6,131,111 Shares* GSI TECHNOLOGY, INC. Common Stock UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Underwriting Agreements
EX-1.1 2 a2177030zex-1_1.htm EXHIBIT 1.1

Exhibit 1.1

6,131,111 Shares*

GSI TECHNOLOGY, INC.

Common Stock

 

 

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

March 29, 2007

NEEDHAM & COMPANY, LLC

WR HAMBRECHT + CO., LLC

ROBERT W. BAIRD & CO. INCORPORATED

STANFORD GROUP COMPANY

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

c/o Needham & Company, LLC

445 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10022

Ladies and Gentlemen:

GSI Technology, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell 6,131,111 shares (the “Firm Shares”) of the Company’s Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), to you and to the several other Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”) and Needham & Company, LLC and W.R. Hambrecht + Co., LLC are acting as joint book-running managers (the “Joint Book-running Managers”).  The stockholders of the Company named in Schedule II hereto (the “Selling Stockholders”) have also agreed to grant to you and the other Underwriters an option (the “Option”) to purchase up to an additional 919,667 shares of Common Stock, on the terms and for the purposes set forth in Section 1(b) (the “Option Shares”).  The Firm Shares and the Option Shares are referred to collectively herein as the “Shares.”

The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders confirm as follows their respective agreements with the Representatives and the several other Underwriters.

1.             Agreement to Sell and Purchase.

(a)           On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Selling Stockholders herein contained and subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, (i) the Company agrees to issue and sell the Firm Shares to the several Underwriters, and (ii) each of the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company the respective number of Firm Shares set forth opposite that Underwriter’s name in Schedule I hereto, at the purchase price of $5.115 for each Firm Share.
(b)           Subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, each of the Selling Stockholders grants the Option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to the maximum number of Option Shares set forth opposite that Selling Stockholder’s name on Schedule II hereto at the same price per share as the Underwriters shall pay for the Firm Shares.  The Option may be exercised only to cover over-allotments in the sale of the Firm Shares by the Underwriters and may be exercised in whole or in part at any time (but not more than once) on or before the 30th day after the date of this Agreement upon written or telegraphic notice (the “Option Shares Notice”) by the Representatives to the Company no later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, at least

*              Plus an option to purchase up to an additional 919,667 shares to cover over-allotments.

 

1



two and no more than five business days before the date specified for closing in the Option Shares Notice (the “Option Closing Date”), setting forth the aggregate number of Option Shares to be purchased and the time and date for such purchase.  On the Option Closing Date, the Selling Stockholders will sell to the Underwriters the number of Option Shares set forth in the Option Shares Notice, and each Underwriter will purchase such percentage of the Option Shares as is equal to the percentage of Firm Shares that such Underwriter is purchasing, as adjusted by the Representatives in such manner as they deem advisable to avoid fractional shares.

2.             Delivery and Payment.  Delivery of the Firm Shares shall be made to the Representatives for the accounts of the Underwriters against payment of the purchase price by wire transfer payable in same-day funds to the order of the Company for the Firm Shares to be sold by it at the office of Needham & Company, LLC, 445 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022, at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the third (or, if the purchase price set forth in Section 1(b) hereof is determined after 4:30 p.m., Washington D.C. time, the fourth) business day following the commencement of the offering contemplated by this Agreement, or at such time on such other date, not later than seven business days after the date of this Agreement, as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Representatives (such date is hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date”).

To the extent the Option is exercised, delivery of the Option Shares against payment by the Underwriters to Computershare Shareholder Services, Inc., as custodian for the Selling Stockholders (the “Custodian”) for the Option Shares will take place at the offices specified above for the Closing Date at the time and date (which may be the Closing Date) specified in the Option Shares Notice.

Certificates evidencing the Shares shall be in definitive form and shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as the Representatives shall request at least two business days prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, by written notice to the Company.  For the purpose of expediting the checking and packaging of certificates for the Shares, the Company agrees to make such certificates available for inspection at least 24 hours prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be.

The cost of original issue tax stamps and other transfer taxes, if any, in connection with the issuance and delivery of the Firm Shares by the Company and the Option Shares by the Selling Stockholders to the respective Underwriters shall be borne by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, as the case may be.  The Company will pay and save each Underwriter and any subsequent holder of the Shares harmless from any and all liabilities with respect to or resulting from any failure or delay in paying federal and state stamp and other transfer taxes, if any, which may be payable or determined to be payable in connection with the original issuance or sale to such Underwriter of the Shares.

3.             Representations and Warranties of the Company.  The Company represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter that:

(a)           A registration statement (Registration No. 333-139885) on Form S-1 relating to the Shares, including a preliminary prospectus and such amendments to such registration statement as may have been required to the date of this Agreement, has been prepared by the Company under the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the rules and regulations (collectively referred to as the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder, and has been filed with the Commission.  The term “preliminary prospectus” as used herein means a preliminary prospectus as contemplated by Rule 430 or Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations included at any time as part of the registration statement.  Copies of such registration statement and amendments and of each related preliminary prospectus have been delivered to the Representatives.  If such registration statement has not become effective, a further amendment to such registration statement, including a form of final prospectus, necessary to permit such registration statement to become effective will be filed promptly by the Company with the Commission.  If such registration statement has become effective, a final prospectus containing information permitted to be omitted at the time of effectiveness by Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 430A”) will be filed promptly by the Company with the Commission in accordance with Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”).  The term “Registration Statement” means the registration statement as amended at the time it becomes or became effective (the “Effective Date”), including financial statements and all exhibits and schedules thereto and any information deemed to be included by Rule 430A, and includes any registration statement relating to the offering contemplated by this Agreement and filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 462(b)”).  The term

 

2



“Prospectus” means the prospectus as first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or, if no such filing is required, the form of final prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the Effective Date, in each case that discloses the public offering price and other final terms of the Shares and otherwise satisfies Section 10(b) of the Act.  The term “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 433”), relating to the Shares that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company or (ii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Shares or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
(b)           No order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement (including any related registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b)) or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued, and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission.  On the Effective Date, the date the Prospectus is first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) (if required), at all times during the period through and including the Closing Date and, if later, the Option Closing Date and when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus is filed with the Commission, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (as amended or as supplemented if the Company shall have filed with the Commission any amendment or supplement thereto), including the financial statements included in the Prospectus, did and will comply with all applicable provisions of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and will contain all statements required to be stated therein in accordance with the Act and the Rules and Regulations.  On the Effective Date and when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective, no part of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement thereto did or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading.  At the Effective Date, the date the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus is filed with the Commission and at the Closing Date and, if later, the Option Closing Date, the Prospectus did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

As of the Applicable Time (as defined below), neither (x) the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below) and the documents listed on Schedule III hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (y) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:

“Applicable Time” means 9:00 am (Eastern time) on March 29, 2007 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Joint Book-running Managers.

“Statutory Prospectus” as of any time means the prospectus relating to the Shares that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time.  For purposes of this definition, information contained in a form of prospectus that is deemed retroactively to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A shall be considered to be included in the Statutory Prospectus as of the actual time that form of prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b).

“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule III hereto.

“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.  The term Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus also includes any “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433, that is made available without restriction pursuant to Rule 433(d)(8)(ii), even though not required to be filed with the Commission.

 

3



Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Shares or until any earlier date that the issuer notified or notifies the Joint Book-running Managers as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.  If there occurs an event or development as a result of which the General Disclosure Package would include an untrue statement of a material fact or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives so that any use of the General Disclosure Package may cease until it is amended or supplemented to correct the untrue statement or omission.

