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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
Current Report
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of
The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 14, 2000
INFORMATION HOLDINGS INC.
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(Exact Name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)
Delaware 1-14371 06-1518007
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(State or other jurisdiction (Commission File No.) (I.R.S. Employer
of corporation) Identification No.)
2777 Summer Street, Stamford, Connecticut 06905
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(Address of Principal (Zip Code)
Executive Offices)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (203) 961-9106
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N/A
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(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
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Item 5. Other Events
On March 14, 2000, Information Holdings Inc. (the "Company") entered
into a Purchase Agreement (the "Purchase Agreement") with the representatives of
the underwriters named therein in connection with the offering (the "Offering")
of 4,500,000 shares of the Company's common stock, par value $.01 per share (the
"Common Stock"). An additional 675,000 shares of Common Stock are subject to an
over-allotment option granted to the underwriters in the Purchase Agreement. A
copy of the Purchase Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit 1.1 and is
incorporated herein by reference.
On March 15, 2000, the Company announced the pricing of the Common
Stock issued in the Offering. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as
Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
(a) Financial Statements of Business acquired: None
(b) Pro Forma Financial Information: None
(c) Exhibits:
1.1 Purchase Agreement, dated March 14, 2000, among the
Company and the representatives of the underwriters named
therein
99.1 Press Release, dated March 15, 2000
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this Current Report on Form 8-K to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
INFORMATION HOLDINGS INC.
By: /s/ Vincent A. Chippari
----------------------------------
Name: Vincent A. Chippari
Title: Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
Date: March 15, 2000
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EXHIBIT INDEX
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The following Exhibits are filed herewith.
Exhibit Number Description
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1.1 Purchase Agreement dated March 14, 2000
99.1 Press Release dated March 15, 2000.
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INFORMATION HOLDINGS INC.
(a Delaware corporation)
4,500,000 Shares of Common Stock
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Dated: March 14, 2000
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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PURCHASE AGREEMENT...........................................................1
SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties....................................3
(a) Representations and Warranties by the
Company.................................................................3
(i) Compliance with Registration
Requirements.....................................................3
(ii) Independent Accountants..........................................4
(iii) Financial Statements.............................................4
(iv) No Material Adverse Change in Business...........................5
(v) Good Standing of the Company.....................................5
(vi) Good Standing of Subsidiaries....................................6
(vii) Capitalization...................................................6
(viii) Authorization of Agreement.......................................7
(ix) Authorization and Description of
Securities.......................................................7
(x) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts................................7
(xi) Absence of Labor Dispute.........................................8
(xii) Absence of Proceedings...........................................8
(xiii) Accuracy of Exhibits.............................................9
(xiv) Possession of Intellectual Property..............................9
(xv) Absence of Further Requirements..................................9
(xvi) Possession of Licenses and Permits..............................10
(xvii) Title to Property...............................................10
(xviii) Compliance with Cuba Act........................................11
(xix) Investment Company Act..........................................11
(xx) Environmental Laws..............................................11
(xxi) Registration....................................................12
(b) Officer's Certificates.................................................12
SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to the
Underwriters; Closing............................................12
(a) Initial Securities.....................................................12
(b) Option Securities......................................................13
(c) Payment................................................................13
(d) Denominations; Registration............................................14
SECTION 3. Covenants of the
Company..........................................................14
(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests.........14
(b) Filing of Amendments...................................................15
(c) Delivery of Registration Statements....................................15
(d) Delivery of Prospectus.................................................16
(e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws..............................16
(f) Blue Sky Qualifications................................................16
(g) Rule 158...............................................................17
(h) Use of Proceeds........................................................17
(i) Listing................................................................17
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(j) Restriction on Sale of Securities.......................................17
(k) Reporting Requirements..................................................18
(l) Compliance with NASD Rules..............................................18
(m) Compliance with Rule 463................................................18
SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses...............................................19
(a) Expenses................................................................19
(b) Termination of Agreement................................................19
SECTION 5. Conditions of the Underwriters' Obligations.......................20
(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement.................................20
(b) Opinion of Counsel for the Company......................................20
(c) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters.................................20
(d) Officers' Certificate...................................................21
(e) Accountant's Comfort Letter.............................................21
(f) Bring-down Comfort Letter...............................................22
(g) Approval of Listing.....................................................22
(h) No Objection............................................................22
(i) Lock-up Agreements......................................................22
(j) Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities.............................22
(k) Additional Documents....................................................23
(l) Termination of Agreement................................................23
SECTION 6. Indemnification...................................................24
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters.....................................24
(b) Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers..............26
(c) Actions against Parties; Notification...................................26
(d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse......................27
SECTION 7. Contribution......................................................27
SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery....29
SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement..........................................29
(a) Termination; General....................................................29
(b) Liabilities.............................................................30
SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters.......................30
SECTION 11. Notices..........................................................31
SECTION 12. Parties..........................................................31
SECTION 13. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME...........................................31
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SECTION 14. Effect of Headings...............................................31
SCHEDULES
Schedule A - List of Underwriters..............................Sch A-1
Schedule B - Pricing Information...............................Sch B-1
Schedule C - List of Persons subject to Lock-up................Sch C-1
Schedule D - List of Subsidiaries..............................Sch D-1
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A - Form of Opinion of Company's Counsel...................A-1
Exhibit B - Form of Lock-up Letter.................................B-1
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INFORMATION HOLDINGS INC.
(a Delaware corporation)
4,000,000 Shares of Common Stock
(Par Value $.01 Per Share)
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
March 14, 2000
MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
THOMAS WEISEL PARTNERS LLC
as Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o Merrill Lynch & Co.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
North Tower
World Financial Center
New York, New York 10281-1209
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Information Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), confirms its agreement with Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch,
Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated ("Merrill Lynch"), Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated, Thomas Weisel Partners LLC and each of the other Underwriters
named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the "Underwriters," which term shall
also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10
hereof), for whom Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated and Thomas
Weisel Partners LLC are acting as Representatives (in such capacity, the
"Representatives"), with respect to the issue and sale by the Company and the
purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the
respective numbers of shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the
Company ("Common Stock") set forth in said Schedule A, and with respect to the
grant by the Company to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of
the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of
675,000 additional shares of Common Stock solely to cover over-allotments, if
any. The aforesaid 4,500,000 shares of Common Stock (the "Initial Securities")
to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the 675,000 shares of
Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the "Option
Securities") are hereinafter called, collectively, the "Securities."
