EX-1.1 Form of Underwriting Agreement

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Underwriting Agreements
EX-1.1 2 g05278a4exv1w1.htm EX-1.1 FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT EX-1.1 Form of Underwriting Agreement
 

EXHIBIT 1.1
______ Shares
Bioheart, Inc.
Common Stock
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
[                    ], 2007
Merriman Curhan Ford & Co.
Dawson James Securities, Inc.
     As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
3 Times Square
New York, New York 10036
Ladies and Gentlemen:
     Bioheart, Inc., a Florida corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell an aggregate of            shares (the “Firm Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, $.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), to the several underwriters named in Schedule I (collectively, the “Underwriters”), for whom Merriman Curhan Ford & Co. (“Merriman”) and Dawson James Securities, Inc. are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”). The Company has also agreed to grant to the Underwriters an option (the “Option”) to purchase up to an aggregate of                      additional shares of Common Stock (the “Option Shares”) on the terms and for the purposes set forth in Section 1(b). The Firm Shares and the Option Shares are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Shares.”
     The public offering price per share at which the Shares are initially offered and the purchase price per share for the Shares to be paid by the Underwriters shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representatives, acting on behalf of the several Underwriters, and such agreement shall be set forth in a separate written instrument substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (the “Price Determination Agreement”). The Price Determination Agreement may take the form of an exchange of any standard form of written telecommunication between the Company and the Representatives and shall specify such applicable information as is indicated in Exhibit A hereto. The offering of the Shares shall be governed by this Agreement, as supplemented by the Price Determination Agreement. From and after the date of the execution and delivery of the Price Determination Agreement, this Agreement shall be deemed to incorporate, and, unless the context otherwise indicates, all references contained herein to “this Agreement” and to the phrase “herein” shall be deemed to include, the Price Determination Agreement.

1


 

     The Company confirms as follows its agreement with the Representatives and the several other Underwriters:
     1. Agreement to Sell and Purchase.
          (a) Purchase of Firm Shares. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained and subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company agrees to sell to the several Underwriters and each of the several Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price per share to be agreed upon by the Company and the Representatives in accordance with Section 1(c) hereof and as set forth in the Price Determination Agreement, the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I, plus such additional number of Firm Shares which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to Section 8 hereof. Schedule I may be attached to the Price Determination Agreement.
          (b) Purchase of Option Shares. Subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company grants the Option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to an aggregate of [                    ] Option Shares from the Company at the same price per share as the Underwriters shall pay for the Firm Shares. The Option may be exercised only to cover over-allotments in the sale of the Firm Shares by the Underwriters and may be exercised in whole or in part at any time on or before the 30th day after the date of this Agreement, upon written notice (the “Option Shares Notice”) by the Representatives to the Company no later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, at least two and no more than five business days before the date specified for closing in the Option Shares Notice (the “Option Closing Date”) setting forth the aggregate number of Option Shares to be purchased and the time and date for such purchase. On the Option Closing Date, the Company shall issue and sell to the Underwriters the number of Option Shares set forth in the Option Shares Notice and the Underwriters shall purchase from the Company such percentage of the Option Shares as is equal to the percentage of Firm Shares that such Underwriter is purchasing, as adjusted by the Representatives in such manner as they deem advisable to avoid fractional shares.
          (c) Price Determination Agreement. The public offering price per share at which the Firm Shares are initially offered and the purchase price per share for the Firm Shares to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be agreed upon and set forth in the Price Determination Agreement. In the event such price has not been agreed upon and the Price Determination Agreement has not been executed by the close of business on the fourteenth business day following the date of this Agreement, this Agreement shall terminate forthwith, without liability of any party to any other party except that Sections 4(k), 4(l) and 7 shall remain in effect.
     2. Delivery and Payment.
          (a) Closing. Delivery of the Firm Shares shall be made to the Representatives through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) for the respective accounts of the Underwriters against payment of the purchase price by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company at the offices of Hunton & Williams LLP, 1111 Brickell Avenue, Suite 2500, Miami, Florida 33131 (or such other place as may be agreed upon among

2


 

the Representatives and the Company). Such payment shall be made at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the third business day (the fourth business day, should the offering be priced after 4:00 p.m., EDT) after the date on which the first bona fide offering of the Firm Shares to the public is made by the Underwriters or at such time on such other date, not later than ten business days after such date, as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Representatives (such date is hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date”).
          (b) Option Closing. To the extent the Option is exercised, delivery of the Option Shares against payment by the Representatives (in the manner and at the location specified above) shall take place on the Option Closing Date.
          (c) Certificates. Certificates evidencing the Shares shall be in definitive form and shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as the Representatives shall request at least two business days prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, by written notice to the Company. Electronic transfer of Shares shall be made at the time of purchase in such names and in such denominations as the Representatives shall specify.
          (d) Tax Stamps. The cost of original issue tax stamps, if any, in connection with the issuance and delivery of the Shares by the Company to the respective Underwriters shall be borne by the Company. The Company shall pay and hold each Underwriter and any subsequent holder of the Shares harmless from any and all liabilities with respect to or resulting from any failure or delay in paying Federal and state stamp and other transfer taxes, if any, which may be payable or determined to be payable in connection with the original issuance or sale to such Underwriter of the Shares.
     3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and covenants with, each Underwriter as follows:
          (a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. A registration statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-140672) relating to the Shares, including a preliminary prospectus and such amendments to such registration statement as may have been required to the date of this Agreement, has been prepared by the Company under the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the rules and regulations (collectively referred to as the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder, and has been filed with the Commission. Copies of such registration statement and of each amendment thereto, if any, including the related preliminary prospectuses, heretofore filed by the Company with the Commission have been made available to the Representatives. The term “preliminary prospectus” as used herein means a preliminary prospectus as contemplated by Rule 430, Rule 430A or Rule 430B, of the Rules and Regulations included at any time as part of, or deemed to be part of or included in, the registration statement. The term “Registration Statement” means the registration statement as amended at the time it becomes or became effective, including financial statements and all exhibits and any information deemed to be included therein by Rule 430A, Rule 430B or Rule 430C of the Rules and Regulations, as applicable. If the Company files a registration statement to register a portion of the Shares and relies on Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations for such registration statement to become effective upon filing with the Commission (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any