The foregoing representations and warranties in this Section 3(b) do not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto.  The Company acknowledges that the statements set forth in the fifth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth paragraphs under the heading “Underwriting” in the Prospectus constitute the only information relating to any Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

(c)           At the time of filing the Registration Statement and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations.
(d)           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 corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity, other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to, or otherwise disclosed in, the Registration Statement (the “Subsidiaries”).  The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation.  The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has full power and authority to conduct all the activities conducted by it, to own or lease all the assets owned or leased by it and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.  The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is duly licensed or qualified to do business and in good standing as a foreign corporation in all jurisdictions in which the nature of the activities conducted by it or the character of the assets owned or leased by it makes such license or qualification necessary, except to the extent that the failure to be so licensed or qualified or be in good standing would not materially and adversely affect the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or their respective businesses, properties, business prospects, conditions (financial or other) or results of operations, taken as a whole (such effect is referred to herein as a “Material Adverse Effect”).  All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free and clear of all claims, liens, charges and encumbrances; there are no securities outstanding that are convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for capital stock of any Subsidiary.  The Company and its Subsidiaries are not engaged in any discussions or a party to any agreement or understanding, written or oral, regarding the acquisition of an interest in any corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity where such discussions, agreements or understandings would require amendment to the Registration Statement pursuant to applicable securities laws.  Complete and correct copies of the certificate of incorporation and of the by-laws of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries and all amendments thereto have been delivered to the Representatives, and no changes therein will be made subsequent to the date hereof and prior to the Closing Date or, if later, the Option Closing Date.
(e)           The Company has authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock as set forth under the caption “Capitalization” in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus as of the respective dates set forth therein.  All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company (including the Option Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholders under this Agreement) have been duly authorized, validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable and were issued in compliance with all applicable state and federal securities laws; the Firm Shares have been duly authorized and when issued and paid for as contemplated herein will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable; no preemptive or similar rights exist with respect to any of the Shares or the issue and sale thereof.  The description of the capital stock of the Company in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus is complete and accurate in all respects.  Except as set forth in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, the

 

4



Company does not have outstanding, and at the Closing Date and, if later, the Option Closing Date, will not have outstanding, any options to purchase, or any rights or warrants to subscribe for, or any securities or obligations convertible into, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell, any shares of capital stock, or any such warrants, convertible securities or obligations.  No further approval or authority of stockholders or the Board of Directors of the Company will be required for the transfer and sale of the Option Shares or the issuance and sale of the Firm Shares as contemplated herein.  Upon payment for and delivery of the Shares pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Underwriters will acquire good and valid title to such Shares, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities, voting or transfer restrictions and other claims.  The certificates evidencing the Shares are in due and proper legal form and have been duly authorized for issuance by the Company.
(f)            The financial statements and schedules included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus present fairly the financial condition of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of the respective dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries for the respective periods covered thereby, all in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the entire period involved, except as otherwise disclosed in the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus.  No other financial statements or schedules of the Company are required by the Act or the Rules and Regulations to be included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus.  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (the “Accountants”), who have reported on such financial statements and schedules, are independent accountants with respect to the Company as required by the Act and the Rules and Regulations and Rule 3600T of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”).  Except as described in the Prospectus and as preapproved in accordance with the requirements set forth in Section 10A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), the Accountants have not engaged in any “prohibited activities” (as defined in Section 10A of the Exchange Act) on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.  The summary and selected consolidated financial and statistical data included in the Registration Statement and the Statutory Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with the audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Statutory Prospectus and are consistent with the books and records of the Company.  All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined in the Rules and Regulations) comply with Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act, to the extent applicable.
(g)           Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus and prior to or on the Closing Date and, if later, the Option Closing Date, except as set forth in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been and will not have been any change in the capitalization of the Company (other than in connection with the exercise of options to purchase the Company’s Common Stock granted pursuant to the Company’s stock option plans from the shares reserved therefor as described in the Registration Statement and the Statutory Prospectus), or any Material Adverse Effect arising for any reason whatsoever, (ii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred nor will any of them incur, except in the ordinary course of business as described in the Prospectus, any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, nor has the Company or any of its Subsidiaries entered into nor will it enter into, except in the ordinary course of business as described in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, any material transactions other than pursuant to this Agreement and the transactions referred to herein and (iii) the Company has not and will not have paid or declared any dividends or other distributions of any kind on any class of its capital stock.
(h)           The Company is not, will not become as a result of the transactions contemplated hereby, and will not conduct its business in a manner that would cause it to become, an “investment company” or an “affiliated person” of, or “promoter” or “principal underwriter” for, an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(i)            Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, or any of its Subsidiaries or any of its or their officers in their capacity as such, nor any basis therefor, before or by any federal or state court, commission, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body, domestic or foreign, wherein an unfavorable ruling, decision or finding might reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

5



(j)            The Company and each Subsidiary has, and at the Closing Date and, if later, the Option Closing Date, will have, performed all the obligations required to be performed by it, and is not, and at the Closing Date, and, if later, the Option Closing Date, will not be, in default, under any contract or other instrument to which it is a party or by which its property is bound or affected, which default might reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  To the best knowledge of the Company, no other party under any contract or other instrument to which it or any of its Subsidiaries is a party is in default in any respect thereunder, which default might reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is, and at the Closing Date and, if later, the Option Closing Date, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will be, in violation of any provision of its certificate or articles of organization or by-laws or other organizational documents.
(k)           No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or any filing or declaration with, any court or governmental agency or body is required for the consummation by the Company of the transactions on its part contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained under the Act or the Rules and Regulations and such as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws or the by-laws and rules of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the “NASD”) in connection with the purchase and distribution by the Underwriters of the Shares.
(l)            The Company has full corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement.  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with the terms hereof.  The performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the assets of the Company pursuant to the terms or provisions of, or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or conflict with or constitute a default under, or give any party a right to terminate any of its obligations under, or result in the acceleration of any obligation under, the certificate or articles of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, voting trust agreement, loan agreement, bond, debenture, note agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of its or their properties is bound or affected, or violate or conflict with any judgment, ruling, decree, order, statute, rule or regulation of any court or other governmental agency or body applicable to the business or properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(m)          The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all properties and assets described in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus as owned by them, free and clear of all liens, charges, encumbrances or restrictions, except such as are described in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus or are not material to the business of the Company or its Subsidiaries.  The Company and its Subsidiaries have valid, subsisting and enforceable leases for the properties described in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus as leased by them.  The Company and its Subsidiaries own or lease all such properties as are necessary to their operations as now conducted or as proposed to be conducted, except where the failure to so own or lease would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(n)           There is no document, contract, permit or instrument, affiliate transaction or off-balance sheet transaction (including, without limitation, any “variable interests” in “variable interest entities,” as such terms are defined in Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46) of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement that is not described or filed as required.  All such contracts to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company or such Subsidiary, constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company or such Subsidiary and are enforceable against and by the Company or such Subsidiary in accordance with the terms thereof.
(o)           No statement, representation, warranty or covenant made by the Company in this Agreement or made in any certificate or document required by Section 6 of this Agreement to be delivered to the Representatives was or will be, when made, inaccurate, untrue or incorrect.
(p)           The Company has not distributed and will not distribute prior to the later of (i) the Closing Date or, if later, the Option Closing Date, and (ii) completion of the distribution of the Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than any preliminary prospectuses, the Prospectus, the

 

