor constitute any event which with notice, lapse of time or both would result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under) the amended and restated articles of incorporation or restated bylaws, as amended of the Company, or any contract or agreement filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement pursuant to Item 601(b)(10 of Regulation S-K to which the Company is a party or by which any of its properties may be bound or affected, or any applicable federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule known to us to be applicable to the Company, or, to such counsel’s knowledge, any decree, judgment or order by any agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company and known to such counsel;

 

(ix) to such counsel’s knowledge, there are no actions, suits, claims, investigations or proceedings pending, threatened or contemplated to which the Company or any of the U.S. Subsidiaries is or could be a party before or by any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency that might result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect, which are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus but are not so described;

 

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(x) the Company is not an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act;

 

(xi) the information in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the headings “Plan of Distribution” and “Description of Capital Stock”, insofar as such statements constitute a summary of contracts, agreements or other legal documents or of legal proceedings, or refer to statements of law or legal conclusions, fairly summarize in all material respects the information required to be shown;

 

(xii) except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as to demand registration rights not exercisable in connection with the sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby and except for such rights as have been expressly waived or have not been exercised within the time or times required in connection with such right following timely notice by the Company and thus have expired, no person has the right, pursuant to the terms of any contract, agreement or other instrument described in or filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, to cause the Company to register under the Act any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock or other equity interest of the Company, or to include any such shares or interest in the Registration Statement or the offering contemplated thereby, whether as a result of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the sale of the Shares as contemplated thereby or otherwise;

 

(xiii) the Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company; and

 

(xiv) with respect to that certain loan of $3.5 million made by the Company to Dr. James A. Bianco on April 8, 2002 (the “Loan”), which became due on April 8, 2004 and remains unpaid as of the date of the opinion, and the collateral for which has not been foreclosed upon as of the date hereof, such counsel does not believe that there has been an extension, material modification or renewal of the Loan in violation of Section 13(k) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

In addition, such counsel shall state that such counsel has participated in conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company, representatives of the Representatives and representatives of the independent certified public accountants of the Company, at which conferences the contents of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus were discussed and, although such counsel is not passing upon and does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (except as and to the extent specified in subparagraphs (vi), (viii) and (xvii) above) and has not made any independent check or verification thereof, on the basis of the foregoing, no facts came to the attention

 

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of such counsel which lead such counsel to believe that (i) the Registration Statement at the time it became effective (except with respect to the financial statements and notes and schedules thereto and other financial data, as to which such counsel need express no belief) contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Prospectus as amended or supplemented (except with respect to the financial statements, notes and schedules thereto and other financial data, as to which such counsel need make no statement) on the date thereof contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (ii) any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement to any such incorporated document made by the Company, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, contained, in the case of a registration statement which became effective under the Securities Act, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, or, in the case of other documents which were filed under the Exchange Act with the Commission, 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 under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(b) You shall have received at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, an opinion of each of Foley & Lardner and Bianchetti, Bracco & Minoja, special patent counsel for the Company, addressed to each of the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to McDermott, Will & Emery LLP, counsel to the Underwriters.

 

(c) You shall have received at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, an opinion of Buc & Beardsley, special regulatory counsel for the Company, addressed to each of the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to McDermott, Will & Emery LLP, counsel to the Underwriters.

 

(d) You shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP letters dated, respectively, the date of this Agreement, the time of purchase and, if applicable, the additional time of purchase, and addressed to the Underwriters (with reproduced copies for each of the Underwriters) and the Company in the forms heretofore approved by the Representatives.

 

(e) You shall have received at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, the favorable opinion of McDermott, Will & Emery LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, with respect to the Shares, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and such other related matters as the Underwriters may reasonably request, and the Company shall have furnished to McDermott, Will & Emery LLP such documents as they may reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

 

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(f) No Prospectus or amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including documents deemed to be incorporated by reference therein, shall have been filed to which you reasonably object in writing.

 

(g) If Rule 430A under the Act is used, the Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act at or before 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on the second full business day after the date of this Agreement and any registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act required in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares shall have been filed and become effective no later than 10:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement.

 

(h) Prior to the time of purchase, and, if applicable, the additional time of purchase, (i) no stop order with respect to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Act or proceedings initiated under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Act; (ii) the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto shall 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; and (iii) the Prospectus and all amendments or supplements thereto shall 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 are made, not misleading.