3


 

reference to the “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include the Rule 462 Registration Statement, as amended from time to time. The term “Prospectus” means the final prospectus in connection with this offering as first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations or, if no such filing is required, the form of final prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the effective date.
          (b) Effectiveness of Registration. The Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, excluding exhibits thereto, have been declared effective by the Commission under the Act or have become effective pursuant to Rule 462 under the Rules and Regulations. The Company has responded to all requests, if any, of the Commission for additional or supplemental information. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462 Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission.
          (c) Accuracy of Registration Statement. Each of the Registration Statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective and at all subsequent times up to and including the Closing Date, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date and at all subsequent times up to and including the Closing Date, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did not or will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made. Each preliminary prospectus (including the preliminary prospectus or prospectuses filed as part of the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto) complied when so filed in all material respects with the Rules and Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus made available to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering is identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission on EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. The foregoing representations and warranties in this Section 3(c) do not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto. For all purposes of this Agreement, the amounts of the selling concession and reallowance set forth in the Prospectus constitute the only information relating to any Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the preliminary prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
          (d) Company Not Ineligible Issuer. (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement relating to the Shares and (ii) as of the date of the execution and delivery of this Agreement (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations).

4


 

          (e) Disclosure at the Time of Sale. As of the Applicable Time, neither (i) the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the Pricing Prospectus (as defined below), all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted 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 preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the General Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 3(c) hereof.
          As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:
          “Applicable Time” means [insert time](Eastern Daylight Savings Time) on the date of this Agreement or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representative(s).
          “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act, relating to the Shares that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Shares or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g) under the Act.
          “Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by it being specified in Schedule II hereto.
          “Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
          “Pricing Prospectus” means, as of any time, the preliminary prospectus relating to the Shares that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including any document incorporated by reference therein.
          (f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Shares or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representatives that such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus may no longer be used, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representative(s)

5


 

specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 3(c) hereof. If at any time following the issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement relating to the Shares or included or would include an untrue statement of material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives 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.
          (g) Distribution of Offering Material by the Company. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Date and the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares other than the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted under the Act and consented to by the Representatives.
          (h) Due Incorporation; Subsidiaries.
               (i) The Company is, and at the Closing Date will be, a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation. The Company has, and at the Closing Date will have, full power and authority to conduct all the activities conducted by it, to own or lease all the assets owned or leased by it and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The Company is, and at the Closing Date will be, duly licensed or qualified to do business in and in good standing as a foreign corporation in all jurisdictions in which the nature of the activities conducted by it or the character of the assets owned or leased by it makes such licensing or qualification necessary.
               (ii) The Company does not have any subsidiaries (as defined in the Rules and Regulations) required to be listed on Exhibit 21 to the Registration Statement.
          (i) Authorization of Shares. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization.” The outstanding shares of Common Stock and any other outstanding capital stock of the Company have been, and the Shares to be issued and sold by the Company upon such issuance in accordance with this Agreement will be, duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will not be subject to any preemptive, first refusal, or similar right. The description of the Common Stock included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus is now, and at the Closing Date will be, complete and accurate in all material respects. Except as set forth in the Prospectus, the Company does not have outstanding, and at the Closing Date will not have outstanding, any options to purchase, or any rights or warrants to subscribe for, or any securities or obligations convertible into, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell, any shares of capital stock of the Company or of any Subsidiaries or any such warrants, convertible securities or obligations.

6


 

     Upon the issuance and delivery pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, the Underwriters will acquire good and marketable title to the Shares, free and clear of any lien, charge, claim, encumbrance, pledge, security interest, defect or other restriction or equity of any kind whatsoever, created by or through the Company.
          (j) Financial Statements. (i) The financial statements of the Company, together with related notes and schedules, included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus present fairly the financial condition of the Company as of the respective dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows of the Company for the respective periods covered thereby, all in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the entire period involved, except as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus. The pro forma financial statements and other pro forma financial information included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (i) present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein, (ii) have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and (iii) have been properly computed on the bases described therein. The assumptions used in the preparation of the pro forma financial statements and other pro forma financial information included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions or circumstances referred to therein. No other financial statements, schedules or “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) of the Company are required by the Act or the Rules and Regulations to be included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
               (ii) Grant Thornton LLP (the “Accountants”) who have reported on such financial statements and schedules, are independent accountants with respect to the Company as required by the Act and the Rules and Regulations and by Rule 3600T of the Public Accounting Oversight Board. Except as described in the Prospectus and as preapproved in accordance with the requirements set forth in Section 10A of the Exchange Act, Grant Thornton LLP has not engaged in any “prohibited activities” (as defined in Section 10A of the Exchange Act) on behalf of the Company. The statements included in the Registration Statement with respect to the Accountants pursuant to Rule 509 of Regulation S-K of the Rules and Regulations are true and correct in all material respects.
          (k) Accounting System. The Company (i) makes and keep accurate books and records and (ii) maintains internal accounting controls that provide reasonable assurance that: (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
          (l) No Material Adverse Changes. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and prior to the Closing Date, except as set forth in the Prospectus, (i) there has not been and will not have been a material adverse change in the business, properties, business prospects, condition (financial or

