6,666,667 Shares CVSL INC. Common Stock UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Underwriting Agreements
EX-1.1 2 a2222041zex-1_1.htm EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

 

6,666,667 Shares

 

CVSL INC.

 

Common Stock

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

November   , 2014

 

CANTOR FITZGERALD & CO.
JMP SECURITIES LLC

As Representatives of the several Underwriters listed on Schedule A
c/o Cantor Fitzgerald & Co.
499 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10022

 

Dear Sirs:

 

CVSL Inc., a Florida corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell, pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, to the several underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (the “Underwriters,” or, each, an “Underwriter”), an aggregate of 6,666,667 shares (the “Firm Shares”) of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company. The Company also proposes to sell to the Underwriters, upon the terms and conditions set forth in Section 3 hereof, up to an additional 1,000,000 shares (the “Option Shares”) of Common Stock. The Firm Shares and the Option Shares are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Shares”. Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and JMP Securities LLC are acting as representatives of the several Underwriters and in such capacity are hereinafter referred to as the “Representatives.”

 

The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Shares as follows:

 

1.                                      Registration Statement. The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), a registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-196155) including a related preliminary prospectus, for the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Securities Act Regulations”). The Company has prepared and filed such amendments to the registration statement and such amendments or supplements to the related preliminary prospectus as may have been required to the date hereof, and will file such additional amendments or supplements as may hereafter be required. The registration statement has been declared effective under the Securities Act by the Commission. The registration statement, as amended at the time it was declared effective by the Commission (and, if the Company files a post-effective amendment to such registration statement which becomes effective prior to the Closing Time (as defined below), such registration statement as so amended) and including all information deemed to be a part of the registration statement pursuant to Rule 430A of the Securities Act Regulations or otherwise, is hereinafter called the “Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act Regulations is hereinafter called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and after such filing the term “Registration Statement” shall include the 462(b) Registration Statement. Each prospectus included in the Registration Statement before it was declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act, and any

 



 

preliminary form of prospectus filed with the Commission by the Company with the consent of the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the Securities Act Regulations, including all information in either such prospectus, is hereinafter called the “Preliminary Prospectus.” The term “Prospectus” means the final prospectus, as first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act Regulations, and any amendments thereof or supplements thereto.

 

Applicable Time” means [        ] [a.m./p.m.] (New York time) on the date of this Agreement or such other time as agreed to by the Company and the Representatives.

 

The term “Pricing Disclosure Package” means the Pricing Prospectus (as defined below) and the information included on Schedule B hereto.

 

Pricing Prospectus” means the Preliminary Prospectus relating to the Shares that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the Applicable Time.

 

2.                                      Sale and Purchase.

 

(a)                                 Firm Shares.  On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters, and the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective numbers of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of the Underwriters in Schedule A hereto at a price per share equal to $           (the “Purchase Price”).

 

(b)                                 Option Shares.  In addition, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company all or any part of the Option Shares, for the purpose of covering any over-allotments in connection with the distribution and sale of the Firm Shares as contemplated by the Prospectus.  The Underwriters may exercise the option to purchase the Option Shares at any time in whole, or from time to time in part, by written notice from the Representatives to the Company.  Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Option Shares as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time when the Option Shares are to be delivered and paid for (the “Option Closing Date”), which may be the same date and time as the Closing Date (as defined below), but shall not be earlier than the Closing Date, and shall in no event be earlier than two (2) business days nor later than five (5) business days after written notice is given.  The Option Closing Date and the Closing Date are herein called the “Closing Dates.” The price to be paid per Option Share shall be the Purchase Price. The Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters the number of Option Shares specified in the written notice delivered by the Representatives to the Company and the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase

 

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such Option Shares. Such Option Shares shall be purchased from the Company for the account of each Underwriter in the same proportion as the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name on Schedule A bears to the total number of Firm Shares (subject to adjustment by the Representatives to eliminate fractions). The right to purchase the Option Shares or any portion thereof may be surrendered and terminated at any time upon notice by the Representatives to the Company.

 

3.                                      Payment and Delivery

 

(a)                                 Firm Shares.  The Company will deliver the Firm Shares to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company, issued in such names and in such denominations as the Representatives may direct by notice in writing to the Company given at or prior to 12:00 Noon, New York time, on the second (2nd) full business day preceding the Closing Date against payment of the aggregate Purchase Price therefor by wire transfer in federal (same day) funds to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives payable to the order of the Company for the Firm Shares sold by them, all at the offices of Reed Smith LLP, 599 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10022. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified pursuant to this Agreement is a further condition of the obligations of each Underwriter hereunder. The time and date of the delivery and closing shall be at [        ][a.m./p.m.], New York time, on November    [    ], 2014, in accordance with Rule 15c6-1 of the 1934 Securities Exchange Act, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The time and date of such payment and delivery are herein referred to as the “Closing Date.” The Closing Date and the location of delivery of, and the form of payment for, the Firm Shares may be varied by agreement between the Company and the Representatives.

 

(b)                                 Option Shares.  The Company will deliver the Option Shares to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company, issued in such names and in such denominations as the Representatives may direct by notice in writing to the Company given at or prior to 12:00 Noon, New York time, on the second (2nd) full business day preceding the Option Closing Date against payment of the aggregate Purchase Price therefor by wire transfer in federal (same day) funds to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives payable to the order of the Company all at the offices of Reed Smith LLP, 599 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10022. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified pursuant to this Agreement is a further condition of the obligations of each Underwriter hereunder. The Option Closing Date and the location of delivery of, and the form of payment for, the Option Shares may be varied by agreement between the Company and the Representatives.

 

4.                                      Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the several Underwriters, as of the date hereof and as of each Closing Date that:

 

(a)                                 Preliminary Prospectus.  No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and the Pricing Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and no Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not

 

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misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 18 hereof.

 

(b)                                 Pricing Disclosure Package.  The Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in such Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 18 hereof.  No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been omitted from the Pricing Disclosure Package and no statement of material fact included in the Pricing Disclosure Package that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted therefrom.

 

(c)                                  Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.  Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) each electronic road show and any other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Representatives.

 

(d)                                 Registration Statement and Prospectus.  The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration

 

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Statement has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering of the Shares has been initiated or threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any 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; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 18 hereof.

 

(e)                                  Organization and Good Standing.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries (as defined in Section 16) have been duly organized and are validly existing as corporations or other legal entities in good standing (or the foreign equivalent thereof) under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization. The Company and each of its subsidiaries are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing as foreign corporations or other legal entities in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification and have all power and authority (corporate or other) necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to so qualify or have such power or authority would not (i) have, singularly or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, assets, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, or (ii) impair in any material respect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate any transactions contemplated by this Agreement (any such effect as described in clauses (i) or (ii), a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company owns or controls, directly or indirectly, only the corporations, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, associations or other entities listed on Appendix A hereto.

 

(f)                                   Capitalization.  The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization,” and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws, and conform to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus. As of November [    ], 2014, there were [27,598,814] shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding, no shares of preferred stock of the Company were issued and outstanding and 68,750 shares of Common Stock were issuable upon the exercise of certain warrants outstanding as of such date. Since such date, the Company has not issued any securities other than Common Stock of the Company issued

 

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pursuant to the exercise of stock options or warrants or upon the conversion of convertible debentures previously outstanding. All of the Company’s options, warrants and other rights to purchase or exchange any securities for shares of the Company’s capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and were issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws. None of the outstanding shares of Common Stock was issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. There are no authorized or outstanding shares of capital stock, options, warrants, preemptive rights or rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those described above or accurately described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus. The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, as described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, accurately and fairly present the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.

