5,714,286Shares TOWERSTREAMCORPORATION CommonStock UNDERWRITINGAGREEMENT

 

 

 

 

 

November 23, 2010

 

LAZARD CAPITAL MARKETS LLC

MERRIMAN CAPITAL, INC.

     C/O LAZARD CAPITAL MARKETS LLC

30 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, New York 10020

 

Dear Sirs:

 

1.           INTRODUCTION.  Towerstream Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters (defined below), pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Underwriting Agreement (this “Agreement”), an aggregate of 5,714,286 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, together with associated rights pursuant to that certain Rights Agreement, dated November 9, 2010 between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the “Common Stock”) of the Company (the “Firm Stock”) as set forth in Schedule C hereto.  The Company hereby confirms that Lazard Capital Markets LLC (“LCM”) and Merriman Capital, Inc. (“Merriman”, and together with LCM, the “Underwriters”) acted as the Underwriters in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof.  LCM is acting as the representative of the Underwriters and in such capacity is hereinafter referred to as the “Representative.”

 

The Company also proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters not more than an additional 857,143 shares of its Common Stock (the “Additional Stock”) if and to the extent that you, as Underwriters, shall have, severally and not jointly, determined to exercise your right to purchase such shares of Common Stock granted to the Underwriters below and in Section 2 hereof.  The Firm Stock and the Additional Stock are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Stock.”

 

The Underwriters may exercise their over-allotment purchase right in whole or from time to time in part by giving written notice not later than thirty (30) days after the date of this Agreement.  Any exercise notice shall specify the number of Additional Stock to be purchased by the Underwriters and the date on which such shares are to be purchased.  If any Additional Stock is to be purchased, the number of Additional Stock to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the number of Additional Stock which bears the same ratio to the aggregate number of Additional Stock being purchased as the number of Firm Stock purchased by such Underwriter bears to the aggregate number of Firm Stock purchased from the Company by the Underwriters, subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate any fractional shares of Stock as the Representative in its sole discretion shall make.  Each purchase date must be at least one business day after the written notice is given and may not be earlier than the closing date for the Firm Stock nor later than ten business days after the date of such notice.  Additional Stock may be purchased hereby solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm Stock.  On each day, if any, that Additional Stock is to be purchased (an “Option Closing Date”).

 

2.           Delivery and Payment. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained, and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement:

 

2.1           The Company agrees to issue and sell and the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase from the Company an aggregate of 5,714,286 shares of Firm Stock in the amounts set forth in Schedule C, annexed hereto at a purchase price of $2.618 per share of Common Stock (the “Purchase Price”).  The Company has been advised by you that you propose to make a public offering of the Stock as soon after this Agreement has become effective as in your judgment is advisable.  The Company is further advised by you that the Stock is to be offered to the public initially at $2.80 per share.

 

2.2           Payment of the Purchase Price for, and delivery of, the Firm Stock shall be made at the time and date of closing and delivery of the documents required to be delivered to the Underwriters pursuant to Sections 4 and 6 hereof shall be at 10:00 A.M., New York time, on November 29, 2010 (the “Closing Date”) at the office of Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference, LLP, 61 Broadway, New York, NY 10006 or at such other time and date as the Representative and the Company determine pursuant to Rule 15c6-1(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), the Company shall deliver the Firm Stock, which shall be registered in the name or names and shall be in such denominations as the Representative may request at least one (1) business day before the Closing Date, to the Representative, which delivery shall be made through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company's DWAC system or Full Fast Delivery Program.

 

2.3           Payment of the Purchase Price for, and delivery of, any Additional Stock shall be made at the Option Closing Date or at such other time and date as the Representative and the Company determine pursuant to Rule 15c6-1(a) under the Exchange Act, the Company shall deliver the Additional Stock, which shall be registered in the name or names and shall be in such denominations as the Underwriters may request at least one (1) business day before the Option Closing Date, to the Underwriters, which delivery shall be made through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company's DWAC system or Full Fast Delivery Program.  The Option Closing Date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the Closing Date; and in the event that such time and date are simultaneous with the Closing Date, the term “Closing Date” shall refer to the time and date of delivery of the Firm Stock and Additional Stock.

 

 

2.4           No Stock which the Company has agreed to sell pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to have been purchased and paid for, or sold by the Company, until such shares of Stock shall have been delivered to the Underwriters thereof against payment by each of the Underwriters. If the Company shall default in its obligations to deliver any shares of Stock to the Underwriters, the Company shall indemnify and hold each Underwriter harmless against any loss, claim, damage or expense arising from or as a result of such default by the Company in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 7(c) herein.

 

3.           REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.  The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters that:

 

(a)           The Company has prepared and filed in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Rules and Regulations”) adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), a “shelf” Registration Statement (as hereinafter defined) on Form S-3 (File No. 333-161135), which became effective as of September 22, 2009 (the “Effective Date”), including a base prospectus relating to the Stock (the “Base Prospectus”), and such amendments and supplements thereto as may have been required to the date of this Agreement. The term “Registration Statement” as used in this Agreement means the registration statement (including all exhibits, financial schedules and all documents and information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations), as amended and/or supplemented to the date of this Agreement, including the Base Prospectus.  The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act and no stop order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement any post-effective amendment thereto or suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus (defined below) has been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are threatened by the Commission.  The Company, if required by the Rules and Regulations of the Commission, will file the Prospectus (as defined below), with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations. The term “Prospectus” as used in this Agreement means the Prospectus, in the form in which it is to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations, or, if the Prospectus is not to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), the Prospectus in the form included as part of the Registration Statement as of the Effective Date, except that if any revised prospectus or prospectus supplement shall be provided to the Underwriter by the Company for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Stock which differs from the Prospectus (whether or not such revised prospectus or prospectus supplement is required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations), the term “Prospectus” shall refer to such revised prospectus or prospectus supplement, as the case may be, from and after the time it is first provided to the Underwriters for such use (or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of prospective purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act).  Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus subject to completion included in the Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 of the Rules and Regulations is hereafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus.”  Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), on or before the last to occur of the Effective Date, the date of the Preliminary Prospectus, or the date of the Prospectus, and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment,” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include (i) the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the Effective Date, the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the date of the Prospectus, as the case may be, which is incorporated by reference and (ii) any such document so filed. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement to register additional securities pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Rules and Regulations (the “462(b) Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the Registration Statement shall also be deemed to include such 462(b) Registration Statement.