7


 

otherwise) or results of operations of the Company, arising for any reason whatsoever (a “Material Adverse Change”) or a Material Adverse Change in the capitalization of the Company, (ii) the Company has not incurred, nor will it incur, any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, nor has it entered into, nor will it enter into, any material transactions not in the ordinary course of business, other than pursuant to this Agreement and the transactions referred to herein, and (iii) the Company has not and will not have paid or declared any dividends or other distributions of any kind on any class of its capital stock.
          (m) Investment Company. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares, will not be an “investment company” or, to the Company’s knowledge, an entity “controlled” by an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act
          (n) Litigation. Except as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no actions, suits or proceedings pending, or to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against or affecting, the Company or any of its officers in their capacity as such, before or by any federal or state court, commission, regulatory body including the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the “NASD”) and the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“Nasdaq”), administrative agency or other governmental body, domestic or foreign, wherein an unfavorable ruling, decision or finding would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, business prospects, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Company, taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”). Except as set forth in the Prospectus, the Company has not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any authorization, approval, order, license, certificate, franchise or permit. There are no pending investigations known to the Company involving the Company by any governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company or its businesses or operations.
          (o) Necessary Licenses, Compliance with Laws and Regulations and Performance of Obligations and Contracts. The Company has, and at the Closing Date will have, (i) all governmental and other regulatory licenses, permits, consents, orders, approvals and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) necessary to carry on its business as contemplated in the Prospectus, including without limitation, all such registrations, approvals, certificates, authorizations and permits required by the United States Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) or any other federal, state, local or foreign agencies or bodies engaged in the regulation of clinical trials, pharmaceuticals, biologics or biohazardous substances or materials (a “Governmental Regulatory Authority”), (ii) complied in all material respects with all laws, regulations and orders applicable to it or its business and (iii) performed all obligations required to be performed by it, and is not, and at the Closing Date will not be, in default under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, voting trust agreement, loan agreement, bond, debenture, note agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument listed in Schedule 3(o) hereto (individually a “Material Contract” and collectively, “Material Contracts”) to which it is a party or by which its property is bound or affected, except, with respect to this clause (iii), where any non-performance or default would not result in a Material Adverse Change. To the best knowledge of the Company, no other party under any Material Contract to which it is a party is in default in any respect thereunder or has given written, or to the knowledge of the officers and directors of the Company oral, notice to the Company or any of its officers or directors of such other party’s intention to terminate, cancel or refuse to renew any Material Contract. The

8


 

Company is not now, and at the Closing Date will not be, in violation of any provision of its Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws. The disclosures included in the Prospectus and the Registration Statement concerning the effects of Federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules and regulations on the business of the Company as currently conducted and as proposed to be conducted are correct in all material respects and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements contained therein not misleading, in light of the circumstances under which they were made. The Company has not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses, which, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Change. The Company has not failed to submit to the FDA an Investigational New Drug Application that is required for a clinical trial it is conducting or sponsoring, except where such failure would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change; all such submissions were in material compliance with applicable laws when submitted and no material deficiencies have been asserted by the FDA with respect to any such submissions, except any deficiencies which would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not received from the FDA or any other Governmental Regulatory Authority any notice of adverse findings, notice of violations, Warning Letter, criminal proceeding notice under Section 305 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or other similar communication from the FDA or other Governmental Authority alleging or asserting material noncompliance with applicable law or any Governmental Licenses, which remain outstanding or pending, and there are no seizures, recalls, market withdrawals, field notifications, notifications of misbranding or adulteration, safety alerts or similar actions relating to the safety or efficacy of the Company’s products being conducted, requested in writing or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the FDA or other Governmental Authority relating to the products sold by the Company.
          (p) No Consent of Governmental Body Needed. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or any filing or declaration with, any court or governmental agency or body is required in connection with the authorization, issuance, transfer, sale or delivery of the Shares by the Company, in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company or in connection with the taking by the Company of any action contemplated hereby, except as have been obtained under the Act and such as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws or the by-laws and rules of the NASD in connection with the purchase and distribution by the Underwriters of the Shares to be sold by the Company.
          (q) Agreement Duly Authorized and No Breach of Obligations or Charter. The Company has full corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with the terms hereof, except as the enforcement may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally or general equitable principles. The execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement and the performance of this Agreement, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the application of the net proceeds from the offering and sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company in the manner set forth in the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds” do not and will not (i) violate the Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company or (ii) result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the

9


 

assets of the Company pursuant to the terms or provisions of, or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or give any other party a right to terminate any of its obligations under, or result in the acceleration of any obligation under any Material Contract to which the Company is a party or by which the Company or any of its properties is bound or affected, or violate or conflict with any judgment, ruling, decree, order, statute, rule or regulation of any court or other governmental agency or body applicable to the business or properties of the Company.
          (r) Title to Property. The Company has good and marketable title to all properties and assets described in the Prospectus as being owned respectively by it, free and clear of all liens, charges, encumbrances or restrictions, except as set forth in the Prospectus or those that would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has valid, subsisting and enforceable leases for the properties described in the Prospectus as leased by it, with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such properties by the Company.
          (s) Documents Described in Registration Statement. There is no document or Contract of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement that is not described or filed as required. All such documents and Contracts described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement were duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company or Subsidiaries, constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company or such Subsidiaries and are enforceable against the Company or such Subsidiaries in accordance with the terms thereof.
          (t) No Untrue Statement; Statistical and Market Data. No statement, representation, warranty or covenant made by the Company in this Agreement or made in any certificate or document required by this Agreement to be delivered to Representatives was or will be, when made, inaccurate, untrue or incorrect. All statistical or market-related data included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate, and the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent required.
          (u) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. Neither the Company, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any of its directors, officers or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action intended to cause or result in, or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or which has constituted, stabilization or manipulation, under the Act or otherwise, of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
          (v) No Registration Rights. No holder of securities of the Company has rights to register any securities of the Company because of the filing of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the offering of the Shares, except for rights that have been duly waived by such holder, have expired or have been fulfilled by registration prior to the date of this Agreement.
          (w) Stock Exchange Listing. Prior to the Closing Date, the Shares will be duly authorized for quotation on the Nasdaq Global Market, subject only to notice of issuance.