 

All of the outstanding shares of capital stock (if any) of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and, except to the extent set forth in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, are owned by the Company directly or indirectly through one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries, free and clear of any claim, lien, encumbrance, security interest, restriction upon voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party.

 

(g)                                  Stock Options.  The Company does not have any outstanding stock options.

 

(h)                                 Due Authorization.  The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; and all actions required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of this Agreement and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby has been duly and validly taken.

 

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

 

(j)                                    No Violation or Default.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(k)                                 No Conflicts.   The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, the issue and sale of the Shares by the Company and the consummation of the

 

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transactions contemplated hereby will not (with or without notice or lapse of time or both) (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, constitute a default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, give rise to any right of termination or other right or the cancellation or acceleration of any right or obligation or loss of a benefit under, or give rise to the creation or imposition of any lien, encumbrance, security interest, claim or charge upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, grants (whether by way of cash or tax benefits) made by any governmental agency or body, or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter, articles of association or by-laws (or analogous governing instruments, as applicable) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in a violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets; except in the case of clauses (i) and (iii), to the extent that any such conflict, breach, violation or default would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. A “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company of any of its subsidiaries.

 

(l)                                     No Consent.  Except for the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and any applicable state securities laws, the filing made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters, and the listing of the Shares on the NYSE MKT (the “Exchange”), no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, qualification or registration (each an “Authorization”) with, any court, governmental or non-governmental agency or body, foreign or domestic, which has not been made, obtained or taken and is not in full force and effect, is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, the offer or sale of the Shares or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; and, to the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred that allows or results in, or after notice or lapse of time or both would allow or result in, revocation, suspension, termination or invalidation of any such Authorization or any other impairment of the rights of the holder or maker of any such Authorization. All corporate approvals (including those of shareholders) necessary for the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been obtained and are in effect.

 

(m)                             The Shares.  The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriters hereunder have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free of any preemptive or similar rights and will conform to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(n)                                 Independent Accountants. PMB Helin Donovan, LLP, Certified Public Accountants, who have certified certain financial statements included in the Registration

 

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Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of Article 2-01 of Regulation S-X and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”).

 

(o)                                 Financial Statements.  The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified.  The financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and fairly presents the information shown thereby.  Such financial statements and related notes have been prepared in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved except as may be set forth in the related notes included in the Pricing Disclosure Package. The financial statements, together with the related notes, included in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with Regulation S-X. No other financial statements or supporting schedules or exhibits are required by Regulation S-X to be described or included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. The summary and selected financial data included in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly present in all material respects the information shown therein as at the respective dates and for the respective periods specified and are derived from the consolidated financial statements set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus and other financial information. All information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as defined in Regulation G) complies with Regulation G and Item 10 of Regulation S-K, to the extent applicable.

 

(p)                                 XBRL.  The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included in each Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

 

(q)                                 No Material Losses or Interference with Business.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package; and, since such date, there has not been any material change in the capital stock (other than stock option and warrant exercises and conversions of convertible debentures) or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any material adverse changes, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, assets, management, financial position, prospects, shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package.

 

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(r)                                    Legal Proceedings.  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; no such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others; and (i) there are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (ii) there are no statutes, regulations or contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(s)                                   Licenses and Permits.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate local, state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies or other governmental bodies or entities which are necessary for the ownership of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus (collectively, the “Governmental Permits”) except where any failures to possess or make the same, singularly or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects with all such Governmental Permits; all such Governmental Permits are valid and in full force and effect, except where the invalidity or failure to be in full force and effect would not, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received notification of any revocation, modification, suspension, termination or invalidation (or proceedings related thereto) of any such Governmental Permit which would, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect and to the knowledge of the Company, no event has occurred that allows or results in, or after notice or lapse of time or both would allow or result in, revocation, modification, suspension, termination or invalidation (or proceedings related thereto) of any such Governmental Permit which would, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect and the Company has no reason to believe that any such Governmental Permit will not be renewed.

 

(t)                                    Title to Real and Personal Property. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and each of its subsidiaries have title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real or personal property which are material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, security interests, claims and defects other than those that (1) do not, singularly or in the aggregate, affect, in a material adverse respect, the value of such property (taken as a whole) and (2) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its

 

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subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

 

(u)                                 Title to Intellectual Property.  The Company and its subsidiaries own all valid and enforceable patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, Internet domain name registrations, copyrights, copyright registrations and trade secret rights (“Intellectual Property Rights”), or have the valid right to use any in-licensed rights related to any of the foregoing (“Intellectual Property Assets”) that are, to the knowledge of the Company, necessary to conduct their respective businesses as currently conducted, and as presently proposed to be conducted and described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus. The Company and its subsidiaries have not received any opinion from their legal counsel concluding that any activities of their respective businesses infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise violate, any valid and enforceable Intellectual Property Rights of any other person, and have not received written notice of any challenge, which is to their knowledge still pending, by any other person to the rights of the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to any Intellectual Property Rights or Intellectual Property Assets owned or used by the Company or its subsidiaries. To the knowledge of the Company, the Company and its subsidiaries’ respective businesses as now conducted do not give rise to any infringement of, any misappropriation of, or other violation of, any valid and enforceable Intellectual Property Rights of any other person. All licenses for the use of the Intellectual Property Rights described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus are, to the knowledge of the Company, valid, binding upon, and enforceable by or against the parties thereto in accordance to its terms. The Company has complied in all material respects with, and is not in breach nor has received any asserted or, to its knowledge, threatened claim of breach of, any Intellectual Property license, and the Company has no knowledge of any breach or anticipated breach by any other person to any Intellectual Property license to which the Company is a party. Except as described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, no claim has been made against the Company alleging the infringement by the Company of any patent, trademark, service mark, trade name, copyright, trade secret, license in or other intellectual property right or franchise right of any person. The Company has taken all reasonable steps to protect, maintain and safeguard its Intellectual Property Rights, including the execution of appropriate nondisclosure, confidentiality and/or non-competition agreements between the Company and its employees, consultants and contractors. The consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not result in the loss or impairment of or payment of any additional amounts with respect to, nor require the consent of any other person in respect of, the Company’s right to own, use, or hold for use any of the Intellectual Property Rights as owned, used or held for use in the conduct of the business as currently conducted. The Company has taken all necessary actions to obtain ownership of all works of authorship and inventions made by its employees, consultants and contractors during the time they were employed by or under contract with the Company and which relate to the Company’s business. All Intellectual Property Rights developed by the

 

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Company’s and/or its subsidiaries’ employees were duly assigned to the Company and all founders and key employees have signed confidentiality and invention and intellectual property rights assignment agreements with the Company, pursuant to which the Intellectual Property Rights assignments were and are made.

 

(v)                                 No Undisclosed Relationships.  No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders (or analogous interest holders), customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its affiliates on the other hand, which is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents and in the Pricing Disclosure Package.

 

(w)                               No Labor Disputes.  There is (i) no unfair labor practice complaint pending against the Company, or any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against it or any of its subsidiaries, before the National Labor Relations Board, any state or local labor relation board or any foreign labor relations board, and no grievance or arbitration proceeding arising out of or under any collective bargaining agreement is so pending against the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or threatened against it and (ii) no labor disturbance by the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, that could reasonably be expected, singularly or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, no key employee, consultant and/or contractor or significant group thereof of the Company or any subsidiary has expressed plans to terminate employment with the Company or any such subsidiary.

