GREEN MOUNTAIN COFFEE ROASTERS,INC. (a Delaware corporation) 8,600,000 Shares of Common Stock* UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
GREEN MOUNTAIN COFFEE ROASTERS, INC.
(a Delaware corporation)
8,600,000 Shares of Common Stock*
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Dated: May 5, 2011
* | Plus an option to purchase from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. all or any part of 1,290,000 additional Shares of Common Stock. |
GREEN MOUNTAIN COFFEE ROASTERS, INC.
(a Delaware corporation)
8,600,000 Shares of Common Stock
(Par Value $0.10 Per Share)
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
May 5, 2011
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
One Bryant Park
New York, New York 10036
as Representative of the several Underwriters
named on Schedule A hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), and the persons listed in Schedule B hereto (the Selling Shareholders) confirm their respective agreements with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (Merrill Lynch) and each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the Underwriters, which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom Merrill Lynch is acting as representative (in such capacity, the Representative), with respect to the issue and sale by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, acting severally and not jointly, and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective numbers of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share, of the Company (Common Stock) set forth in Schedules A and B hereto and the grant by the Company to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of 1,290,000 additional shares of Common Stock to cover overallotments, if any. The aforesaid 8,600,000 shares of Common Stock (the Initial Securities) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the 1,290,000 shares of Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the Option Securities) are hereinafter called, collectively, the Securities.
The Company and the Selling Shareholders understand that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representative deems advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) an automatic shelf registration statement, as defined under Rule 405 (Rule 405) of the rules and regulations (the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Commission promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), on Form S-3 (No. 333-160974), including the related base prospectus, covering the registration of shares of Common Stock, shares of preferred stock, warrants and debt securities under the 1933 Act, and the offer and sale thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 of the 1933 Act Regulations and a preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 424(b)). Such registration statement became effective upon filing with the Commission in accordance with Rule 462(e) of the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 462(e)). Such registration statement covers the registration of the Securities under the 1933 Act. Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus supplement relating to the Securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B of the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 430B) and Rule 424(b). Any information included in such prospectus supplement that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of and included in such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B is referred to herein
2
as Rule 430B Information. The base prospectus and prospectus supplement used in connection with the offering of the Securities that omitted Rule 430B Information are referred to herein collectively as a preliminary prospectus. Such registration statement, at any given time, including any amendments thereto at such time, the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act at such time and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or included therein by 1933 Act Regulations, is herein called the Registration Statement; provided, however, that Registration Statement without reference to a time means the Registration Statement as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Securities, which time shall be considered the new effective date of the Registration Statement with respect to the Underwriters and the Securities (within the meaning of Rule 430B(f)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 430B(f)(2))). The Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective is herein called the Original Registration Statement. The base prospectus and the final prospectus supplement, in the form furnished or made available to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act prior to the time of the execution of this Agreement, are referred to herein collectively as the Prospectus. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (or any successor system) (EDGAR).
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is contained, included or stated in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package (as defined herein) (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package, as the case may be, prior to the execution of this Agreement; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 1934 Act), which is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package, as the case may be, at or after the execution of this Agreement.
As used in this Agreement:
Applicable Time means 5:45 p.m. (Eastern time) on May 5, 2011 or such other time as agreed by the Company and Merrill Lynch.
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus means any issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 433), including without limitation any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 405)) relating to the Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a road show that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Companys records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
3
Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule C-2 hereto.
Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus, as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule C-2 hereto.
Statutory Prospectus as of any time means the base prospectus included in the Original Registration Statement and the preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Securities immediately prior to that time, including any document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein at such time.
SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.
(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter, as of the date hereof, as of the Applicable Time, as of the Closing Time (as defined below) and each Date of Delivery (if any) (as defined below) as follows:
(i) Use of Automatic Shelf Registration Statement. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act. The Registration Statement was filed by the Company with the Commission not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof. The Registration Statement is an automatic shelf registration statement, as defined in Rule 405, and the Securities, since their registration on the Registration Statement, have been and remain eligible for registration by the Company on a Rule 405 automatic shelf registration statement. The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401 (g)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations objecting to the use of the automatic shelf registration statement form.
(A) At the time of filing the Original Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent amendment to the Registration Statement for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus), (C) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) of the 1933 Act Regulations) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 of the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 163) and (D) at the date hereof, the Company was and is a well-known seasoned issuer as defined in Rule 405, including not having been and not being an ineligible issuer, as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.
At the time of filing the Original Registration Statement, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Securities and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an ineligible issuer, as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.