 

 

(b)           As of the Applicable Time (as defined below) and as of the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, neither (i) any General Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, and the Pricing Prospectus (as defined below) and the information included on Schedule A hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), (ii) any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) nor (iii) the bona fide electronic road show (as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) of the Rules and Regulations), if any, that has been made available without restriction to any person, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package included or will not include, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, as of the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, will not omit, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Pricing Prospectus in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriters’ Information (as defined in Section 17).  As used in this paragraph (b) and elsewhere in this Agreement:

 

“Applicable Time” means 8:00 A.M., New York time, on the date of this Agreement.

 

“General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is identified on Schedule A to this Agreement.

 

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations relating to the Stock in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g) of the Rules and Regulations.

 

“Limited Use Free Writing Prospectuses” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

 

 

“Pricing Prospectus” means the Preliminary Prospectus, if any, and the Base Prospectus, each as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof.

 

(c)           No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the Offering has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act has been instituted or threatened by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, if any, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did 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, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from any Preliminary Prospectus, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriters’ Information (as defined in Section 17).

 

(d)           At the time the Registration Statement became or becomes effective, at the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, the Registration Statement conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto was issued and at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and 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 light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the foregoing representations and warranties in this paragraph (d) shall not apply to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriters’ Information (as defined in Section 17).

 

(e)           The Company satisfies the pre-1992 eligibility requirements for the use of a registration statement on Form S-3 in connection with the Offering contemplated thereby (the pre-1992 eligibility requirements for the use of the registration statement on Form S-3 include (i) having a non-affiliate, public common equity float of at least $100 million and annual trading volume of at least three million shares and (ii) having been subject to the Exchange Act reporting requirements for a period of 36 months).

 

 

(f)           The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and none of such documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(g)           The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the Offering other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted under the Securities Act and consistent with Section 4(b) below.  The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. The Company will file with the Commission all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses (other than a “road show,” as defined in Rule 433(d)(8) of the Rules and Regulations), if any, in the time and manner required under Rules 163(b)(2) and 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations.

 

(h)           The Company and each Subsidiary (as defined below) has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing (or the foreign equivalent thereof) under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization.  The Company and each Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification and has all power and authority necessary to own or hold its properties and to conduct the business in which it is engaged, except where the failure to so qualify or have such power or authority (i) would not have, singularly or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, assets or business or prospects of the Company or any Subsidiary, taken as a whole, or (ii) impair in any material respect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate any transactions contemplated by the Agreement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (any such effect as described in clauses (i) or (ii), a “Material Adverse Effect”).  The Company owns or controls, directly or indirectly, only the following corporations, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, associations or other entities:  Towerstream I, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Subsidiary”).

 

(i)           The Company has the full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement, and to perform and to discharge its obligations hereunder and thereunder; and this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable in accordance with its terms.

 

 

(j)           The Firm Stock and Additional Stock to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriters hereunder have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will conform to the description thereof contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(k)           The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws, and conform to the description thereof contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.  As of November 19, 2010, there were 35,106,861 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding and no shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share of the Company issued and outstanding and 3,133,726 shares of Common Stock were issuable upon the exercise of all options and 4,332,310 shares of Common Stock were issuable upon the exercise of warrants and convertible securities outstanding as of such date. Since such date, the Company has not issued any securities, other than Common Stock of the Company issued pursuant to the exercise of stock options previously outstanding under the Company’s stock option plans or the issuance of restricted Common Stock pursuant to employee stock purchase plans.  All of the Company’s options, warrants and other rights to purchase or exchange any securities for shares of the Company’s capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and were issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws.  The Stock to be issued and sold by the Company under this Agreement has been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will have been validly issued and will be fully paid and nonassessable and will conform to the description thereof in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and will be free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights, other than as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.  None of the outstanding shares of Common Stock was issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company.  There are no authorized or outstanding shares of capital stock, options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those described above or accurately described in the General Disclosure Package.  The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, accurately and fairly present the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.

 

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

 

 

(m)           The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, the issue and sale of the Stock by the Company and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (i) will not (with or without notice or lapse of time or both) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, constitute a default under, give rise to any right of termination or other right or the cancellation or acceleration of any right or obligation or loss of a benefit under, or give rise to the creation or imposition of any lien, encumbrance, security interest, claim or charge upon any property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject, nor (ii) will such actions result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any Subsidiary or (iii) any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their properties or assets, except in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) of this paragraph, for such breaches, violations or defaults that would not individually or in the aggregate  have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(n)           Except for the registration of the Stock under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the Exchange Act and applicable state or foreign securities laws, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq CM”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Stock by the Company, no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, qualification or registration with, any court or governmental agency or body, foreign or domestic, which has not been made, obtained or taken and is not in full force and effect, is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, the offer or sale of the Stock or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

 

(o)           Marcum LLP, who have provided an audit opinion concerning the Company’s financial statements and schedules, if any, for the periods set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in such report and included  or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, have audited the Company’s financial statements and is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”).  Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and as pre-approved in accordance with the requirements set forth in Section 10A of the Exchange Act, Marcum LLP have not been engaged by the Company to perform any “prohibited activities” (as defined in Section 10A of the Exchange Act).

 

 

(p)           The financial statements, together with the related notes and schedules, included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and in each Registration Statement fairly present the financial position and the results of operations and changes in financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the respective dates or for the respective periods therein specified.  Such statements and related notes and schedules have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved except as may be set forth in the related notes included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package.  The financial statements, together with the related notes and schedules, included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, and the Rules and Regulations and the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act.  No other financial statements or supporting schedules or exhibits are required by the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations to be described, or included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.  There is no pro forma or as adjusted financial information which is required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, or and the Prospectus in accordance with the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations which has not been included or incorporated as so required.  The pro forma and pro forma as adjusted financial information and the related notes, if any, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus have been properly compiled and prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and present fairly the information shown 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.

