4,200,000Shares HUDSONHIGHLAND GROUP, INC. COMMONSTOCK (PAR VALUE $.001 PER SHARE) UNDERWRITINGAGREEMENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 30, 2010

 

 

March 30, 2010

 

ROBERT W. BAIRD & CO. INCORPORATED

c/o Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated

227 West Monroe Street

Suite 2100

Chicago, IL  60606

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Hudson Highland Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the Underwriter named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriter”) 4,200,000 shares of the common stock, par value $.001 per share, of the Company (the “Firm Shares”).

 

The Company also proposes to issue and sell to the Underwriter up to an additional 630,000 shares of the common stock, par value $.001 per share, of the Company (the “Additional Shares”), if and to the extent that the Underwriter shall have determined to exercise its right to purchase such shares of common stock granted to the Underwriter in Section 2 hereof.  The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares, together with the related preferred share purchase rights,  are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Shares.” The shares of the common stock, par value $.001 per share, of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sales contemplated hereby, together with the related preferred share purchase rights,  are hereinafter referred to as the “Common Stock.”

 

The Company has prepared and filed, in accordance with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-163605), including a prospectus, relating to the Shares, which registration statement and prospectus incorporate or are deemed to incorporate by reference documents that the Company has filed, or will file, with the Commission in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder. The registration statement as amended at the time it becomes effective for purposes of Section 11 of the Securities Act (as such section applies to the Underwriter), including the documents filed as part thereof and information contained or incorporated by reference in the prospectus or otherwise deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 430B under the Securities Act, is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement.”  The Company has also filed with, or transmitted for filing to, or shall promptly after the date of this Agreement file with or transmit for filing to, the Commission a prospectus supplement (in the form first used to confirm sales of the Shares (or in the form first made available to the Underwriter by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act), the “Prospectus Supplement”) pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act. The term “Base Prospectus” means the prospectus, dated December 9, 2009, relating to the Shares, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement on or prior to the date of this Agreement. The term “Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement. The term “Preliminary Prospectus” means any preliminary form of Prospectus (including without limitation the preliminary Prospectus Supplement, dated March 30, 2010, filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424).

 

 

For purposes of this Agreement, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus and the Preliminary Prospectus, if any, together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, each identified in Schedule II hereto (each, a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”), and other information conveyed to purchasers of the Shares at or prior to the Time of Sale as set forth in Schedule II hereto; “Time of Sale” means 5:00 p.m. (Central Time) on the date of this Agreement; and “road show” has the meaning set forth in Rule 433(h)(4) under the Securities Act.  As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,” “Base Prospectus,” “Preliminary Prospectus,” “Time of Sale Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall include the documents, if any, deemed to be incorporated by reference therein, including, unless the context otherwise requires, the documents, if any, filed as exhibits to such incorporated documents.  The terms “supplement,” “amendment” and “amend” as used herein with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any free writing prospectus shall include all documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.

 

1.           Representations and Warranties of the Company.  The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with the Underwriter on the date hereof, on the Closing Date (as defined in Section 4) and, if applicable,  on each Option Closing Date (as defined in Section 2), if any, that:

 

(a)           The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission.

 

(b)           The Base Prospectus and any Preliminary Prospectus filed as part of the registration statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder (including, without limitation, Rule 430B(a) or 430A(b)).

 

 

(c)           (i) Each document, if any, filed or to be filed by the Company pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus complied or will comply when so filed in all material respects with the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; (ii) each part of the Registration Statement, when such part became effective, did not contain and each such part, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (iii) the Registration Statement, as of the date hereof, does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (iv) the Registration Statement complies and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act; the conditions to the use of Form S-3 in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby have been satisfied; the Registration Statement meets, and the offering and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby complies with, the requirements of Rule 415 under the Securities Act (including without limitation Rule 415(a)(5)); (v) if a Preliminary Prospectus is used in connection with the sale of any Shares, at no time during the period that begins on the earlier of the date of the Preliminary Prospectus and the date on which the Preliminary Prospectus was filed with the Commission and ends immediately prior to the execution of this Agreement did any Preliminary Prospectus 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; (vi) the Time of Sale Prospectus does not, and at the Time of Sale, at the Closing Date  and, if applicable, each Option Closing Date, the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, 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; (vii) each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus; (viii) each road show, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does 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; and (ix) the Prospectus, as of the date it is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424, at the Closing Date and, if applicable, at each Option Closing Date, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act (including without limitation Section 10(a) of the Securities Act) 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; provided, however, that the representations and warranties set forth in this Section 1(c) do not apply to statements or omissions in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, any road show or the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto based upon information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Underwriter expressly for use therein.