10


 

          (x) Labor Matters. The Company is not involved in any material labor dispute nor, to the knowledge of the Company, is any such dispute threatened.
          (y) No Unlawful Contributions or Payments. Neither the Company nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any of its officers, directors, employees or agents, have made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state or foreign office in violation of any law or of the character, which violation is required to be disclosed in the Prospectus.
          (z) Taxes. The Company has filed all federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns and has paid all taxes required to be filed or paid by it and, if due and payable, any related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against it. The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section 3(j) above in respect of all material federal, state and foreign income and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company has not been finally determined.
          (aa) Insurance. The Company carries, or is covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as it believes is adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar industries.
          (bb) Defined Benefit Plans. The Company has not maintained or contributed to a defined benefit plan as defined in Section 3(35) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”). No plan maintained or contributed to by the Company that is subject to ERISA (an “ERISA Plan”) (or any trust created thereunder) has engaged in a “prohibited transaction” within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code that could subject the Company or any of the Subsidiaries to any material tax penalty on prohibited transactions and that has not adequately been corrected. Each ERISA Plan is in compliance in all material respects with all reporting, disclosure and other requirements of the Code and ERISA as they relate to such ERISA Plan, except for any noncompliance which would not result in the imposition of a material tax or monetary penalty. With respect to each ERISA Plan that is intended to be “qualified” within the meaning of Section 401(a) of the Code, either (i) a determination letter has been issued by the Internal Revenue Service stating that such ERISA Plan and the attendant trust are qualified thereunder, or (ii) the remedial amendment period under Section 401(b) of the Code with respect to the establishment of such ERISA Plan has not ended and a determination letter application will be filed with respect to such ERISA Plan prior to the end of such remedial amendment period. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has ever completely or partially withdrawn from a “multiemployer plan,” as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA.
          (cc) Intellectual Property. Except as set forth in the Prospectus, the Company owns, is licensed or otherwise has adequate rights to use Company technology (including but not limited to patented, patentable and unpatented inventions and unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), designs, processes, trademarks, trade secrets, know how, copyrights and other works of authorship, computer programs and technical data and information that are or could reasonably be expected to be material to its business as currently conducted or proposed to be conducted or to the development, manufacture, operation and sale of any products and services sold or proposed to be sold by any of the Company (collectively,

11


 

the “Intellectual Property”). The Company has not received any threat of or notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property. Except as set forth in the Prospectus, the Company is not obligated or under any liability whatsoever to make any material payment by way of royalties, fees or otherwise to any owner or licensee of, or other claimant to, any Intellectual Property, with respect to the use thereof or in connection with the conduct of its businesses or otherwise.
          (dd) Trademarks. The Company owns, or is licensed or otherwise has the full exclusive right to use, all material trademarks and trade names that are used in or reasonably necessary for the conduct of its businesses as described in the Prospectus. The Company has not received any notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any such trademarks or trade names, or challenging or questioning the validity or effectiveness of any such trademark or trade name. The use, in connection with the business and operations of the Company of such trademarks and trade names does not, to the Company’s knowledge, infringe on the rights of any person. Except as set forth in the Prospectus, the Company is not obligated or under any liability whatsoever to make any payment by way of royalties, fees or otherwise to any owner or licensee of, or other claimant to, any trademark, service mark or trade name with respect to the use thereof or in connection with the conduct of their respective businesses or otherwise.
          (ee) Protection of Intellectual Property. The Company has taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of the Intellectual Property in all material aspects, including, but not limited to complying with all duty of disclosure requirements before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and any other non-U.S. Patent Offices as appropriate, and has no reason to believe that such Intellectual Property is not or, if not yet patented or registered, would not be, valid and enforceable against an unauthorized user.
          (ff) Related Party Transactions. There are no related party transactions involving the Company or any other person required to be described in the Prospectus that have not been described. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company on the other hand, that is required to be described in the Prospectus and that is not so described. The Company has made available to you true, correct and complete copies of all documentation pertaining to any extension of credit in the form of a personal loan made, directly or indirectly, by the Company to any director or executive officer of the Company, or to any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer of the Company; and since July 30, 2002, the Company has not, directly or indirectly, including through any Subsidiary: (i) extended or maintained credit, arranged to extend credit, or renewed any extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any director or executive officer of the Company, or to or for any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer of the Company; or (ii) made any material modification, including any renewal thereof, to any term of any personal loan to any director or executive officer of the Company, or any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer, which loan was outstanding on July 30, 2002.
          (gg) Environmental Matters. The Company (i) is in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or

12


 

contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) has received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of it under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct its businesses and (iii) is in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except to the extent that the failure to so comply or to hold such permits, licenses or approvals would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
          (hh) Tests and Preclinical and Clinical Studies. The preclinical tests and clinical trials conducted by or, to the Company’s knowledge, on behalf of the Company that are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus were and, if still pending, are being, conducted, where applicable, in all material respects in accordance with (i) the protocols submitted to the FDA or any foreign government exercising comparable authority for each such test or trial, as the case may be and (ii) procedures and controls pursuant to, where applicable, accepted professional and scientific standards for products or product candidates comparable to those being developed by the Company; the descriptions of the preclinical studies and clinical trials, and results thereof, conducted by or, to the Company’s knowledge, on behalf of the Company contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus do not contain any misstatement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make such statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; the Company is not aware of any other trials, studies or tests not described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the results of which reasonably and materially call into question the results described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and the Company has not received any written notice or written correspondence from the FDA or any foreign, state or local governmental body exercising comparable authority requiring the termination, suspension, or clinical hold of any tests or preclinical or clinical studies, or such written notice or, where applicable, correspondence from any Institutional Review Board or comparable authority requiring the termination or suspension of a clinical study, conducted by or on behalf of the Company, which termination, suspension, or clinical hold would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
          (ii) Controls and Procedures.
               (i) Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company has established and maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act); the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that all information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files (or will file) or submits (or will submit) under the Exchange Act after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and regulations of the Exchange Act, and that all such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company required under the Exchange Act with respect to such reports.
               (ii) Internal Control Over Financial Reporting and Internal Accounting Controls. The Company maintains (i) effective internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act, and (ii) a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (A) transactions are