 

(q)           Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has sustained, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package; and, since such date, there has not been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any Subsidiary, or any material adverse changes, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, assets, general affairs, management, financial position, prospects, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company or any Subsidiary otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package.

 

(r)           Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, there is no legal or governmental action, suit, claim or proceeding pending to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or of which any property or assets of the Company any Subsidiary is the subject which is required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein and is not described therein, or which, singularly or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any Subsidiary, could have a Material Adverse Effect or prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; and to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others.

 

 

(s)           Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in (i) violation of its charter or by-laws, (ii) default in any respect, and no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its property or assets is subject or (iii) violation in any respect of any law, ordinance, governmental rule, regulation or court order, decree or judgment to which it or its property or assets may be subject except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph (s), for any violations or defaults which, singularly or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(t)           The Company and each Subsidiary possesses all licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate local, state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies which are necessary or desirable for the ownership of its properties or the conduct of its businesses as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (collectively, the “Governmental Permits”) except where any failures to possess or make the same, singularly or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect.  The Company and each Subsidiary is in compliance with all such Governmental Permits; all such Governmental Permits are valid and in full force and effect, except where the validity or failure to be in full force and effect would not, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.  All such Governmental Permits are free and clear of any restriction or condition that are in addition to, or materially different from those normally applicable to similar licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received notification of any revocation or modification (or proceedings related thereto) of any such Governmental Permit and the Company has no reason to believe that any such Governmental Permit will not be renewed.

 

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

 

(v)           Neither the Company, nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s officers, directors or Affiliates has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed or intended to stabilize or manipulate the price of any security of the Company, or which caused or resulted in, or which might in the future reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company.

 

(w)           The Company and each Subsidiary owns or possesses the right to use all patents, trademarks, trademark registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, software, databases, know-how, Internet domain names, trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures, and other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry their respective businesses as currently conducted, and as proposed to be conducted and described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and the Company is not aware of any claim to the contrary or any challenge by any other person to the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the foregoing except for those that could not have a Material Adverse Effect.  The Intellectual Property licenses described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are valid, binding upon, and enforceable by or against the parties thereto in accordance to its terms.  The Company and each Subsidiary has complied in all material respects with, and is not in breach nor has received any asserted or threatened claim of breach of, any Intellectual Property license, and the Company has no knowledge of any breach or anticipated breach by any other person to any Intellectual Property license.  To the Company’s knowledge, the Company and each Subsidiary’s business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted does not and will not infringe or conflict with any patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, trade secrets, licenses or other Intellectual Property or franchise right of any person.  No claim has been made against the Company or any Subsidiary alleging the infringement by the Company or any Subsidiary of any patent, trademark, service mark, trade name, copyright, trade secret, license in or other intellectual property right or franchise right of any person.  The Company and each Subsidiary has taken all reasonable steps to protect, maintain and safeguard its rights in all Intellectual Property, including the execution of appropriate nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements.  The consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not result in the loss or impairment of or payment of any additional amounts with respect to, nor require the consent of any other person in respect of, the Company or any Subsidiary’s right to own, use, or hold for use any of the Intellectual Property as owned, used or held for use in the conduct of the businesses as currently conducted.  With respect to the use of the software in the Company or any Subsidiary’s business as it is currently conducted, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has experienced any material defects in such software including any material error or omission in the processing of any transactions other than defects which have been corrected.  The Company and each Subsidiary has at all times complied with all applicable laws relating to privacy, data protection, and the collection and use of personal information collected, used, or held for use by the Company and any Subsidiary in the conduct of the Company and its Subsidiary’s business.  No claims have been asserted or threatened against the Company or any Subsidiary alleging a violation of any person's privacy or personal information or data rights and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not breach or otherwise cause any violation of any law related to privacy, data protection, or the collection and use of personal information collected, used, or held for use by the Company or any Subsidiary in the conduct of the Company's or any Subsidiary’s business.  The Company and each Subsidiary takes reasonable measures to ensure that such information is protected against unauthorized access, use, modification, or other misuse, except for those that would not have a Material Adverse Event.

 

 

(x)           The Company and each Subsidiary has good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real or personal property which are material to the business of the Company and any Subsidiary in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, security interests, claims and defects that do not, singularly 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 Subsidiary; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and any Subsidiary, and under which the Company or any Subsidiary holds properties described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such Subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

 

(y)           No labor disturbance by the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary exists or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any Subsidiary’s principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, that could reasonably be expected, singularly or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.  The Company is not aware that any key employee or significant group of employees of the Company or any Subsidiary plans to terminate employment with the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

(z)           No “prohibited transaction” (as defined in Section 406 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”), or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (the “Code”)) or “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 302 of ERISA) or any of the events set forth in Section 4043(b) of ERISA (other than events with respect to which the thirty (30)-day notice requirement under Section 4043 of ERISA has been waived) has occurred or could reasonably be expected to occur with respect to any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary which could, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.  Each employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary is in compliance in all material respects with applicable law, including ERISA and the Code. The Company and each Subsidiary has not incurred and could not reasonably be expected to incur liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of, or withdrawal from, any pension plan (as defined in ERISA).  Each pension plan for which the Company and each Subsidiary would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified, and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which could, singularly or in the aggregate, cause the loss of such qualification.