(ii) Registration Statement, Prospectus and Disclosure at Time of Sale. The Original Registration Statement became effective upon filing under Rule 462(e) on August 3, 2009 and any post-effective amendment thereto also became effective upon filing under Rule 462(e). No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the 1933 Act has
4
been issued, no order preventing or suspending the use of the preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Companys knowledge, contemplated. Any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with.
Any offer that is a written communication relating to the Securities made prior to the filing of the Original Registration Statement by the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this paragraph only, of Rule 163(c) of the 1933 Act Regulations) has been filed with the Commission in accordance with the exemption provided by Rule 163 and otherwise complied with the requirements of Rule 163, including, without limitation, the legending requirement, to qualify such offer for the exemption from Section 5(c) of the 1933 Act provided by Rule 163.
At the respective times the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto became effective, at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters and the Securities pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2), at the Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery, if any, the Registration Statement and any amendments or supplements thereto complied, complies and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and did not, does not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement was issued, at the Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery, if any, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
Each preliminary prospectus (including the prospectus or prospectuses filed as part of the Original Registration Statement or any amendment thereto) complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered or made available to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
As of the Applicable Time, neither (x) the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) listed on Schedule C-2 hereto, the Statutory Prospectus and the information included on Schedule C-1 hereto, all considered together (collectively, the General Disclosure Package), nor (y) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies Merrill Lynch as described in Section 3(e), did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus and not superseded or modified, including information in any document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein that has not been superseded or modified and information in any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.
5
The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through Merrill Lynch expressly for use therein.
(iii) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the 1934 Act Regulations), as applicable, and, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, (a) at the time of filing the Original Registration Statement, (b) at the earlier of the time the Prospectus was first used and the date and time of the first contract of sale of the Securities, (c) at the Closing Time and (d) at each Date of Delivery, if any, did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(iv) Independent Accountants. To the Companys knowledge, the accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and the Public Accounting Oversight Board (United States).
(v) Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; and said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein. The pro forma financial statements and the related notes thereto included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commissions rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the basis described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations. All disclosures contained in the
6
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or incorporated by reference therein, regarding non-GAAP financial measures (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G under the 1934 Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act Regulations in all material respects, to the extent applicable.
(vi) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the results of operations, business or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a Material Adverse Effect), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.
(vii) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(viii) Good Standing of Significant Subsidiary. Each significant subsidiary of the Company as such term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X (each, a Significant Subsidiary), has been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, has corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each Significant Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity, and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Significant Subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Significant Subsidiary.
(ix) Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus).
7
The shares of issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company, including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Selling Shareholders, have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company, including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Selling Shareholders, were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. The Common Stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (NASDAQ).
(x) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(xi) Authorization and Description of Securities. The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and, except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the issuance of the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. The Common Stock conforms in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms in all material respects to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same. No holder of the Securities will be subject to personal liability solely by reason of being such a holder. The form of certificate used to evidence the Securities will be in substantially the form to be filed or incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and such form complies in all material respects with all applicable legal requirements, requirements of the Companys Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, dated as of April 16, 2002, as amended by the Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation, dated April 6, 2007 and the Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation, dated March 11, 2010, and the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, effective as of December 11, 2008, and requirements of the NASDAQ.
(xii) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter, by-laws or other organizational documents or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (collectively, Agreements and Instruments) except for such defaults that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities described therein) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter,
8
by-laws or other organizational documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any material applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or any of their property, assets or operations. As used herein, a Repayment Event means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holders behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any subsidiary.
(xiii) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any subsidiarys principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, would result, singly or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xiv) Compliance with Food and Beverage and Labor Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries are conducting their business in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, the rules and regulations of the federal Food and Drug Administration and all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations of all jurisdictions in which they are conducting business, including, without limitation, all applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations governing health, sanitation, safety, environmental matters, zoning and land use, except where the failure to be so in compliance would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xv) Absence of Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (other than as disclosed therein), or which, singly or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the property or assets thereof or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, and the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any such subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, would not reasonably be expected to, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xvi) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so described and filed as required.
(xvii) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own, possess, license or have the right to use adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, Intellectual Property) necessary to carry on the business now
9
operated by them or except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result, singly or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xviii) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company or any affiliate of the Company, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any officer, director or controlling person of the Company or any affiliate of the Company has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to result in a violation of Regulation M under the 1934 Act or the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
(xix) Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act that have not been described as required.
(xx) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of NASDAQ or state securities laws.
(xxi) No Registration Rights. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no persons who have the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company or to require the Company to include such securities with the Securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or sold pursuant to this Agreement.
(xxii) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, Governmental Licenses) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them except where the failure so to possess would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. All of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
10
(xxiii) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by them and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (a) are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (b) do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and any of its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, are in full force and effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any such subsidiary under any of 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.