13


 

executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
               (iii) No Material Weakness in Internal Controls. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
               (iv) The Company is not aware of (A) any significant deficiency in the design or operation of its internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data or any material weaknesses in internal controls, except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year; or (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls.
          (jj) Off-Balance Sheet Transactions. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no material off-balance sheet transactions (including, without limitation, transactions related to, and the existence of, “variable interest entities” within the meaning of Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46), arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), or any other relationships with unconsolidated entities or other persons, that may have a material current or future effect on the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenues or expenses.
          (kk) Audit Committee. The Company’s Board of Directors has validly appointed an audit committee whose composition satisfies the requirements of Rule 4350(d)(2) of the Rules of the NASD, as modified by Rule 4350(a)(5) of the Rules of the NASD, and Section 10A-3 of the Exchange Act and the Board of Directors has adopted a charter that satisfies the requirements of Rule 4350(d)(1) of the Rules of the NASD and Section 10A-3 of the Exchange Act. The audit committee has reviewed the adequacy of its charter within the past twelve months. Neither the Board of Directors nor the audit committee has been informed, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, is any director of the Company aware, of (i) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of the Company’s internal controls as of the end of the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter that could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data or any material weakness in the Company’s internal controls as of the end of the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter; or (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees of the Company who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls.

14


 

          (ll) Sarbanes-Oxley. There is, and has been, no failure on the part of the Company to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder applicable to the Company.
     4. Agreements of the Company. The Company agrees with each Underwriter as follows:
          (a) Amendments and Supplements to Registration Statement. The Company shall not, either prior to any effective date of the Registration Statement or thereafter during such period as the Prospectus is required under the Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares by an Underwriter or dealer (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, unless a copy of such amendment or supplement thereof shall first have been submitted to the Representatives within a reasonable period of time prior to the filing or, if no filing is required, the use thereof and the Representatives shall not have reasonably objected thereto.
          (b) Amendments and Supplements to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. If, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event or development shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing or under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Representatives, to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing or under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Representative(s) it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or to file a new registration statement containing the Prospectus, in order to comply with law, including in connection with the delivery of the Prospectus, the Company agrees to (i) promptly notify the Representatives of any such event or condition and (ii) promptly prepare (subject to Section 4(a) and (g) hereof), file with the Commission (and use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or any new registration statement to be declared effective) and furnish at its own expense to the Underwriters and to dealers, amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any new registration statement, necessary in order to make the statements in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing or under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading or so that the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with law.
          (c) Notifications to the Representatives. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Registration Statements to become effective, and shall notify the Representatives promptly, and shall confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective and when any post-effective amendment thereto becomes effective, (ii) of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information, (iii) of the

15


 

commencement by the Commission or by any state securities commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of any of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose, including, without limitation, the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose or the threat thereof, (iv) of the happening of any event during the period mentioned in the second sentence of Section 4(f) hereof that in the judgment of the Company makes any statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus untrue or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they are made, not misleading and (v) of receipt by the Company or any representative of the Company of any other communication from the Commission relating to the Company, the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus. If at any time the Commission shall issue any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company shall use best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order as soon as possible. The Company shall use its best efforts to comply with the provisions of and make all requisite filings with the Commission pursuant to Rules 430A, 430B, 430C or 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations and to notify the Representatives promptly of all such filings.
          (d) Executed Registration Statements. The Company shall furnish to the Representatives, without charge, for transmittal to each of the other Underwriters, two signed copies of the Registration Statement and of any post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, and all exhibits thereto, and shall furnish to the Representatives, without charge, for transmittal to each of the other Underwriters, a copy of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules but without exhibits.
          (e) Undertakings. The Company shall comply with all the provisions of any undertakings contained and required to be contained in the Registration Statement.
          (f) Prospectus. Promptly after the effective date of the Registration Statement, and thereafter from time to time, the Company shall deliver to the Representatives, without charge, as many copies of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto by the Underwriters and by all dealers to whom the Shares may be sold, both in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and for any period of time thereafter during which the Prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection therewith. If during such period of time any event shall occur that in the judgment of the Company or counsel to the Underwriters should be set forth in the Prospectus in order to make any statement therein, in the light of the circumstances under which it was made, not misleading, or if it is necessary to supplement or amend the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company shall forthwith prepare and duly file with the Commission an appropriate supplement or amendment thereto, and shall deliver to each of the Underwriters, without charge, such number of copies thereof as the Representatives may reasonably request.
          (g) Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that it has not made and, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representative(s), will not make, any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a “free writing prospectus”

16


 

(as defined in Rule 405 of the Act), required to be retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations; provided that the prior written consent of the Representative(s) hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule II hereto. The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Act applicable to any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.
          (h) Compliance with Blue Sky Laws. Prior to any public offering of the Shares by the Underwriters, the Company shall cooperate with the Representatives and counsel to the Underwriters in endeavoring to register or qualify (or the obtaining of exemptions from the application thereof) the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may request in writing. ; provided, however, that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business or as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action which would subject it to general service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.
          (i) Delivery of Financial Statements. Upon request, during the period of five years commencing on the [effective date of the Registration Statement applicable to the Underwriters], the Company shall furnish to the Representatives and each other Underwriter who may so request copies of such financial statements and other periodic and special reports as the Company may from time to time distribute generally to the holders of any class of its capital stock, and will furnish to the Representatives and each other Underwriter who may so request a copy of each annual or other report it shall be required to file with the Commission.
          (j) Availability of Earnings Statements. The Company shall make generally available to holders of its securities, as soon as may be practicable but in no event later than the last day of the fifteenth full calendar month following the calendar quarter in which the most recent effective date occurs in accordance with Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations, an earnings statement (which need not be audited but shall be in reasonable detail) for a period of 12 months ended commencing after the effective date, and satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act (including Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations).
          (k) Reimbursement of Certain Expenses. Whether or not any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company shall pay, or reimburse if paid by the Representatives, all reasonable costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including but not limited to costs and expenses of or relating to (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement and exhibits to it, each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, (ii) the preparation and delivery of certificates representing the Shares, (iii) the printing of this Agreement, the Agreement Among Underwriters and any Dealer Agreements and any Underwriters’ Questionnaire, (iv) furnishing (including costs of shipping, mailing and courier) such copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus and any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus, and all