 

 

(aa)           The Company and each Subsidiary is in compliance with all foreign, federal, state and local rules, laws and regulations relating to the use, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous or toxic substances or waste and protection of health and safety or the environment which are applicable to its businesses (“Environmental Laws”), except where the failure to comply would not, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.  There has been no storage, generation, transportation, handling, treatment, disposal, discharge, emission, or other release of any kind of toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances by, due to, or caused by the Company or any Subsidiary (or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other entity for whose acts or omissions the Company or any Subsidiary is or may otherwise be liable) upon any of the property now or previously owned or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary, or upon any other property, in violation of any law, statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit or which would, under any law, statute, ordinance, rule (including rule of common law), regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit, give rise to any liability, except for any violation or liability which would not have, singularly or in the aggregate with all such violations and liabilities, a Material Adverse Effect; and there has been no disposal, discharge, emission or other release of any kind onto such property or into the environment surrounding such property of any toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances with respect to which the Company has knowledge, except for any such disposal, discharge, emission, or other release of any kind which would not have, singularly or in the aggregate with all such discharges and other releases, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(bb)          The Company and each Subsidiary (i) has timely filed all necessary federal, state, local and foreign tax returns, and all such returns were true, complete and correct, (ii) has paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes, assessments, governmental or other charges due and payable for which it is liable, including, without limitation, all sales and use taxes and all taxes which the Company or any Subsidiary is obligated to withhold from amounts owing to employees, creditors and third parties, and (iii) does not have any tax deficiency or claims outstanding or assessed or, to the best of its knowledge, proposed against any of them, except those, in each of the cases described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph (bb), that would not, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.  The Company and each Subsidiary, has not engaged in any transaction which is a corporate tax shelter or which could be characterized as such by the Internal Revenue Service or any other taxing authority.  The accruals and reserves on the books and records of the Company and each Subsidiary in respect of tax liabilities for any taxable period not yet finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments and related liabilities for any such period, and since December 31, 2006 the Company and each Subsidiary has not incurred any liability for taxes other than in the ordinary course.

 

(cc)           The Company and each Subsidiary carries, or is covered by, insurance provided by recognized, financially sound and reputable institutions with policies in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries.  The Company has no reason to believe that it or any Subsidiary will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) 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 result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

(dd)          The Company and each Subsidiary maintains a system of internal accounting and other controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.  Except as described in the General Disclosure Package, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (A) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (B) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(ee)           The minute books of the Company and each Subsidiary have been made available to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters, and such books (i) contain a complete summary of all meetings and actions of the board of directors (including each board committee) and stockholders of the Company and each Subsidiary since the time of its respective incorporation or organization through the date of the latest meeting and action, and (ii) accurately in all material respects reflect all transactions referred to in such minutes.

 

(ff)           There is no franchise, lease, contract, agreement or document required by the Securities Act or by the Rules and Regulations to be described in the General Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or a document incorporated by reference therein which is not described or filed therein as required; and all descriptions of any such franchises, leases, contracts, agreements or documents contained in the Registration Statement or in a document incorporated by reference therein are accurate and complete descriptions of such documents in all material respects.  Other than as described in the General Disclosure Package, no such franchise, lease, contract or agreement has been suspended or terminated for convenience or default by the Company or any Subsidiary or any of the other parties thereto, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received notice nor does the Company have any other knowledge of any such pending or threatened suspension or termination, except for such pending or threatened suspensions or terminations that would not reasonably be expected to, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(gg)          No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company and any Subsidiary on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their affiliates on the other hand, which is required to be described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein and which is not so described.

 

 

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

 

(ii)            Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary owns any “margin securities” as that term is defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), and none of the proceeds of the sale of the Stock will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin security, for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry any margin security or for any other purpose which might cause any of the Stock to be considered a “purpose credit” within the meanings of Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.

 

(jj)            Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Stock or any transaction contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.

 

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

 

(ll)            Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary does business with the government of Cuba or with any person or affiliate located in Cuba within the meaning of Florida Statutes Section 517.075.

 

(mm)         The Company is subject to and in compliance in all material respects with the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.  The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g), as the case may be, of the Exchange Act and is listed on the Nasdaq CM, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or reasonably likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting the Common Stock from the Nasdaq CM, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or FINRA is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.  No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, notification or registration with, the Nasdaq CM is required for the listing and trading of the Stock on the Nasdaq CM, except for (i) a Notification Form: Listing of Additional Stock; and (ii) a Notification Form: Change in the Number of Shares Outstanding.

 

 

(nn)          The Company is in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) that are then in effect and is actively taking steps to ensure that it will be in compliance with other applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act not currently in effect upon it and at all times after the effectiveness of such provisions.

 

(oo)          The Company is in compliance with all applicable corporate governance requirements set forth in the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules that are then in effect and is actively taking steps to ensure that it will be in compliance with other applicable corporate governance requirements set forth in the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules not currently in effect upon and all times after the effectiveness of such requirements.

 

(pp)          There are no transactions, arrangements or other relationships between and/or among the Company or any Subsidiary, any of their affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) and any unconsolidated entity, including, but not limited to, any structure finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity that could reasonably be expected to materially affect the Company or any Subsidiary’s liquidity or the availability of or requirements for its capital resources required to be described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein which have not been described as required.

 

(qq)          There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees or indebtedness by the Company or any Subsidiary to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective family members, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.  All transactions by the Company with office holders or control persons of the Company have been duly approved by the board of directors of the Company, or duly appointed committees or officers thereof.

 

(rr)           The statistical and market related data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.

 

(ss)           Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor any of their affiliates (within the meaning of FINRA’s NASD Conduct Rule 2720(b)(1)(a)) directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, or is an associated person (within the meaning of Article I, Section 1(ee) of the By-laws of FINRA) of, any member firm of FINRA.

 

 

(tt)            No approval of the stockholders of the Company under the rules and regulations of Nasdaq (including Rule 5635 of the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules) is required for the Company to issue and deliver the Stock to the Underwriters.

 

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

 

4.           FURTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE COMPANY.  The Company agrees with the Underwriters:

 

(a)           To prepare the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if necessary, in a form approved by the Representative and file such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission on the date hereof; to prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Representative containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on 430A, 430B and 430C of the Rules and Regulations and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations not later than the second (2nd) business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations; to notify the Representative immediately of the Company’s intention to file or prepare any supplement or amendment to any Registration Statement or to the Prospectus and to make no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or to the Prospectus to which the Representative shall reasonably object by notice to the Company after a reasonable period to review; to advise the Representative, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to any Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Representative copies thereof; to file promptly all material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to 433(d) or 163(b)(2), as the case may be, of the Rules and Regulations; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Rules and Regulations) is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Stock; to advise the Representative promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Stock for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification, and promptly to use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order.