 

(x)                                 Compliance with ERISA.  No “prohibited transaction” (as defined in Section 406 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”), or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (the “Code”)) or “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 302 of ERISA) or any of the events set forth in Section 4043(b) of ERISA (other than events with respect to which the thirty (30)-day notice requirement under Section 4043 of ERISA has been waived) has occurred or could reasonably be expected to occur with respect to any employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its subsidiaries which could, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Each employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is in compliance in all material respects with applicable law, including ERISA and the Code. The Company and its subsidiaries have not incurred and could not reasonably be expected to incur liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of, or withdrawal from, any pension plan (as defined in ERISA). Each U.S. pension plan for which the Company or any of its subsidiaries would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified, and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which could, singularly or in the aggregate, cause the loss of such qualification. The obligations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries to provide statutory social benefits pursuant to any applicable law and any other benefits provided under any contract to which the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries is a party, are each fully funded or properly reflected on the Company’s financial statements. The Company and all of its subsidiaries have complied in all material respects with all applicable laws and/or written contracts and/or customs

 

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existing as of the date hereof and with which the Company is required to comply relating to employment, employment practices, wages, bonuses and other compensation matters and terms and conditions of employment related to its employees; and all amounts that the Company or any of its subsidiaries is legally or contractually required, prior to the date hereof, either (i) to deduct from its employees’ salaries or to transfer to such employees’ pension or provident, life insurance, incapacity insurance, continuing education fund or other similar funds, or (ii) to withhold from its employees’ salaries and benefits and to pay to any governmental body or entity as required by under any applicable law, have, in each case, been fully deducted, transferred, withheld and paid.

 

(y)                                 Compliance with Environmental Laws.  The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects with all foreign, federal, state and local rules, laws and regulations relating to the use, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous or toxic substances or waste and protection of the environment which are applicable to their businesses (“Environmental Laws”). There has been no storage, generation, transportation, handling, treatment, disposal, discharge, emission, or other release of any kind of toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances by, due to, or caused by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other entity for whose acts or omissions the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may otherwise be liable) upon any of the property now or previously owned or leased by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or upon any other property, in violation of Environmental Law; and to the Company’s knowledge, there has been no disposal, discharge, emission or other release of any kind of toxic or hazardous substances or wastes onto such property or into the environment surrounding such property of any toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances. In the ordinary course of business, the Company and its subsidiaries conduct periodic reviews of the effect of Environmental Laws on their business and assets, in the course of which they identify and evaluate associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or Governmental Permits issued thereunder, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such reviews, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not have, singularly or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(z)                                  Taxes.  The Company and its subsidiaries each (i) have timely filed all necessary federal, state, local and foreign tax returns, and all such returns were true, complete and correct, (ii) have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes, assessments, governmental or other charges due and payable for which it is liable, including, without limitation, all sales and use taxes and all taxes which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is obligated to withhold from amounts owing to employees, creditors and third parties, and (iii) do not have any tax deficiency or claims outstanding or assessed or, to its knowledge, proposed against any of them; except those, in each of the cases described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph (z), that would not, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries have not engaged in any transaction which is a corporate tax shelter or which could be characterized as such by the Internal Revenue Service or any other taxing authority. The accruals and reserves on the books and records of the Company and its subsidiaries in respect of tax liabilities for any taxable period not yet finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments and related liabilities for any such period, and since inception the Company and its subsidiaries have not incurred any liability for taxes other than in the ordinary course.

 

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(aa)                          Insurance.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of their respective businesses and the value of their respective properties taken as a whole and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect. All policies of insurance owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries are, to the Company’s knowledge, in full force and effect and the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received written notice from any insurer, agent of such insurer or the broker of the Company or any of its subsidiaries that any material capital improvements or any other material expenditures (other than premium payments) are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance. None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries insures risk of loss through any captive insurance, risk retention group, reciprocal group or by means of any fund or pool of assets specifically set aside for contingent liabilities other than as described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus.

 

(bb)                          No Agreements.  There is no franchise agreement, lease, contract, or other agreement or document required by the Securities Act or by the Securities Act Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, which is not so described or filed therein as required; and all descriptions of any such franchise agreements, leases, contracts, or other agreements or documents contained in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus are accurate and complete descriptions of such documents in all material respects. Other than as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package, no such franchise agreement, lease, contract or other agreement has been suspended or terminated for convenience or default by the Company or any of the other parties thereto, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of and the Company does not have knowledge of any such pending or threatened suspension or termination.

 

(cc)                            Accounting Controls. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 of the general rules and regulations under the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurances regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and procedures that: (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the issuer’s assets that could have a material effect on the Company’s financial

 

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statements. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is not effective as determined under Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act. Except as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package, since inception, there has been (A) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (B) 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. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is, or upon consummation of the offering of the Shares will be, overseen by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Audit Committee”) in accordance with the Exchange Act Rules. The Company has not publicly disclosed or reported to the Audit Committee or to the Board, and within the next 90 days the Company does not reasonably expect to publicly disclose or report to the Audit Committee or the Board, a significant deficiency, material weakness, change in internal control over financial reporting or fraud involving management or other employees who have a significant role in the internal control over financial reporting (each an “Internal Control Event”), any violation of, or failure to comply with, the federal and state securities laws, or any matter which if determined adversely, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(dd)                          Disclosure Controls. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus,  the Company and each of its subsidiaries maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such is defined in Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act Rules) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company and its subsidiaries is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities, such disclosure controls and procedures are effective at the reasonable assurance level.

 

(ee)                            No Audit Committee Reviews or Investigations.  A member of the Audit Committee has confirmed to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or General Counsel that, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, the Audit Committee is not reviewing or investigating, and neither the Company’s independent auditors nor its internal auditors have recommended that the Audit Committee review or investigate, (i) adding to, deleting, changing the application of or changing the Company’s disclosure with respect to, any of the Company’s material accounting policies, (ii) any matter which could result in a restatement of the Company’s financial statements for any annual or interim period during the current or prior three fiscal years, or (iii) any Internal Control Event.

 

(ff)                              No Unlawful Payments.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor to the knowledge of the Company any director, officer or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries nor any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity, (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity of or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any

 

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political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Bribery Act of 2010 of the United Kingdom or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit.  The Company and its subsidiaries have instituted, maintain and enforce, and will continue to maintain and enforce policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.

 

(gg)                            Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws.  The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder or any other applicable legislation in any jurisdiction in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries operates (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending, or to the Company’s knowledge, threatened.

 

(hh)                          No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, directors, officers, or employees, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent,  affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government, (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company, any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.

 

(ii)                                  No Restriction on Subsidiaries.  Except as described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject other than the Security Agreement between Agel Enterprises, Inc. and Agel Enterprises, LLC and restrictions under the Master Lease Agreement by and between CFI NNN Raiders, LLC and the Company, from paying any dividends to the Company, from

 

15



 

making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.

 

(jj)                                Books and Records.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries have made and keep books, records and accounts, which, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries in all material respects.

 

(kk)                          Minute Books.  The minute books of the Company and each of its subsidiaries have been made available to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters, and such books (i) contain a complete summary of all meetings and actions of the board of directors (including each board committee) and shareholders of the Company (or analogous governing bodies and interest holders, as applicable), and each of its subsidiaries since the time of its respective incorporation or organization through the date of the latest meeting and action, and (ii) accurately in all material respects reflect all transactions referred to in such minutes.

 

(ll)                                  No Broker’s Fees.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or the Underwriters for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Stock or any transaction contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.

 

(mm)                  No Registration Rights.  No person or entity has the right to require registration of shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries because of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or otherwise, except for persons and entities who have expressly waived such right in writing or who have been given timely and proper written notice and have failed to exercise such right within the time or times required under the terms and conditions of such right. Except as described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, there are no persons with registration rights or similar rights to have any securities registered by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under the Securities Act.

 

(nn)                          No Stabilization.  Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its officers, directors or affiliates has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed or intended to stabilize or manipulate the price of any security of the Company, or which caused or resulted in, or which might in the future reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company.