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The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make
a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representatives deem
advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement on Form S-3 (No.
333-30202) covering the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), including the related preliminary
prospectus. Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company
will either (i) prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions
of Rule 430A ("Rule 430A") of the rules and regulations of the Commission under
the 1933 Act (the "1933 Act Regulations") and paragraph (b) of Rule 424 ("Rule
424(b)") of the 1933 Act Regulations or (ii) if the Company has elected to rely
upon Rule 434 ("Rule 434") of the 1933 Act Regulations, prepare and file a term
sheet (a "Term Sheet") in accordance with the provisions of Rule 434 and Rule
424(b). The information included in any prospectus or Term Sheet, as the case
may be, that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became
effective but that is deemed to be part of such registration statement at the
time it became effective (a) pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 430A is referred
to as "Rule 430A Information" or (b) pursuant to paragraph (d) of Rule 434 is
referred to as "Rule 434 Information." Each prospectus used before such
registration statement became effective, and any prospectus that omitted, as
applicable, the Rule 430A Information or the Rule 434 Information, that was used
after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this
Agreement, is herein called a "preliminary prospectus." Such registration
statement, including the exhibits thereto and schedules thereto, at the time it
became effective and including the Rule 430A Information or the Rule 434
Information, as applicable, is herein called the "Registration Statement." Any
registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations
is herein referred to as the "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement," and after
such filing the term "Registration Statement" shall include the Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement. The final prospectus in the form first furnished to the
Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities is herein
called the "Prospectus." If Rule 434 is relied on, the term "Prospectus" shall
refer to the preliminary prospectus dated February 18, 2000, together with the
applicable Term Sheet and all references in this Agreement to the date of such
Prospectus shall mean the date of the applicable Term Sheet. For purposes of
this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary
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prospectus, the Prospectus or any Term Sheet or any amendment or supplement to
any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the
Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval
system ("EDGAR"), as well as all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by
reference therein.
SECTION 1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.
(a) REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES BY THE COMPANY. The Company
represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the
Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, and as of each Date of Delivery
(if any) referred to in Section 2(b), hereof and agrees with each Underwriter,
as follows:
(i) COMPLIANCE WITH REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS. Each of the
Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has
become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act and no
proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to
the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and
any request on the part of the Commission for additional information
has been complied with.
At the respective times the Registration Statement,
any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective
amendments thereto became effective and at the Closing Time (as defined
below) (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of
Delivery), the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement and any amendments or supplements thereto complied and will
comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act
and the 1933 Act Regulations and did not and will not contain an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, and the Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus and any
supplement thereto or prospectus wrapper prepared in connection
therewith, at their respective times of issuance and at the Closing
Time, complied and will comply in all material respects with any
applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the
Prospectus and such preliminary prospectus, as amended or supplemented,
if applicable, are distributed in connection with the offer and sale of
Reserved Securities. Neither
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the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto including any
prospectus wrapper, at the time the Prospectus or any amendment or
supplement thereto was issued and at the Closing Time (as defined
below) (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of
Delivery), included or will include an untrue statement of a material
fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading. If Rule 434 is used, the
Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 434 and the
Prospectus shall not be "materially different," as such term is used in
Rule 434, from the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at
the time it became effective. The representations and warranties in
this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus made in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by any
Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the
Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment
thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, complied
when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations
and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the
Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical to
the electronically transmitted copy thereof filed with the Commission
pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(ii) INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS. The accountants who certified
the financial statements and supporting schedules included in the
Registration Statement are independent public accountants as required
by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.
(iii) FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. The financial statements included
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the
related schedules and notes, present fairly the financial position of
the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated
and the statement of operations, stockholders' equity and cash flows of
the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods
specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity
with generally accepted accounting
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principles ("GAAP") applied on a consistent basis throughout the
periods involved. The supporting schedules included in the Registration
Statement present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information
required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the
summary financial information included in the Prospectus present fairly
the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis
consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in
the Registration Statement. The pro forma financial statements and the
related notes thereto included in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein, have been
prepared in accordance with the Commission's rules and guidelines with
respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly
compiled on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in
the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein
are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances
referred to therein.
(iv) NO MATERIAL ADVERSE CHANGE IN BUSINESS. Since the
respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, (A)
there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial
or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business
prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business
(a "Material Adverse Effect"), (B) there have been no transactions
entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than
those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with
respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise, and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any
kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital
stock.
(v) GOOD STANDING OF THE COMPANY. The Company has been duly
organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing
under the laws of the State of Delaware and has corporate power and
authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its
business as described in the Prospectus and to enter into and perform
its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified
as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing
in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required,
whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the
conduct of
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business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good
standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(vi) GOOD STANDING OF SUBSIDIARIES. Each "significant
subsidiary" of the Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of
Regulation S-X) (each a "Subsidiary" and, collectively, the
"Subsidiaries") has been duly organized and is validly existing as a
limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the
jurisdiction of its organization, has the power and authority to own,
lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as
described in the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign limited
liability company to transact business and is in good standing in each
jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason
of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business,
except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would
not result in a Material Adverse Effect; except as otherwise disclosed
in the Registration Statement, all of the issued and outstanding equity
interests of each such Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly
issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company,
directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security
interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; none of
the outstanding equity interests of any Subsidiary was issued in
violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of
such Subsidiary. The only Subsidiaries of the Company are the
subsidiaries listed on Schedule D of this Agreement.