 

 

(d)           Prior to the execution of this Agreement, the Company has not, directly or indirectly, offered or sold any Shares by means of any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Securities Act) or used any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Securities Act) in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares, in each case other than any Preliminary Prospectus and/or the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses; the Company has not, directly or indirectly, prepared, used or referred to any free writing prospectuses, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter, other than the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses and road shows furnished or presented to the Underwriter before first use.  Each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus has been prepared, used or referred to in compliance in all material respects with Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act; assuming that such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus is so sent or given after the Registration Statement was filed with the Commission (and after such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus was, if required pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, filed with the Commission), the sending or giving, by the Underwriter, of any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus will satisfy the provisions of Rule 164 and Rule 433 (without reliance on subsections (b), (c) and (d) of Rule 164); the conditions set forth in one or more of subclauses (i) through (iv), inclusive, of Rule 433(b)(1) under the Securities Act are satisfied, and the registration statement relating to the offering of the Shares contemplated hereby, as initially filed with the Commission, includes a prospectus that, other than by reason of Rule 433 or Rule 431 under the Securities Act, satisfies the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act; neither the Company nor the Underwriter is disqualified, by reason of subsection (f) or (g) of Rule 164 under the Securities Act, from using, in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares, free writing prospectuses pursuant to Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act; each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act; no Permitted Free Writing Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, Time of Sale Prospectus or Prospectus; and, to the Company’s knowledge, no free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of or used by the Underwriter contains any “issuer information” within the meaning of Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act.

 

(e)           The Company was, at the time the Registration Statement was initially filed and when it became effective, eligible to use Form S-3 to register the offering of the Shares contemplated hereby.  The Company was not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) as of the eligibility determination date for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act with respect to the offering of the Shares contemplated by the Registration Statement.

 

(f)           Shares of Common Stock are listed for quotation on the NASDAQ Global Market (“NASDAQ”), and the Company has not received any written notice from NASDAQ regarding the delisting of such shares from NASDAQ.  The Shares are duly listed for quotation, and admitted and authorized for trading, subject to official notice of issuance, on NASDAQ. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no affiliations or associations between (i) any member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and (ii) the Company or any of the Company’s officers, directors or 5% or greater security holders or any beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities that were acquired at any time on or after the 180th day immediately preceding the date the Registration Statement was initially filed with the Commission, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

 

(g)           The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not (i)  have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, business, properties or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or (ii) prevent or materially interfere with the Company’s consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, or result in the delisting of shares of Common Stock from NASDAQ (the occurrence of any such effect, prevention, interference or result described in the foregoing clauses (i) or (ii) being herein referred to as a “material adverse effect”).

 

(h)           Each “significant subsidiary” as listed on Schedule III hereto (each subsidiary on Schedule III is referred to herein as a “Significant Subsidiary” and, collectively, as the “Significant Subsidiaries”) of the Company has been duly organized, is validly existing as a corporation or limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect; all of the issued shares of capital stock of each Significant Subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, except that the capital stock of certain Significant Subsidiaries directly or indirectly owned by the Company has been pledged as security for the payment and performance of all obligations and liabilities of the Company under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated July 31, 2007, as amended, by and among the Company, each of its subsidiaries that are signatories thereto, Wells Fargo Foothill, Inc., as the arranger and administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto (the “Loan Agreement”).