 

(i) Between the time of execution of this Agreement and the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, no material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in the business, properties, management, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole shall occur or become known.

 

(j) The Company will, at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, deliver to you a certificate of its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer in the form attached as Exhibit B hereto.

 

(k) You shall have received signed Lock-up Agreements referred to in Section 3(r) hereof.

 

(l) The Company shall have furnished to you such other documents and certificates as to the accuracy and completeness of any statement in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as of the time of purchase and, if applicable, the additional time of purchase, as you may reasonably request.

 

(m) The Shares shall have been approved for quotation on the NASDAQ and the Nuovo Mercato, subject only to notice of issuance or similar procedure under Italian law at or prior to the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be.

 

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(n) No order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall have been or shall be in effect and no order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect and no proceedings for such purpose shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission, and any requests for additional information on the part of the Commission (to be included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to the satisfaction of the Commission and the Underwriters.

 

7. Effective Date of Agreement; Termination. This Agreement shall become effective when the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement.

 

The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Representatives or any group of Underwriters (which may include the Representatives) which has agreed to purchase in the aggregate at least 50% of the Firm Shares, if (x) since the time of execution of this Agreement or the earlier respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in the business, properties, management, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, which would, in UBS’ judgment or in the judgment of such group of Underwriters, make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or (y) since the time of execution of this Agreement, there shall have occurred: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on the NASDAQ or the Nuovo Mercato; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) an outbreak or escalation of hostilities or acts of terrorism involving the United States or a declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war; or (v) any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in the judgment of the Representatives or in the judgment of such group of Underwriters makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or (z) since the time of execution of this Agreement, there shall have occurred any downgrading, or any notice or announcement shall have been given or made of (i) any intended or potential downgrading or (ii) any watch, review or possible change that does not indicate an affirmation or improvement in the rating accorded any securities of or guaranteed by the Company or any Subsidiary by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as that term is defined in Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act.

 

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If the Representatives or any group of Underwriters elects to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 7, the Company and each other Underwriter shall be notified promptly in writing.

 

If the sale to the Underwriters of the Shares, as contemplated by this Agreement, is not carried out by the Underwriters for any reason permitted under this Agreement or if such sale is not carried out because the Company shall be unable to comply with any of the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall not be under any obligation or liability under this Agreement (except to the extent provided in Sections 4(n), 5 and 9 hereof), and the Underwriters shall be under no obligation or liability to the Company under this Agreement (except to the extent provided in Section 9 hereof) or to one another hereunder.

 

8. Increase in Underwriters’ Commitments. Subject to Sections 6 and 7 hereof, if any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to take up and pay for the Firm Shares to be purchased by it hereunder (otherwise than for a failure of a condition set forth in Section 6 hereof or a reason sufficient to justify the termination of this Agreement under the provisions of Section 7 hereof) and if the number of Firm Shares which all Underwriters so defaulting shall have agreed but failed to take up and pay for does not exceed 10% of the total number of Firm Shares, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall take up and pay for (in addition to the aggregate number of Firm Shares they are obligated to purchase pursuant to Section 1 hereof) the number of Firm Shares agreed to be purchased by all such defaulting Underwriters, as hereinafter provided. Such Shares shall be taken up and paid for by such non-defaulting Underwriters in such amount or amounts as you may designate with the consent of each Underwriter so designated or, in the event no such designation is made, such Shares shall be taken up and paid for by all non-defaulting Underwriters pro rata in proportion to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of such non-defaulting Underwriters in Schedule A.

 

Without relieving any defaulting Underwriter from its obligations hereunder, the Company agrees with the non-defaulting Underwriters that it will not sell any Firm Shares hereunder unless all of the Firm Shares are purchased by the Underwriters (or by substituted Underwriters selected by you with the approval of the Company or selected by the Company with your approval).

 

If a new Underwriter or Underwriters are substituted by the Underwriters or by the Company for a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters in accordance with the foregoing provision, the Company or you shall have the right to postpone the time of purchase for a period not exceeding five business days in order that any necessary changes in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and other documents may be effected.

 

The term Underwriter as used in this Agreement shall refer to and include any Underwriter substituted under this Section 8 with like effect as if such substituted Underwriter had originally been named in Schedule A.