(vii) CAPITALIZATION. The authorized, issued and outstanding
capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Prospectus in the
column entitled "Actual" under the caption "Capitalization" (except for
subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to
reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the
Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or
options referred to in the Prospectus). The shares of issued and
outstanding capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and
validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; none of the
outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in
violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any
securityholder of the Company.
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(viii) AUTHORIZATION OF AGREEMENT. This Agreement has been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(ix) AUTHORIZATION AND DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES. The
Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have
been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant
to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company
pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set
forth herein, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable;
the Common Stock conforms to all statements relating thereto contained
in the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights set forth
in the instruments defining the same; no holder of the Securities will
be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder; and
the issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive or
other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.
(x) ABSENCE OF DEFAULTS AND CONFLICTS. Neither the Company
nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter, by-laws or
limited liability company agreement, as the case may be, or in default
in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant
or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of
trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or
instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party
or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the
property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject
(collectively, "Agreements and Instruments") except for such defaults
that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration
Statement (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the
use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the
Prospectus under the caption "Use of Proceeds") and compliance by the
Company with its obligations under this Agreement has been duly
authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not,
whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or
both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment
Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition
of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the
Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments
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(except for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or
encumbrances that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor
will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the
charter, by-laws or limited liability company agreement, as the case
may be, of the Company or any subsidiary or any applicable law,
statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any
government, government instrumentality or court having jurisdiction
over the Company or any subsidiary or any of their assets, properties
or operations. As used herein, a "Repayment Event" means any event or
condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other
evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder's behalf)
the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or
a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any subsidiary.
(xi) ABSENCE OF LABOR DISPUTE. No labor dispute with the
employees of the Company or any subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge
of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any
existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its
or any subsidiary's principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or
contractors, which, in either case, may reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xii) ABSENCE OF PROCEEDINGS. There is no action, suit,
proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or
governmental agency or body now pending, or, to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any
subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration
Statement (other than as disclosed therein), or which might reasonably
be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might
reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the
properties or assets thereof or the consummation of the transactions
contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its
obligations hereunder or thereunder; the aggregate of all pending legal
or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any subsidiary is a
party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the
subject which are not described in the Registration Statement,
including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, could
not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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(xiii) ACCURACY OF EXHIBITS. There are no contracts or
documents which are required to be described in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits thereto which
have not been so described and filed as required.
(xiv) POSSESSION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. The Company and its
subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms,
adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights,
know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or
unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or
procedures), trademarks, service marks, domain names, trade names or
other intellectual property (collectively, "Intellectual Property")
necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and neither
the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is
otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights
of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or
circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or
inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the
subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity
or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
(xv) ABSENCE OF FURTHER REQUIREMENTS. No filing with, or
authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration,
qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or
agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of
its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or
sale of the Securities under this Agreement or the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except (i) such as have
been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act or the
1933 Act Regulations and state securities or blue sky laws and (ii)
such as have been obtained under the laws and regulations of
jurisdictions outside the United States in which the Reserved
Securities are offered.
(xvi) POSSESSION OF LICENSES AND PERMITS. The Company and its
subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and
other authorizations (collectively, "Governmental Licenses") issued by
the appropriate federal, state or local regulatory agencies or bodies
necessary to conduct the business now operated by them; the
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Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and
conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure
so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material
Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full
force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental
Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full
force and effect would not have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither
the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of
proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such
Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject
of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a
Material Adverse Effect.
(xvii) TITLE TO PROPERTY. The Company and its subsidiaries have
good and marketable title to all real property owned by the Company and
its subsidiaries and good title to all other properties owned by them,
in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security
interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such
as (a) are described in the Prospectus or (b) do not, singly or in the
aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not
interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by
the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and all of the leases and
subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries,
considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries holds properties described in the Prospectus, are in full
force and effect, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has any
notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by
anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary under any
of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning
the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued
possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or
sublease.
(xviii) COMPLIANCE WITH CUBA ACT. The Company has complied with,
and is and will be in compliance with, the provisions of that certain
Florida act relating to disclosure of doing business with Cuba,
codified as Section 517.075 of the Florida statutes, and the rules and
regulations thereunder (collectively, the "Cuba Act") or is exempt
therefrom.
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(xix) INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT. The Company is not, and upon the
issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the
application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the
Prospectus will not be, an "investment company" or an entity
"controlled" by an "investment company" as such terms are defined in
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act").
(xx) ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS. Except as described in the
Registration Statement and except as would not, singly or in the
aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company
nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state or
local statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, published policy
or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation
thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent,
decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human
health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air,
surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or
wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating
to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants,
contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum
or petroleum products (collectively, "Hazardous Materials") or to the
manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage,
disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively,
"Environmental Laws"), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all
permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable
Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements,
(C) there are no pending or, to the Company's knowledge, threatened
administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand
letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation,
investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against
the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D) to the Company's
knowledge, there are no events or circumstances that might reasonably
be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation,
or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental
body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its
subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.
(xxi) REGISTRATION. There are no persons with registration
rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered
pursuant to the Registration Statement or
<PAGE>
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otherwise registered by the Company under the 1933 Act, except as
disclosed in the Registration Statement.
(b) OFFICER'S CERTIFICATES. Any certificate signed by any
officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Coordinator,
the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a
representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters
covered thereby.
SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to the Underwriters; Closing.
-----------------------------------------------
(a) INITIAL SECURITIES. On the basis of the representations
and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein
set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not
jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase
from the Company, at the price per share set forth in Schedule B, the number of
Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such
Underwriter, plus any additional number of Initial Securities which such
Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of
Section 10 hereof.