 

(i)           This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

(j)           The authorized and outstanding capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and will be as set forth in the Prospectus, subject, in each case, to the issuance of shares of Common Stock pursuant to employee benefit plans, equity incentive plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to the exercise of stock options disclosed as outstanding in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, as the case may be.  The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects and will conform in all material respects as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

 

(k)           The shares of Common Stock outstanding prior to the issuance of the Shares to be sold by the Company have been duly authorized, are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance in all material respects with applicable securities laws and were not issued in violation of any preemptive or similar rights.

 

(l)           The Shares to be sold by the Company have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of such Shares will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights.

 

(m)           Neither the execution and delivery by the Company of, nor the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement will conflict with, contravene, result in a breach or violation of, or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or constitute a default under (i) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, regulatory or administrative agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary; (ii) the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (iii) any contract, agreement, obligation, covenant or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries (or any of their respective assets) is subject or bound, except with respect to clauses (i) and (iii) to the extent that such breach, violation, imposition or default would not have a material adverse effect.

 

(n)           No approval, authorization, consent or order of or filing with any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, or of or with any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, NASDAQ), or approval of the Company’s stockholders, is required in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, other than (i) registration of the Shares under the Securities Act, which has been effected, (ii) any necessary qualification under the securities or blue sky laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Shares are being offered by the Underwriter (iii) under the FINRA Conduct Rules, (iv) notifications required to be filed with NASDAQ, or (v) any such approval, authorization, consent, order or filing the failure to obtain or make would not have a material adverse effect.

 

(o)           There are no actions, suits, claims, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened or contemplated to which the Company or any of its directors or officers or subsidiaries is or would be a party or of which any of their respective properties is or would be subject at law or in equity, before or by any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, or before or by any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, NASDAQ) (i) other than any such action, suit, claim, investigation or proceeding accurately described in the Time of Sale Prospectus which, if resolved adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect or (ii) that are required to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and are not so described.  There are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.

 

 

(p)           The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(q)           The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, together with the related notes and schedules, present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the consolidated results of operations, cash flows and changes in stockholders’ equity of the Company for the periods specified and have been prepared in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act and Exchange Act and in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved; the other financial and statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus that are derived from the Company’s financial statements and/or books and records are accurately and fairly presented in all material respects and prepared on a basis consistent with the financial statements and books and records of the Company; there are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that are not included or incorporated by reference as required; the Company and its subsidiaries do not have any liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), not described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, except for such liabilities and obligations the existence of which would not individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect; and all disclosures contained or incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply in all material respects with Regulation G under the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, to the extent applicable.

 

(r)           All statistical or market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably believes to be reliable and accurate, and the Company has obtained the consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent such consent is known by the Company to be required.  Each “forward-looking statement” (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act or Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses has been made or reaffirmed with a reasonable basis and in good faith.

 

 

(s)           There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company or to require the Company to include such securities with the Shares registered pursuant to the Registration Statement.

 

(t)           Subsequent to the date of the latest audited financial statements included in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) there has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the financial condition, business, properties or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries have not incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, nor entered into any material transaction other than in the ordinary course of business; (iii) the Company has not purchased any of its outstanding capital stock, nor declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any kind on its capital stock other than ordinary and customary dividends; and (iv) there has not been any material change in the capital stock, short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, except in each case as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, respectively.

 

(u)           The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them which is material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries (other than such property sold in the ordinary course of business since the end of the period covered by such financial statements which sales, individually and in the aggregate are not material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries), in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects that would have individually or in the aggregate a material adverse effect, except that all of the assets owned by the Company and certain of its subsidiaries have been pledged as security for the payment and performance of all obligations and liabilities of the Company under the Loan Agreement; and except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus; and any real property and buildings held under a material lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made or to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

 

(v)           Each of the Company and its subsidiaries owns, possesses or can acquire on reasonable terms adequate inventions, patent applications, patents, trademarks (both registered and unregistered), trade names, service names, copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary information necessary for the conduct of  their respective businesses as now conducted by them (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”), and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any written notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any of the Intellectual Property  that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect.

 

 

(w)           No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists (except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus) or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect.