6



Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed in Schedule III hereto, and other materials, if any, permitted by the Act and the Rules and Regulations.  Neither the Company nor any of its directors, officers or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or that might reasonably be expected, to cause or result, under the Act or otherwise, in, or that has constituted, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(q)           No holder of securities of the Company has rights to the registration of any securities of the Company because of the filing of the Registration Statement, which rights have not been waived by the holder thereof as of the date hereof.
(r)            The Company has filed an application to list the Shares to be sold by the Company hereunder on the Nasdaq Global Market (“NGM”), and has received notification that the listing has been approved, subject to notice of issuance of such Shares.  The Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholders hereunder are listed on the NGM.
(s)           Except as disclosed in or specifically contemplated by the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus (i) each of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries owns or has adequate rights to use all trademarks, trade names, domain names, patents, patent rights, mask works, copyrights, technology, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), service marks, trade dress rights, and other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) and has such other licenses, approvals and governmental authorizations, in each case, sufficient to conduct its business as now conducted and as now proposed to be conducted, and, to the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ knowledge, none of the foregoing Intellectual Property rights owned or licensed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is invalid or unenforceable, (ii) the Company has no knowledge of any infringement by it or any of its Subsidiaries of Intellectual Property rights of others, where such infringement could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (iii) the Company is not aware of any infringement, misappropriation or violation by others of, or conflict by others with rights of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to, any Intellectual Property, (iv) there is no claim being made against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company and its Subsidiaries, any employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, regarding Intellectual Property or other infringement that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (v) the Company and its Subsidiaries have not received any notice of infringement with respect to any patent or any notice challenging the validity, scope or enforceability of any Intellectual Property owned by or licensed to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, in each case the loss of which patent or Intellectual Property (or loss of rights thereto) would have a Material Adverse Effect.  The Company and its Subsidiaries take and have taken reasonable steps to maintain the secrecy of its know-how, trade secrets, proprietary information and confidential information from which the Company and its Subsidiaries derive independent economic value, actual or potential, from the Intellectual Property not being generally known.
(t)            The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has filed all federal, state, local and foreign income tax returns that have been required to be filed and has paid all taxes and assessments received by it to the extent that such taxes or assessments have become due.  Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any tax deficiency that has been or, to the knowledge of the Company, might be asserted or threatened against it that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(u)           The Company or its Subsidiaries owns or possesses all authorizations, approvals, orders, licenses, registrations, other certificates and permits of and from all governmental regulatory officials and bodies, necessary to conduct their respective businesses as contemplated in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, except where the failure to own or possess all such authorizations, approvals, orders, licenses, registrations, other certificates and permits would not have a Material Adverse Effect.  There is no proceeding pending or threatened (or any basis therefor known to the Company) that may cause any such authorization, approval, order, license, registration, certificate or permit to be revoked, withdrawn, cancelled, suspended or not renewed; and the Company and each of its Subsidiaries is conducting its business in compliance with all laws, rules and regulations applicable thereto (including, without limitation, all applicable federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations) except where such noncompliance would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

7



(v)           The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintains insurance of the types and in the amounts generally deemed adequate for its business, including, but not limited to, insurance covering real and personal property owned or leased by the Company and its Subsidiaries against theft, damage, destruction, acts of vandalism and all other risks customarily insured against, all of which insurance is in full force and effect.
(w)          Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its or their respective employees or agents at any time during the last five years has (i) made any unlawful contribution to any candidate for foreign office, or failed to disclose fully any contribution in violation of law, or (ii) made any payment to any federal or state governmental officer or official, or other person charged with similar public or quasi-public duties, other than payments required or permitted by the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction thereof.
(x)            No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(y)           Pursuant to the terms of the Company’s certificate of incorporation as in existence immediately prior to the Closing Date, upon the sale of the Firm Shares, each share of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, Series C Preferred Stock, Series D Preferred Stock and Series E Preferred Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the sale of the Shares, shall automatically convert into one share of Common Stock.
(z)            No direct or indirect relationship that exists between or among the Company on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company on the other hand, and that is required to be described in the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus is not so described.  The Company has not, directly or indirectly, extended or maintained credit, or arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any of its directors or executive officers.
(aa)         Each Company “employee benefit plan” within the meaning of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”), has been established and maintained in all material respects in accordance with ERISA; to the Company’s knowledge, no “reportable event” (as defined in ERISA) has occurred with respect to any “pension plan” (as defined in ERISA) for which the Company would have any material liability; the Company has not incurred and does not reasonably expect to incur material liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “pension plan” or (ii) Sections 412 or 4971 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”); and each “pension plan” for which the Company would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is and has received a favorable determination, notification, advisory and/or opinion letter with respect to such status from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) or has time remaining to apply under applicable Treasury Regulation or IRS pronouncement for a determination, notification, advisory and/or opinion letter and to make any necessary amendments, and, to the Company’s knowledge,  nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would reasonably be expected to cause the loss of such qualification.
(bb)         The statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate.
(cc)         The Company’s Board of Directors has validly appointed an audit committee whose composition and charter satisfy the requirements of Rule 4350(d) of the rules of the NASD.
(dd)         The books, records and accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries accurately and fairly reflect, in reasonable detail, the transactions in, and dispositions of, the assets of, and the results of operations of, the Company and its Subsidiaries.  The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintains (x) systems of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and to

 

8



maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences, and (y) disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-14(c) under the Exchange Act) which (i) are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer by others within the Company, particularly during the periods in which the periodic reports required under the Exchange Act are being prepared, (ii) provide for the periodic evaluation of the effectiveness of such disclosure controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing of the Company’s most recent annual or quarterly report filed with the Commission, and (iii) are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established.  The Company is not aware of (A) any significant deficiency in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data or any material weaknesses in internal controls or (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls.  Since the 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.  Upon the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company will be in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

4.             Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the Selling Stockholders.  Each Selling Stockholder, severally and not jointly, represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter that:

(a)           All consents, approvals, authorizations and orders necessary for the execution and delivery by such Selling Stockholder of this Agreement and the Stock Custody Agreement and related power of attorney (collectively, a “Stockholders’ Agreement”) hereinafter referred to, and for the sale and delivery of the Option Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, have been obtained; and such Selling Stockholder has full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and the Stockholders’ Agreement, to make the representations, warranties and agreements hereunder and thereunder, and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder.
(b)           Certificates in negotiable form representing all of the Option Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder have been placed in custody under the Stockholders’ Agreement, in the form heretofore furnished to you, duly executed and delivered by such Selling Stockholder to the Custodian, and such Selling Stockholder has duly executed and delivered a power-of-attorney, in the form heretofore furnished to you and included in the Stockholders’ Agreement (the “Power-of-Attorney”), appointing Lee-Lean Shu and Douglas Schirle, and each of them, as such Selling Stockholder’s attorney-in-fact (the “Attorneys-in-Fact”) with authority to execute and deliver this Agreement on behalf of such Selling Stockholder, to determine (subject to the provisions of the Stockholders’ Agreement) the purchase price to be paid by the Underwriters to the Selling Stockholders as provided in Section 2 hereof, to authorize the delivery of the Option Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder and otherwise to act on behalf of such Selling Stockholder in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Stockholders’ Agreement.
(c)           Such Selling Stockholder specifically agrees that the Option Shares represented by the certificates held in custody for such Selling Stockholder under the Stockholders’ Agreement are for the benefit of and coupled with and subject to the interests of the Underwriters, the Custodian, the Attorneys-in-Fact, each other Selling Stockholder and the Company, that the arrangements made by such Selling Stockholder for such custody, and the appointment by such Selling Stockholder of the Attorneys-in-Fact by the Power-of-Attorney, are to that extent irrevocable, and that the obligations of such Selling Stockholder hereunder shall not be terminated by operation of law, whether by the death, disability, incapacity, liquidation or dissolution of any Selling Stockholder or by the occurrence of any other event.  If any individual Selling Stockholder or any executor or trustee for a Selling Stockholder should die or become incapacitated, or if any Selling Stockholder that is an estate or trust should be terminated, or if any Selling Stockholder that is a partnership or corporation should be dissolved, or if any other such event should occur, before the delivery of the Option Shares hereunder, certificates representing the Option Shares shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholders in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement and of the Stockholders’ Agreement, and actions taken by the Attorneys-in-Fact pursuant to the Powers-of-Attorney shall be as valid as if such death, incapacity, termination, dissolution or other event had not