(b) OPTION SECURITIES. In addition, on the basis of the
representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and
conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the
Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 675,000
shares of Common Stock at the price per share set forth in Schedule B hereto,
less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions, if any,
declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on
the Option Securities. The option hereby granted will expire 30 days after the
date of the Prospectus and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to
time only for the purpose of covering over-allotments which may be made in
connection with the offering and distribution of the Initial Securities upon
notice by the Coordinator to the Company setting forth the number of Option
Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option
and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any
such time and date of delivery for the Option Securities (a "Date of Delivery")
shall be determined by the Coordinator, but shall not be later than seven full
business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the
Closing Time (as defined below). If the option is exercised as to all or any
portion of the Option Securities,
<PAGE>
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each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that
proportion of the total number of Option Securities then being purchased which
the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of
such Underwriter bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject in
each case to such adjustments as the Coordinator in its discretion shall make to
eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.
(c) PAYMENT. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery
of certificates for, the Initial Securities shall be made at the offices of
Cahill Gordon & Reindel, 80 Pine Street, New York, New York 10005 or at such
other place as shall be agreed upon by the Coordinator and the Company, at 9:00
A.M. (Eastern time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M.
(Eastern time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless
postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time
not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the
Coordinator and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being
herein called the "Closing Time").
In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option
Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for,
and delivery of certificates for, such Option Securities shall be made at the
above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the
Coordinator and, Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice
from the Coordinator to the Company.
Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of
immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company, against
delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters
of certificates for the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood
that each Underwriter has authorized the Representatives, for its account, to
accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the
Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to
purchase. Merrill Lynch, individually and not as representative of the
Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase
price for the Initial Securities or the Option Securities, if any, to be
purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing
Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment
shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.
<PAGE>
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(d) DENOMINATIONS; REGISTRATION. Certificates for the Initial
Securities and the Option Securities, if any, shall be in such denominations and
registered in such names as the Representatives may request in writing at least
one full business day before the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery,
as the case may be. The certificates for the Initial Securities and the Option
Securities, if any, will be made available for examination and packaging by the
Representatives in The City of New York not later than 10:00 A.M. (Eastern time)
on the business day prior to the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery,
as the case may be.
SECTION 3. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY. The Company covenants
with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) COMPLIANCE WITH SECURITIES REGULATIONS AND COMMISSION
REQUESTS. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the
requirements of Rule 430A or Rule 434, as applicable, and will notify the
Coordinator immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective,
or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been
filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any
request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any
amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information, and
(iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or
suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, or of the suspension of the
qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of
the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes. The
Company will promptly effect the filings necessary pursuant to Rule 424(b) and
will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the
form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for
filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly
file such prospectus. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent
the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the
lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.
(b) FILING OF AMENDMENTS. The Company will give the
Coordinator notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the
Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b)), any Term Sheet
or any amendment, supplement or revision to either the prospectus included in
the Registration Statement at the time it became effective or to the Prospectus,
<PAGE>
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will furnish the Coordinator with copies of any such documents a reasonable
amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and
will not file or use any such document to which the Coordinator or counsel for
the Underwriters shall reasonably object.
(c) DELIVERY OF REGISTRATION STATEMENTS. The Company has
furnished or will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the
Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as
originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed
therewith or incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all
consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the
Representatives, without charge, conformed copies of the Registration Statement
as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of
the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment
thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically
transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except
to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(d) DELIVERY OF PROSPECTUS. The Company has delivered to each
Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as
such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the
use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will
furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the
Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (the "1934 Act"), such number of copies of the Prospectus
(as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The
Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the
Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof
filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by
Regulation S-T.
(e) CONTINUED COMPLIANCE WITH SECURITIES LAWS. The Company
will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations so as to permit the
completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this
Agreement and in the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus is required by
the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any
event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary,
in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to amend the
Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the
Prospectus will not include any untrue statements of a material
<PAGE>
-16-
fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it
is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of such
counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or amend or
supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933
Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly prepare and file with
the Commission, subject to Section 3(b), such amendment or supplement as may be
necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the Company will
furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or
supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request.
(f) BLUE SKY QUALIFICATIONS. The Company will use its
reasonable best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the
Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such
states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Coordinator may
designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect for a period of not less
than one year from the later of the effective date of the Registration Statement
and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company
shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to
qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any
jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in
respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so
subject. In each jurisdiction in which the Securities have been so qualified,
the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws
of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification in effect for a period of
not less than one year from the effective date of the Registration Statement and
any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.
(g) RULE 158. The Company will timely file such reports
pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available
to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the
purposes of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of
Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.
(h) USE OF PROCEEDS. The Company will use the net proceeds
received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the
Prospectus under "Use of Proceeds."
<PAGE>
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(i) LISTING. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts
to effect the listing of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange.
(j) RESTRICTION ON SALE OF SECURITIES. During a period of 90
days from the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior
written consent of Merrill Lynch, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge,
sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any
option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or
otherwise transfer or dispose of any share of Common Stock or any securities
convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or file any
registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing
or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that
transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence
of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described
in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such
other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply
to (A) the Securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement, (B) any
options to purchase Common Stock granted pursuant to the 1998 Stock Option Plan,
as such term is defined in documents incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus, (C) the exercise of the options referred to in clause (B)
immediately above, (D) the exchange of equity interests referred to in Section
5(j) below, (E) securities issued pursuant to Dennis Buda's employment agreement
or (E) any securities issued as consideration for a merger or acquisition;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that any recipient of securities under clauses (E) and (F)
immediately above shall be bound by the restrictions of this Section 3(j) and
shall enter into an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto.
(k) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. The Company, during the period
when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934
Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant
to the 1934 Act within the time periods and rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder.
(l) COMPLIANCE WITH NASD RULES. The Company hereby agrees that
it will ensure that the Reserved Securities will be restricted as required by
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD") or the NASD
rules from sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation for a period of
three months following the date of this Agreement. The Underwriters will notify
the Company as to which persons will need
<PAGE>
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to be so restricted. At the request of the Underwriters, the Company will direct
the transfer agent to place a stop transfer restriction upon such securities for
such period of time. Should the Company release, or seek to release, from such
restrictions any of the Reserved Securities, the Company agrees to reimburse the
Underwriters for any reasonable expenses (including, without limitation, legal
expenses) they incur in connection with such release.