 

(x)           The Company and its subsidiaries possess adequate certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, except as would not have a material adverse effect, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a material adverse effect.

 

(y)           Except as otherwise would not have a material adverse effect, no subsidiary of the Company is subject to any material direct or indirect prohibition on paying any dividends to the Company, on making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, on repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or on transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

 

(z)           The Company maintains “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act) in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act.  The Company’s internal control over financial reporting has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and is effective in performing the functions for which it was established.  Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no significant deficiency or material weakness in the design or operation of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) which is reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information, and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

(aa)           The Company maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act); such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer by others within those entities, and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in performing the functions for which they were established; the principal executive officers (or their equivalents) and principal financial officers (or their equivalents) of the Company have made all certifications required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and any related rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), and the statements made in each such certification are accurate; the Company, its subsidiaries and its directors and officers are each in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

 

(bb)           All tax returns required to be filed by the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries have been filed, and all taxes and other assessments of a similar nature (whether imposed directly or through withholding), including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto due or claimed to be due from such entities, have been timely paid, other than those being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been provided, or that would not have a material adverse effect.

 

(cc)           Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder; and the Company and its subsidiaries have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure continued compliance therewith, including without limitation a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

 

(dd)           Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Company has not sold, issued or distributed any shares of Common Stock during the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulation D or S of, the Securities Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, equity incentive plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options.

 

(ee)           Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor any of their respective directors, officers, affiliates or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which has constituted or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

 

 

2.           Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Company hereby agrees to issue and sell 4,200,000 Shares to the Underwriter at a price of $4.09 per share (the “Purchase Price”), and the Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions herein set forth, agrees to purchase from the Company at the Purchase Price the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of the Underwriter set forth in Schedule I hereto.

 

Moreover, the Company hereby agrees to issue and sell up to 630,000 Additional Shares to the Underwriter at the Purchase Price and the Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and warranties contained herein, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, shall have the right (but not the obligation) to purchase up to the Additional Shares at the Purchase Price.  The Underwriter may exercise this right on its own behalf in whole or from time to time in part by giving written notice not later than 30 days after the date of this Agreement.  Any exercise notice shall specify the number of Additional Shares to be purchased by the Underwriter and the date on which such shares are to be purchased.  Each purchase date must be at least one business day after the written notice is given and may not be earlier than the closing date for the Firm Shares or later than ten business days after the date of such notice.  Additional Shares may be purchased as provided in Section 4 hereof solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm Shares.  On each day, if any, that Additional Shares are to be purchased (an “Option Closing Date”), the Underwriter agrees to purchase the number of Additional Shares specified in the exercise notice.

 

3.           Terms of Public Offering. The Company is advised by the Underwriter that the Underwriter proposes to make a public offering of the Shares as soon after this Agreement has become effective as in the Underwriter’s reasonable judgment is advisable.  The Company is further advised by the Underwriter that the Shares are to be offered to the public initially at $4.35 per share (the “Offering Price”) and to certain dealers selected by the Underwriter at a price that represents a concession not in excess of $0.156 per share under the Offering Price, and that the Underwriter may allow, and such dealers may reallow a concession, not in excess of $0.10 per share, to the Underwriter or to certain other dealers.

 

4.           Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Firm Shares to be sold by the Company shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in Chicago against delivery of such Firm Shares for the account of the Underwriter at 10:00 a.m., Central Time, on April 6, 2010, or at such other time on the same or such other date as the Underwriter and the Company may agree.  The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date.”

 

 

Payment for any Additional Shares shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in Chicago against delivery of such Additional Shares for the account of the Underwriter at 10:00 a.m., Central Time, on the date specified in the corresponding notice described in Section 2 or at such other time on the same or on such other date, in any event not later than May 6, 2010, as the Underwriter and the Company may agree.

 

The Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as the Underwriter shall request in writing not later than one full business day prior to the Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be.  The Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be delivered to the Underwriter on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the account of the Underwriter, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Shares to the Underwriter duly paid, against payment of the Purchase Price therefor.