 

(oo)                          Margin Rules.  None of the proceeds of the sale of the Shares will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any “margin securities,” as that term is defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry any margin security or for any other purpose which might cause any of the Shares to be considered a “purpose credit” within the meanings of Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.

 

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(pp)                          Forward-Looking Statements.  No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in either the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

 

(qq)                          Statistical and Market Data.  The statistical and market related data included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate in all material respects, and such data agree in all material respects with the sources from which they are derived.

 

(rr)                                Sarbanes-Oxley Act.  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) that are in effect.

 

(ss)                              No Material Changes.  Since the date as of which information is given in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus through the date hereof, and except as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) issued or granted any securities other than options to purchase common stock pursuant to the Company’s stock option plan, (ii) incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, other than liabilities and obligations which were incurred in the ordinary course of business, (iii) entered into any material transaction other than in the ordinary course of business or (iv) declared or paid any dividend on its capital stock.

 

(tt)                                Investment Company Act.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is or, after giving effect to the offering of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will become an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

(uu)  Passive Foreign Investment Company.  The Company is not a Passive Foreign Investment Company (“PFIC”) within the meaning of Section 1296 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1966, and the Company does not intend to become a PFIC.

 

(vv)                          Compliance with Exchange Act.  The Company is subject to and in compliance in all material respects with the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or reasonably likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. The Shares have been approved for listing subject to notice of issuance on the Exchange. A registration statement has been filed on Form 8-A pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, which registration statement complies in all material respects with the Exchange Act.

 

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(ww)                      Compliance with Continued Listing Requirements.  The Company has taken all necessary actions to ensure that, upon and at all times after the Exchange shall have approved the Shares for listing, it will be in compliance with all applicable corporate governance requirements set forth in the rules of the Exchange that are in effect.

 

(xx)                          No Undisclosed Transactions.  There are no transactions, arrangements or other relationships between and/or among the Company, any of its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act Regulations) and any unconsolidated entity, including, but not limited to, any structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity that could reasonably be expected to materially affect the Company’s liquidity or the availability of or requirements for its capital resources required to be described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus which have not been described as required.

 

(yy)                          No Undisclosed Loans.  There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective family members, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. All transactions by the Company with office holders or control persons of the Company have been duly approved by the board of directors of the Company, or duly appointed committees or officers thereof, if and to the extent required under U.S. law.

 

(zz)                            Insolvency.  The Company and its subsidiaries, individually and on a consolidated basis, are not as of the date hereof, and after giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereby to occur on the Closing Date, will not be Insolvent (as defined below). For purposes of this Section 3(zz), “Insolvent” means, with respect to any person, (i) the present fair saleable value of such person’s assets is less than the amount required to pay such person’s total Indebtedness, (ii) such person is unable to pay its debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured, (iii) such person intends to incur or believes that it will incur debts that would be beyond its ability to pay as such debts mature or (iv) such person has unreasonably small capital with which to conduct the business in which it is engaged as such business is now conducted and is proposed to be conducted.

 

(aaa)                   FINRA.  Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates (within the meaning of FINRA Rule 5121(f)(1)) directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, or is an associated person (within the meaning of Article I, Section 1(rr) of the By-Laws of FINRA) of, any member firm of FINRA, other than as described on Schedule C hereof.  All of the information provided to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters by the Company and its officers and directors in connection with letters, filings or other supplemental information provided to FINRA pursuant to FINRA Conduct Rule 5121 or 5190 is true, correct and complete.

 

Any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

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5.                                      Further Agreements of the Company. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters:

 

(a)                                 Required Filings.  To prepare the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if necessary and agreed to by the Company, in a form approved by the Representatives and the Company and file such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission by 10:00 p.m., New York time, on the date hereof, and the Company shall at the time of filing either pay to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111 under the Securities Act Regulations; to prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rules 430A, 430B or 430C of the Securities Act Regulations and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act Regulations not later than the second (2nd) business day (as defined in Section 16) following the execution and delivery of this Agreement or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A of the Securities Act Regulations;

 

(b)                                 Amendments or Supplements.  Not to take any action prior to the latest of the Closing Dates which would require the Prospectus to be amended or supplemented pursuant to Section 5(e).  To notify the Representatives promptly of the Company’s intention to file or prepare any supplement or amendment to any Registration Statement or to the Prospectus and to make no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or to the Prospectus to which the Representatives shall reasonably object by notice to the Company after a reasonable period to review.

 

(c)                                  Notice.  To advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to any Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Underwriters with copies thereof; to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification, and promptly to use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order.

 

(d)                                 No Free Writing Prospectus.  The Company will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute (i) a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act Regulations and/or (ii) an offer in any jurisdiction that requires the filing of a prospectus under any applicable law.

 

(e)                                  Ongoing Compliance.  If at any time prior to the expiration of nine (9) months after the later of (i) the latest effective date of the Registration Statement or (ii) the date of the Prospectus, when a prospectus relating to the Shares is required to be delivered (or in lieu

 

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thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act Regulations) any event occurs or condition exists as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact, or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made when the Prospectus is delivered (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act Regulations), not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives thereof and upon their request will prepare an appropriate amendment or supplement in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance and will use its best efforts to have any amendment to any Registration Statement declared effective as soon as possible. The Company will furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many copies as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request of such amendment or supplement. In case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act Regulations) relating to the Shares nine (9) months or more after the later of (i) the latest effective date of the Registration Statement or (ii) the date of the Prospectus, the Company, upon the request of the Representatives, will prepare promptly an amended or supplemented Prospectus as may be necessary to permit compliance with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act and deliver to such Underwriter as many copies as such Underwriter may reasonably request of such amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act.

 

If the Pricing Disclosure Package 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 as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file and not superseded or modified, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package to comply with any law, the Company promptly will prepare, file with the Commission (if required) and furnish to the Underwriters and any dealers an appropriate amendment or supplement to the Pricing Disclosure Package.

 

(f)                                   Signed Copies of Registration Statement.  To the extent not available on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system or any successor system (“EDGAR”), to furnish promptly to the Representatives and to counsel for the Underwriters a signed copy of each of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission, and of each amendment thereto filed with the Commission, including all consents and exhibits filed therewith.

 

(g)                                  Delivery of Copies.  To the extent not available on EDGAR, to deliver promptly to the Representatives in New York City such number of the following documents as the Representatives shall reasonably request: (i) conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission (in each case excluding exhibits), (ii) each Preliminary Prospectus, and (iii) the Prospectus (the delivery of the documents referred to in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of this paragraph (g) to be made not later than 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the

 

20



 

business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement), (iv) conformed copies of any amendment to the Registration Statement (excluding exhibits) and (v) any amendment or supplement to the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (the delivery of the documents referred to in clauses (iv) and (v) of this paragraph (g) to be made not later than 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the business day following the date of such amendment or supplement).

 

(h)                                 Earnings Statement.  To make generally available to its shareholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than sixteen (16) months after the effective date of each Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) of the Securities Act Regulations), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158).

 

(i)                                     Blue Sky Compliance.  To take promptly from time to time such actions as the Representatives may reasonably request to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representatives may designate and to continue such qualifications in effect, and to comply with such laws, for so long as required to permit the offer and sale of Shares in such states and/or jurisdictions; provided that the Company and its subsidiaries shall not be obligated to qualify as foreign corporations in any state or jurisdiction in which they are not so qualified or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction.

 

(j)                                    Reports.  Upon request, during the period of five (5) years from the date hereof, to the extent not available on EDGAR, to deliver to each of the Underwriters, (i) as soon as they are available, copies of all reports or other communications furnished to shareholders, and (ii) as soon as they are available, copies of any reports and financial statements furnished or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange on which the Shares are listed. However, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act and is timely filing reports with the Commission on EDGAR, it is not required to furnish such reports or statements to the Underwriters.