(m) COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 463. The Company will report such
information as may be required pursuant to Rule 463 of the 1933 Act Regulations.
SECTION 4. PAYMENT OF EXPENSES.
(a) EXPENSES. The Company will pay all expenses incident to
the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the
preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including
financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment
thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of this
Agreement, any Agreement among Underwriters and such other documents as may be
required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery
of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the
certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or
other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale and the
issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and
disbursements of the Company's counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the
qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the
provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees
and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in
connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement
thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each
preliminary prospectus, any Term Sheet and of the Prospectus and any amendment
or supplement thereto, (vii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the
Underwriters of copies of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (viii)
the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities,
(ix) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements
of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, the review by the NASD of
the terms of the sale of the Securities, (x) the fees and expenses incurred in
connection with the listing of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange and
(xi) all costs and expenses of the Underwriters, including the fees and
disbursements
<PAGE>
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of counsel for the Underwriters, in connection with matters related to the
Reserved Securities which are designated by the Company for sale to certain
eligible employees and certain persons having business relationships with the
Company.
(b) TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT. If this Agreement is terminated
by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section
9(a)(i) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their
out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Underwriters.
SECTION 5. CONDITIONS OF THE UNDERWRITERS' OBLIGATIONS. The
obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of
the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof
or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any subsidiary of the
Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the
Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following
further conditions:
(a) EFFECTIVENESS OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT. The Registration
Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become
effective and at the Closing Time no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued
under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by
the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for
additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable
satisfaction of counsel for the Underwriters. A prospectus containing
the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in
accordance with Rule 424(b) (or a post-effective amendment providing
such information shall have been filed and declared effective in
accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A) or, if the Company has
elected to rely upon Rule 434, a Term Sheet shall have been filed with
the Commission in accordance with Rule 424(b).
(b) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE COMPANY. At the Closing Time,
the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as
of the Closing Time, of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, counsel for the
Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the
Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter
for each of the other Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit A
hereto and to such further effect as counsel for the Underwriters may
reasonably request.
<PAGE>
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(c) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE UNDERWRITERS. At the Closing
Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion,
dated as of the Closing Time, of Cahill Gordon & Reindel, counsel for
the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such
letter for each of the other Underwriters, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representatives. In giving such opinion such
counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of
jurisdictions other than the law of the State of New York and the
federal law of the United States and the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the
Representatives. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such
opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they
deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and its
subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.
(d) OFFICERS' CERTIFICATE. At the Closing Time, there shall
not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as
of which information is given in the Prospectus, any material adverse
change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings,
business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its
subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in
the ordinary course of business, and the Representatives shall have
received a certificate of the President or a Vice President of the
Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the
Company, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has
been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and
warranties in Section 1(a) hereof are true and correct in all material
respects with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and
as of the Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied in all material
respects with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part
to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time, and (iv)
no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been
instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, are contemplated by
the Commission.
(e) ACCOUNTANT'S COMFORT LETTER. At the time of the execution
of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from Ernst &
Young, LLP a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory
to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of
such
<PAGE>
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letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and
information of the type ordinarily included in accountants' "comfort
letters" to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and
certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement
and the Prospectus.
(f) BRING-DOWN COMFORT LETTER. At the Closing Time, the
Representatives shall have received from Ernst & Young, LLP a letter,
dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the
statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (e) of
this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a
date not more than five business days prior to the Closing Time.
(g) APPROVAL OF LISTING. At the Closing Time, the Securities
shall have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange,
subject only to official notice of issuance.
(h) NO OBJECTION. The NASD shall have confirmed that it has
not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and
reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
(i) LOCK-UP AGREEMENTS. At the date of this Agreement, the
Representatives shall have received an agreement substantially in the
form of Exhibit B hereto signed by the persons listed on Schedule C
hereto.
(j) CONDITIONS TO PURCHASE OF OPTION SECURITIES. In the event
that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b)
hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Securities, the
representations and warranties of the Company contained herein and the
statements in any certificates furnished by the Company or any
subsidiary of the Company hereunder shall be true and correct as of
each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the
Representatives shall have received:
(i) OFFICERS' CERTIFICATE. A certificate, dated
such Date of Delivery, of the President or a Vice President of
the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting
officer of the Company confirming that the certificate
delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(d) hereof
remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.
<PAGE>
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(ii) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE COMPANY. The
favorable opinion of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, counsel for the
Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the
Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the
Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and
otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by
Section 5(b) hereof.
(iii) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE UNDERWRITERS. The
favorable opinion of Cahill Gordon & Reindel, counsel for the
Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the
Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and
otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by
Section 5(c) hereof.
(iv) BRING-DOWN COMFORT LETTER. A letter from Ernst
& Young, LLP in form and substance satisfactory to the
Representatives and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially
in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the
Representatives pursuant to Section 5(f) hereof, except that
the "specified date" in the letter furnished pursuant to this
paragraph shall be a date not more than five days prior to
such Date of Delivery.
(k) ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS. At the Closing Time and at each Date
of Delivery, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished
with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the
purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the
Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy
of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any
of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the
Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as
herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and
substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.