 

5.           Conditions to the Underwriter’s Obligations. The obligations of the Underwriter are subject to the condition that all representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained in this Agreement are, on the date hereof, on the Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date, if any, true and correct in all material respects, the condition that the Company has performed in all material respects its obligations required to be performed prior to the Closing Date and the following further conditions:

 

(a)           Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any:

 

(i)           there shall not have occurred any downgrading in the rating of any debt securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Rule 436(g) under the Securities Act), or any public announcement that any such organization has under surveillance or review its rating of any debt securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than an announcement or review with no reasonable implication of a possible downgrading of such rating); and

 

(ii)           there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the financial condition, business, properties or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus that, in the Underwriter’s reasonable judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the Underwriter’s reasonable judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to offer or sell the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

 

(b)           The Underwriter shall have received on the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, a certificate, dated the Closing Date or such Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and signed by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date or such Option Closing Date, as the case may be, that the Company has complied in all material respects with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date or such Option Closing Date, as the case may be, that no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any part thereof has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or to the Company’s knowledge contemplated by the Commission and that, subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus, there has been no material adverse change, nor any development or event involving a prospective material adverse change, in the financial condition, business, properties or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole except as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus or as described in such certificate.  The delivery of the certificate provided for in this Section 5(b) shall constitute a representation and warranty of the Company as to the statements made in such certificate.

 

 

(c)           The Underwriter shall have received on the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, an opinion and 10b-5 statement of Foley & Lardner LLP, outside counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date or such Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriter as previously agreed.  In rendering such opinion, Foley & Lardner LLP, may rely as to matters of fact (but not as to legal conclusions), to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and its subsidiaries and of public officials.  The opinion of Foley & Lardner LLP shall be rendered to the Underwriter at the request of the Company and shall so state therein.

 

(d)           The Underwriter shall have received on the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, an opinion of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, counsel for the Underwriter, dated the Closing Date or such Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter. In rendering such opinion, McDermott Will & Emery LLP, may rely as to matters of fact (but not as to legal conclusions), to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and its subsidiaries and of public officials.

 

(e)           The Underwriter shall have received, on each of the date hereof, the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, a letter dated the date hereof, the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriter, from KPMG LLP, independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements for and as of the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008 and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date hereof.

 

(f)           No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus shall have been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission; no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement shall have been received; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to the Underwriter’s reasonable satisfaction.

 

 

(g)           The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, between the Underwriter and each of Mary Jane Raymond and Jon F. Chait relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Common Stock or certain other securities, delivered to the Underwriter on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date.

 

(h)           The Company shall have filed with NASDAQ a Notification:  Listing of Additional Shares and shall have received no objection thereto from NASDAQ.

 

(i)           FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness or reasonableness of the underwriting, or other arrangements of the transactions, contemplated hereby.

 

The obligations of the Underwriter to purchase Additional Shares hereunder are subject to the delivery to the Underwriter on the applicable Option Closing Date of such documents as the Underwriter may reasonably request, including certificates of officers of the Company, legal opinions and an accountants’ comfort letter, and other matters related to the issuance of such Additional Shares.

 

6.           Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with the Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)           To furnish to the Underwriter, without charge, two signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and for delivery to each other Underwriter a conformed copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and to furnish to the Underwriter in Chicago, Illinois, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. Central Time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 6(f) or 6(g) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as the Underwriter may reasonably request.

 

(b)           Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, to furnish to the Underwriter a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Underwriter reasonably objects, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.

 

(c)           To furnish to the Underwriter a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and not to use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus to which the Underwriter reasonably objects.

 

 

(d)           Not to take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

 

(e)           To advise the Underwriter promptly of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, Prospectus Supplement or Prospectus or for additional information with respect thereto, or of notice of institution of proceedings for, or the entry of a stop order, suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus; and if the Commission should enter such a stop order, to use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the lifting or removal of such order as soon as possible.