 

(k)                                 Lock-Ups. That the Company will not, for a period of ninety (90)) days from the date of this Agreement, (the “Lock-Up Period”) without the prior written consent of the Representatives, directly or indirectly offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, other than the Company’s sale of the Shares hereunder, its sale of securities in connection with a business acquisition (so long as the purpose of such business acquisition is not for capital raising), the issuance of restricted Common Stock or options to acquire Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans as such plans are in existence on the date hereof and described in the Prospectus and the issuance of Common Stock pursuant to the valid exercises of options, warrants or rights or the conversion of convertible debentures outstanding on the date hereof. The Company will cause each officer, director and shareholder owning 5% or more of the equity securities of the Company listed in Schedule D to furnish to the Representatives, prior to the Closing Date, a letter, substantially in the form of Exhibit I hereto, pursuant to which each such person shall agree, among other things, not to directly or indirectly offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, or announce the

 

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intention to otherwise dispose of, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, not to engage in any swap, hedge or similar agreement or arrangement that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic risk of ownership of Common Stock or any such securities and not to engage in any short selling of any Common Stock or any such securities, during the Lock-Up Period, without the prior written consent of the Representatives.  The Company hereby agrees that (i) if it issues an earnings release or material news, or if a material event relating to the Company occurs, during the last seventeen (17) days of the Lock-Up Period, or (ii) if prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the sixteen (16)-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, the restrictions imposed by this paragraph (k) or the letter shall continue to apply until the expiration of the eighteen (18)-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event. The Company will provide the Representatives and any co-managers and each shareholder subject to the Lock-Up Period with prior notice (in accordance with Section 15 herein) of any such announcement that gives rise to an extension of the Lock-Up Period.

 

(l)                                     SEC Correspondence.  To supply the Representatives with copies of all correspondence to and from, and all documents issued to and by, the Commission in connection with the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act or any of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference therein.

 

(m)                             Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements.  Prior to each of the Closing Dates, to furnish to the Representatives, as soon as they have been prepared, copies of any unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company for any periods subsequent to the periods covered by the financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

(n)                                 Press Releases.  Prior to the latest of the Closing Dates, not to issue any press release or other communication directly or indirectly or hold any press conference with respect to the Company, its condition, financial or otherwise, or earnings, business affairs or business prospects (except for routine oral marketing communications in the ordinary course of business and consistent with the past practices of the Company and of which the Representatives are notified), without the prior written consent of the Representatives, unless in the judgment of the Company and its counsel, and after notification to the Representatives, such press release or communication is required by law.

 

(o)                                 Clear Market. Until the Representatives shall have notified the Company of the completion of the resale of the Shares, that the Company will not, and will cause its affiliated purchasers (as defined in Regulation M under the Exchange Act) not to, either alone or with one or more other persons, bid for or purchase, for any account in which it or any of its affiliated purchasers has a beneficial interest, any Shares, or attempt to induce any person to purchase any Shares; and not to, and to cause its affiliated purchasers not to, make bids or purchase for the purpose of creating actual, or apparent, active trading in or of raising the price of the Shares.

 

(p)                                 Compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley.  To at all times comply with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in effect from time to time.

 

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(q)                                 Registrar and Transfer Agent. To maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Shares.

 

(r)                                    Use of Proceeds.  To apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds,” and except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package, the Company does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter. The Company shall manage its affairs and investments in such a manner as not to be or become an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

(s)                                   No Stabilization.  The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, and action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.

 

(t)                                    Exchange Listing.  To use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, and to maintain the listing of the Shares on the Exchange.

 

(u)                                 Best Efforts.  To use its best efforts to do and perform all things required to be done or performed under this Agreement by the Company prior to each Closing Date and to satisfy all conditions precedent to the delivery of the Shares.

 

6.                                      Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay, or reimburse if paid by any Underwriter, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated or this Agreement is terminated: (a) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Shares and any taxes payable in that connection; (b) the costs incident to the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act including, without limitation, Commission filing fees, and any third party expenses and disbursements; (c) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and distribution of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any amendments, supplements and exhibits thereto; (d) the costs incident to printing, reproducing and distributing the underwriting documents (including, without limitation, this Agreement and any related documents), all in such quantities as the Underwriters may reasonably require, by mail, telex or other means of communications; (e) the fees and expenses (including related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters) incurred in connection with securing any required review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Shares and any filings made with FINRA; (f) the fees and expenses (including related fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriters) related to the registration or qualification of the Shares under the securities laws of the several states and/or jurisdictions as provided in Section 5(i) and of preparing, printing and distributing wrappers, Blue Sky Memoranda and Legal Investment Surveys; (g) the costs and expenses related to the preparation of bound volumes of the public offering materials in such quantities as the Underwriters may reasonably request, not to exceed $2,500 in the aggregate; (h) the cost of preparing and printing stock certificates; (i) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Shares; (j) the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with the legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Shares made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation

 

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contained in Section 4(b); (k) travel and lodging expenses of the officers of the Company and such consultants, including the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show; (l) up to $35,000 of the Underwriters’ costs and expenses incurred in connection with the road show and due diligence meetings; (m) costs and expenses relating to investor presentations used 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 electronic 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, not to exceed $20,000 in the aggregate, (n) the fees, expenses and disbursements related to any background investigations performed by the Underwriters of the principals of the Company in an amount not to exceed $2,500 per person and $15,000 in the aggregate; and (o) all other costs and expenses incident to the offering of the Shares or the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement (including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s independent accountants); provided that, except to the extent otherwise provided in this Section 6 and in Sections 10 and 11, the Underwriters shall pay their own costs and expenses, including the fees and expenses of their counsel, any transfer taxes on the resale of any Shares by them and the expenses of advertising any offering of the Shares made by the Underwriters. The Company shall promptly reimburse the Underwriters, upon request, their reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred in connection with their rendering services under this Agreement (including the fees and expenses of the Underwriters’ legal counsel up to $100,000) (exclusive of any amounts due to the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8 hereof). The Representatives may deduct from the net proceeds of the Offering payable to the Company on the Closing Date, or the Option Closing Date, if any, the expenses set forth herein to be paid by the Company to the Underwriters.

 

7.                                      Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The respective obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy, when made and as of the Applicable Time and on such Closing Date, of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions:

 

(a)                                 Effective Registration Statement; No Stop Orders.  The Registration Statement have become effective under the Securities Act, and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement or any part thereof, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission, and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission (to be included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives; the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, and the Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by, and in compliance with, the Rules and Regulations and in accordance with Section 4(a), and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, shall have become effective immediately upon its filing with the Commission; and FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

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(b)                                 No Untrue Statements.  None of the Underwriters shall have discovered and disclosed to the Company on or prior to such Closing Date that any Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of a fact which, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.

 

(c)                                  Authorization.  All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form and validity of each of this Agreement, the Shares, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to counsel for the Underwriters, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel all documents and information that they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

 

(d)                                 Company Opinion.  Gracin & Marlow, LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives such counsel’s written opinion and negative assurance statement, as counsel to the Company, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives as set forth in Exhibit II.

 

(e)                                  Underwriters’ Opinion.  The Representatives shall have received from Reed Smith LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Underwriters may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for enabling them to pass upon such matters.