(l) TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT. If any condition specified in
this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be
fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the
purchase of Option Securities on a Date of Delivery which is after the
Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase
the Option Securities, may be terminated by the Representatives
<PAGE>
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by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to the Closing Time or
such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall
be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided
in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive any
such termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 6. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) INDEMNIFICATION OF THE UNDERWRITERS. The Company agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who
controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or
Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and
expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule
430A Information and the Rule 434 Information, if 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 arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact included in any preliminary 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;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and
expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of (A) the violation of
any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where
Reserved Securities have been offered and (B) any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in the supplement
or prospectus wrapper material distributed in foreign jurisdictions in
connection with the reservation and sale of the Reserved Securities to
certain eligible employees and persons having business relationships
with the Company or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a
material fact necessary to make the statements therein, when considered
in conjunction with the Prospectus or preliminary prospectus, not
misleading;
<PAGE>
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(iii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and
expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount
paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or
proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened,
or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or
omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission or in
connection with any violation of the nature referred to in Section
6(a)(ii)(A) hereof; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any
such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company;
and
(iv) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred
(including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by Merrill
Lynch), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending
against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any
governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim
whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any
such alleged untrue statement or omission or in connection with any
violation of the nature referred to in Section 6(a)(ii)(A) hereof, to
the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i), (ii) or (iii)
above;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss,
liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue
statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance
upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any
Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration
Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information and
the Rule 434 Information, if applicable, or any preliminary prospectus or the
Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto); and PROVIDED, FURTHER,
HOWEVER, that Company shall not be liable to any indemnified party with respect
to any preliminary prospectus (or supplement thereto) if the Prospectus
corrected any such untrue statement or omission, was delivered to such
indemnified party and such indemnified party failed to furnish a copy of the
Prospectus at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of Securities to
the applicable purchaser.
(b) INDEMNIFICATION OF THE COMPANY, ITS DIRECTORS AND
OFFICERS. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the
Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration
Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning
of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and
<PAGE>
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all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity
contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect
to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions,
made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the
Rule 430A Information and the Rule 434 Information, if applicable, or any
preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished
to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use
in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or such preliminary
prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).
(c) ACTIONS AGAINST PARTIES; NOTIFICATION. Each indemnified
party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each
indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which
indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying
party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to
the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event
shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on
account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant
to Section 6(a) above, counsel for the indemnified parties shall be selected by
Merrill Lynch, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b)
above, counsel for the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An
indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such
action; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that counsel for the indemnifying party shall not
(except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel for the
indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees
and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel)
separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with
any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same
jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No
indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified
parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with
respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any
governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in
respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this
Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual
or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i)
includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability
<PAGE>
-26-
arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does
not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure
to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d) SETTLEMENT WITHOUT CONSENT IF FAILURE TO REIMBURSE. If at
any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to
reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such
indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the
nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(iii) effected without its written consent if
(i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such
indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall
have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to
such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not
have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to
the date of such settlement. Notwithstanding the immediately preceding sentence,
if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party
to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, an
indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of the nature
contemplated by Section 6(a)(iii) effected without its consent if such
indemnifying party (i) reimburses the indemnified party in accordance with such
request to the extent it consider such request to be reasonable and (ii)
provides written notice to the indemnified party which fully explains the
indemnifying party's belief that any unpaid balance of such request is
unreasonable, in each case prior to the date of such settlement.
SECTION 7. CONTRIBUTION. If the indemnification provided for
in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold
harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims,
damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall
contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages
and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the
Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering
of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided
by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i)
above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the
Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions,
which resulted in such losses,
<PAGE>
-27-
liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant
equitable considerations.
The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand
and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the
Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same
respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the
Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by
the Company and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in
each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, or, if Rule 434 is used,
the corresponding location on the Term Sheet, bear to the aggregate initial
public offering price of the Securities as set forth on such cover.
The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the
Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other
things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information
supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties' relative intent,
knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such
statement or omission.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be
just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by
pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for
such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account
of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The
aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred
by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed
to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified
party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any
investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or
threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no
Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount
by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and
distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any
damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of
any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
<PAGE>
-28-
No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the
meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from
any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who
controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or
Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such
Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who
signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the
Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the
1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. The
Underwriters' respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7
are several in proportion to the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite
their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.
SECTION 8. REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS TO
SURVIVE DELIVERY. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in
this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force
and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any
Underwriter or controlling person, or by or on behalf of the Company, and shall
survive delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters.
SECTION 9. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT.
(a) TERMINATION; GENERAL. The Representatives may terminate
this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing
Time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or
since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus,
any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the
earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its
subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the
ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse
change in the financial markets in the United States, any outbreak of
hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or
development involving a prospective change in national or international
political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is
such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable to
market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or
(iii) if trading in any securities
<PAGE>
-29-
of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the
New York Stock Exchange, or if trading generally on the American Stock Exchange
or the New York Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq National Market has been
suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have
been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said
exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. or any other governmental authority, or
(iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York
authorities.
(b) LIABILITIES. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to
this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any
other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that
Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive such termination and remain in full force
and effect.
SECTION 10. DEFAULT BY ONE OR MORE OF THE UNDERWRITERS. If one
or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time or a Date of Delivery
to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this
Agreement (the "Defaulted Securities"), the Representatives shall have the
right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the
non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not
less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon
and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not
have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:
(a) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10%
of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the
non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not
jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that
their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the
underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
(b) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the
number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or,
with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing
Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company
to sell the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of
Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any
non-defaulting Underwriter.
<PAGE>
-30-
No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any
defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.
In the event of any such default which does not result in a
termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is
after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation
of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option
Securities, as the case may be, either the Representatives or the Company shall
have the right to postpone the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as
the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any
required changes in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other
documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term "Underwriter" includes any
person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.
SECTION 11. NOTICES. All notices and other communications
hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if
mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the
Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives at North Tower, World
Financial Center, New York, New York 10281-1201, attention of David Weil; and
notices to the Company shall be directed to it at 2777 Summer Street, Suite 209,
Stamford, Connecticut 06905, Facsimile No. (203) 961-1431, attention of Mason P.
Slaine, with a copy to Willkie Farr & Gallagher, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York
10019, facsimile no. (212) 728-8111, attention Steven J. Gartner.
SECTION 12. PARTIES. This Agreement shall each inure to the
benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their
respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is
intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other
than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the
controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7
and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy
or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein
contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended
to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and
their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and
directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no
other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities
<PAGE>
-31-
from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such
purchase.
SECTION 13. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE
GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
SECTION 14. EFFECT OF HEADINGS. The Article and Section
headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not
affect the construction hereof.
<PAGE>
-32-
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of
our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof,
whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding
agreement between the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
INFORMATION HOLDINGS INC.
