[Letterhead of Sandler ONeill & Partners, L.P.]
Exhibit 1.1
[Letterhead of Sandler ONeill & Partners, L.P.]
June 24, 2004
Board of Directors
OC Financial MHC
1001 Asbury Avenue
Ocean City, NJ ###-###-####
Board of Directors
Ocean City Home Bank
1001 Asbury Avenue
Ocean City, NJ ###-###-####
Board of Directors
Ocean Shore Holding Co.
1001 Asbury Avenue
Ocean City, NJ ###-###-####
Attention: | Mr. Steven E. Brady | |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Sandler ONeill & Partners, L.P. (Sandler ONeill) is pleased to act as an independent financial advisor to the Ocean City Home Bank (the Bank), OC Financial, MHC (the Holding Company) and Ocean Shore Holding Co. in connection with the offer and sale of certain shares of the common stock (the Common Stock) of Ocean City Holding Company, a middle-tier stock holding company (the MHC) to the Bank s eligible account holders in a Subscription Offering, to members of the Banks community in a Direct Community Offering and, under certain circumstances, to the general public in a Syndicated Community Offering (collectively, the Offerings). For purposes of this letter, the term Actual Purchase Price shall mean the price at which the shares of the Common Stock are sold in the Offerings. This letter is to confirm the terms and conditions of our engagement.
OC Financial, MHC
Ocean City Home Bank
Ocean Shore Holding Co.
June 24, 2004
Page 2
ADVISORY SERVICES
Sandler ONeill will act as a consultant and advisor to the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company and will work with the Banks, the MHCs and the Holding Companys management, counsel, accountants and other advisors in connection with the Offerings. We anticipate that our services will include the following, each as may be necessary and as the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company may reasonably request:
1. | Consulting as to the securities marketing implications of any aspect of the Offerings or related corporate documents; |
2. | Reviewing with the Board of Directors the independent appraisers appraisal of the Common Stock; |
3. | Reviewing all offering documents, including the Prospectus, stock order forms and related offering materials (it being understood that preparation and filing of such documents will be the responsibility of the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company and their counsel); |
4. | Assisting in the design and implementation of a marketing strategy for the Offerings; |
5. | Assisting Bank management in scheduling and preparing for meetings with potential investors and broker-dealers; and |
6. | Providing such other general advice and assistance as may be requested to promote the successful completion of the Offerings. |
FEES
If the Offerings are consummated, the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company agree to pay Sandler ONeill for its services hereunder the fees set forth below:
1. | a fee of one percent (1.0%) of the aggregate Actual Purchase Price of the shares of common stock sold in the Subscription Offering and in the Direct Community Offering, excluding in each case shares purchased by (i) any employee benefit plan of the Holding Company, the MHC or the Bank established for the benefit of their respective directors, officers and employees, and (ii) any director, officer or employee of the Holding Company or the Bank or members of their immediate families; and |
2. | with respect to any shares of the MHCs common stock sold by any NASD member firm under any selected dealers agreement in the Syndicated Community Offering, (a) the sales commission payable to the selected dealer under such agreement, (b) any sponsoring dealers fees, and (c) a management fee to Sandler ONeill of one percent (1.0%) of the Aggregate Purchase Price. Any fees payable to Sandler ONeill for common stock sold by Sandler ONeill under any such agreement shall be limited to an aggregate of one percent (1.0%) of the Actual Purchase Price of such shares. |
OC Financial, MHC
Ocean City Home Bank
Ocean Shore Holding Co.
June 24, 2004
Page 3
If (i) Sandler ONeills engagement hereunder is terminated for any of the reasons provided for under the second paragraph of the section of this letter captioned Definitive Agreement, or (ii) the Offerings are terminated by the Bank, no fees shall be payable by the Bank, the MHC or the Holding Company to Sandler ONeill hereunder; however, the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company shall reimburse Sandler ONeill for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including legal fees) incurred in connection with its engagement hereunder and for any fees and expenses incurred by Sandler ONeill on behalf of the Bank, the MHC or the Holding Company pursuant to the second paragraph under the caption Costs and Expenses below.
All fees payable to Sandler ONeill hereunder shall be payable in cash at the time of the closing of the Offerings. In recognition of the long lead times involved in the offering process, the Bank agrees to make an advance payment to Sandler ONeill in the aggregate amount of $25,000, which shall be payable upon execution of this letter and which shall be credited against any fees or reimbursement of expenses payable hereunder.