 

(f)                                   Comfort Letters.  At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from PMB Helin Donovan, LLP, Certified Public Accountants, a letter, addressed to the Underwriters, executed and dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives (i) confirming that they are an independent registered accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and PCAOB and (ii) stating the conclusions and findings of such firm, of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters, with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(g)                                  Bring-Down Comfort Letters.  On the effective date of any post-effective amendment to any Registration Statement and on such Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received a letter (the “bring-down letter”) from PMB Helin Donovan, LLP, Certified Public Accountants, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Closing Date confirming, as of the date of the bring-down letter (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in

 

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the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as the case may be, as of a date not more than three (3) business days prior to the date of the bring-down letter), the conclusions and findings of such firm, of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters, with respect to the financial information and other matters covered by its letter delivered to the Representatives concurrently with the execution of this Agreement pursuant to paragraph (f) of this Section 7.

 

(h)                                 Officers’ Certificate.  The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated such Closing Date, of its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer stating that (i) such officers have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, in their opinion, the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, as of their respective effective dates and as of such Closing Date did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time and as of such Closing Date, the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, as of the respective date thereof and as of such Closing Date, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, (ii) since the effective date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, that has not been so set forth therein, (iii) to the best of their knowledge, as of such Closing Date, the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects and the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date, and (iv) there has not been, subsequent to the date of the most recent audited financial statements included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, any material adverse change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, or any change or development that, singularly or in the aggregate, would involve a material adverse change or a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, assets or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, except as set forth in the Prospectus.

 

(i)                                     No Material Adverse Changes.  Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package, and (ii) there shall not have been any material change in the capital stock (other than stock option and warrant exercises and conversions of convertible debentures) or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the business, general affairs, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii) of this paragraph (i), is, in the judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Stock on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package.

 

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(j)                                    No Legal Impediments.  No action shall have been taken and no law, statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any governmental agency or body which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares or materially and adversely affect or would be reasonably expected to materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company; and no injunction, restraining order or order of any other nature by any federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares or materially and adversely affect or would be reasonably expected to materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company.

 

(k)                                 No Suspension of Trading, Banking Moratoriums, Hostilities or Other Material Adverse Changes.  Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the Exchange, The Nasdaq Stock Market, any other national securities exchange or the over-the-counter market, or trading in any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market, shall have been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices or maximum range for prices shall have been established on any such exchange or such market by the Commission, by such exchange or market or by any other regulatory body or governmental authority having jurisdiction, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by Federal or state authorities or a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, (iii) the United States shall have become engaged in hostilities, or the subject of an act of terrorism, or there shall have been an outbreak of or escalation in hostilities involving the United States, or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States or (iv) there shall have occurred such a material adverse change in general economic, political or financial conditions (or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States shall be such) as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(l)                                     No Downgrade.  Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the Company’s corporate credit rating or the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) of the Rules and Regulations and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading), the Company’s corporate credit rating or the rating of any of the Company’s debt securities.

 

(m)                             Exchange Listing.  The Exchange shall have approved the Shares for listing therein, subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

(n)                                 Good Standing.  The Representatives shall have received on such Closing Date satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its subsidiaries in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing as foreign entities in such other jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate Governmental Authorities of such jurisdictions.

 

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(o)                                 Lock-Up Agreements.  The Representatives shall have received the written agreements, substantially in the form of Exhibit I hereto, of the officers, directors and shareholders owning 5% or more of the equity securities of the Company listed in Schedule D to this Agreement.

 

(p)                                 Additional Documents.  On or prior to such Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.

 

All opinions, letters, evidence and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.

 

8.                                      Indemnification and Contribution.

 

(a)                                 The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its directors, officers, managers, members, employees, representatives and agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively, the “Underwriter Indemnified Parties,” and, each, an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”) against any loss, claim, damage, expense or liability whatsoever (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), joint or several, to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and shall reimburse each Underwriter Indemnified Party promptly upon demand for any documented legal fees or other expenses reasonably incurred by that Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with investigating, or preparing to defend, or defending against, or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding, as such fees and expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company and the subsidiaries shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in, or omission or alleged omission from any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for use therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriters’ Information (as defined in Section 18). The indemnity agreement in this Section 8(a) is not exclusive and is in addition to each other liability which the Company and the subsidiaries might have under this Agreement or otherwise, and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available under this Agreement, at law or in equity to any Underwriter Indemnified Party.

 

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(b)                                 Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively, the “Company Indemnified Parties” and, each, a “Company Indemnified Party”) against any loss, claim, damage, expense or liability whatsoever (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), joint or several, to which such Company Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but in each case only to the extent that the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of that Underwriter specifically for use therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriters’ Information as defined in Section 18, and shall reimburse the Company Indemnified Parties promptly on demand for any documented legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as third party witness in connection with any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, investigation or proceeding, as such fees and expenses are incurred. This indemnity agreement is not exclusive and will be in addition to any liability which the Underwriters might otherwise have and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available under this Agreement, at law or in equity to the Company Indemnified Parties.

 

(c)                                  Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, the indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify such indemnifying party in writing of the commencement of that action; provided, however, that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have under this Section 8 except to the extent it has been materially prejudiced by such failure; and, provided, further, that the failure to notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 8. If any such action shall be brought against an indemnified party, and it shall notify the indemnifying party thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it wishes, jointly with any other similarly notified indemnifying party, to assume the defense of such action with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party (which counsel shall not, except with the written consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party). After notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense of such action, except as provided herein, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to the indemnified party under Section 8 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense of such action other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that any indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and to participate in the defense of such action but the fees and expenses of such counsel (other than reasonable costs of investigation) shall be at the

 

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expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized in writing by the Company in the case of a claim for indemnification under Section 8 (a) or the Representatives in the case of a claim for indemnification under Section 8(b), (ii) such indemnified party shall have been advised by its counsel that there may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, or (iii) the indemnifying party has failed to assume the defense of such action and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of the commencement of the action or the indemnifying party does not diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, in which case, if such indemnified party notifies the indemnifying party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of (or, in the case of a failure to diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, to continue to defend) such action on behalf of such indemnified party and the indemnifying party shall be responsible for legal or other expenses subsequently and reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense of such action; provided, however, that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one such action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all such indemnified parties (in addition to any local counsel), which firm shall be designated in writing by the Representatives if the indemnified parties under this Section 8 consist of any Underwriter Indemnified Party or by the Company if the indemnified parties under this Section 8 consist of any Company Indemnified Parties.  Subject to this Section 8(c), the amount payable by an indemnifying party under Section 8 shall include, but not be limited to, (x) reasonable legal fees and expenses of counsel to the indemnified party and any other expenses in investigating, or preparing to defend or defending against, or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any action, investigation, proceeding or claim, and (y) all amounts paid in settlement of any of the foregoing. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of judgment with respect to any pending or threatened action or any claim whatsoever, in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 8 (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party named in such action or claim in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party. Subject to the provisions of the following sentence, no indemnifying party shall be liable for settlement of any pending or threatened action or any claim whatsoever that is effected without its written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), but if settled with its written consent, if its consent has been unreasonably withheld or delayed or if there has been a judgment for the plaintiff in any such matter, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. In addition, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested that an indemnifying party reimburse the indemnified party for reasonable fees and expenses of counsel, in accordance with this Section 8, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Sections 8(a) or 8(b) effected without its written

 

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consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than ninety (90) days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the written request for reimbursement accompanied by documentation of such fees and expenses, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the material terms of such settlement at least thirty (30) days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request and the terms of this Section 8 prior to the date of such settlement.

 

(d)                                 If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 8(a) or 8(b), then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid, payable or otherwise incurred by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), as incurred, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, from the offering of the Shares, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) of this Section 8(d) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) of this Section 8(d) but also the relative fault of the Company and the subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to the statements, omissions, acts or failures to act which resulted in such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof) as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to such offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Shares purchased under this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the subsidiaries bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters with respect to the Shares purchased under this Agreement, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault of the Company and the subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, 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 and the subsidiaries, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement, omission, act or failure to act; provided that the parties hereto agree that the written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of the Underwriters for use in the Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, consists solely of the Underwriters’ Information as defined in Section 18.