 

9



occurred, regardless of whether or not the Custodian, the Attorneys-in-Fact, or any of them, shall have received notice of such death, incapacity, termination, dissolution or other event.
(d)           This Agreement and the Stockholders’ Agreement have each been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Selling Stockholder and each such document constitutes a valid and binding obligation of such Selling Stockholder, enforceable in accordance with its terms.
(e)           No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or any filing or declaration with, any court or governmental agency or body is required in connection with the sale of the Option Shares by such Selling Stockholder or the consummation by such Selling Stockholder of the transactions on its part contemplated by this Agreement and the Stockholders’ Agreement, except such as have been obtained under the Act or the Rules and Regulations and such as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws or the by-laws and rules of the NASD in connection with the purchase and distribution by the Underwriters of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder.
(f)            The sale of the Option Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder and the performance by such Selling Stockholder of this Agreement and the Stockholders’ Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the assets of such Selling Stockholder pursuant to the terms or provisions of, or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or give any party a right to terminate any of its obligations under, or result in the acceleration of any obligation under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, voting trust agreement, loan agreement, bond, debenture, note agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder or any of its properties is bound or affected, or violate or conflict with any judgment, ruling, decree, order, statute, rule or regulation of any court or other governmental agency or body applicable to such Selling Stockholder or, if such Selling Stockholder is a corporation, partnership or other entity, the organizational documents of such Selling Stockholder.
(g)           Such Selling Stockholder has, and at the Option Closing Date will have, good and marketable title to the Option Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims whatsoever; and, upon delivery of such Option Shares and payment therefor pursuant hereto, good and marketable title to such Option Shares, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims whatsoever, will be delivered to the Underwriters.
(h)           On the Option Closing Date, all stock transfer or other taxes (other than income taxes) that are required to be paid in connection with the sale and transfer of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder to the several Underwriters hereunder will have been fully paid or provided for by such Selling Stockholder and all laws imposing such taxes will have been fully complied with.
(i)            Other than as permitted by the Act and the Rules and Regulations, such Selling Stockholder has not distributed and will not distribute any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any other offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.  Such Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not at any time take, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or that might reasonably be expected, to cause or result in, or that will constitute, stabilization of the price of shares of Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares.
(j)            All information with respect to such Selling Stockholder contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto complied or will comply in all material respects with all applicable requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and does not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
(k)           Such Selling Stockholder has no knowledge of any material fact or condition not set forth in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus that has adversely affected, or may adversely affect, the business, properties, business prospects, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the

 

10



Company and its Subsidiaries, and the sale of the Shares proposed to be sold by such Selling Stockholder is not prompted by any such knowledge.
(l)            Such Selling Stockholder has no reason to believe that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 3 hereof are not true and correct.
(m)          In order to document the Underwriters’ compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated, such Selling Stockholder agrees to deliver to you prior to or at the Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or other applicable form or statement specified by Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof).
(n)           Such Selling Stockholder, directly or indirectly, has not entered into any commitment, transaction, or other arrangement, including any prepaid forward contract, 10b5-1 plan or similar agreement, that transfers or may transfer any of the legal or beneficial ownership or any of the economic consequences of ownership of Common Stock, except as has been previously disclosed in writing to the Representatives.

5.             Agreements of the Company and the Selling Stockholders.  Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholders respectively covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters as follows:

(a)           The Company will not, either prior to the Effective Date or thereafter during such period as the Prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares by an Underwriter or a dealer, file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, unless a copy thereof shall first have been submitted to the Representatives within a reasonable period of time prior to the filing thereof and the Representatives shall not have objected thereto in good faith.
(b)           The Company will use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to become effective, and will notify the Representatives promptly, and will confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective and when any post-effective amendment thereto becomes effective, (ii) of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information, (iii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose or the threat thereof, (iv) of the happening of any event during the period mentioned in the third sentence of Section 5(e) that in the judgment of the Company makes any statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus untrue or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they are made, not misleading, and (v) of receipt by the Company or any representative or attorney of the Company of any other communication from the Commission relating to the Company, the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus.  If at any time the Commission shall issue any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company will make every reasonable effort to obtain the withdrawal of such order at the earliest possible moment.  If the Company has omitted any information from the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations, the Company will comply with the provisions of and make all requisite filings with the Commission pursuant to said Rule 430A and notify the Representatives promptly of all such filings.  If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Act, the Company shall file a registration statement under Rule 462(b) with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and the Company shall at the time of filing either pay to the Commission the filing fee for such Rule 462(b) registration statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to the Rules and Regulations.
(c)           The Company will furnish to each Representative, without charge, one signed copy of each of the Registration Statement and of any pre- or post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, and all exhibits thereto and will furnish to the Representatives, without charge, for transmittal to each of the other Underwriters, a copy of the Registration Statement and any pre- or post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules but without exhibits.

 

11



(d)           The Company will comply with all the provisions of any undertakings contained in the Registration Statement.
(e)           So long as delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 of the Rules and Regulations), the Company will deliver to each of the Underwriters, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representatives may reasonably request.  The Company consents to the use of each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by the Underwriters and by all dealers to whom the Shares may be sold, both in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and for any period of time thereafter during which the Prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection therewith.  If during such period of time any event shall occur that in the judgment of the Company or counsel to the Underwriters should be set forth in the Prospectus in order to make any statement therein, in the light of the circumstances under which it was made, not misleading, or if it is necessary to supplement or amend the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will forthwith prepare and duly file with the Commission an appropriate supplement or amendment thereto, and will deliver to each of the Underwriters, without charge, such number of copies of such supplement or amendment to the Prospectus as the Representatives may reasonably request.  If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Joint Book-running Managers and, if requested by the Joint Book-running Managers, will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(f)            Prior to any public offering of the Shares, the Company will cooperate with the Representatives and counsel to the Underwriters in connection with the registration or qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may request; provided, that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.
(g)           The Company will, so long as required under the Rules and Regulations, furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flow of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries, if any, certified by independent public accountants) and, as soon as practicable after the end of each of the first three quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the fiscal quarter ending after the effective date of the Registration Statement), consolidated summary financial information of the Company and its Subsidiaries, if any, for such quarter in reasonable detail.
(h)           The Company will make generally available to holders of its securities as soon as may be practicable, but in no event later than the Availability Date (as defined below), an earning statement (which need not be audited but shall be in reasonable detail) covering a period of 12 months commencing after the Effective Date that will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act (including Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations).  For the purpose of the preceding sentence, “Availability Date” means the 45th day after the end of the fourth fiscal quarter following the fiscal quarter that includes such Effective Date, except that if such fourth fiscal quarter is the last quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, “Availability Date” means the 90th day after the end of such fourth fiscal quarter.
(i)            Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company and, unless otherwise paid by the Company, the Selling Stockholders will pay or reimburse if paid by the Representatives, in such proportions as they may agree upon themselves, all costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholders under this Agreement and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including but not limited to costs and expenses of or relating to (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement and exhibits to it, each