 

If the aggregate number of Firm Shares which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed to purchase exceeds 10% of the total number of Firm Shares which all Underwriters

 

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agreed to purchase hereunder, and if neither the non-defaulting Underwriters nor the Company shall make arrangements within the five business day period stated above for the purchase of all the Firm Shares which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed to purchase hereunder, this Agreement shall terminate without further act or deed and without any liability on the part of the Company to any Underwriter and without any liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter to the Company. Nothing in this paragraph, and no action taken hereunder, shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

 

9. Indemnity and Contribution.

 

(a) The Company agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each Underwriter, its partners, directors and officers, and any person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or severally, any such Underwriter or any such person may incur under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (i) arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereof by the Company) or in a Prospectus (the term Prospectus for the purpose of this Section 9 being deemed to include any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented by the Company), or (ii) arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated in either such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or necessary to make the statements made therein not misleading, except insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in and in conformity with information concerning such Underwriter furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter to the Company expressly for use in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in connection with such information required to be stated in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or necessary to make such information not misleading.

 

If any action, suit or proceeding (each, a “Proceeding”) is brought against an Underwriter or any such person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company pursuant to the foregoing paragraph, such Underwriter or such person shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the institution of such Proceeding and the Company shall assume the defense of such Proceeding, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party and payment of all fees and expenses; provided, however, that the omission to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any liability which the Company may have to any Underwriter or any such person or otherwise unless such omission causes the Company material adverse prejudice. Such Underwriter or such person shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or of such person unless the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the Company in connection with the defense of such Proceeding or the Company

 

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shall not have, within a reasonable period of time in light of the circumstances, employed counsel to have charge of the defense of such Proceeding or such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them which are different from, additional to or in conflict with those available to the Company (in which case the Company shall not have the right to direct the defense of such Proceeding on behalf of the indemnified party or parties but the Company may employ counsel and participate in the defense thereof but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the Company), in any of which events such reasonable fees and expenses shall be borne by the Company and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that the Company shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such Proceeding). Such firm shall be designated in writing by the Representatives. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent but if settled with the written consent of the Company, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any Underwriter and any such person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second sentence of this paragraph, then the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 business days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have fully reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement and (iii) such indemnified party shall have given the indemnifying party at least 30 days’ prior notice of its intention to settle. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened Proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding and does not include an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of such indemnified party.

 

(b) Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company, its directors and officers, and any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or severally, the Company or any such person may incur under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in and in conformity with information concerning such Underwriter furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereof by the Company) or in a Prospectus, or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in connection with such information required to be stated in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or necessary to make such information not misleading.

 

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If any Proceeding is brought against the Company or any such person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any Underwriter pursuant to the foregoing paragraph, the Company or such person shall promptly notify such Underwriter in writing of the institution of such Proceeding and such Underwriter shall assume the defense of such Proceeding, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party and payment of all fees and expenses; provided, however, that the omission to so notify such Underwriter shall not relieve such Underwriter from any liability which such Underwriter may have to the Company or any such person or otherwise unless such omission causes such Underwriter material adverse prejudice. The Company or such person shall have the right to employ its own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the Company or such person unless the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by such Underwriter in connection with the defense of such Proceeding or such Underwriter shall not have, within a reasonable period of time in light of the circumstances, employed counsel to defend such Proceeding or such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them which are different from or additional to or in conflict with those available to such Underwriter (in which case such Underwriter shall not have the right to direct the defense of such Proceeding on behalf of the indemnified party or parties, but such Underwriter may employ counsel and participate in the defense thereof but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter), in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne by such Underwriter and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that such Underwriter shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such Proceeding). No Underwriter shall be liable for any settlement of any such Proceeding effected without the written consent of such Underwriter but if settled with the written consent of such Underwriter, such Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and any such person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second sentence of this paragraph, then the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 business days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement and (iii) such indemnified party shall have given the indemnifying party at least 30 days’ prior notice of its intention to settle. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened Proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding and does not include an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of such indemnified party.

 

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(c) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to an indemnified party under subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 9 or insufficient to hold an indemnified party harmless in respect of any losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims referred to therein, then each applicable indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims (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 Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total proceeds from the offering (net of underwriting discounts and commissions but before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission 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 amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, damages, expenses, liabilities and claims referred to in this subsection shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending any Proceeding.

 

(d) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 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 that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in subsection (c) above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by such Underwriter and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damage which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments and not joint.