 

 

(b)           The Company represents and agrees that it has not made and will not, make any offer relating to the Stock that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations unless the prior written consent of the Representative has been received (each, a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”); provided that the prior written consent of the Representative hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus[es], if any, included in Schedule A hereto.  The Company represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Rules and Regulations applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including the requirements relating to timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping and will not take any action that would result in any Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that such Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

 

(c)           If at any time when a Prospectus relating to the Stock is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, any event occurs or condition exists as a result of which the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or the Registration Statement, as then amended or supplemented, would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or if for any other reason it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement any Registration Statement or the Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, the Company will promptly notify the Representative, and upon the Representative’s request, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, at the Company’s expense, an amendment to the Registration Statement or an amendment or supplement to the Prospectus that corrects such statement or omission or effects such compliance and will deliver to the Underwriters, without charge, such number of copies thereof as such Underwriter may reasonably request.  The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by the Underwriters.

 

(d)           If the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Stock at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Representative, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement then on file and not superseded or modified, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with any law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare, file with the Commission (if required) and furnish to the Representative and any dealers an appropriate amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the Exchange Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package so that the General Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, be misleading or conflict with the Registration Statement then on file, or so that the General Disclosure Package will comply with law.

 

 

(e)           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 will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, Pricing Prospectus or Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof and not superseded or modified or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representative so that any use of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus may cease until it is amended or supplemented and has promptly amended or 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 foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriter’s Information (as defined in Section 17).

 

(f)           To furnish promptly to the Representative and to counsel for the Underwriters a signed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission, and of each amendment thereto filed with the Commission, including all consents and exhibits filed therewith.

 

(g)           To deliver promptly to the Representative in New York City such number of the following documents as the Representative shall reasonably request:  (i) conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission (in each case excluding exhibits), (ii) each Preliminary Prospectus, (iii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (iv) the Prospectus (the delivery of the documents referred to in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) of this paragraph (g) to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York time, on the business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement), (v) conformed copies of any amendment to the Registration Statement (excluding exhibits), (vi) any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (the delivery of the documents referred to in clauses (v) and (vi) of this paragraph (g) to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day following the date of such amendment or supplement) and (vii) any document incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (excluding exhibits thereto) (the delivery of the documents referred to in clause (vi) of this paragraph (g) to be made not later than 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day following the date of such document).

 

 

(h)           To make generally available to its stockholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen (18) months after the effective date of each Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) of the Rules and Regulations), an earnings statement of the Company and any Subsidiary (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158); and to furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent public accountants) and as soon as possible after each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the first fiscal quarter after the effective date of such Registration Statement), consolidated summary financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries for such quarter in reasonable detail.

 

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

 

(j)           Upon request, during the period of five (5) years from the date hereof, to the extent not available on the Commission’s EDGAR system, to deliver to the Underwriters, (i) as soon as they are available, copies of all reports or other communications furnished to stockholders, and (ii) as soon as they are available, copies of any reports and financial statements furnished or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system on which the Company’s securities are listed or quoted.

 

(k)           That the Company will not, for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of the Prospectus, (the “Lock-Up Period”) without the prior written consent of the Representative, directly or indirectly offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, other than the Company’s sale of the Stock hereunder and the issuance of restricted Common Stock or options to acquire Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans as such plans are in existence on the date hereof and described in the Prospectus and the issuance of Common Stock pursuant to the valid exercises of options, warrants or rights outstanding on the date hereof.  The Company will cause each executive officer and director listed in Schedule B hereto to furnish to the Representative, prior to the Closing Date, a letter, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto.  Except for any amendment to the registration statement, File No. 333-161135, filed with the Commission, the Company also agrees that without the consent of the Representative, from the date of this Agreement for a period of ninety (90) days, during such period, the Company will not file any registration statement, preliminary prospectus or prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, under the Securities Act for any such transaction or which registers, or offers for sale, Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, except for a registration statement on Form S-8 relating to employee benefit plans or a registration statement on Form S-4 relating to business combinations.  The Company hereby agrees that (i) if it issues an earnings release or material news, or if a material event relating to the Company occurs, during the last seventeen (17) days of the Lock-Up Period, or (ii) if prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the sixteen (16)-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, the restrictions imposed by this paragraph (k) or the letter shall continue to apply until the expiration of the eighteen (18)-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.

 

 

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

 

(m)           Prior to the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, to furnish to the Underwriters, as soon as they have been prepared, copies of any unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company for any periods subsequent to the periods covered by the financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

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

 

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

 

(p)           Not to take any action prior to the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date which would require the Prospectus to be amended or supplemented pursuant to Section 4(a).

 

 

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

 

(r)           To apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Stock as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds.”

 

(s)           To use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, and maintain the listing and quotation of the Stock on the Nasdaq CM.

 

(t)           To use its best efforts to assist the Underwriters with any filings with FINRA and obtaining clearance from FINRA as to the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Underwriters.

 

(u)           To use its best efforts to do and perform all things required to be done or performed under this Agreement by the Company prior to the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date and to satisfy all conditions precedent to the delivery of the Firm Stock and any Additional Stock.