(xxiv) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act).
(xxv) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, Hazardous Materials) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, Environmental Laws), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D) there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.
(xxvi) Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the 1934 Act) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (1) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or specific authorization, (2) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets, (3) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with managements general or specific
11
authorization and (4) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Companys most recent fiscal year covered by audited financial statements included in the Companys most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission, there has been (I) no material weakness in the Companys internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated), and (II) no change in the Companys internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys internal control over financial reporting. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company maintains, to the extent required by applicable law, disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the 1934 Act) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commissions rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Companys management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.
(xxvii) Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Companys directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(xxviii) Pending Proceedings and Examinations. The Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.
(xxix) Payment of Taxes. All United States federal income tax returns of the Company and its subsidiaries required by law to be filed have been filed and all taxes shown by such returns or otherwise assessed, which are due and payable, have been paid, except assessments against which appeals have been or will be promptly taken and as to which adequate reserves have been provided and will be maintained. The United States federal income tax returns of the Company through the fiscal year ended September 25, 2010 have been settled and no assessment in connection therewith has been made against the Company. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all other tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable foreign, state, local or other law except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect and have paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Company and its subsidiaries except for such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been established by the Company. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxx) Insurance. The Company and each Significant Subsidiary carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as is generally maintained by companies engaged in the same or similar business,
12
and all such insurance is in full force and effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any Significant Subsidiary will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxxi) No Restrictions on Dividends or Other Distributions. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any subsidiary of the Company is prohibited or otherwise restricted, by applicable law or regulation, order of any governmental agency, authority or body, contract or otherwise, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends or making other distributions, from repaying to the Company, in the case of any subsidiary of the Company, any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring, in the case of any subsidiary of the Company, any of such subsidiarys property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
(xxxii) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the FCPA), including without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in the furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any foreign official (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA, and the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintained policies and procedures designed to ensure and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
(xxxiii) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency, authority or body (collectively, the Money Laundering Laws). 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 knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(xxxiv) OFAC. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasure Department (OFAC). The Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any of its subsidiaries, any joint venture partner or other person, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
13
(xxxv) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be reliable or is accurate in all material respects, and, if required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.
(b) Representations and Warranties by the Selling Shareholders. Each Selling Shareholder severally represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Time, and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:
(i) Accurate Disclosure. Neither the General Disclosure Package nor the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto includes any untrue statement of a material fact or omits 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 this sentence applies only to statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by or on behalf of such Selling Shareholder to the Company or the Representative expressly for use in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any amendments or supplement thereto (the Selling Shareholder Information). Such Selling Shareholder is not prompted to sell the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder by any information concerning the Company or any subsidiary of the Company which is not set forth in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
(ii) Authorization of This Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Shareholder.
(iii) Authorization of Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement. The Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement, in the form heretofore furnished to the Representative (the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement), has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Selling Shareholder and is the valid and binding agreement of such Selling Shareholder.
(iv) Noncontravention. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement and the sale and delivery of the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and compliance by such Selling Shareholder with its obligations hereunder do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, (A) conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any tax, lien, charge or encumbrance upon the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder or any property or assets of such Selling Shareholder pursuant to any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, license, lease or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Shareholder is a party or by which such Selling Shareholder may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of such Selling Shareholder is subject, or (B) result in any violation of the provisions of the (1) charter or by-laws or other organizational instrument of such Selling Shareholder, if applicable, (2) or any applicable treaty, law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over such Selling Shareholder or any of its properties except, in the cases of clauses (A) and (B)(2), for such conflicts, breaches, violations or defaults as would not, singly or in the aggregate, adversely affect the ability of the Underwriters to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or by the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement or the ability of such Selling Shareholder to execute and deliver this Agreement and the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement or to perform its obligations under this Agreement or under the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement.
14
(v) Valid Title. (A) Except to the extent the Selling Shareholder is exercising stock options (each, an Option) in connection with the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder, the Selling Shareholder has valid title to the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder (B) to the extent the Selling Shareholder is exercising Options in connection with the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder, the Selling Shareholder has valid title to such Options, in each case, free and clear of all security interests, claims, liens, equities or other encumbrances. At the Closing Time such Selling Shareholder will have, valid title to the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder free and clear of all security interests, claims, liens, equities or other encumbrances and the legal right and power, and all authorization and approval required by law, to enter into this Agreement and the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement and to sell, transfer and deliver the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder or a valid security entitlement in respect of such Securities.