 

(e)                                  The Company, the subsidiaries and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to Section 8(d) above were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to Section 8(d) above. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding referred to in Section 8(d) above 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, preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any such loss, claim,

 

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damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no Underwriters shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Shares exceeds the amount of any damages which the Underwriter has otherwise paid or become liable to pay by reason of any untrue or alleged untrue statement, omission or alleged omission, act or alleged act or failure to act or alleged failure to act. 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 Underwriters’ obligations to contribute as provided in this Section 8 are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

 

9.                                      Termination. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representatives, in their absolute discretion, by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Firm Shares if, prior to that time, any of the events described in Sections 7(i), 7(k) or 7(l) have occurred or if the Underwriters shall decline to purchase the Shares for any reason permitted under this Agreement.

 

10.                               Reimbursement for Underwriters’ Expenses. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if (a) this Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant to Section 9 or 11, (b) the Company shall fail to tender the Shares for delivery to the Underwriters for any reason not permitted under this Agreement, (c) the Underwriters shall decline to purchase the Shares for any reason permitted under this Agreement or (d) the sale of the Shares is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth herein is not satisfied or because of the refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to satisfy any condition or to comply with the provisions hereof, then in addition to the payment of amounts in accordance with Section 6, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters in an amount up to $100,000 for the documented fees and expenses of Underwriters’ counsel and for such other documented out-of-pocket expenses as shall have been reasonably incurred by them in connection with this Agreement and the proposed purchase of the Shares, including, without limitation, travel and lodging expenses of the Underwriters, and upon demand the Company shall pay the full amount thereof to the Representatives; provided that if this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 9 by reason of the default of one or more Underwriters, the Company shall not be obligated to reimburse any defaulting Underwriter on account of expenses to the extent incurred by such defaulting Underwriter provided further that the foregoing shall not limit any reimbursement obligation of the Company to any non-defaulting Underwriter under this Section 10.

 

11.                               Substitution of Underwriters. If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall default in its or their obligations to purchase the Shares hereunder on any Closing Date and the aggregate number of Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase does not exceed ten percent (10%) of the total number of the Shares to be purchased by all Underwriters on such Closing Date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally, in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder, to purchase the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase on such Closing Date. If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall so default and the aggregate number of Shares with respect to which such default or defaults occur is more than ten percent (10%) of the total number of Shares to be purchased by all Underwriters on such Closing Date and arrangements

 

32



 

satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for the purchase of such Shares by other persons are not made within forty-eight (48) hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate.

 

If the remaining Underwriters or substituted Underwriters are required hereby or agree to take up all or part of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters on such Closing Date as provided in this Section 11, (i) the Company shall have the right to postpone such Closing Dates for a period of not more than five (5) full business days in order that the Company may effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees promptly to file any amendments to the Registration Statement or supplements to the Prospectus which may thereby be made necessary, and (ii) the respective numbers of Shares to be purchased by the remaining Underwriters or substituted Underwriters shall be taken as the basis of their underwriting obligation for all purposes of this Agreement. Nothing herein contained shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter of its liability to the Company or the other Underwriters for damages occasioned by its default hereunder. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 11 shall be without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter, the Company or its subsidiaries, except that the representations, warranties, covenants, indemnities, agreements and other statements set forth in Section 4, the obligations with respect to expenses to be paid or reimbursed to non-defaulting Underwriters pursuant to Sections 6 and 10 and the provisions of Section 8 and Sections 13 through 22, inclusive, shall not terminate and shall remain in full force and effect.

 

12.                               Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:

 

(a)                                 each Underwriter’s responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature, the Underwriters has been retained solely to act as underwriters in connection with the sale of the Shares and no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Underwriters has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether the Underwriters have advised or are advising the Company on other matters;

 

(b)                                 the price of the Shares set forth in this Agreement was established by the Company following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Underwriters, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

 

(c)                                  it has been advised that the Underwriters and their affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the Underwriters have no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and

 

(d)                                 it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Underwriters for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Underwriters shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including shareholders, employees or creditors of the Company.

 

33



 

13.                               Successors; Persons Entitled to Benefit of the Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the several Underwriters, the Company and the subsidiaries and their respective successors and assigns. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, other than the persons mentioned in the preceding sentence, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement, or any provisions herein contained, this Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof being intended to be and being for the sole and exclusive benefit of such persons and for the benefit of no other person; except that the representations, warranties, covenants, agreements and indemnities of the Company and the subsidiaries contained in this Agreement shall also be for the benefit of the Underwriter Indemnified Parties, and the indemnities of the several Underwriters shall be for the benefit of the Company Indemnified Parties. It is understood that each Underwriter’s responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature and the Underwriters do not owe the Company, or any other party, any fiduciary duty as a result of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

 

14.                               Survival of Indemnities, Representations, Warranties, etc.. The respective indemnities, covenants, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, the subsidiaries and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by them respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the subsidiaries, the Company or any person controlling any of them and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, including without limitation any termination pursuant to Section 9 or Section 11, the indemnities, covenants, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements forth in Sections 4, 6, 8 and 10 and Sections 13 through 22, inclusive, of this Agreement shall not terminate and shall remain in full force and effect at all times.

 

15.                               Notices. All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and:

 

(a)                                 if to the Underwriters, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex, facsimile transmission or email to:

 

Cantor Fitzgerald & Co.

499 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10022

Attention: Capital Markets/Jeffrey Lumby

Facsimile: (212) 829-4708

Email: ***@***

 

JMP Securities Securities LLC

 

600 Montgomery Street

 

Suite 1100

 

San Francisco, CA 94111

 

 

 

Attention:

 

Facsimile:

 

Email:

 

 

with copies to:

 

Cantor Fitzgerald & Co.

499 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10022

Attention: Stephen Merkel, General Counsel

 

34



 

and with a copy to:

 

Reed Smith LLP

599 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10022

Attention: Daniel I. Goldberg, Esq.

Facsimile: (212) 521-5450

Email:  ***@***

 

(b)                                 if to the Company or any subsidiary shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex, facsimile transmission or email to:

 

CVSL, Inc.

2400 North Dallas Parkway, Suite 230

Plano, Texas

Attention: John P. Rochon

Fax:  (954) 580-8132

Email: ***@***

 

with a copy to:

 

Gracin & Marlow, LLP

Chrysler Building

405 Lexington Avenue, 26th Floor

New York, New York 10174

Leslie Marlow, Esq.

Fax: 561 ###-###-####

Email: ***@***

 

provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 8 shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters’ Questionnaire or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the company. Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect at the time of receipt thereof.

 

16.                               Definition of Certain Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) “business day” means any day on which the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. is open for trading and (b) “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations.

 

17.                               Governing Law and Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations. The Company irrevocably (a) submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The

 

35



 

City of New York for the purpose of any suit, action or other proceeding arising out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement and any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, (b) agrees that all claims in respect of any such suit, action or proceeding may be heard and determined by any such court, (c) waives to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any immunity from the jurisdiction of any such court or from any legal process, (d) agrees not to commence any such suit, action or proceeding other than in such courts, and (e) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

18.                               Underwriters’ Information. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that, for all purposes of this Agreement, the Underwriters’ Information consists solely of the following statements concerning the Underwriters contained in “Underwriting” section of the Prospectus (determined without regard to “bullet point” subparagraphs):  (i) the first sentence of the third paragraph; (ii) the first sentence of paragraph 14; (iii) the first sentence of paragraph 15; and (iv) the first sentence of paragraph 17.