 

12



preliminary prospectus, Statutory Prospectus, Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, (ii) the preparation and delivery of certificates representing the Shares, (iii) the printing of this Agreement, the Agreement Among Underwriters, any Selected Dealer Agreements, any Underwriters’ Questionnaires, the Stockholders’ Agreements, any Underwriters’ Powers of Attorney, and any invitation letters to prospective Underwriters, (iv) furnishing (including costs of shipping and mailing) such copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, as may be requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares by the Underwriters or by dealers to whom Shares may be sold, (v) the listing of the Shares on the NGM, (vi) any filings required to be made by the Underwriters with the NASD, and the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith, (vii) the registration or qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions designated pursuant to Section 5(f), including the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Underwriters in connection therewith, and the preparation and printing of preliminary, supplemental and final Blue Sky memoranda, (viii) fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Company (but not those of counsel for the Underwriters, except as otherwise provided herein) and of the Accountants, (ix) the transfer agent for the Shares, and (x) any travel expenses of the Company’s officers, directors and employees and any other expenses of the Company in connection with attending or hosting meetings with prospective purchasers of the Shares.  The Underwriters may deem the Company to be the primary obligor with respect to all costs, fees and expenses to be paid by the Company and by the Selling Stockholders.  The Selling Stockholders will pay (directly or by reimbursement) all fees and expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement that are not otherwise specifically provided for herein, including but not limited to any fees and expenses of counsel for such Selling Stockholders, any fees and expenses of the Attorneys-in-Fact and the Custodian, and all expenses and taxes incident to the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholders to the Underwriters hereunder.
(j)            The Company will not at any time, directly or indirectly, take any action designed or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or that will constitute, stabilization of the price of the shares of Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares.
(k)           The Company will apply the net proceeds from the offering and sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company in the manner set forth in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds” and shall file with the Commission such information on Form 10-Q or Form 10-K as may be required by Rule 463 under the Act.
(l)            During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, without the prior written consent of the Joint Book-running Managers, the Company will not (1) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant options, warrants or rights to purchase, or otherwise dispose of any equity securities of the Company or any other securities convertible into or exchangeable for its Common Stock or other equity security (other than pursuant to employee stock plans disclosed in the Prospectus or pursuant to the conversion of convertible securities or the exercise of warrants in each case outstanding on the date of this Agreement) or (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise; provided, however, that if (a) during the last 17 days of such 180-day period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (b) prior to the expiration of such 180-day period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of such 180-day period, the restrictions imposed by this Section 5(l) shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event, unless the Joint Book-running Managers waive, in writing, such extension.
(m)          During the period of 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Joint Book-running Managers, grant options to purchase shares of Common Stock at a price less than the initial public offering price.  During the period of 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not file with the Commission or cause to become effective any registration statement relating to any securities of the Company without the prior written consent of  the Joint Book-running Managers

 

13



(n)           The Selling Stockholders will, and the Company will cause each of its officers, directors and certain stockholders designated by the Representatives to, enter into lock-up agreements with the Representatives in the form set forth in Schedule IV hereto to the effect that they will not, without the prior written consent of Needham & Company, LLC, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock or rights to acquire such shares, except as permitted by such agreement.

6.             Further Agreements

(a)           The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Joint Book-running Managers, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Company and the Joint Book-running Managers, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations.  Any such Free Writing Prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Company and the Joint Book-running Managers is listed on Schedule III and herein called a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.”
(b)           The Company agrees that is has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and that it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Rules and Regulations applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely Commission filing where required, record keeping and legending.

7.             Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters.  The obligations of each Underwriter hereunder are subject to the following conditions:

(a)           Notification that the Registration Statement has become effective shall be received by the Representatives not later than 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement or at such later date and time as shall be consented to in writing by the Representatives and all filings required by Rule 424 and Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations shall have been made.  If the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b), the registration statement filed under Rule 462(b) shall have become effective by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement.
(b)           (i) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Statutory Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall be pending or threatened by the Commission, (ii) no order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the qualification or registration of the Shares under the securities or Blue Sky laws of any jurisdiction shall be in effect and no proceeding for such purpose shall be pending before or threatened or contemplated by the Commission or the authorities of any such jurisdiction, (iii) any request for additional information on the part of the staff of the Commission or any such authorities shall have been complied with to the satisfaction of the staff of the Commission or such authorities, (iv) after the date hereof no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Statutory Prospectus shall have been filed unless a copy thereof was first submitted to the Representatives and the Representatives do not object thereto in good faith, and (v) the Representatives shall have received certificates, dated the Closing Date and, if later, the Option Closing Date and signed by the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company (who may, as to proceedings threatened, rely upon the best of their information and belief), to the effect of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph.
(c)           Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Statutory Prospectus, (i) there shall not have been a material adverse change in the general affairs, business, business prospects, properties, management, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, in each case other than as described in or contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Statutory Prospectus, and (ii)  neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall have sustained any material loss or interference with its business or properties from fire, explosion, flood or other casualty, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or any court or legislative or other governmental action, order or decree, which is not described in the Registration Statement and the Statutory Prospectus, if in the judgment of the Representatives any such development makes it impracticable or inadvisable to consummate the sale and delivery of the Shares by the Underwriters at the initial public offering price.

 

14



(d)           Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Statutory Prospectus, there shall have been no litigation or other proceeding instituted against the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of its or their officers or directors in their capacities as such, before or by any federal, state or local court, commission, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body, domestic or foreign, in which litigation or proceeding an unfavorable ruling, decision or finding would, in the judgment of the Representatives, have a Material Adverse Effect or if, in the judgment of the Representatives, any such development makes it impracticable or inadvisable to consummate the sale and delivery of the Shares by the Underwriters at the initial public offering price.
(e)           Each of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders contained herein shall be true and correct in all respects (in the case of any representation and warranty containing a materiality or Material Adverse Effect qualification) or in all material respects at the Closing Date and, with respect to the Option Shares, at the Option Closing Date, and all covenants and agreements contained herein to be performed on the part of the Company or the Selling Stockholders and all conditions contained herein to be fulfilled or complied with by the Company or the Selling Stockholders at or prior to the Closing Date and, with respect to the Option Shares, at or prior to the Option Closing Date, shall have been duly performed, fulfilled or complied with.
(f)            The Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated the Closing Date and, with respect to the Option Shares, the Option Closing Date, satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters from DLA Piper US LLP, counsel to the Company and the Selling Stockholders, with respect to the following matters (except that the matters set forth in subparagraphs (xvii)-(xix) need not be addressed in the opinion delivered at the Closing Date, if earlier than the Option Closing Date):

(i)            Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation; has full corporate power and authority to conduct all the activities conducted by it, to own or lease all the assets owed or leased by it and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus; and is duly licensed or qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction in which it has employees or owns or leases real property.

(ii)           All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company (including the Option Shares) have been duly authorized, validly issued and are nonassessable, to such counsel’s knowledge, are fully paid and were issued pursuant to the registration and qualification requirements of federal and applicable state securities laws, or exemptions from such laws, and were not issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive right under the Company’s certificate of incorporation or, to such counsel’s knowledge, other preemptive or similar rights.