 

(f)           If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriter, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriter and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

 

(g)           If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriter the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriter, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriter and to the dealers (whose names and addresses the Underwriter will furnish to the Company) to which Shares may have been sold by the Underwriter on behalf of the Underwriter and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

 

 

(h)           If, at any time during the period when a prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) in connection with any sale of Shares, the Registration Statement shall cease to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act with respect to eligibility for the use of the form on which the Registration Statement was filed with the Commission, to (i) promptly notify the Underwriter; (ii) promptly file with the Commission a new registration statement under the Securities Act, relating to the Shares, or a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, which new registration statement or post-effective amendment shall comply with the requirements of the Securities Act and shall be in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriter; (iii) use its reasonable best efforts to cause such new registration statement or post-effective amendment to become effective under the Securities Act as soon as practicable; (iv) promptly notify the Underwriter of such effectiveness; and (v) take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Shares to continue as contemplated in the Prospectus; all references herein to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to include each such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, if any;

 

(i)           If the third anniversary of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement occurs before all the Shares have been sold by the Underwriter, prior to the third anniversary to file a new shelf registration statement and to take any other action reasonably necessary to permit the public offering of the Shares to continue without interruption; references herein to the Registration Statement shall include the new registration statement declared effective by the Commission.

 

(j)           To file within the time period required by the Commission all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares.

 

(k)           Promptly to furnish such information or to take such action as the Underwriter may reasonably request and otherwise to qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions as the Underwriter shall reasonably request, and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a consent to service of process in any jurisdiction (excluding service of process with respect to the offer and sale of the Shares); and to promptly advise the Underwriter of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer or sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose.

 

 

(l)           To make generally available to the Company’s security holders and to the Underwriter as soon as practicable an earning statement covering a period of at least twelve months beginning after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Securities Act), which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder.

 

(m)           To use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Shares to be listed on NASDAQ and to maintain the listing of the Common Stock, including the Shares, on NASDAQ.

 

(n)           During the period beginning on the date of this Agreement and continuing to and including 90 days after the date of the Prospectus, and without the prior written consent of the Underwriter with the authorization to release the lock-up letter on behalf of the Underwriter, not to (i) to issue, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock; (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to  another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of the Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise; (iii) file any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock; or (iv) publicly announce an intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (i), (ii) or (iii).  The restrictions contained in the preceding sentence shall not apply to (A) the Shares to be sold hereunder; (B) the grant of options to purchase shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plans under the terms of such plans in effect on the date hereof, provided such options are granted at fair market value and in amounts and with exercise terms consistent in all material respects with the Company’s past practice, or the sale of shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase plans (or the filing of a registration statement on Form S-8 to register shares of Common Stock issuable under such plans); or (C) the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of an option or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date of this Agreement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 90-day restricted period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 90-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 90-day period, the restrictions imposed by this agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.  The Company shall promptly notify the Underwriter of any earnings release, news or event that may give rise to an extension of the initial 90-day restricted period.

 

 

(o)           To prepare, if the Underwriter so reasonably requests, a final term sheet relating to the offering of the Shares, containing only information that describes the final terms of the Shares or the offering in a form reasonably consented to by the Underwriter, and to file such final term sheet within the period required by Rule 433(d)(5)(ii) under the Securities Act following the date the final terms have been established for the offering of the Shares.

 

(p)           To comply with Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act (without reliance on Rule 164(b) under the Securities Act) and with Rule 433(g) under the Securities Act.

 

(q)           Not to take, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which will constitute, or has constituted, or would reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

 

(r)           Not, at any time at or after the execution of this Agreement, to offer or sell any Shares by means of any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Securities Act) or use any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Securities Act) in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares, except in each case other than the Prospectus.

 

(s)           To maintain a transfer agent and, if necessary under the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company, a registrar for the Common Stock.

 

(t)           To apply the net proceeds to the Company from the sale of the Shares in the manner set forth under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus Supplement.

 

7.           Agreements of the Underwriters.  Each Underwriter covenants with the Company as to the following:

 

(a)           It has not and will not use, authorize use of, refer to, or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus” (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or any press release issued by the Company) other than a free writing prospectus that (i) is not an “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and (ii) contains only (A) information describing the preliminary terms of the Shares or their offering, (B) information permitted under Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (C) information that describes the final terms of the Shares or their offering and that is included in the final term sheet of the Company; provided that Underwriter may use any underwriter free writing prospectus approved by the Company in advance in writing.