 

19.                               Authority of the Representatives. In connection with this Agreement, you will act for and on behalf of the several Underwriters, and any action taken under this Agreement by the Representatives, will be binding on all the Underwriters.

 

20.                               Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph, clause or provision hereof. If any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

 

21.                               General. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. In this Agreement, the masculine, feminine and neuter genders and the singular and the plural include one another. The section headings in this Agreement are for the convenience of the parties only and will not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement. This Agreement may be amended or modified, and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived, only by a writing signed by the Company, the subsidiaries and the Representatives.

 

22.                               Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

36



 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of the agreement between the Company and the several Underwriters, kindly indicate your acceptance in the space provided for that purpose below.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

CVSL, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Name:

John P. Rochon

 

Title:

Chief Executive Officer, President and

 

 

Chairman of the Board

 

Accepted as of

the date first above written:

 

CANTOR FITZGERALD & CO.

JMP SECURITIES LLC

Acting severally on behalf
of themselves and the several
Underwriters listed on Schedule A

 

By: CANTOR FITZGERALD & CO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By: JMP SECURITIES LLC

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 


 

SCHEDULE A

 

UNDERWRITERS

 

Name

 

Number of Firm Shares to be
Purchased

 

Number of Option Shares
to be Purchased

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cantor Fitzgerald & Co.

 

 

 

 

 

JMP Securities LLC

 

 

 

 

 

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC

 

 

 

 

 

Feltl and Company, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

National Securities Corporation

 

 

 

 

 

Total:

 

6,666,667

 

 

 

 



 

SCHEDULE B

 

PRICING INFORMATION

 

Number of Firm Shares:

 

Number of Option Shares:

 

Public Offering Price per Share: $

 

Underwriting Discount per Share: $

 

Proceeds to Company per Share (before expenses): $

 



 

SCHEDULE C

 

FINRA AFFILIATIONS

 



 

SCHEDULE D

 

LOCK-UP AGREEMENTS

 

John P. Rochon

 

John Rochon, Jr.

 

Kelly Kittrell

 

Russell Mack

 

John W. Bickel

 

Michael Bishop

 

Roy Damary

 

Kay Bailey Hutchinson

 

Bernard Ivaldi

 

Tamala L. Longaberger

 

William Randall

 

Julie Rasmussen

 



 

EXHIBIT I

 

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

 

, 2014

 

Cantor Fitzgerald & Co.
JMP SECURITIES LLC

As Representatives of
the several Underwriters listed in
Schedule A to the Underwriting
Agreement referred to below
c/o Cantor Fitzgerald & Co.
100 East 59th Street
NewYork, NY 10022

 

Re:          CVSL Inc. --- Public Offering

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned understands that you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, propose to enter into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with CVSL Inc., a Florida corporation (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several Underwriters named in Schedule A to the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriters”), of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company (the “Securities”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.

 

In consideration of the Underwriters’ agreement to purchase and make the Public Offering of the Securities, and for other good and valuable consideration receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, during the period ending 180 days after the date of the prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (including without limitation, Common Stock or such other securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant), or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition, (2) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock or such other securities, 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) make any demand for or exercise any right with

 

1



 

respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, in each case other than (A) transfers of shares of Common Stock as a bona fide gift or gifts, and (B) distributions of shares of Common Stock to members or shareholders of the undersigned; provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (A) or (B), each donee or distributee shall execute and deliver to the Representatives a lock-up letter in the form of this paragraph; and provided, further, that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (A) or (B), no filing by any party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or other public announcement shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer or distribution (other than a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the 180-day period referred to above).

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 180-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 180-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 180-day period, the restrictions imposed by this Letter 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.

 

In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the securities described herein, are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Letter Agreement.

 

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Letter Agreement.  All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.

 

The undersigned understands that, if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Common Stock to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released from, all obligations under this Letter Agreement.  The undersigned understands that the Underwriters are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Public Offering in reliance upon this Letter Agreement.

 

This Letter Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

2



 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

[NAME OF SHAREHOLDER]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

3



 

EXHIBIT II

 

FORM OF OPINION

 

(a)           The Registration Statement was declared effective under the Securities Act as of the date and time specified in such opinion; each of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus was filed with the Commission pursuant to the subparagraph of Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act specified in such opinion on the date specified therein; and no order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or in connection with the offering is pending or, to the knowledge of such counsel, threatened by the Commission.

 

(b)           The Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and related schedules therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act.

 

(c)           The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged.

 

(d)           The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization”; all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.

 

(e)           The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver the Underwriting Agreement and to perform its obligations thereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated thereby or by the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been duly and validly taken.

 

(f)            The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

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

 

(h)           The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement, the compliance by the Company with the terms thereof, the issuance and sale of the Shares being delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and

 

1



 

the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for such conflict, breach, violation or default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(i)            No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement, the compliance by the Company with the terms thereof, the issuance and sale of the Shares being delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement, except for the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters.

 

(j)            To the knowledge of such counsel, except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be the subject which, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and to the knowledge of such counsel, no such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others.

 

(k)           The descriptions in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus of statutes, legal, governmental and regulatory proceedings and contracts and other documents are accurate in all material respects; the statements in the Preliminary Prospectus and Prospectus under the headings “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders” and “Description of Our Capital Stock,” and in the Registration Statement in Items 14 and 15, to the extent that they constitute summaries of the terms of stock, matters of law or regulation or legal conclusions, fairly summarize the matters described therein in all material respects; and, to the knowledge of such counsel, (A) there are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (B) there are no statutes, regulations or contracts and other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and that have

 

2



 

not been so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(l)            After giving effect to the application of the proceeds received by the Company from the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds therefrom as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act.

 

(m)          Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.

 

Such counsel shall also state that they have participated in conferences with representatives of the Company and with representatives of its independent accountants and counsel at which conferences the contents of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any amendment and supplement thereto and related matters were discussed and, although such counsel assume no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto (except as expressly provided above), nothing has come to the attention of such counsel to cause such counsel to believe that the Registration Statement, at the time of its effective date (including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C to be part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness), 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, that the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time (which such counsel may assume to be the date of the Underwriting Agreement) contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or that the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto as of its date and the Closing Date contains any untrue statement of a material fact 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 (other than the financial statements and other financial information contained therein, as to which such counsel need express no belief).

 

In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely as to matters of fact on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials that are furnished to the Underwriters.

 

The opinion of counsel described above shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company and shall so state therein.

 

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Appendix A

 

Happenings Communications Group, Inc.

The Longaberger Company

TMRCL Holding Company

TMRCL Holding LLC

Spice Jazz LLC

Your Inspiration at Home Pty Ltd

CVSL TBT LLC

Agel Enterprises Inc.

Agel Agility LLC

Agel Enterprises Mexico S de RL de CV

Importadora, Exploratada y Distribuidora ASGT Global Mexico Dde RLdeCV

Agel Enterprises (Canada) ULC

Agel Enterprises Argentina SRL

Agel International SRL

Agel Enterprises Colombia LTDA

Agel Panama LLC

Agel Enterprises (Netherlands), B.V.

Agel Enterprises Denmark ApS

Agel Italy SRL

Agel Enterprises RS LLC

Agel Enterprises Hungary Medical-Nutritional Products Distributor Limited Liability Company

Agel Enterprises Ukraine

Agel Israel LTD

Agel Enterprises Kazakhstan (LLC)

Agel Enterprises International SDN BHD

Agel Enterprises (Malaysia) SDN BHD

Agel Enterprises, PTE. LTD.

Agel Japan GK

Agel Enterprises Australia PTY., LTD.

CVSL AG

My Secret Kitchen Ltd.

Paperly, Inc.

JRJR AG

Uppercase Acquisition, Inc.

Trillium Pond AG

 

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