(vi) Delivery of Securities. Upon payment of the purchase price for the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement, delivery of such Securities, as directed by the Underwriters, to Cede & Co. (Cede) or such other nominee as may be designated by The Depository Trust Company (DTC) (unless delivery of such Securities is unnecessary because such Securities are already in possession of Cede or such nominee), registration of such Securities in the name of Cede or such other nominee (unless registration of such Securities is unnecessary because such Securities are already registered in the name of Cede or such nominee), an the crediting of such Securities on the books of DTC to securities accounts (within the meaning of Section 8-501(a) of the Uniform Commercial Code then in effect in the State of New York (UCC)) of the Underwriters (assuming that neither DTC nor any such Underwriter has notice of any adverse claim, within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the UCC, to such Securities, (A) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, the Underwriters will acquire a valid security entitlement in respect of such Securities and (B) no action (whether framed in conversion, replevin, constructive trust, equitable lien, or other theory) based on any adverse claim, within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, to such Securities may be asserted against the Underwriters with respect to such security entitlement; for purposes of this representation, such Selling Shareholder may assume that when such payment, delivery (if necessary) and crediting occur, (I) such Securities will have been registered in the name of Cede or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Companys share registry in accordance with its certificate of incorporation, bylaws and applicable law, (II) DTC will be registered as a clearing corporation, within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, (III) appropriate entries to the accounts of the several Underwriters on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC, (IV) to the extent DTC, or any other securities intermediary which acts as clearing corporation with respect to the Securities, maintains any financial asset (as defined in Section 8-102(a)(9) of the UCC) in a clearing corporation pursuant to Section 8-111 of the UCC, the rules of such clearing corporation may affect the rights of DTC or such securities intermediaries and the ownership interest of the Underwriters, (V) claims of creditors of DTC or any other securities intermediary or clearing corporation may be given priority to the extent set forth in Section 8-511(b) and 8-511(c) of the UCC and (VI) if at any time DTC or another securities intermediary does not have sufficient Securities to satisfy claims of all of its entitlement holders with respect thereto, then all holders will share pro rata in the Securities then held by DTC or such securities intermediary.
(vii) Absence of Manipulation. Such Selling Shareholder has not taken, and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or would be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
15
(viii) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or consent, approval, authorization, order, registration, qualification or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency, domestic or foreign, is necessary or required for the performance by each Selling Shareholder of its obligations hereunder or in the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement, or in connection with the sale and delivery of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of the NASDAQ, state securities laws or the rules of FINRA.
(ix) No Registration or Other Similar Rights. Such Selling Shareholder does not have any registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale by the Company under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement.
(x) No Free Writing Prospectuses. Such Selling Shareholder has not prepared or had prepared on its behalf or used or referred to any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405), and has not distributed any written materials in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities.
(xi) No Association with FINRA. Neither such Selling Shareholder nor any of his/her/its affiliates directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with any member firm of FINRA or is a person associated with a member (within the meaning of the FINRA By-Laws) of FINRA.
(c) Officers Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Representative or to counsel for the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering of the Securities shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby; and any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholders as such and delivered to the Representative or to counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by such Selling Shareholder to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.
SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.
(a) Initial Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company and each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company and each Selling Shareholder, at the price per share set forth in Schedule A, that proportion of the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule B opposite the name of the Company or such Selling Shareholder, as the case may be, which number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Initial Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as Merrill Lynch in its sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.
(b) Option Securities. In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 1,290,000 shares of Common Stock, as set forth in Schedule B, at the price per share set forth in Schedule A, less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities
16
but not payable on the Option Securities. The option hereby granted will expire 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time only for the purpose of covering overallotments which may be made in connection with the offering and distribution of the Initial Securities upon notice by Merrill Lynch to the Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any such time and date of delivery (a Date of Delivery) shall be determined by Merrill Lynch, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time, as hereinafter defined. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Securities then being purchased which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject in each case to such adjustments as Merrill Lynch in its discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.
(c) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities shall be made at the New York offices of Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company and the Selling Shareholders, at 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (New York City time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company and the Selling Shareholders (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called Closing Time).
In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned offices of Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Company and the Representative to the Company.
Payment shall be made to the Company and the Selling Shareholders by wire transfer of immediately available funds to bank account(s) designated by the Company and the Custodian pursuant to each Selling Shareholders Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement, as the case may be, against delivery to the Representative for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representative, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase. Merrill Lynch, individually and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities or the Option Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.
(d) Denominations; Registration. The Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representative may request in writing at least two full business days before the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be. The Initial Securities and any Option Securities shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representatives, through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company, for the account of the several Underwriters.