17


 

amendments and supplements thereto, as may be reasonably requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares by the Underwriters or by dealers to whom Shares may be sold, (v) the listing or quotation of the Shares on the Nasdaq, (vi) any filings required to be made by the Representatives with the NASD, and the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith, (vii) the registration or qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions designated pursuant to Section 4(h) hereof, including the fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Underwriters in connection therewith, and, if requested by the Representatives, the preparation and printing of preliminary, supplemental and final Blue Sky memoranda; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay or reimburse costs and expenses in excess of $25,000 in connection with this Section 4(k)(vii), (viii) counsel to the Company, (ix) DTC and the transfer agent for the Shares, (x) the Accountants, (xi) the marketing of the offering by the Company, including, without limitation, all costs and expenses of commercial airline tickets, hotels, meals and other travel expenses of officers, employees, agents and other representatives of the Company (but not officers, employees, agents or other representatives of the Representatives), and (xiii) all fees, costs and expenses for consultants used by the Company in connection with the offering.
          (l) Reimbursement of Expenses upon Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Company pursuant to any of the provisions hereof or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations or to fulfill any conditions hereunder or if the Underwriters shall terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 8 or this Agreement is terminated pursuant to the second sentence of Section 9, the Company shall reimburse the several Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel to the Underwriters) reasonably incurred by them in connection herewith; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to reimburse the expenses of any defaulting Underwriter under Section 9.
          (m) No Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company shall not at any time, directly or indirectly, take any action intended to cause or result in, or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or which will constitute, stabilization or manipulation, under the Act or otherwise, of the price of the shares of Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares.
          (n) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the offering and sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company in the manner set forth in the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds” and shall file such reports with the Commission with respect to the sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds therefrom as may be required in accordance with Rule 463 under the Act.
          (o) Option Grants. During the period of 180 days commencing at the Closing Date, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of Merriman, grant options to purchase shares of Common Stock at a price less than the initial public offering price.
          (p) Lock-Up Agreements of Company, Management and Affiliates. The Company shall not, and shall cause each of its executive officers, directors and beneficial owners of more than 1% of the outstanding Common Stock to enter into agreements with the

18


 

Representatives in the form set forth in Exhibit B to the effect that they shall not, for a period of 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”), without the prior written consent of Merriman (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), (1) offer to sell, sell, pledge, contract to sell, purchase any option to sell, grant any option for the purchase of, lend, or otherwise dispose of, or require the Company to file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act to register, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or warrants or other rights to acquire shares of Common Stock of which they are now, or may in the future become, the beneficial owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) (other than pursuant to employee stock option plans existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of the Prospectus) or (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of such shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise; except that if (i) during the period that begins on the date that is 15 calendar days plus three business days before the last day of the Lock-Up Period and ends on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs, or (ii) prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, the restrictions imposed by this section shall continue to apply until the expiration of the date that is 15 calendar days plus three business days after the date on which the issuance of the earnings release or the material news or material event occurs.
          (q) Upon request of any Underwriter, to furnish, or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s trademarks, servicemarks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the on-line offering of the Shares (the “License”); provided, however, that the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred.
     5. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. In addition to the execution and delivery of the Price Determination Agreement, the obligations of each Underwriter hereunder are subject to the following conditions:
          (a) Post Effective Amendments and Prospectus Filings. Notification that the Registration Statement has become effective shall be received by the Representatives not later than 6:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement or at such later date and time as shall be consented to in writing by the Representatives and all filings made pursuant to Rule 424 of the Rules and Regulations and Rules 430A, 430B or 430C, as applicable, shall have been made or will be made prior to the Closing Date in accordance with all such applicable rules.
          (b) No Stop Orders, Requests for Information and No Amendments. (i) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, as amended from time to time, shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall be pending or are, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission, (ii) no order suspending the qualification or registration of the Shares under the securities or Blue Sky laws of any

19


 

jurisdiction shall be in effect and no proceeding for such purpose shall be pending before or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened or contemplated by the authorities of any such jurisdiction, (iii) any request for additional information on the part of the staff of the Commission or any such authorities shall have been complied with to the satisfaction of the staff of the Commission or such authorities and (iv) after the date hereof no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall have been filed unless a copy thereof was first submitted to the Representatives and the Representatives did not reasonably object thereto and (v) the Representatives shall have received certificates, dated the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date and signed by the Chief Executive Officer or the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company (who may, as to proceedings threatened, rely upon the best of their information and belief), to the effect of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii).
          (c) No Material Adverse Changes. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as set forth in the Prospectus (i) there shall not have been a Material Adverse Change, (ii) the Company shall not have incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, (iii) the Company shall not have entered into any material transactions not in the ordinary course of business other than pursuant to this Agreement and the transactions referred to herein, (iv) the Company shall not have issued any securities (other than the Shares) or declared or paid any dividend or made any distribution in respect of its capital stock of any class or debt (long-term or short-term), and (v) no material amount of the assets of the Company shall have been pledged, mortgaged or otherwise encumbered.
          (d) No Actions, Suits or Proceedings. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there shall have been no actions, suits or proceedings instituted, or to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against or affecting, the Company or any of its officers in their capacity as such, before or by any Federal, state or local court, commission, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body, domestic or foreign wherein an unfavorable ruling, decision or finding would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
          (e) All Representations True and Correct and All Conditions Fulfilled. Each of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct in all material respects at the Closing Date as if made at the Closing Date and, with respect to the Option Shares, at the Option Closing Date as if made at the Option Closing Date, and all covenants and agreements contained herein to be performed by the Company and all conditions contained herein to be fulfilled or complied with by the Company at or prior to the Closing Date and, with respect to the Option Shares, at or prior to the Option Closing Date, shall have been duly performed, fulfilled or complied with.
          (f) Opinions of Counsel to the Company. The Representatives shall have received the opinions and letters, each dated the Closing Date and, with respect to the Option Shares, the Option Closing Date, reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to counsel for the Underwriters, from Hunton & Williams LLP, counsel to the Company, to the effect set forth in Exhibit C, and Hunton & Williams, LLP, patent counsel to the Company, to the effect set forth in Exhibit D.