SYNDICATED COMMUNITY OFFERING
If any shares of the Common Stock remain available after the expiration of the Subscription Offering and the Direct Community Offering, at the request of the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company and subject to the continued satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the second paragraph under the caption Definitive Agreement below, Sandler ONeill will seek to form a syndicate of registered dealers to assist in the sale of such Common Stock in a Syndicated Community Offering on a best efforts basis, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in a selected dealers agreement. Sandler ONeill will endeavor to limit the aggregate fees to be paid by the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company under any such selected dealers agreement to an amount competitive with gross underwriting discounts charged at such time for underwritings of comparable amounts of stock sold at a comparable price per share in a similar market environment, which shall not exceed 7% of the aggregate Actual Purchase Price of the shares sold under such agreements. Sandler ONeill will endeavor to distribute the Common Stock among dealers in a fashion which best meets the distribution objectives of the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company, which may result in limiting the allocation of stock to certain selected dealers. It is understood that in no event shall Sandler ONeill be obligated to act as a selected dealer or to take or purchase any shares of the Common Stock.
OC Financial, MHC
Ocean City Home Bank
Ocean Shore Holding Co.
June 24, 2004
Page 4
COSTS AND EXPENSES
In addition to any fees that may be payable to Sandler ONeill hereunder and the expenses to be borne by the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company pursuant to the following paragraph, the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company agree to reimburse Sandler ONeill, upon request made from time to time, for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with its engagement hereunder, regardless of whether the Offerings are consummated, including, without limitation, legal fees, advertising, promotional, syndication, and travel, up to an aggregate maximum of $45,000; provided, however, that Sandler ONeill shall document such expenses to the reasonable satisfaction of the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company. The provisions of this paragraph are not intended to apply to or in any way impair the indemnification provisions of this letter.
As is customary, the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company will bear all other expenses incurred in connection with the Offerings, including, without limitation, (i) the cost of obtaining all securities and bank regulatory approvals, including any required NASD filing fees; (ii) the cost of printing and distributing the offering materials; (iii) the costs of blue sky qualification (including fees and expenses of blue sky counsel) of the shares in the various states; (iv) listing fees; and (v) all fees and disbursements of the Banks, the MHCs and the Holding Companys counsel, accountants, conversion agent and other advisors. In the event Sandler ONeill incurs any such fees and expenses on behalf of the Bank, the MHC or the Holding Company, the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company will reimburse Sandler ONeill for such fees and expenses whether or not the Offerings are consummated.
DUE DILIGENCE REVIEW
Sandler ONeills obligation to perform the services contemplated by this letter shall be subject to the satisfactory completion of such investigation and inquiries relating to the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company, and their respective directors, officers, agents and employees, as Sandler ONeill and its counsel in their sole discretion may deem appropriate under the circumstances. In this regard, the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company agree that, at their expense, it will make available to Sandler ONeill all information which Sandler ONeill requests, and will allow Sandler ONeill the opportunity to discuss with the Banks, the MHCs and the Holding Companys management the financial condition, business and operations of the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company. The Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company acknowledge that Sandler ONeill will rely upon the accuracy and completeness of all information received from the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company and their directors, trustees, officers, employees, agents, independent accountants and counsel.
BLUE SKY MATTERS
The Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company agree that if Sandler ONeills counsel does not serve as counsel with respect to blue sky matters in connection with the Offerings, the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company will cause the counsel performing such services to prepare a Blue
OC Financial, MHC
Ocean City Home Bank
Ocean Shore Holding Co.
June 24, 2004
Page 5
Sky Memorandum related to the Offerings including Sandler ONeills participation therein and shall furnish Sandler ONeill a copy thereof addressed to Sandler ONeill or upon which such counsel shall state Sandler ONeill may rely.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Other than disclosure to other firms made part of any syndicate of selected dealers or as required by law or regulation or legal process, Sandler ONeill agrees that it will treat as confidential all material, non-public information relating to the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company obtained in connection with its engagement hereunder (the Confidential Information) whether or not the Offerings are consummated. As used in this paragraph, the term Confidential Information shall not include information which (i) is or becomes generally available to the public other than as a result of a disclosure by Sandler ONeill, (ii) was available to Sandler ONeill on a non-confidential basis prior to its disclosure to Sandler ONeill by the Bank, the MHC or the Holding Company, or (iii) becomes available to Sandler ONeill on a non-confidential basis from a person other than the Bank, the MHC or the Holding Company who is not otherwise known to Sandler ONeill to be bound not to disclose such information pursuant to a contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation.