(iii)          The specimen certificate evidencing the Common Stock filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement is in due and proper form under Delaware law, the Shares to be sold by the Company hereunder have been duly authorized and, when issued and paid for as contemplated by this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable; and no preemptive or similar rights with respect to any of the Shares or the issue and sale thereof exist under the Company’s certificate of incorporation, and, to such counsel’s knowledge, no such preemptive or similar rights otherwise exist.

(iv)          All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free and clear of all claims, liens, charges and encumbrances; to such counsel’s knowledge, there are no securities outstanding that are convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for capital stock of any Subsidiary.

(v)           The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement or pursuant to reservations, agreements, employee benefit plans or the exercise of convertible securities, options or warrants referred to in the Prospectus).  To such counsel’s knowledge, except as disclosed in or specifically contemplated by the Prospectus, there are no outstanding options, warrants or other rights

 

15



calling for the issuance of, and no commitments, plans or arrangements to issue, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any security convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for capital stock of the Company.  The description of the capital stock of the Company in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus conforms in all material respects to the terms thereof.

(vi)          To such counsel’s knowledge, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or to which any of their respective properties is subject that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus but are not so described.

(vii)         No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or any filing or declaration with, any court or governmental agency or body is required for the consummation by the Company of the transactions on its part contemplated under this Agreement, except such as have been obtained or made under the Act or the Rules and Regulations and such as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws or the by-laws and rules of the NASD in connection with the purchase and distribution by the Underwriters of the Shares.

(viii)        The Company has full corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement.  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(ix)           The execution and delivery of this Agreement, the compliance by the Company with all of the terms hereof and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby  (A) do not contravene any provision of applicable law or the Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (B) to such counsel’s knowledge, will not result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to the terms and provisions of, conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or give any party a right to terminate any of its obligations under, or result in the acceleration of any obligation under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, voting trust agreement, loan agreement, bond, debenture, note agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, lease, contract or other agreement, document or instrument known to such counsel to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective properties is bound or affected, or (C) do not violate or conflict with (i) any judgment, ruling, decree or order specifically naming the Company or any of its Subsidiaries known to such counsel or (ii) any United States, federal or California state statute, rule or regulation that in such counsel’s experience is normally applicable in transactions of the type contemplated by this Agreement or the Delaware General Corporation Law.

(x)            To such counsel’s knowledge, there is no document or contract 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 that is not described or filed as required, and each description of such contracts and documents that is contained in the Registration Statement and Prospectus fairly presents in all material respects the information required under the Act and the Rules and Regulations.

(xi)           The statements under the captions “Risk Factors — There are a large number of shares of our common stock that may be sold in the market following this offering, which may depress the market value of our common stock,” “Risk Factors — The provisions of our charter might inhibit potential acquisition bids that a stockholder might believe are desirable, and the market price of our common stock could be lower as a result,” “Management — Stock Plans,” “Relationships and Transactions With Related Parties,” “Description of Capital Stock,” and “Shares Eligible for Future Sale” in the Prospectus, insofar as the statements constitute a summary of documents referred to therein or matters of law, are accurate summaries and fairly and correctly present, in all material respects, the information called for with respect to such documents and matters (provided, however, that such counsel may rely on representations of the Company with respect to the factual matters contained in such statements, and provided further that such counsel shall state that nothing has come to the attention of such counsel that leads them to believe that such representations are not true and correct in all material respects).

 

16



(xii)          The Company is not an “investment company” or an “affiliated person” of, or “promoter” or “principal underwriter” for, an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(xiii)         The Option Shares are duly listed on the NGM and the Firm Shares have been duly authorized for listing on the NGM, subject to notice of issuance.

(xiv)        To such counsel’s knowledge, no holder of securities of the Company has rights, which have not been waived or satisfied, to require the Company to register with the Commission shares of Common Stock or other securities, as part of the offering contemplated hereby.

(xv)         The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act, and to such counsel’s knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been instituted or is pending or threatened by the Commission.

(xvi)        The Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations (other than the financial statements, schedules and other financial data contained in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus, as to which such counsel need express no opinion).

(xvii)       This Agreement and the Stockholders’ Agreement have each been duly executed and delivered by or on behalf of each Selling Stockholder; the Stockholders’ Agreement constitutes a valid and binding agreement of such Selling Stockholder in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by the application of bankruptcy, insolvency or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally or by general principles of equity; the Attorneys-in-Fact and the Custodian have been duly authorized by such Selling Stockholder to deliver the Shares on behalf of such Selling Stockholder in accordance with the terms of this Agreement; and, to such counsel’s knowledge, the sale of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, the performance by such Selling Stockholder of this Agreement and the Stockholders’ Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or give any party a right to terminate any of its obligations under, or result in the acceleration of any obligation under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, voting trust agreement, loan agreement, bond, debenture, note agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder or any of its properties is bound or affected, or violate or conflict with any judgment, ruling, decree, order, statute, rule or regulation of any court or other governmental agency or body applicable to such Selling Stockholder or, if such Selling Stockholder is a corporation, partnership or other entity, the organizational documents of such Selling Stockholder.

(xviii)      No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or any filing or declaration with, any court or governmental agency or body is required for the consummation by the Selling Stockholders of the transactions on their part contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been obtained or made under the Act or the Rules and Regulations and such as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws or the by-laws and rules of the NASD in connection with the purchase and distribution by the Underwriters of the Shares.

(xix)         Each Selling Stockholder has full legal right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and the Stockholders’ Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder and, upon payment for such Shares and assuming that the Underwriters are purchasing such Shares in good faith and without notice of any other adverse claim within the meaning of the Uniform Commercial Code, the Underwriters will have acquired all rights of such Selling Stockholder in such Shares free of any adverse claim, any lien in favor of the Company and any restrictions on transfer imposed by the Company.

 

17



In rendering the opinions in subparagraphs (xvii) - (xix), such counsel may rely upon opinions of other counsel retained by the Selling Stockholders reasonably acceptable to the Representatives and as to matters of fact on certificates of the Selling Stockholders, officers of the Company and governmental officials and the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders contained in this Agreement and the Stockholders’ Agreement, provided that the opinion of counsel to the Company and Selling Stockholders shall state that they are doing so, that they have no reason to believe that they and the Underwriters are not entitled to rely on such opinions or certificates and that copies of such opinions or certificates are to be attached to the opinion.

In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely as to matters of local law upon opinions of counsel satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, provided that the opinion of counsel to the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall state that they are doing so, that they have no reason to believe that they and the Underwriters are not entitled to rely on such opinions and that copies of such opinions are to be attached to the opinion.