 

 

8.           Expenses.  Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company agrees to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of the Shares under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriter and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriter, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, iii) the cost of printing or producing any securities or blue sky memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares under the securities laws of the jurisdictions in which the Shares may be offered or sold and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under such securities laws as provided in Section 6(l) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum, iv) all filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriter incurred in connection with the review and qualification of the offering of the Shares by FINRA, v) all costs and expenses incident to listing the Shares on NASDAQ, vi) the cost of printing certificates representing the Shares, vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, including (except to the extent provided in the following paragraph) the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, ix) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement, x) all expenses in connection with any offer and sale of the Shares outside of the United States, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter in connection with offers and sales outside of the United States, and xi) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section.

 

The Underwriter will pay all of its costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of its counsel (including, but not limited to, any travel and lodging expenses of the Underwriter’s representatives in connection with the road show, with the Underwriter bearing a pro rata share of the direct costs of the use of any aircraft chartered by the Underwriter’s representatives in connection therewith), stock transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Shares by the Underwriter and any advertising expenses connected with any offers it may make.  Notwithstanding the above, if the sale of the Shares provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriter set forth in Section 5 is not satisfied, because of any termination of this Agreement by the Underwriter pursuant to Section 10 hereof or because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any obligation or covenant hereunder or comply with any provision hereof other than by reason of a default by the Underwriter, the Company will reimburse the Underwriter on demand for all out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriter in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereby.

 

 

9.           Indemnity and Contribution.  a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and each affiliate of the Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by, arising out of or based upon i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any issuer information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, any road show not constituting a free writing prospectus, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which there were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable under this Section 9(a) to the extent that such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by, arise out of or are based upon any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Underwriter expressly for use therein.

 

(b)           The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, the directors of the Company, the officers of the Company who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by, arising from or based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, any road show not constituting a free writing prospectus, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which there were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission was made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Underwriter expressly for use therein.

 

 

(c)           In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 9(a) or 9(b) such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding.  In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel and to the payment of the fees and expenses of such counsel by the indemnifying party or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be, in the reasonable judgment of counsel to the indemnified party, inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them.  It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for (i) the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for the Underwriter and all persons, if any, who control the Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or who are affiliates of the Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act, and (ii) the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either such Section, and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred.  In the case of any such separate firm for the Underwriter and such control persons and affiliates of the Underwriter, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Underwriter.  In the case of any such separate firm for the Company, and such directors, officers and control persons of the Company, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Company.  The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability created by such settlement or judgment.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity is or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.

 

 

(d)           To the extent the indemnification provided for in 8(a) or 8(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified party or parties on the other hand from the offering of the Shares; or ii) if the allocation provided by clause i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause i) above but also the relative fault of the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and of the indemnified party or parties on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriter, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate Offering Price of the Shares.  The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriter and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

(e)           The Company and the Underwriter agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 9(d).  The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 9(d) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, 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 9, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that the Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.  No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  The remedies provided for in this Section 9 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

 

 

(f)           The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 9 shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of i) any termination of this Agreement, ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriter, any person controlling the Underwriter or any affiliate of the Underwriter, or the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Shares.  The obligations of the Company under this Section shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have; and the obligations of the Underwriter under this Section shall be in addition to any liability which the Underwriter may otherwise have.

 

10.           Termination.  The Underwriter may terminate this Agreement by notice given by the Underwriter to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited or minimum prices shall have been established on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, or the NASDAQ Global Market; (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended or materially limited on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred; (iv) any moratorium or material limitation on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal, Illinois or New York state  authorities; (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, act of terrorism involving the United States or declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war; or (vi) any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (v); or (vi), in the Underwriter’s good faith judgment, is material and adverse and makes it, in the Underwriter’s good faith judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

 

 

11.           Representations and Indemnities to Survive.  The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company and the Underwriter set forth or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriter or the Company or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or controlling persons referred to in Section 9 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.  The provisions of Sections 8 and 9 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.