20


 

          (g) Opinion of Counsel to the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, from Dechert LLP, counsel to the Underwriters, with respect to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and this Agreement, which opinion shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.
          (h) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. On the date of the Prospectus, the Representatives shall have received from the Accountants a letter dated the date of its delivery, addressed to the Representatives, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountant’s “comfort letters” to underwriters, delivered according to Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. At the Closing Date and, as to the Option Shares, the Option Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received from the Accountants a letter dated such date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to the preceding sentence, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date.
          (i) Officers’ Certificates. At the Closing Date and, as to the Option Shares, the Option Closing Date, there shall be furnished to the Representatives an accurate certificate, dated the date of its delivery, signed by each of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that:
               (i) each signer of such certificate has carefully examined the Registration Statement and the Prospectus;
               (ii) there has not been a Material Adverse Change;
               (iii) each of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are, at the time such certificate is delivered, true and correct in all material respects; and
               (iv) each of the covenants required herein to be performed by the Company on or prior to the date of such certificate has been duly, timely and fully performed and each condition herein required to be complied with by the Company on or prior to the delivery of such certificate has been duly, timely and fully complied with.
          (j) Lock-Up Agreements. On or prior to the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the executed “lock-up” agreements referred to in Section 4(p).
          (k) Compliance with Blue Sky Laws. The Shares shall be qualified for sale in such states and jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably request and each such qualification shall be in effect and not subject to any stop order or other proceeding on the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date.

21


 

          (l) Stock Exchange Listing. The Shares shall have been duly authorized for listing or quotation on the Nasdaq, subject only to notice of issuance.
          (m) Company Certificates. The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such certificates, in addition to those specifically mentioned herein, as the Representatives may have reasonably requested as to the accuracy and completeness at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date of any statement in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus into the Prospectus, as to the accuracy at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company herein, as to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, or as to the fulfillment of the conditions concurrent and precedent to the obligations hereunder of the Representatives.
     6. Conditions of the Obligations of the Company.
     The obligations of the Company to sell and deliver the portion of the Shares required to be delivered as and when specified in this Agreement are subject to the conditions that at the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and in effect or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened.
     7. Indemnification.
          (a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees, counsel and agents of each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls each Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any and all investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding between any of the indemnified parties and any indemnifying parties or between any indemnified party and any third party, or otherwise, or any claim asserted), to which they, or any of them, may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based on (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rules 430A, 430B or 430C, as applicable, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus, any preliminary prospectus supplement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (iii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the

22


 

circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable to the extent that such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage arises from the sale of the Shares in the public offering to any person by an Underwriter and is based on an untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by the Representatives on behalf of any Underwriter expressly for inclusion in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus. If multiple claims are brought against any Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees, counsel and agents of such Underwriter and any person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, in an arbitration proceeding, and indemnification is permitted under applicable law and is provided for under this Agreement with respect to at least one such claim, the Company agrees that any arbitration award shall be conclusively deemed to be based on claims as to which indemnification is permitted and provided for, except to the extent the arbitration award expressly states that the award, or any portion thereof, is based solely on a claim as to which indemnification is not available. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have.
          (b) Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its agents, each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, each director of the Company and each officer of the Company who signs the Registration Statement to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but only insofar as losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based on any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to each Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by the Representatives on behalf of such Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus. This indemnity will be in addition to any liability that each Underwriter might otherwise have.
          (c) Indemnification Procedures. Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 7 shall, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 7, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, enclosing a copy of all papers served, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provisions of this Section 6 unless, and only to the extent that, such omission results in the forfeiture of procedural and/or substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party. If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of the action, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or other expenses except as provided below and except for the reasonable costs of investigation subsequently

23


 

incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (ii) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on advice of legal counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) a conflict or potential conflict exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (iv) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties. All such fees, disbursements and other charges shall be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly as they are incurred. An indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed). No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of each indemnified party (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding relating to the matters contemplated by this Section 7 (whether or not any indemnified party is a party thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising or that may arise out of such claim, action or proceeding.
          (d) Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in the foregoing paragraphs of this Section 7 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable from the Company or the Underwriters, the Company and the Underwriters shall contribute to the total losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted, but after deducting any contribution received by the Company from persons other than the Underwriters, such as persons who control the Company within the meaning of the Act, officers of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and directors of the Company, who also may be liable for contribution) to which the Company and the Underwriters may be subject in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not permitted by applicable law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in

24


 

the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to the statements or omissions which resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering. Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. 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 (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) which 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, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 7(d) shall be deemed to include, for purpose of this Section 7(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7(d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions received by it, and no person found guilty of fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligation to contribute as provided in this Section 7(d) are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint. For purposes of this Section 7(d), any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Act will have the same rights to contribution as that party, and each director of the Company and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement will have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the provisions hereof. Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section 7(d), will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission so to notify will not relieve the party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section 7(d). No party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed).
          (e) Survival. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 7 and the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriters, (ii) acceptance of any of the Shares and payment therefor or (iii) any termination of this Agreement.