In addition, such counsel shall state that in connection with such counsel’s participation in the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the General Disclosure Package, no facts have come to such counsel’s attention that caused such counsel to believe (i) that, as of the Effective Date, the Registration Statement or any further amendment thereto (other than the financial statements, schedules and other financial data contained therein, 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, (ii) that the General Disclosure Package (other than the financial statements, schedules and other financial data contained therein, as to which such counsel need express no belief), as of the Applicable Time 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 (iii) that the Prospectus, or any further amendment or supplement thereto (other than the financial statements, schedules and other financial data contained therein, as to which such counsel need express no belief), as of its date and the Closing Date and, if later, the Option Closing Date, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(g)           The representatives shall have received an opinion, dated the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C., counsel to the Underwriters, with respect to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and this Agreement, which opinion shall be satisfactory in all respects to the Representatives.
(h)           Concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Accountants shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter, dated the date of its delivery, addressed to the Representatives and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and the Accountants, confirming that they are independent accountants with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries as required by the Act and the Rules and Regulations and with respect to certain financial and other statistical and numerical information contained in the Registration Statement.  At the Closing Date and, as to the Option Shares, the Option Closing Date, the Accountants shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter, dated the date of its delivery, which shall confirm, on the basis of a review in accordance with the procedures set forth in the letter from the Accountants, that nothing has come to their attention during the period from the date of the letter referred to in the prior sentence to a date (specified in the letter) not more than three days prior to the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, which would require any change in their letter dated the date hereof if it were required to be dated and delivered at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date.
(i)            At the Closing Date and, as to the Option Shares, the Option Closing Date, there shall be furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated the date of its delivery, signed by each of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that:

(i)            Each signer of such certificate has carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the General Disclosure Package and (A) as of the date of such certificate, such documents are true and correct in all material respects and do not omit to state a material fact required

 

18



to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not untrue or misleading and (B) in the case of the certificate delivered at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, since the Effective Date no event has occurred as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein not untrue or misleading.

(ii)           Each of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement were, when originally made, and are, at the time such certificate is delivered, true and correct.

(iii)          Each of the covenants required to be performed by the Company herein on or prior to the date of such certificate has been duly, timely and fully performed and each condition herein required to be satisfied or fulfilled on or prior to the date of such certificate has been duly, timely and fully satisfied or fulfilled.

(j)            At the Option Closing Date, there shall be furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated the date of its delivery, signed by the Selling Stockholders (or the Attorneys-in-Fact on their behalf), in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Selling Stockholders contained herein are true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date of such certificate as if made on and as of the date of such certificate, and each of the covenants and conditions required herein to be performed or complied with by the Selling Stockholders on or prior to the date of such certificate has been duly, timely and fully performed or complied with.
(k)           On or prior to the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the executed agreements referred to in Section 5(n).
(l)            The Shares shall be qualified for sale in such jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably request and each such qualification shall be in effect and not subject to any stop order or other proceeding on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date.
(m)          Prior to the Closing Date, the Shares shall have been duly authorized for listing on the NGM upon official notice of issuance.
(n)           The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such certificates, in addition to those specifically mentioned herein, as the Representatives may have reasonably requested as to the accuracy and completeness at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date of any statement in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as to the accuracy at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company herein, as to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, or as to the fulfillment of the conditions concurrent and precedent to the obligations hereunder of the Representatives.  The Selling Stockholders shall have furnished to the Representatives such certificates, in addition to those specifically mentioned herein, as the Representatives may have reasonably requested as to the accuracy at the Option Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Selling Stockholders herein, as to the performance by the Selling Stockholders of their obligations hereunder, or as to the fulfillment of the conditions concurrent and precedent to the obligations hereunder of the Representatives.
(o)           Pursuant to the terms of the Company’s certificate of incorporation as in existence immediately prior to the Closing Date, each share of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, Series C Preferred Stock, Series D Preferred Stock and Series E Preferred Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the sale of the Firm Shares, shall automatically convert into one share of Common Stock immediately prior to the Closing.

8.             Indemnification.

(a)           The Company and each of HolyStone Enterprises Co., Ltd. and Koowin Co., Ltd. (each, an “Insider Selling Stockholder” and, collectively, the “Insider Selling Stockholders”), jointly and severally, will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees and agents of each Underwriter

 

19



and each person, if any, who controls each Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any and all investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted), to which they, or any of them, may become subject under the Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based on any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or the omission or alleged omission to state in such document a material fact required to be stated in it or necessary to make the statements in it not misleading in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, or arise out of or are based in whole or in part on any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of the Company or the Selling Stockholders contained herein or any failure of the Company or the Insider Selling Stockholders to perform its or their obligations hereunder or under law in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby; provided, however, that (i) the Company and the Insider Selling Stockholders will not be liable to the extent that such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage arises from the sale of the Shares in the public offering to any person by an Underwriter and is based on an untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by the Representatives, on behalf of any Underwriter, expressly for inclusion in any preliminary prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) the liability of each Insider Selling Stockholder under this Section 8(a) shall not exceed the product of the purchase price for each Share set forth in Section 1(a) hereof multiplied by the number of Shares sold by such Insider Selling Stockholder hereunder.  The Company and each of the Insider Selling Stockholders acknowledges that the statements set forth in the fifth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth paragraphs under the heading “Underwriting” in the Prospectus constitute the only information relating to any Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters expressly for inclusion in any preliminary prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company and the Insider Selling Stockholders might otherwise have.
(b)           Each of the Selling Stockholders who is not an Insider Selling Stockholder (each a “Non-Insider Selling Stockholder” and, collectively, the “Non-Insider Selling Stockholders”), severally and not jointly, will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees and agents of each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act to the same extent as the indemnity from the Company and the Insider Selling Stockholders to each Underwriter, as set forth in Section 8(a), but only insofar as losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based on any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to such Non-Insider Selling Stockholder furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder expressly for use in any preliminary prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based in whole or in part on any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of such Non-Insider Selling Stockholders contained herein or any failure of such Non-Insider Selling Stockholders to perform its or their obligations hereunder or under law in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby; provided, however, that the liability of each Non-Insider Selling Stockholder under this Section 8(b) shall not exceed the product of the purchase price for each Share set forth in Section 1(a) hereof multiplied by the number of Shares sold by such Non-Insider Selling Stockholder hereunder.
(c)           Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signs the Registration Statement, each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act, and each Selling Stockholder to the same extent as the indemnity from the Company and the Insider Selling Stockholders to each Underwriter, as set forth in Section 8(a), but only insofar as losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based on any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by the Representatives, on behalf of such Underwriter, expressly for use in any preliminary prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.  The Company and the Selling Stockholders acknowledge that the statements set forth in the fifth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth paragraphs under the heading “Underwriting” in the Prospectus constitute the only information relating to any Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters expressly for inclusion in any preliminary prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus

 

20



or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.  This indemnity will be in addition to any liability that each Underwriter might otherwise have.
(d)           Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 8 shall, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 8, notify each such indemnifying party in writing of the commencement of such action, enclosing with such notice a copy of all papers served, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provisions of this Section 8 unless, and only to the extent that, such omission results in the loss of substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party.  If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of the action, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party.  After notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or other expenses except as provided below and except for the reasonable costs of investigation incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense.  The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (ii) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on advice of counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) a conflict or potential conflict exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party will not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party), or (iv) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel will be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties.  It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties.  All such fees, disbursements and other charges will be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly as they are incurred. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on any claims that are the subject matter of such action and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of an indemnified party.  An indemnifying party will not be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed).
(e)           If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this Section 8 in respect of any losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages referred to therein, then each applicable indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted, but after deducting any contribution received by the Company or the Selling Stockholders from persons other than the Underwriters, such as persons who control the Company within the meaning of the Act, officers of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and directors of the Company, who also may be liable for contribution) by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand.  The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus.  If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not

 

21



permitted by applicable law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, with respect to the statements or omissions that resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering.  Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, the Selling Stockholders or the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.  The Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 8(e) were to be 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 into account the equitable considerations referred to herein.  The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 8(e) shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 8(e), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8(e), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts received by it and no person found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) will be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute as provided in this Section 8(e) are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.  For purposes of this Section 8(e), any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Act will have the same rights to contribution as that party, and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement will have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the provisions hereof.  Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against any such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section 8(e), will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission so to notify will not relieve the party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section 8(e).  No party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed).
(f)            The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 8 and the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriters, (ii) acceptance of any of the Shares and payment therefor, or (iii) any termination of this Agreement.