 

5.           PAYMENT OF EXPENSES.  The Company agrees to pay, or reimburse if paid by the Underwriters, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated or this Agreement is terminated:  (a) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Stock to the Underwriters and any taxes payable in that connection; (b) the costs incident to the registration of the Stock under the Securities Act; (c) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and distribution of the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any amendments, supplements and exhibits thereto or any document incorporated by reference therein and the costs of printing, reproducing and distributing any transaction document by mail, telex or other means of communications; (d) the fees and expenses (including related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters)  incurred in connection with securing any required review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Stock and any filings made with FINRA; (e) any applicable listing, quotation or other fees; (f) the fees and expenses of qualifying the Stock under the securities laws of the several jurisdictions as provided in Section 4(i) and of preparing, printing and distributing wrappers, Blue Sky Memoranda and Legal Investment Surveys; (g) the cost of preparing and printing stock certificates; (h) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Stock; (i) the reasonable fees, actual disbursements and expenses of counsel to the Underwriters and (j) all other costs and expenses incident to the offering of the Stock or the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement (including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s independent accountants and the travel and other expenses incurred by Company personnel in connection with any “road show” including, without limitation, any expenses advanced by the Underwriters on the Company’s behalf (which will be promptly reimbursed)), provided that, except to the extent otherwise provided in this Section 5 and in Sections 7 and 9, the Company shall not be obligated to pay for fees and expenses incurred by the Underwriters in excess of $100,000 (including the Underwriters’ counsel’s fees set forth in clause (i) above).

 

 

6.           CONDITIONS TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE UNDERWRITERS, AND THE SALE OF THE STOCK.  The respective obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, and the closing of the sale of the Firm Stock and any Additional Stock, are subject to the accuracy, when made and as of the Applicable Time and on the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions:

 

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

 

(b)           The Underwriters shall not have discovered and disclosed to the Company on or prior to the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date that the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of a fact which, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.

 

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

 

 

(d)           Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference, LLP shall have furnished to the Representative such counsel’s written opinion, as counsel to the Company, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.

 

Such counsel shall also have furnished to the Representative a written statement, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date (if such date is other than the Closing Date), in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, to the effect that (x) such counsel has acted as counsel to the Company in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company prior to the Closing Date, (y) based on such counsel’s examination of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company prior to the Closing Date and the documents incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus and any further amendment or supplement to any such incorporated document made by the Company prior to the Closing Date, and such counsel’s investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company prior to the Closing Date, and “conferences with certain officers and employees of and with auditors for and counsel to the Company,” such counsel has no reason to believe that (I) the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto, as of the Applicable Time as of the date of this Agreement, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, at the respective date thereof or at the Closing Date, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, the documents included in the General Disclosure Package, all considered together, as of the Applicable Time, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (II) any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement to any such incorporated document made by the Company prior to the Closing Date, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, contained, in the case of a registration statement which became effective under the Securities Act, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, or, in the case of other documents which were filed under the Exchange Act with the Commission, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; it being understood that such counsel need express no opinion as to the financial statements or other financial data contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, or the Prospectus, or an incorporated document.  The foregoing statement may be qualified by a statement to the effect that such counsel has not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus and takes no responsibility therefor except to the extent set forth in the opinion described above.

 

 

(e)           The Representative shall have received from Proskauer Rose LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions and negative assurances statement, dated the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date (if such date is other than the Closing Date) addressed to the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representative may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for enabling them to pass upon such matters.

 

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

 

(g)           On the effective date of any post-effective amendment to any Registration Statement and on the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date (if such date is other than the Closing Date), the Representative shall have received a letter (the “Bring-Down Letter”) from Marcum LLP addressed to the Underwriters and dated the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date (if such date is other than the Closing Date) confirming, as of the date of the Bring-Down Letter (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as the case may be, as of a date not more than three (3) business days prior to the date of the Bring-Down Letter), the conclusions and findings of such firm, of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters, with respect to the financial information and other matters covered by its letter delivered to the Underwriters concurrently with the execution of this Agreement pursuant to paragraph (f) of this Section 6.

 

(h)           The Company shall have furnished to the Representative a certificate, dated the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date (if such date is other than the Closing Date), of its Chairman of the Board, its President or a Vice President and its chief financial officer stating that (i) such officers have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and, in their opinion, the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, as of the Applicable Time and as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date) did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the General Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date), any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as of its date and as of the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date), the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, as of the respective date thereof and as of the Closing Date, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, (ii) since the effective date of  the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (iii) to the best of their knowledge after reasonable investigation, as of the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date), the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date (or any Option Closing Date if such date is other than the Closing Date), and (iv) there has not been, subsequent to the date of the most recent audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, any material adverse change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company or any Subsidiary, or any change or development that, singularly or in the aggregate, would involve a material adverse change or a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, assets or prospects of the Company or any Subsidiary, except as set forth in the Prospectus.

 

(i)           Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package as of the date hereof, (i) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall have sustained any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, and (ii) there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company nor any Subsidiary, or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the business, general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and any Subsidiary, otherwise than as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii) of this paragraph (i), is, in the judgment of the Representative, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Stock on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the General Disclosure Package.

 

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

 

 

(k)           Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement there shall not have occurred any of the following:  (i) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq CM or the American Stock Exchange or in the over-the-counter market, or trading in any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market, shall have been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices or maximum range for prices shall have been established on any such exchange or such market by the Commission, by such exchange or market or by any other regulatory body or governmental authority having jurisdiction, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by Federal or state authorities or a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, (iii) the United States shall have become engaged in hostilities, or the subject of an act of terrorism, or there shall have been an outbreak of or escalation in hostilities involving the United States, or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States or (iv) there shall have occurred such a material adverse change in general economic, political or financial conditions (or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States shall be such) as to make it, in the judgment of the Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Stock on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(l)           The Nasdaq CM shall have approved the Stock for inclusion therein, subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

(m)           The Representative shall have received the written agreements, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, of the executive officers and directors of the Company listed in Schedule B to this Agreement.

 

(n)           The Underwriters shall have received clearance from FINRA as to the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Underwriters as described in the Pricing Prospectus.

 

(o)           Prior to the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date (if such date is other than the Closing Date), the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters such further information, opinions, comfort letter, certificates (including a Secretary’s Certificate), letters or such other documents as the Representative shall have reasonably requested.