25


 

     8. Termination. The obligations of the several Underwriters under this Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Closing Date (or, with respect to the Option Shares, on or prior to the Option Closing Date), by notice to the Company from the Representatives, without liability on the part of any Underwriter to the Company, if, prior to delivery and payment for the Firm Shares (or the Option Shares, as the case may be), in the sole judgment of the Representatives, any of the following shall occur:
          (a) trading or quotation in any of the equity securities of the Company shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by an exchange or otherwise;
          (b) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ Stock Market shall have been suspended or limited or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on such exchange, or additional material governmental restrictions, not in force on the date of this Agreement, shall have been imposed upon trading in securities generally by such exchange or by order of the Commission or any court or other governmental authority;
          (c) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of Federal, New York or Delaware authorities;
          (d) the United States shall have become engaged in new hostilities, there shall have been an 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 there shall have occurred such a material adverse change in general economic, political or financial conditions, including, without limitation, as a result of terrorist activities after the date hereof (or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States shall be such), or any other calamity or crisis shall have occurred, the effect of any of which is such as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Prospectus;
          (e) if the Company shall have sustained a loss material to the Company by reason of flood, fire, accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage, or other calamity or malicious act, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, the effect of any of which is such as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Prospectus; or
          (f) if there shall have been a Material Adverse Change.
     9. Substitution of Underwriters. If any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase any of the Firm Shares which it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder, and the aggregate number of Firm Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm Shares, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, to purchase the Firm Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase, in the proportions which the number of Firm Shares which they have respectively agreed to purchase pursuant to Section 1 bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares which all such non-defaulting Underwriters have so agreed to purchase, or in such other proportions as the

26


 

Representatives may specify; provided that in no event shall the maximum number of Firm Shares which any Underwriter has become obligated to purchase pursuant to Section 1 be increased pursuant to this Section 8 by more than one-ninth of the number of Firm Shares agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter without the prior written consent of such Underwriter. If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase any Firm Shares and the aggregate number of Firm Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase exceeds one-tenth of the aggregate number of the Firm Shares and arrangements satisfactory to the Company and the Representatives for the purchase of such Firm Shares are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement will terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter, or the Company (except as provided in Section 4(l)) for the purchase or sale of any Shares under this Agreement. In any such case either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement and in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Any action taken pursuant to this Section 9 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
     10. Miscellaneous.
          (a) Notices. Notice given pursuant to any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and, unless otherwise specified, shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied (a) if to the Company, at the office of the Company, 13794 NW 4th Street, Suite 212, Sunrise, FL 33325, Attention: Chief Executive Officer, Fax. No, (954)  ###-###-####, with a copy to Hunton & Williams, 1111 Brickell Avenue, Suite 2500, Miami, FL 33131, Attention: David E. Wells, Fax. No. (305)  ###-###-#### or (b) if to the Underwriters, at the offices of Merriman Curhan Ford & Co., 600 California Street, 9th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108, Attention: Joe Balagot, Managing Director, Fax No. (415)  ###-###-####, with a copy to Dechert LLP, 2929 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, Attention: James A. Lebovitz, Fax. No. (215)  ###-###-####. Any such notice shall be effective only upon receipt. Any notice under Section 7 may be made by telecopy or telephone, but if so made shall be subsequently confirmed in writing.
          (b) No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the several Underwriters, the Company and of the controlling persons, directors and officers referred to in Section 7, and their respective successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. The term “successors and assigns” as used in this Agreement shall not include a purchaser of Shares from the Underwriters in his, her or its capacity as such a purchaser, as such purchaser of Shares from any of the several Underwriters.
          (c) Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations, warranties and agreements of the Company contained herein or in certificates or other instruments delivered pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any of their controlling persons and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares hereunder.
          (d) Disclaimer of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement, including the

27


 

determination of the public offering price of the Shares and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, (ii) in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement and the process leading to such transaction, each of the Underwriters is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or its securityholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (iii) none of the Underwriters has assumed nor will it assume any advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering of the Shares contemplated by this Agreement or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether any Underwriter or its affiliates has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and the Underwriters have no obligation to the Company with respect to the offering of the Shares contemplated by this Agreement except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) each of the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (v) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated by this Agreement and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
          (e) Actions of the Representatives. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the Representatives under this Agreement may be taken by them jointly or by Merriman.
          (f) Governing Law. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN SUCH STATE. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably submits for purposes of any action arising from this Agreement brought by the other party hereto to the jurisdiction of the courts of New York State located in the Borough of Manhattan and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
          (g) Survival of Provisions Upon Invalidity of Any Single Provision. In case any provision in this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
          (h) Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company and the Underwriters each hereby irrevocably waive any right they may have to a trial by jury in respect of any claim based upon or arising out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
          (i) Titles and Subtitles. The titles of the sections and subsections of this Agreement are for convenience and reference only and are not to be considered in construing this Agreement.
          (j) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

28


 

          (k) Entire Agreement. Other than the terms concerning Business Combinations set forth in the Engagement Letter Agreement, dated September 2, 2007, by and between Merriman and the Company, this Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may not be amended or otherwise modified or any provision hereof waived except by an instrument in writing signed by the Representatives and the Company.
[Signature page follows]

29


 

     Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters.
         
  Very truly yours,


BIOHEART, INC.


 
 
  By:      
    Name:      
    Title:      
 
Confirmed as of the date first above mentioned:
MERRIMAN CURHAN FORD & CO.
DAWSON JAMES SECURITIES, INC.
Acting on behalf of themselves and as Representative of
the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereof
         
   
By:   MERRIMAN CURHAN FORD & CO.    
     
     
 
   
By:      
  Name:      
  Title:      
 

30