By: /s/ Mason P. Slaine
------------------------
Title: President and Chief
Executive Officer
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written:
MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
INCORPORATED
MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
THOMAS WEISEL PARTNERS LLC
By: MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
INCORPORATED
By: /s/ David Weil
------------------------------------------
Authorized Signatory
For themselves and as Representatives of the other Underwriters named in
Schedule A hereto.
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE A
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Number of
Initial
Name of Underwriter Securities
- ------------------- ----------
<S> <C>
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated........................................................ 2,250,000
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated............................................... 1,575,000
Thomas Weisel Partners LLC...................................................... 675,000
Total........................................................................... 4,500,000
</TABLE>
Schedule A-1
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE B
INFORMATION HOLDINGS INC.
4,500,000 Shares of Common Stock
(Par Value $.01 Per Share)
1. The initial public offering price per share for the
Securities, determined as provided in said Section 2, shall be $36.50.
2. The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid
by the several Underwriters shall be $34.59, being an amount equal to
the initial public offering price set forth above less $1.91 per
share; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the purchase price per share for any
Option Securities purchased upon the exercise of the over-allotment
option described in Section 2(b) shall be reduced by an amount per
share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company
and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option
Securities.
Schedule B-1
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE C
Warburg, Pincus Ventures, L.P.
Mason P. Slaine
Vincent A. Chippari
David R. Haas
Michael E. Danziger
Schedule C-1
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE D
Subsidiaries of Information Holdings Inc:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NAME STATE OF
---- ORGANIZATION
OR INCORPORATION
----------------
<S> <C>
CRC Press LLC Delaware
MicroPatent LLC Delaware
Master Data Center Michigan
</TABLE>
Schedule D-1
<PAGE>
Exhibit A
FORM OF OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE COMPANY
TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 5(b)
(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of
Delaware.
(ii) The Company has corporate power and authority to own,
lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the
Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Purchase
Agreement.
(iii) The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation
to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such
qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of
property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or
to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(iv) The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of
the Company is as set forth in the Prospectus in the column entitled "Actual"
under the caption "Capitalization" (except for subsequent issuances, if any,
pursuant to the Purchase Agreement or pursuant to reservations, agreements or
employee benefit plans referred to in the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise
of convertible securities or options referred to in the Prospectus); the shares
of issued and outstanding capital stock have been duly authorized and validly
issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; and none of the outstanding shares
of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or, to
our knowledge, other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.
(v) The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from
the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters
pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company
pursuant to the Purchase Agreement against payment of the consideration set
forth in the Purchase Agreement, will be validly issued and fully paid and
non-assessable and no holder of the Securities is or will be subject to personal
liability by reason of being such a holder.
EXHIBIT A-1
<PAGE>
(vi) The issuance of the Securities is not subject to the
preemptive or, to our knowledge, other similar rights of any securityholder of
the Company.
(vii) Each Subsidiary has been duly organized and is validly
existing as a limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the
jurisdiction of its organization, has the power and authority to own, lease and
operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the
Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign limited liability company to
transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such
qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of
property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or
to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; except as
otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, all of the issued and
outstanding equity interests of each Subsidiary have been duly authorized and
validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and, to the best of our
knowledge, are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and
clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or
equity; none of the outstanding equity interests of any Subsidiary was issued in
violation of the preemptive or, to our knowledge, similar rights of any
securityholder of such Subsidiary.
(viii) The Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the Company.
(ix) To our knowledge, based solely on a telephone
conversation with a member of the staff of the Commission, the Registration
Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has been declared
effective under the 1933 Act; any required filing of the Prospectus pursuant to
Rule 424(b) has been made in the manner and within the time period required by
Rule 424(b); and, to the best of our knowledge, no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose
have been instituted or are pending or threatened by the Commission.
(x) The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement, the Rule 430A Information and the Rule 434 Information,
as applicable, the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement to the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus as of its respective effective or
issue dates (other than the financial statements and supporting schedules
included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we need
EXHIBIT A-2
<PAGE>
express no opinion) appear on their face to be appropriately responsive in all
material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act
Regulations.
(xi) If Rule 434 has been relied upon, the Prospectus was not
"materially different," as such term is used in Rule 434, from the prospectus
included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective.
(xii) The form of certificate used to evidence the Common
Stock complies in all material respects with the Delaware General Corporation
Law, with any applicable requirements of the charter and by-laws of the Company
and the requirements of the New York Stock Exchange.
(xiii) To the best of our knowledge and except as disclosed in
the Registration Statement, there is not pending or threatened any action, suit,
proceeding, inquiry or investigation, to which the Company or any subsidiary is
a party, or to which the property of the Company or any subsidiary is subject,
before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body which might
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might
reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of
the transactions contemplated in the Purchase Agreement or the performance by
the Company of its obligations thereunder.
(xiv) The information in the Prospectus under "Description of
Capital Stock -- Common Stock," "Business -- Facilities," "Business --
Litigation," "Description of Capital Stock -- Preferred Stock" and in the
Registration Statement under Item 14, to the extent that it constitutes matters
of law, summaries of legal matters, the Company's charter and bylaws, legal
proceedings or legal conclusions, fairly summarize the matters described
therein.
(xv) To the best of our knowledge, there are no franchises,
contracts, indentures, mortgages, loan agreements, notes, leases or other
instruments required to be described or referred to in the Registration
Statement or to be filed as exhibits thereto other than those described or
referred to therein or filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits thereto.
(xvi) To the best of our knowledge, the Company is not in
violation of its charter or by-laws.
EXHIBIT A-3
<PAGE>
(xvii) No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent,
license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or
governmental authority or agency (other than under the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act
Regulations, which have been obtained, or as may be required under the
securities or blue sky laws of the various states, as to which we need express
no opinion) is necessary or required in connection with the due authorization,
execution and delivery of the Purchase Agreement or for the offering, issuance,
sale or delivery of the Securities.