 

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

 

 

7.           INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION.

(a)           The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates and each of its and their respective directors, officers, members, employees, representatives and agents (including, without limitation Lazard Frères & Co. LLC, (which will provide services to the Representative) and its affiliates, and each of its and their respective directors, officers, members, employees, representatives and agents and each person, if any, who controls Lazard Frères & Co. LLC within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act of or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively the “Underwriter Indemnified Parties,” and each a “Underwriter Indemnified Party”) against any loss, claim, damage, expense or liability whatsoever (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), joint or several, to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding arises out of or is based upon (A) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference therein, (B) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or document incorporated by reference therein, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (C) any breach of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or failure of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder or pursuant to any law, any act or failure to act, or any alleged act or failure to act, by the Underwriters in connection with, or relating in any manner to, the Stock or the Offering, and which is included as part of or referred to in any loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding arising out of or based upon matters covered by subclause (A), (B) or (C) above of this Section 7(a) (provided that the Company shall not be liable in the case of any matter covered by this subclause (C) to the extent that it is determined in a final judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction that such loss, claim, damage, expense or  liability resulted directly from any such act or failure to act undertaken or omitted to be taken by such Underwriter through its gross negligence or willful misconduct), and shall reimburse the Underwriter Indemnified Party promptly upon demand for any legal fees or other expenses reasonably incurred by that Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with investigating, or preparing to defend, or defending against, or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding, as such fees and expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in, or omission or alleged omission from any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for use therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriters’ Information (as defined in Section 17).  This indemnity agreement is not exclusive and will be in addition to any liability, which the Company might otherwise have and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available at law or in equity to each Underwriter Indemnified Party.

 

 

(b)           Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively the “Company Indemnified Parties” and each a “Company Indemnified Party”) against any loss, claim, damage, expense or liability whatsoever (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), joint or several, to which such Company Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but in each case only to the extent that the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for use therein, which information the parties hereto agree is limited to the Underwriters’ Information as defined in Section 17, and shall reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as third party witness in connection with any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, investigation or proceeding, as such fees and expenses are incurred.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7(b), in no event shall any indemnity by an Underwriter under this Section 7(b) exceed the total discount and commission received by such Underwriter in connection with the Offering.

 

(c)           Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 7 of notice of the commencement of any action, the indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 7, notify such indemnifying party in writing of the commencement of that action; provided, however, that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have under this Section 7 except to the extent it has been materially prejudiced by such failure; and, provided, further, that the failure to notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 7.  If any such action shall be brought against an indemnified party, and it shall notify the indemnifying party thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it wishes, jointly with any other similarly notified indemnifying party, to assume the defense of such action with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party (which counsel shall not, except with the written consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party).  After notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense of such action, except as provided herein, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to the indemnified party under Section 7 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense of such action other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that any indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and to participate in the defense of such action but the fees and expenses of such counsel (other than reasonable costs of investigation) shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized in writing by the Company in the case of a claim for indemnification under Section 7(a) or Section 2.4 or the Representative in the case of a claim for indemnification under Section 7(b), (ii) such indemnified party shall have been advised by its counsel that there may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, or (iii) the indemnifying party has failed to assume the defense of such action and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of the commencement of the action or the indemnifying party does not diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, in which case, if such indemnified party notifies the indemnifying party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of (or, in the case of a failure to diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, to continue to defend) such action on behalf of such indemnified party and the indemnifying party shall be responsible for legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense of such action; provided, however, that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one such action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all such indemnified parties (in addition to any local counsel), which firm shall be designated in writing by the Representative if the indemnified parties under this Section 7 consist of any Underwriter Indemnified Party or by the Company if the indemnified parties under this Section 7 consist of any Company Indemnified Parties.  Subject to this Section 7(c), the amount payable by an indemnifying party under Section 7 shall include, but not be limited to, (x) reasonable legal fees and expenses of counsel to the indemnified party and any other expenses in investigating, or preparing to defend or defending against, or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any action, investigation, proceeding or claim, and (y) all amounts paid in settlement of any of the foregoing.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of judgment with respect to any pending or threatened action or any claim whatsoever, in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 7 (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 in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.  Subject to the provisions of the following sentence, no indemnifying party shall be liable for settlement of any pending or threatened action or any claim whatsoever that is effected without its written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), but if settled with its written consent, if its consent has been unreasonably withheld or delayed or if there be a judgment for the plaintiff in any such matter, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.  In addition, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested that an indemnifying party reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated herein effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than forty-five (45) days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the request for reimbursement, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least thirty (30) days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

 

(d)           If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 7(a) or Section 7(b), then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid, payable or otherwise incurred by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof), as incurred, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and each of the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Stock, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) of this Section 7(d) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) of this Section 7(d) but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other with respect to the statements, omissions, acts or failures to act which resulted in such loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (or any action, investigation or proceeding in respect thereof) as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other with respect to such offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Stock purchased under this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discount and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection with the Offering, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus.  The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement, omission, act or failure to act; provided that the parties hereto agree that the written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, consists solely of the Underwriters’ Information as defined in Section 17.  The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 7(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein.  The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding referred to above in this Section 7(d) shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 7(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7(d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the total discount and commission received by such Underwriter in connection with the Offering less the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise paid or become liable to pay by reason of any untrue or alleged untrue statement, omission or alleged omission, act or alleged act or failure to act or alleged failure to act.  No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute as provided in this Section 7(d) are several and in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

 

 

8.           TERMINATION.  The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representative, in its absolute discretion by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Stock if, prior to that time, any of the events described in Sections 6(i), 6(j) or 6(k) have occurred or if the Underwriters shall decline to purchase the Stock for any reason permitted under this Agreement.

 

9.           REIMBURSEMENT OF UNDERWRITERS’ EXPENSES.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if (a) this Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant to Section 8, (b) the Company shall fail to tender the Stock for delivery to the Underwriters for any reason not permitted under this Agreement, (c) the Underwriters shall decline to purchase the Stock for any reason permitted under this Agreement or (d) the sale of the Stock is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth herein is not satisfied or because of the refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to satisfy any condition or to comply with the provisions hereof, then in addition to the payment of amounts in accordance with Section 5, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for the reasonable fees and expenses of the Underwriters’ counsel and for such other documented out-of-pocket expenses as shall have been reasonably incurred by them in connection with this Agreement and the proposed purchase of the Stock, and upon demand the Company shall pay the full amount thereof to the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters.