17
SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company and the Selling Shareholders. Each of the Company and, solely with respect to Section 3(l) hereof, each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, covenant with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests; Payment of Filing Fees. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B and will notify the Representative immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Securities shall become effective, or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof, or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or such new registration statement, or notice objecting to its use pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2), or any order preventing or suspending the use of the preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or, to the Companys knowledge, threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement or (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop, prevention or suspension order and, if any such order is issued, to obtain promptly the lifting thereof. The Company shall pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) of the 1933 Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the 1933 Act Regulations (including, if applicable, by updating the Calculation of Registration Fee table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or on the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)).
(b) Filing of Amendments and Supplements. The Company will give the Representative notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Securities or any amendment or supplement to either the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, and the Company will furnish or make available to the Representative with copies of any such document a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall object. The Company has made available to the Representative any filings made pursuant to the 1934 Act or 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the execution of this Agreement.
(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Original Registration Statement and any new registration statement relating to the Securities and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed
18
to be a part thereof) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representative, without charge, a conformed copy of the Original Registration Statement and any new registration statement relating to the Securities and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. However, the Companys obligation to deliver such registration statements to the Underwriters shall be deemed satisfied to the extent that such registration statements are (1) available on EDGAR and (2) identical to the EDGAR version.
(d) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of the preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus is (or but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 172) would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus is (or but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the same will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein (solely in the case of the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser) not misleading, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or to file a new registration statement relating to the Securities, the Company will promptly (1) notify the Representative of any such event or condition, (2) prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b), (i) such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to comply with such requirements and (ii) such new registration statement to satisfy such filing requirement, (3) use its best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable (if it is not an automatic shelf registration statement with respect to the Securities) and (4) furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment, supplement or new registration statement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement (or any other registration statement relating to the Securities), the preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or included, includes or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representative and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission. The Underwriters delivery of any such amendment or supplement shall not constitute a waiver of any of the conditions in Section 5 hereof.
19
(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.
(g) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.
(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities substantially in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under Use of Proceeds.
(i) Listing. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Securities on the NASDAQ.
(j) Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 90 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security, in each case, that is outstanding on the date hereof and referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (C) any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common Stock granted pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or in reliance upon NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 5635(c)(4), provided such shares or options do not vest during the period of 90 days from the date of the Prospectus, (D) the issuance of Common Stock in connection with the acquisition by the Company or one or more of its subsidiaries of the assets or capital stock of another person or entity, whether through merger, asset acquisition, stock purchase or otherwise, provided that the recipient of any such shares of Common Stock shall execute and deliver to the Representative an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto or (E) any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to the rights granted to Luigi Lavazza S.p.A. (Lavazza) in the Common Stock Purchase Agreement between the Company and Lavazza dated August 10, 2010.
20
(k) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when a prospectus is (or but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.
(l) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each of the Company and each Selling Shareholder represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representative, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representative, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433, or that would otherwise constitute a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission other than Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule C-2 hereto. Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and each other free writing prospectus consented to by the Representative or by the Company and the Representative, as the case may be, is hereinafter individually referred to as a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company consents to the use by any Underwriter of a free writing prospectus that contains only (a)(i) information describing the preliminary terms of the Securities or their offering, (ii) information meeting the requirements of Rule 134 of the 1933 Act Regulations or (iii) information that describes the final terms of the Securities or their offering or (b) other customary information that is neither issuer information, as defined in Rule 433, nor otherwise an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
(m) No Manipulation of Market for Securities. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to result in a violation of Regulation M under the 1934 Act or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
(n) Renewal of Registration Statement. If, immediately prior to the third anniversary of the effectiveness of the Original Registration Statement (the Renewal Date), any Securities remain unsold by the Underwriter, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Date and subject to Section 3(b), promptly notify the Representative and file, if it has not already done so, a new shelf registration statement or, if applicable, an automatic shelf registration statement relating to such Securities, and, if such registration statement is not an automatic shelf registration statement, will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the Renewal Date and to notify the Representative of its effectiveness, and will take all other reasonable actions necessary or appropriate to permit the public offer and sale of such Securities to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to such Securities. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new shelf registration statement or automatic shelf registration statement, as the case may be.
SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Expenses. The Company and the Selling Shareholders will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including the reasonable costs and expenses relating to the following matters: (i) the preparation, printing and filing with the
21
Commission of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iii) the fees and disbursements of the Companys counsel, accountants and other advisors, (iv) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation and delivery of the Blue Sky Survey, if any, and any supplement thereto, not to exceed $5,000, (v) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the preliminary prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, (vi) any filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), including filing fees and the documented reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters relating to such filings not to exceed $15,000, (vii) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any road show undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged by the Company in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered by the Company in connection with the road show, (ix) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on the NASDAQ and (x) the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Securities made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation contained in the sixth paragraph of Section 1(a)(ii) hereof
(b) Expenses of the Selling Shareholders. The Selling Shareholders, severally and not jointly, will pay all expenses incident to the performance of their respective obligations under, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by, this Agreement, including (i) any stamp and other duties and stock and other transfer taxes, if any, payable upon the sale of the Securities to the Underwriters and their transfer between the Underwriters pursuant to an agreement between such Underwriters and (ii) the fees and disbursements of their respective counsel and other advisors.