INDEMNIFICATION
Since Sandler ONeill will be acting on behalf of the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company in connection with the Offerings, the Holding Company, the MHC and the Bank agree to indemnify and hold Sandler ONeill and its affiliates and their respective partners, directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Sandler ONeill and each such person being an Indemnified Party) harmless from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject under applicable federal or state law, or otherwise, related to or arising out of the Offerings or the engagement of Sandler ONeill pursuant to, or the performance by Sandler ONeill of the services contemplated by, this letter, and will reimburse any Indemnified Party for all expenses (including reasonable legal fees and expenses) as they are incurred, including expenses incurred in connection with the investigation of, preparation for or defense of any pending or threatened claim or any action or proceeding arising therefrom, whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party; provided, however, that the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (i) arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement of a material fact or the omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make not misleading any statements contained in any final prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any of the applications, notices, filings or documents related thereto made in reliance on and in conformity with written information furnished to the Bank, the MHC or the Holding Company by Sandler ONeill expressly for use therein, or (ii) is primarily attributable to the gross negligence,
OC Financial, MHC
Ocean City Home Bank
Ocean Shore Holding Co.
June 24, 2004
Page 6
willful misconduct or bad faith of Sandler ONeill. If the foregoing indemnification is unavailable for any reason, the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company agree to contribute to such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses in the proportion that its financial interest in the Offerings bears to that of Sandler ONeill.
DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT
Sandler ONeill and the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company agree that (a) except as set forth in clause (b), the foregoing represents the general intention of the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company and Sandler ONeill with respect to the services to be provided by Sandler ONeill in connection with the Offerings, which will serve as a basis for Sandler ONeill commencing activities, and (b) the only legal and binding obligations of the Bank, the MHC, the Holding Company and Sandler ONeill with respect to the subject matter hereof shall be (1) the Banks, the MHCs and the Holding Companys obligation to reimburse costs and expenses pursuant to the section captioned Costs and Expenses, (2) those set forth under the captions Confidentiality and Indemnification, and (3) as set forth in a duly negotiated and executed definitive Agency Agreement to be entered into prior to the commencement of the Subscription Offering relating to the services of Sandler ONeill in connection with the Offerings. Such Agency Agreement shall be in form and content satisfactory to Sandler ONeill, the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company and their respective counsel and shall contain standard indemnification provisions mutually acceptable to the Bank, the MHC and the Holding Company and Sandler ONeill and consistent herewith.
Sandler ONeills execution of such Agency Agreement shall also be subject to (i) Sandler ONeills satisfaction with its investigation of the Banks, the MHCs and the Holding Companys business, financial condition and results of operations, (ii) preparation of offering materials that are satisfactory to Sandler ONeill and its counsel, (iii) compliance with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements to the reasonable satisfaction of Sandler ONeills counsel, (iv) agreement that the price established by the independent appraiser is reasonable and (v) market conditions at the time of the proposed offering. Sandler ONeill may terminate this agreement if such Agency Agreement is not entered into prior to December 31, 2004.
OC Financial, MHC
Ocean City Home Bank
Ocean Shore Holding Co.
June 24, 2004
Page 7
Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth our agreement by signing and returning to Sandler ONeill the duplicate copy of this letter enclosed herewith.
Very truly yours, | ||
Sandler ONeill & Partners, L.P. | ||
By: | Sandler ONeill & Partners Corp., | |
the sole general partner | ||
By: | /s/ Thomas P. Duke | |
Thomas P. Duke Vice President |
Accepted and agreed to as of
the date first above written:
OC Financial, MHC | ||
By: | /s/ Steven E. Brady | |
Name: | Steven E. Brady | |
Its: | President and CEO | |
Ocean City Home Bank | ||
By: | /s/ Steven E. Brady | |
Name: | Steven E. Brady | |
Its: | President & CEO | |
Ocean Shore Holding Co. | ||
By: | /s/ Steven E. Brady | |
Name: | Steven E. Brady | |
Its: | President & CEO |