 

(e) The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 9 and the covenants, warranties and representations of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, its partners, directors or officers or any person (including each partner, officer or director

 

-27-


of such person) who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, or by or on behalf of the Company, its directors or officers or any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and shall survive any termination of this Agreement or the issuance and delivery of the Shares. The Company and each Underwriter agree promptly to notify each other of the commencement of any Proceeding against it and, in the case of the Company, against any of the Company’s officers or directors in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares, or in connection with the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.

 

10. Information Furnished by the Underwriters. The statements set forth in the last paragraph on the cover page of the Prospectus and the statements set forth in the second and thirteenth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus constitute the only information furnished by or on behalf of the Underwriters as such information is referred to in Sections 3 and 9 hereof.

 

11. Notices. Except as otherwise herein provided, all statements, requests, notices and agreements shall be in writing or by telegram and, if to the Underwriters, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to UBS Securities LLC, 299 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10171-0026, Attention: Syndicate Department, and CIBC World Markets Corp., 417 5th Avenue 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10016, Attention: Michael Brinkman, with a copy to McDermott, Will & Emery LLP, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 3400, Los Angeles, California 90067, Attention: Mark J. Mihanovic, and, if to the Company, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to the Company to its agent for service as such agent’s address appears on the cover page of the Registration Statement with the copy to Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, One Market, Spear Tower, San Francisco, California 94102, Attention: Michael J. Kennedy.

 

12. Governing Law; Construction. This Agreement and any claim, counterclaim or dispute of any kind or nature whatsoever arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement (“Claim”), directly or indirectly, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York. The Section headings in this Agreement have been inserted as a matter of convenience of reference and are not a part of this Agreement.

 

13. Submission to Jurisdiction. Except as set forth below, no Claim may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall have jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the Company consents to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect thereto. The Company hereby consents to personal jurisdiction, service and venue in any court in which any Claim arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement is brought by any third party against the Representatives or any indemnified party. Each of the Representatives and the Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its shareholders and affiliates) waives all right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement. The Company agrees that a final judgment not subject to appeal in any such action,

 

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proceeding or counterclaim brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and may be enforced in any other courts to the jurisdiction of which the Company is or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment.

 

14. Parties at Interest. The Agreement herein set forth has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and to the extent provided in Section 9 hereof the controlling persons, partners, directors and officers referred to in such section, and their respective successors, assigns, heirs, personal representatives and executors and administrators. No other person, partnership, association or corporation (including a purchaser, as such purchaser, from any of the Underwriters) shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement.

 

15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed by the parties in one or more counterparts which together shall constitute one and the same agreement among the parties.

 

16. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their successors and assigns and any successor or assign of any substantial portion of the Company’s and any of the Underwriters’ respective businesses and/or assets.

 

17. Miscellaneous. UBS, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of UBS AG, is not a bank and is separate from any affiliated bank, including any U.S. branch or agency of UBS AG. Because UBS Securities LLC is a separately incorporated entity, it is solely responsible for its own contractual obligations and commitments, including obligations with respect to sales and purchases of securities. Securities sold, offered or recommended by UBS Securities LLC are not deposits, are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, are not guaranteed by a branch or agency, and are not otherwise an obligation or responsibility of a branch or agency.

 

If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Company and the several Underwriters, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this agreement and your acceptance shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company and the Underwriters, severally.

 

Very truly yours,
CELL THERAPEUTICS, INC.
By:  

/S/ James Bianco


    Title: James A. Bianco, M.D.
             President and Chief Executive Officer

 

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Accepted and agreed to as of the

date first above written, on

behalf of themselves

and the other several Underwriters

named in Schedule A

 

UBS SECURITIES LLC

CIBC WORLD MARKETS CORP.

W.R. HAMBRECHT & CO, LLC

DELAFIELD HAMBRECHT, INC.

PUNK, ZIEGEL & COMPANY, L.P.

 

By:   UBS SECURITIES LLC
By:  

/S/ Sage Kelly


    Title: Sage Kelly
             Managing Director
By:  

/S/ Igor Poteroba


    Title: Igor Poteroba
             Director
By:   CIBC WORLD MARKETS CORP.
By:  

/S/ Andrew MacInnes


    Title: Andrew MacInnes
             Managing Director

 

-30-


SCHEDULE A

 

Underwriter


   Number of
Firm Shares


UBS SECURITIES LLC

   3,560,000

CIBC WORLD MARKETS CORP.