(c) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a)(i) or Section 11 hereof, the Company and the Selling Shareholders shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.
(d) Allocation of Expenses. The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement that the Company and the Selling Shareholders may make for the sharing of such costs and expenses.
SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholders contained herein or in certificates of any officer of the Company or on behalf of any Selling Shareholder delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company and each Selling Shareholder of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:
(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Filing of Prospectus; Payment of Filing Fee. At Closing Time, (i) the Registration Statement shall have been filed by the Company with the Commission not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof and became effective upon
22
filing in accordance with Rule 462(e), no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters, and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such form of registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations has been received by the Company, (ii) the preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) (or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and become effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430B), and no order preventing or suspending the use of the preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall have been issued by the Commission or the securities authority of any jurisdiction, (iii) any material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings under such Rule 433, (iv) the Company shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) of the 1933 Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the 1933 Act Regulations and, if applicable, shall have updated the Calculation of Registration Fee table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or on the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b), and (v) there shall not have come to the Representatives attention any facts that would cause the Representative to believe that the General Disclosure Package, at the Applicable Time, or the Prospectus, at the time it was, or was required to be, delivered or made available to purchasers of the Securities, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances existing at such time, not misleading.
(b) Opinion of Counsel for Company. At Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Ropes & Gray LLP, counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto.
(c) Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Shareholders. At the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Merritt & Merritt & Moulton, counsel for the Selling Shareholders, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request.
(d) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion and statements of their counsel, Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, dated the Closing Time, 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 the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters. Such counsel may state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.
(e) Officers Certificate. The Company shall have furnished to the Representative a certificate, signed by the President or a Vice President of the Company and the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Time (or the applicable Date of Delivery,
23
as the case may be), to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements to the foregoing, as well as this Agreement and that (i) there has been no Material Adverse Effect since the date hereof, since the Applicable Time or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct on and as of the Closing Time (or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be) with the same effect as if made on the Closing Time (or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be) (other than representations and warranties that expressly speak only as of a specified date or time, which are true and correct as of such specified date or time), (iii) the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time (or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be), and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the 1933 Act has been issued, no order preventing or suspending the use of the preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, contemplated.
(f) Certificate of Selling Shareholders. At the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received a certificate of an Attorney-in-Fact on behalf of each Selling Shareholder, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) the representations and warranties of each Selling Shareholder in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time and (ii) each Selling Shareholder has complied with all agreements and all conditions on its part to be performed under this Agreement at or prior to the Closing Time.
(g) Accountants Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Underwriters shall have received a letter from each of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and KPMG LLP, in each case, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants comfort letters to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(h) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received a letter from each of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and from KPMG LLP, in each case, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the respective letter furnished pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three days prior to the Closing Time.
(i) Approval of Listing. If applicable, at Closing Time, the Securities shall have been approved for listing on the NASDAQ, subject only to official notice of issuance.
(j) Lock-up Agreements. At the date of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto signed by the persons listed on Schedule D hereto.
(k) Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities. In the event that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company and any of its subsidiaries hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representative shall have received:
24
(i) Officers Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(e) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.
(ii) Opinion of Counsel for Company. The favorable opinion of Ropes & Gray LLP, counsel for the Company in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b) hereof.
(iii) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. If requested by the Representative, the favorable opinion of Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(d) hereof.
(iv) Bring-down Comfort Letter. A letter from each of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and KPMG LLP, in each case, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Underwriters pursuant to Section 5(h) hereof, except that the specified date in such letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than three days prior to such Date of Delivery.
(l) Additional Documents. At Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such other documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company and the Selling Shareholders in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters.
(m) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities, on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company and the Selling Shareholders at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8 and 17 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 6. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an Affiliate), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:
25
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in the preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the road show materials relating to the Securities, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(e) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company and the Selling Shareholders; and
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representative), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;
provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information, or the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).
(b) Indemnification of Underwriters by Selling Shareholders. Each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its Affiliates and selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act to the extent and in the manner set forth in clauses (a)(i), (ii) and (iii) above; provided that each Selling Shareholder shall be liable only to the extent that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with the Selling Shareholder Information. The Underwriters acknowledge and agree that the information provided by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholders in the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney furnished by the Selling Shareholders to the Company is the only Selling Shareholder Information.