 

 

If, on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase the Stock that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of shares of Stock which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of the shares of Stock to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the number of Firm Stock set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule C bears to the aggregate number of Firm Stock set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as you may specify, to purchase the Stock which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the number of shares of Stock that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 10 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such number of shares of Stock without the written consent of such Underwriter.  If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Firm Stock and the aggregate number of Firm Stock with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm Stock to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to you and the Company for the purchase of such Firm Stock are not made within thirty-six (36) hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company.  In any such case either you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven (7) days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement, in the Pricing Prospectus, in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be affected.  If, on an Option Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Additional Stock and the aggregate number of Additional Stock with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Additional Stock to be purchased on such Option Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall have the option to (i) terminate their obligation hereunder to purchase the Additional Stock to be sold on such Option Closing Date or (i) purchase not less than the number of Additional Stock that such non-defaulting Underwriters would have been obligated to purchase in the absence of such default.  Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

11.           ABSENCE OF FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that:

 

(a)           each Underwriter’s responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature, each Underwriter has been retained solely to act as an underwriter in connection with the Offering and no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Underwriters has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether Merriman, LCM or Lazard Frères & Co. LLC has advised or is advising the Company on other matters;

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

12.           SUCCESSORS; PERSONS ENTITLED TO BENEFIT OF AGREEMENT.  This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the several Underwriters, the Company, and their respective successors and assigns.  This Agreement shall also inure to the benefit of Lazard Frères & Co. LLC, the Underwriters, and each of their respective successors and assigns, which shall be third party beneficiaries hereof.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the determination as to whether any condition in Section 6 hereof shall have been satisfied, and the waiver of any condition in Section 6 hereof, may be made by the Representative in its sole discretion, and any such determination or waiver shall be binding on each of the Underwriters and shall not require the consent of any Underwriter.  Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, other than the persons mentioned in the preceding sentences, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement, or any provisions herein contained, this Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof being intended to be and being for the sole and exclusive benefit of such persons and for the benefit of no other person; except that the representations, warranties, covenants, agreements and indemnities of the Company contained in this Agreement shall also be for the several benefit of the Underwriter Indemnified Parties and the indemnities of the several Underwriters shall be for the benefit of the Company Indemnified Parties.  It is understood that each Underwriter’s responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature and the Underwriters do not owe the Company, or any other party, any fiduciary duty as a result of this Agreement.

 

13.           SURVIVAL OF INDEMNITIES, REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, ETC.  The respective indemnities, covenants, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by them respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the Company or any person controlling any of them and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Stock.  Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, including without limitation any termination pursuant to Section 8, the indemnity. reimbursement and contribution agreements contained in Sections 7 and 9 and the covenants, representations, warranties set forth in this Agreement shall not terminate and shall remain in full force and effect at all times.

 

 

(a)           if to the Underwriters, shall be delivered or sent by mail, facsimile transmission or email to Lazard Capital Markets LLC, Attention: General Counsel, Fax: 212 ###-###-####; and

 

(b)           if to the Company, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex, facsimile transmission or email to Towerstream Corporation, Attention: Jeffrey M. Thompson, CEO, Fax: (401) 848-5130, with a copy to Harvey Kessner, Esq. c/o Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference, LLP, 61 Broadway, New York, NY 10006, Fax: (212) 930-9725.

 

provided, however, that any notice to the Underwriters pursuant to Section 7 shall be delivered or sent by mail, email or facsimile transmission to the Representative at its address set forth in its acceptance communication to the Representative, which address will be supplied to any other party hereto by the Representative upon request.  Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect at the time of receipt thereof, except that any such statement, request, notice or agreement delivered or sent by email shall take effect at the time of confirmation of receipt thereof by the recipient thereof.

 

15.           DEFINITION OF CERTAIN TERMS.  For purposes of this Agreement, (a) “business day” means any day on which the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. is open for trading, (b) “Affiliate” means any person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with such person and (c) “knowledge” means the knowledge of the directors and officers of the Company after reasonable inquiry.

 

16.           GOVERNING LAW, AGENT FOR SERVICE AND JURISDICTION.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law.  No legal proceeding may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall have jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the Company and the Underwriters each hereby consent to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect thereto.  The Company and the Underwriters each hereby waive all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement.  The Company agrees that a final judgment in any such legal proceeding brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and the Underwriters and may be enforced in any other courts in the jurisdiction of which the Company is or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment.

 

17.           UNDERWRITERS’ INFORMATION.  The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that, for all purposes of this Agreement, the Underwriters’ Information consists solely of the following information in the Prospectus: (i) the last paragraph on the front cover page concerning the terms of the Offering; and (ii) the statements concerning the Underwriters contained in the first paragraph, concerning the Underwriters and Lazard Frères & Co. LLC in the eighth paragraph, and concerning stabilization by the Underwriters in the thirteenth paragraph, in each case under the heading “Underwriting.”

 

 

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

 

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

 

20.           RESEARCH ANALYST INDEPENDENCE.  The Company acknowledges that each Underwriter’s research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from its investment banking division and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriter’s research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company and/or the offering that differ from the views of their investment banking division.  The Company acknowledges that each Underwriter is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, rules and regulations, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the Company; provided, however, that nothing in this Section 20 shall relieve either Underwriter of any responsibility or liability it may otherwise bear in connection with activities in violation of applicable securities laws, rules or regulations.

 

21.           COUNTERPARTS.  This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument and such signatures may be delivered by facsimile.

 

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

 

	Very truly yours,
	TOWERSTREAM CORPORATION
	By:	/s/ Jeff Thompson
		Name: Jeff Thompson
		Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

Confirmed as of the date first
above mentioned, on behalf of
themselves and the Underwriters
named in Schedule  C hereto:
LAZARD CAPITAL MARKETS LLC
By:	/s/David G. McMillan, Jr.
	Name: David G. McMillan, Jr.
	Title: Managing Director