(xviii) The execution, delivery and performance of the Purchase
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Purchase
Agreement (including the issuance and sale of the Securities) and compliance by
the Company with its obligations under the Purchase Agreement do not and will
not, whether with or without the giving of notice or lapse of time or both,
conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as
defined in Section 1(a)(x) of the Purchase Agreement) under or result in the
creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or
assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to any contract, indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or any other
agreement or instrument, known to us, to which the Company or any subsidiary is
a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the
property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (except for such
conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not
have a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of
the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or limited liability
company agreement of any Subsidiary, or any applicable New York, Delaware or
federal law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree, known
to us, of any government, government instrumentality or court having
jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or any of their respective
properties, assets or operations.
(xix) To the best of our knowledge, there are no persons with
registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered
pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered by the Company
under the 1933 Act, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement.
(xx) The Company is not an "investment company" or an entity
"controlled" by an "investment company," as such terms are defined in the 1940
Act.
EXHIBIT A-4
<PAGE>
Because the primary purpose of our professional engagement was
not to establish factual matters and because of the wholly or partially
non-legal character of many of the determinations involved in the preparation of
the Registration Statement and Prospectus, we are not passing upon and do not
assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the
statements contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (except to
the extent expressly set forth above) and make no representations that we have
independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of such
statements. However, in the course of our acting as counsel to the Company in
connection with its preparation of the Registration Statement and Prospectus, we
participated in conferences with officers and other representatives of the
Company, Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors of the Company, the
Representatives and counsel to the Underwriters, at which conferences the
contents of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and related matters
were discussed. Based on our participation in the above-referenced conferences
and our review of the Registration Statement and Prospectus, we advise you that
nothing has come to our attention that caused us to believe that at the time the
Registration Statement became effective under the Act (but after giving effect
to any modifications incorporated therein pursuant to Rule 430A under the Act),
the Registration Statement contained an untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading, or that as of its date and the date
hereof, the Prospectus contained or contains, as the case may be, an untrue
statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (it being understood
that in each such case we express no belief or statement with respect to the
financial statements, related notes and schedules, the pro forma financial
information, or the other financial, numerical or statistical data found in or
derivable from the internal accounting, financial or other records of the
Company and its subsidiaries set forth or referred to in the Prospectus).
In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely as to matters
of fact (but not as to legal conclusions), to the extent they deem proper, on
certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials. Such
opinion shall not state that it is to be governed or qualified by, or that it is
otherwise subject to, any treatise, written policy or other document relating to
legal opinions, including, without limitation,
EXHIBIT A-5
<PAGE>
the Legal Opinion Accord of the ABA Section of Business Law (1991).
EXHIBIT A-6
<PAGE>
Exhibit B
FORM OF LOCK-UP FROM DIRECTORS, OFFICERS
OR OTHER STOCKHOLDERS
PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(I)
[ ], 2000
MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
Thomas Weisel Partners LLC
as Representatives of the several
Underwriters to be named in the
within-mentioned Purchase Agreement
c/o Merrill Lynch & Co.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
North Tower
World Financial Center
New York, New York 10281-1209
Re: PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING BY INFORMATION HOLDINGS INC.
Dear Sirs:
The undersigned, a stockholder [and an officer and/or
director] of Information Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
understands that Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated ("Merrill Lynch"), Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated and Thomas
Weisel Partners LLC propose to enter into a Purchase Agreement (the "Purchase
Agreement") with the Company providing for the public offering of shares (the
"Securities") of the Company's common stock, par value $.01 per share (the
"Common Stock"). In recognition of the benefit that such an offering will confer
upon the undersigned as a stockholder of the Company, and for other good and
valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby
acknowledged, the undersigned agrees with each underwriter to be named in the
Purchase Agreement that, during a period commencing from the date of the
execution of this agreement and ending 90 days after the date of the final
Prospectus relating to the offering of the Common Stock, the undersigned will
not, without the prior written consent of Merrill Lynch, directly or indirectly,
(i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to
purchase, purchase any
Exhibit B-1
<PAGE>
option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of,
or otherwise dispose of or transfer any shares of the Common Stock or any
securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock,
whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to
which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition, or
file any registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or other
agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or
indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether
any such swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or
other securities, in cash or otherwise, in each case, except as expressly
contemplated by the Prospectus (as defined in the Purchase Agreement).
Very truly yours,
---------------------------
Signature:
---------------------------
Print Name:
Exhibit B-2
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 99.1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INFORMATION HOLDINGS INC. PRICES COMMON STOCK OFFERING
NEW YORK, MARCH 14, 2000 -- INFORMATION HOLDINGS INC. (NYSE:IHI)
announced today that it has priced a public offering of 4,500,000 shares of
common stock at a price to the public of $36.50 per share. The Company has
granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 675,000
shares to cover over-allotments. The net proceeds to the Company totaling
approximately $155 million will be used to develop and market the Company's
CorporateIntelligence.com web site, to finance future acquisitions and for
working capital and general corporate purposes. The Company expects to complete
the offering on March 20, 2000. Merrill Lynch & Co., Morgan Stanley Dean Witter
and Thomas Weisel Partners LLC are acting as managing underwriters for the
offering.
For a copy of the prospectus relating to this offering, contact Merrill
Lynch & Co. at (212) 449-3107.
Information Holdings Inc. is a leading provider of information products
and services, primarily to the intellectual property and scientific markets.
Through its CorporateIntelligence.com unit, which includes MicroPatent and
Master Data Center, the Company provides a broad array of databases, information
products and complementary services for intellectual property professionals. The
Company is recognized as a leading provider of intellectual property information
over the Internet. In addition, the Company's CRC Press(R) business publishes
professional and academic books, journals, newsletters and electronic databases
covering areas such as life sciences, environmental sciences, engineering,
mathematics, physical sciences and business. Information Holdings Inc. is listed
on the New York Stock Exchange and trades under the symbol IHI.
For further information contact:
Vincent A. Chippari Chris Plunkett
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Brainerd Communicators
Information Holdings Inc. (212) 986-6667
(203) 961-9208