(c) Indemnification of Company, Directors, Officers and Selling Shareholders. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, and each Selling Shareholder and each person, if any, who controls any Selling Shareholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933
26
Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information, or the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein. The Company and each Selling Shareholder agree with the Underwriters that the information (i) in the first paragraph under the caption UnderwritingCommissions and Discounts in the Prospectus, and (ii) under the caption UnderwritingElectronic Offer, Sale and Distribution of Shares in the Prospectus, constitute the only information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Underwriters for inclusion in the Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus.
(d) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice in writing as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Sections 6(a) and 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representative, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(c) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(e) Settlement Without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
(f) Other Agreements with Respect to Indemnification. The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the Company and the Selling Shareholders with respect to indemnification.
27
SECTION 7. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.
The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company and the Selling Shareholders or by the Underwriters and the parties relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, in no case shall any Underwriter (except as may be provided in any agreement among underwriters relating to the offering of the Securities) be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discount or commission applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter hereunder.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Selling Shareholder shall be required to contribute any amount, taken together with any amount paid by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to Section 6, in excess of the aggregate gross proceeds, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions but before deducting expenses, received by such Selling Shareholder from the sale of Securities sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder. Each Selling Shareholders obligation to contribute as provided in this Section 7 is several in proportion to such gross proceeds received by such Selling Shareholder from the sale of the Securities under this Agreement and not joint.
28
No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriters Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Shareholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company or such Selling Shareholder, as the case may be. The Underwriters respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.
The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the Company and the Selling Shareholders with respect to contribution.
SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or the Selling Shareholders submitted pursuant hereto shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors, any person controlling the Company or any person controlling any Selling Shareholder and (ii) delivery of, and payment for, the Securities.
SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.
(a) Termination; General. The Representative may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company and the Selling Shareholders, at any time at or prior to Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the results of operations, business or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or NASDAQ, or trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or in NASDAQ has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental agency, authority or body, or (iv) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, or (v) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.
(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8 and 17 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.
29
SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the Defaulted Securities), the Representative shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representative shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:
(i) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
(ii) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.
No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.
In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either the Representative or the Company and any Selling Shareholder shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term Underwriter includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.
SECTION 11. Default by One or More of the Selling Shareholders or the Company. If a Selling Shareholder shall fail at the Closing Time to sell and deliver the number of Securities which such Selling Shareholder or Selling Shareholders are obligated to sell hereunder, and the remaining Selling Shareholders do not exercise the right hereby granted to increase, pro rata or otherwise, the number of Securities to be sold by them hereunder to the total number to be sold by all Selling Shareholders as set forth in Schedule B hereto, then the Underwriters may, at option of the Representative, by notice from the Representative to the Company and the non-defaulting Selling Shareholders, either (i) terminate this Agreement without any liability on the fault of any non-defaulting party except that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 17 shall remain in full force and effect or (ii) elect to purchase the Securities which the non-defaulting Selling Shareholders and the Company have agreed to sell hereunder. No action taken pursuant to this Section 11 shall relieve any Selling Shareholder so defaulting from liability, if any, in respect of such default.
In the event of a default by any Selling Shareholder as referred to in this Section 11, each of the Representative, the Company and the non-defaulting Selling Shareholders shall have the right to postpone the Closing Time for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required change in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.
30
SECTION 12. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representative at One Bryant Park, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Syndicate Department (facsimile: (646)  ###-###-####) with a copy to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated at One Bryant Park, New York, New York 10036, Attention: ECM Legal (facsimile: (212)  ###-###-####), and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at 33 Coffee Lane, Waterbury, Vermont 05676, attention of Howard Malovany (facsimile: (802)  ###-###-####).
SECTION 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. Each of the Company and each Selling Shareholder acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arms-length commercial transaction between the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any Selling Shareholder, or its respective stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or any Selling Shareholder with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any Selling Shareholder on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company or any Selling Shareholder with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of each of the Company and each Selling Shareholder, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company and each of the Selling Shareholders has consulted its own respective legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
SECTION 14. Integration. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
SECTION 15. Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
SECTION 16. Trial by Jury. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates), each of the Selling Shareholders and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
31
SECTION 17. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED IN SAID STATE.
SECTION 18. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
SECTION 19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.
SECTION 20. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
32
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company and the Attorney-in-Fact for the Selling Shareholders a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, | ||||
GREEN MOUNTAIN COFFEE ROASTERS, INC. | ||||
By: | /s/ Lawrence J. Blanford | |||
Name: | Lawrence J. Blanford | |||
Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer |
SELLING SHAREHOLDERS | ||
By | /s/ Frances Rathke | |
As Attorney-in-Fact acting on behalf of | ||
the Selling Shareholders named in | ||
Schedule B hereto |
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, | ||
MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED, | ||
By | /s/ Carl C. Stickel | |
Authorized Signatory |
For itself and as Representative of the other Underwriters listed on Schedule A hereto.
[UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT SIGNATURE PAGE]
SCHEDULE A
The initial public offering price per share for the Securities shall be $71.00.
The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $68.3375, being an amount equal to the initial public offering price set forth above less $2.6625 per share, subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 2(b) for dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.
| Number of Initial Securities | |||
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated | 4,730,000 | |||
SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. | 860,000 | |||
William Blair & Company, L.L.C. | 430,000 | |||
Cannacord Genuity Inc. | 430,000 | |||
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC | 430,000 | |||
Piper Jaffray & Co. | 430,000 | |||
RBC Capital Markets, LLC. | 430,000 | |||
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC | 430,000 | |||
Rabo Securities USA, Inc. | 215,000 | |||
Santander Investment Securities Inc. | 215,000 | |||
Total | 8,600,000 | |||
Sch A-1
SCHEDULE B
Number of Initial Securities to be Sold | Maximum Number of Option Securities to Be Sold | |||||||
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. | 8,189,544 | 1,290,000 | ||||||
Lawrence J. Blanford | 51,573 | |||||||
William D. Davis | 40,000 | |||||||
David E. Moran | 8,883 | |||||||
Robert P. Stiller | 310,000 | |||||||
Total |
Sch B-1
SCHEDULE C-1
Pricing Terms
1. | The Company and the Selling Shareholders are selling 8,600,000 shares of Common Stock. |
2. | The Company has granted an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 1,290,000 shares of Common Stock. |
3. | The initial public offering price per share for the Securities shall be $71.00. |
Sch C-1-1
SCHEDULE C-2
Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus: None
Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus: None
Sch C-2-1
SCHEDULE D
William D. Davis
Jules A. del Vecchio
Robert P. Stiller
Barbara D. Carlini
Hinda Miller
Lawrence J. Blanford
David E. Moran
Michael J. Mardy
R. Scott McCreary
Frances Rathke
Steve Sabol
Linda Kazanova
Gerard Geoffrion
Howard Malovany
Michelle Stacy
Douglas Daft
Sch D-1
Exhibit A
[FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANYS COUNSEL
TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 5(b)]
A-1
Exhibit B
[FORM OF OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE SELLING SHAREHOLDER(S)
TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(c)]
B-1
Exhibit C
FORM OF LOCK-UP FROM DIRECTORS, OFFICERS OR OTHER STOCKHOLDERS PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(J)
May 5, 2011
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
One Bryant Park
New York, New York 10036
as Representative of the several Underwriters
named in the within-mentioned Underwriting Agreement
Re: | Proposed Public Offering by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (Merrill Lynch), as representative of the several Underwriters to be named in the within-mentioned Underwriting Agreement (collectively, the Underwriters) proposes to enter into a Underwriting Agreement (the Underwriting Agreement) with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (the Company) and the Selling Shareholders (the Selling Shareholders), providing for the public offering (the Public Offering) by the Underwriters of the Companys common stock, par value $0.10 per share (the Common Stock).
In consideration of the Underwriters agreement to purchase the number of shares of Common Stock specified in the Underwriting Agreement and make the Public Offering of the Common Stock, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees with each Underwriter that, during a period of 90 days from the date of the Underwriting Agreement, the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of Merrill Lynch on behalf of the Underwriters, directly or indirectly, (i) 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 for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of or transfer any shares of the Companys Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition, or file, or cause to be filed, any registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to any of the foregoing (collectively, the Lock-Up Securities) or (ii) enter into any swap, hedge or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities, whether any such swap, hedge or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to transfers of shares of Common Stock as a bona fide gift or gifts or transfers of shares of Common Stock to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned and/or the immediate family (which shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin) of the undersigned, provided that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to this sentence, each donee or trustee shall execute and deliver to Merrill Lynch a lock-up letter in the form of this letter; and provided, further, that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to this sentence, 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 90-day period referred to above).
C-1
The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Companys transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the Lock-Up Securities. For the avoidance of doubt this agreement shall not prohibit the undersigned from (i) the sale of shares of Common Stock to the Underwriters in connection with the Public Offering and (ii) entering into a written trading plan contemplated by Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, provided that no sales are made under such plan prior to the expiration of the 90-day period referred to above.
The undersigned understands that, if the Underwriting Agreement is not executed by Merrill Lynch, as representative of the several Underwriters, and the Company by June 1, 2011, 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.
This Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
Very truly yours, |
Signature: |
|
Print Name: |
|
C-2