 

12.           Entire Agreement.  a) This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the offering of the Shares, represents the entire agreement between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other, with respect to the preparation of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the conduct of the offering, and the purchase and sale of the Shares.

 

(b)           The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Shares:  i) the Underwriter has acted at arm’s length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Company or any other person; ii) the Underwriter owes the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement), if any; and iii) the Underwriter may have interests that differ from those of the Company.  The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Underwriter arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Shares.

 

13.           Counterparts.  This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

 

14.           Applicable Law.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.

 

15.           Headings.  The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.

 

16.           Notices.  All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Underwriter shall be delivered, mailed or sent to the Underwriter at Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, 227 West Monroe Street, Suite 2100, Chicago, Illinois  60606, Fax: (312 ###-###-####, Attention: Brian Doyal, with copies to the Legal Department, Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin  53202, Fax: (414 ###-###-#### and to McDermott Will & Emery LLP, 227 West Monroe Street, Suite 4700, Chicago, Illinois  60606, Fax: (312 ###-###-####, Attention: Thomas J. Murphy; and if to the Company shall be delivered, mailed or sent to 560 Lexington Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, New York  10022, Fax: (917 ###-###-####, Attention: Chief Financial Officer, with a copy to Foley & Lardner LLP, 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, Fax: (414 ###-###-####, Attention: Benjamin F. Garmer, III.

 

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

 

 

Accepted as of the date hereof

 

ROBERT W. BAIRD & CO. INCORPORATED

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.	Preliminary Prospectus, including the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated March 30, 2010 and Base Prospectus

 

2.	orally communicated pricing information to be included below on this Schedule II if a final term sheet is not used, including the following:

 

Number of Shares to be Sold:  4,200,000

Offering size: $18,270,000

Estimated net proceeds to the Company (after underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses): $16,700,000

Price per share: $4.35

Underwriting discount and commissions per share: $0.26

Trade date: March 30, 2010

Closing date: April 6, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

Hudson Highland Resources Management, Inc.

Hudson Global Resources Jersey Limited

Hudson Global Resources Limited

Hudson Highland Group Holdings International, Inc.

Hudson Global Resources (Aust) Pty Limited

 

 

 

 

 

__________, 2010

ROBERT W. BAIRD & CO. INCORPORATED

c/o Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated

227 West Monroe Street

Suite 2100

Chicago, IL  60606

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned understands that Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated (the “Underwriter”) proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Hudson Highland Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the Underwriter of shares of the Common Stock ($0.001 par value) of the Company (the “Common Stock”).

 

To induce the Underwriter to continue its efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter, it will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 90 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Restricted Period”), (1) offer, pledge (except for shares currently pledged as collateral for a margin account, which are listed on Appendix I hereto), sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, or (3)  publicly announce an intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (1) or (2).  The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock as a bona fide gift, (b) transfers by will or intestate succession or to the undersigned’s family or to a trust, the beneficiaries of which are exclusively the undersigned or members of the undersigned’s family, or (c) transfers of shares of Common Stock to the Company for the sole purpose of satisfying tax withholding obligations that are incurred upon the vesting of currently outstanding restricted stock grants in favor of the undersigned; provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (a) or (b), (i) each donee or distributee shall sign and deliver a lock-up letter substantially in the form of this letter and (ii) no filing under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock, shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Restricted Period.  In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter, it will not, during the Restricted Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.  The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

 

 

If:

 

(1)           during the last 17 days of the Restricted Period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or

 

(2)           prior to the expiration of the Restricted Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the Restricted Period;

 

then the restrictions imposed by this agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.

 

The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriter are relying upon this agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Public Offering.  The undersigned further understands that this agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.

 

The Underwriter agrees that if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, or if the Underwriting Agreement shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the shares of Common Stock to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this agreement.

 

 

Whether or not the Public Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions.  Any Public Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the Underwriter.