9.             Reimbursement of Certain Expenses.  In addition to its other obligations under Section 8(a) of this Agreement, the Company hereby agrees to reimburse the Underwriters on a quarterly basis for all reasonable legal and other expenses incurred in connection with investigating or defending any claim, action, investigation, inquiry or other proceeding arising out of or based upon, in whole or in part, any statement or omission or alleged statement or omission, or any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of the Company or the Selling Stockholder contained herein or failure of the Company or the Selling Stockholders to perform its or their respective obligations hereunder or under law, all as described in Section 8(a), notwithstanding the absence of a judicial determination as to the propriety and enforceability of the obligations under this Section 9 and the possibility that such payment might later be held to be improper; provided, however, that, to the extent any such payment is ultimately held to be improper, the persons receiving such payments shall promptly refund them.

10.          Termination.  The obligations of the several Underwriters under this Agreement may be terminated at any time on or prior to the Closing Date (or, with respect to the Option Shares, on or prior to the Option Closing Date), by notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholders from the Representatives, without liability on the part of any Underwriter to the Company or any Selling Stockholder if, prior to delivery and payment for the Firm Shares or Option Shares, as the case may be, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, (i) trading in any of the equity securities of the Company shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by The Nasdaq Global Market, (ii) trading in securities generally on The Nasdaq Global Market shall have been suspended or limited or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on such exchange, or additional material governmental restrictions, not in force on the date of this Agreement, shall have been imposed upon trading in securities generally by such exchange, by order of the Commission or any court or other governmental authority,

 

22



or by The Nasdaq Global Market, (iii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by either federal or New York State authorities or any material disruption of the securities settlement or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, or (iv) any material adverse change in the financial or securities markets in the United States or in political, financial or economic conditions in the United States, any outbreak or material escalation of hostilities involving the United States, a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States, or other calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, shall have occurred, the effect of which is such as to make it, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with completion of the public offering or the delivery of and payment for the Shares.

If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 11 hereof, neither the Company nor any Selling Stockholder shall be under any liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 5(j), 8 and 9 hereof; but, if for any other reason the purchase of the Shares by the Underwriters is not consummated or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations hereunder, the Company and the Selling Stockholders will reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Underwriters) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Shares.

11.          Substitution of Underwriters.  If any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase any of the Firm Shares that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder, and the aggregate number of Firm Shares that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm Shares, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the Firm Shares that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase, in the proportions which the number of Firm Shares that they have respectively agreed to purchase pursuant to Section 1 bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares which all such non-defaulting Underwriters have so agreed to purchase, or in such other proportions as the Representatives may specify; provided that in no event shall the maximum number of Firm Shares that any Underwriter has become obligated to purchase pursuant to Section 1 be increased pursuant to this Section 11 by more than one-ninth of such number of Firm Shares without the prior written consent of such Underwriter.  In any such case either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected.  If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase any Firm Shares that it or they agreed to purchase hereunder and the aggregate number of Firm Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase exceeds one-tenth of the aggregate number of the Firm Shares and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for the purchase of such Firm Shares are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement will terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter, the Company or the Selling Stockholders for the purchase or sale of any Shares under this Agreement.  Any action taken pursuant to this Section 11 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

12.          No Fiduciary Relationship.  Notwithstanding any preexisting relationship, advisory or otherwise, between the parties or any oral representations or assurances previously or subsequently made by the Underwriters, the Company and each Selling Stockholder acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement (including the determination of the terms of the offering of the Shares) is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction, each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or any Selling Stockholder, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or any Selling Stockholder with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or any such Selling Stockholder on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company or any Selling Stockholder except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company or any Selling Stockholder and have no obligation to disclose or account to the Company or any Selling Stockholder for any of such differing interests, and (v) the Company and each Selling Stockholder has consulted its own legal, tax, accounting and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.  The Company and each Selling Stockholder hereby agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, have rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe a fiduciary or

 

23



similar duty to the Company or any Selling Stockholder, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

13.          Miscellaneous.  Notice given pursuant to any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and, unless otherwise specified, shall be mailed or delivered (a) if to the Company or the Selling Stockholders, at the office of the Company, 2360 Owen Street, Santa Clara, CA 95054, Attention: Lee-Lean Shu, with a copy to Dennis C. Sullivan, Esq., DLA Piper US LLP, 2000 University Avenue, East Palo Alto, CA 94303, or (b) if to the Underwriters, to the Representatives at the offices of Needham & Company, LLC, 445 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022, Attention: Corporate Finance Department, with a copy to Donna M. Petkanics, Esq., Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C., 650 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304.  Any such notice shall be effective only upon receipt.  Any notice under such Section 10 or 11 may be made by telecopier or telephone, but if so made shall be subsequently confirmed in writing.

This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the several Underwriters, the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the controlling persons, directors and officers referred to in Section 8, and their respective successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement.  The term “successors and assigns” as used in this Agreement shall not include a purchaser, as such purchaser, of Shares from any of the several Underwriters.

Any action required or permitted to be made by the Representatives under this Agreement may be taken by them jointly or by the Joint Book-running Managers.

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such State.

This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

In case any provision in this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Each of the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters hereby waives any right it may have to a trial by jury in respect of any claim based upon or arising out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

24



Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement among the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the several Underwriters.

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

GSI TECHNOLOGY, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

 

(named in Schedule II hereto)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Attorney-in-Fact

 

 

Confirmed as of the date first

 

above mentioned:

 

 

 

 

 

NEEDHAM & COMPANY, LLC

 

WR HAMBRECHT + CO., LLC

 

ROBERT W. BAIRD & CO. INCORPORATED

 

STANFORD GROUP COMPANY

 

 

Acting on behalf of themselves

 

 

and as the Representatives of

 

 

the other several Underwriters

 

 

named in Schedule I hereto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

NEEDHAM & COMPANY, LLC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

By:

WR HAMBRECHT + CO., LLC

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

25



SCHEDULE I

UNDERWRITERS

Underwriters

 

Number of Firm
Shares to be Purchased

 

 

 

 

 

Needham & Company, LLC

 

2,452,444

 

WR Hambrecht + Co., LLC

 

2,452,444

 

Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated

 

919,667

 

Stanford Group Company

 

306,556

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

6,131,111

 

 

26



SCHEDULE II

 

 

 

Total Number

 

Total Number of

 

 

 

of Firm Shares

 

Option Shares

 

 

 

to be Sold

 

to be Sold

 

GSI Technology, Inc.

 

6,131,111

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ameroc Corp.

 

 

172,233

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Koowin Co., Ltd.

 

 

172,233

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HolyStone Enterprises Co., Ltd.

 

 

147,627

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Muh-Tyng Jiang

 

 

102,793

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ching-Ho Cheng

 

 

98,419

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hsin-Yi Yang

 

 

98,419

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Westech Electronics Inc.

 

 

59,051

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yu-Min Wu

 

 

34,446

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fen-Ya Chen

 

 

34,446

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTALS

 

6,131,111

 

919,667

 

 

27



SCHEDULE III

Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses:

                None.

 

 

Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses:

                None.

 

 

Additional Documents Incorporated by Reference:

                None.

 

28



SCHEDULE IV

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

 

 

 

29