   3,560,000

W.R. HAMBRECHT & CO, LLC

   890,000

DELAFIELD HAMBRECHT, INC.

   445,000

PUNK, ZIEGEL & COMPANY, L.P.

   445,000

WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC

   100,000
    

Total

   9,000,000
    


Exhibit A

 

Subsidiaries

 

CTI Technologies, Inc.

 

PolaRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.

 

CTI Corporate Development, Inc.

 

Cell Therapeutics (UK) Limited

 

Cell Therapeutics Holdings Ireland Limited

 

Cell Therapeutics Europe S.r.l.


Exhibit B

 

Form of Lock-Up Letter Agreement

 

Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

 

Common Stock

 

(No Par Value)

 

July     , 2004

 

UBS Securities LLC

CIBC World Markets Corp.

Delafield Hambrecht, Inc.

W.R. Hambrecht + Co, LLC

Punk, Ziegel & Company, L.P.

 

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

 

c/o BS Securities LLC

299 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10171

 

and

 

CIBC World Markets Corp.

417 5th Avenue 2nd Floor

New York, New York 10016

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

This Lock-Up Letter Agreement is being delivered to you in connection with the proposed Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) to be entered into by Cell Therapeutics, Inc., a Washington corporation (the “Company”), and you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters named therein, with respect to the public offering (the “Offering”) of Common Stock, no par value, of the Company (the “Common Stock”).

 

In order to induce you to enter into the Underwriting Agreement, the undersigned agrees that for a period of 90 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Offering the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of UBS Securities LLC (“UBS”) and CIBC World Markets Corp. (“CIBC”), (i) sell, offer to sell, contract or agree to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agree to dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file (or participate in the


filing of) a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) in respect of, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder with respect to, any Common Stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, or warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock, (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, or warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, or (iii) publicly announce an intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (i) or (ii). The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) the registration of or sale to the Underwriters of any Common Stock pursuant to the Offering and the Underwriting Agreement, (b) bona fide gifts, provided the recipient thereof agrees in writing with the Underwriters to be bound by the terms of this Lock-Up Letter Agreement, (c) dispositions to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned and/or the immediate family of the undersigned, provided that such trust agrees in writing with the Underwriters to be bound by the terms of this Lock-Up Letter Agreement, (d) sales of Common Stock pursuant to the terms of a Rule 10b5-1 plan of the undersigned in existence prior to the date hereof, if any, or (e) the sale or transfer of shares of Common Stock for cash to the extent necessary to pay taxes incurred as a direct result of the exercise of options to purchase Common Stock after the date hereof (which options were issued pursuant to the Company’s stock option plans).

 

In addition, the undersigned hereby waives any rights the undersigned may have to require registration of Common Stock in connection with the filing of a registration statement relating to the Offering. The undersigned further agrees that, for a period of 90 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Offering, the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of UBS and CIBC, make any demand for, or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of Common Stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, or warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock.

 

If (i) the Company notifies you in writing that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering, (ii) the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to the Offering is withdrawn or (iii) for any reason the Underwriting Agreement shall be terminated prior to the time of purchase (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement), this Lock-Up Letter Agreement shall be terminated and the undersigned shall be released from its obligations hereunder.

 

Yours very truly,

 

 


Name:


Exhibit B-1

 

Parties to Lock-Up Letter Agreement

 

Steve Aselage

James Bianco

Louis Bianco

James Canfield

John Fluke

Vartan Gregorian

Max Link

Mary Mundinger

Phil Nudelman

Erich Platzer

Jack Singer

Silvano Spinelli


Exhibit B

 

Officers’ Certificate

 

1. I have reviewed the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

2. The representations and warranties of the Company as set forth in this Agreement are true and correct as of the time of purchase and, if applicable, the additional time of purchase.

 

3. The Company has performed all of its obligations under this Agreement as are to be performed at or before the time of purchase and at or before the additional time of purchase, as the case may be.

 

4. The conditions set forth in paragraphs (h), (i), (j), (m) and (n) of Section 6 of this Agreement have been met.

 

5. The financial statements and other financial information included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows of the Company as of, and for, the periods presented in the Registration Statement.

 

6. As of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Registration Statement and Prospectus did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

7. Since the effectiveness of the Registration Statement no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement or otherwise required an amendment to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.