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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 12, 2000
Registration No. 333-90859
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
AMENDMENT NO. 1
TO
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
BE FREE, INC.
(Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)
DELAWARE 04-3303188
(State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization) Identification Number)
154 CRANE MEADOW ROAD, MARLBOROUGH, MA 01752
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
1999 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
(Full title of the Plan)
GORDON B. HOFFSTEIN
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
BE FREE, INC.
154 CRANE MEADOW ROAD,
MARLBOROUGH, MA 01752
(Name and address of agent for service)
(508) 357-8888
(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
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PART I. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
The information required by Part I is included in documents sent or given
to participants in the 1999 Employee Stock Purchase Plan of Be Free, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the "Registrant") pursuant to Rule 428(b)(1).
PART II. INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference
The Registrant is subject to the informational and reporting requirements
of Sections 13(a), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act"), and in accordance therewith files reports, proxy statements and
other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The following
documents, which are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are
incorporated in this Registration Statement by reference:
(a) The Registrant's latest annual report filed pursuant to Section
13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or either (1) the latest prospectus filed
pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities Act"), that contains audited financial statements for the
Registrant's latest fiscal year for which such statements have been filed or
(2) the Registrant's effective registration statement on Form 10 or 20-F filed
under the Exchange Act containing audited financial statements for the
Registrant's latest fiscal year.
(b) All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the Registrant document
referred to in (a) above.
(c) The description of the Common Stock which is contained in a
registration statement filed under the Exchange Act, including any amendment or
report filed for the purpose of updating such description.
All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-
effective amendment which indicates that all shares offered hereby have been
sold or which deregisters all shares then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to
be incorporated in this Registration Statement by reference and to be a part
hereof from the date of filing of such documents.
Item 4. Description of Securities
Not applicable.
Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
Not applicable.
Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware
provides that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer,
employee or agent of the corporation
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and certain other persons serving at the request of the corporation in related
capacities against amounts paid and expenses incurred in connection with an
action or proceeding to which he is or is threatened to be made a party by
reason of such position, if such person shall have acted in good faith and in a
manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of
the corporation, and, in any criminal proceeding, if such person had no
reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful, provided that, in the case
of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification
shall be made with respect to any matter as to which such person shall have been
adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the
adjudicating court determines that such indemnification is proper under the
circumstances.
Article SEVENTH of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation (the "Certificate of Incorporation") provides that no director
shall be liable to the Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for
breach of his fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any
breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the Company or its stockholders,
(ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional
misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the
Delaware General Corporation Law or (iv) for any transaction in which the
director derived an improper personal benefit.
Article EIGHTH of the Certificate of Incorporation provides that a director
or officer of the Registrant (a) shall be indemnified by the Registrant against
all expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in
settlement incurred in connection with any litigation or other legal proceeding
(other than an action by or in the right of the Registrant) brought, or
threatened to be brought, against him by virtue of his position as, or his
agreement to become, a director or officer of the Registrant or by virtue of his
serving, or agreeing to serve, at the request of the Registrant, as a director,
officer, or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with a corporation, trust or
other enterprise, if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably
believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Registrant, and,
with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to
believe his conduct was unlawful and (b) shall be indemnified by the Registrant
against all expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred in connection with any
action by or in the right of the Registrant brought, or threatened to be
brought, against him by virtue of his position as, or his agreement to become, a
director or officer of the Registrant or by virtue of his serving, or agreeing
to serve, at the request of the Registrant, as a director, officer, or trustee
of, or in a similar capacity with a corporation, trust or other enterprise, if
he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in, or not
opposed to, the best interests of the Registrant, except that no indemnification
shall be made with respect to any such matter as to which such person shall have
been adjudged to be liable to the Registrant, unless a court determines that,
despite such adjudication but in view of all of the circumstances, he is
entitled to indemnification of such expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to
the extent that a director or officer has been successful, on the merits or
otherwise, including, without limitation, the dismissal of an action without
prejudice or the settlement of an action without admission of liability, he is
required to be indemnified by the Registrant against all expenses (including
attorneys' fees) incurred in connection therewith. Expenses shall be advanced to
a director or officer at his request, provided that he undertakes to repay the
amount advanced if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to
indemnification for such expenses.
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Indemnification is required to be made unless the Board of Directors of the
Registrant or independent legal counsel determines that the applicable standard
of conduct required for indemnification has not been met. In the event of a
determination by the Board of Directors or independent legal counsel (who may be
regular legal counsel to the Registrant) that the director or officer did not
meet the applicable standard of conduct required for indemnification, or if the
Registrant fails to make an indemnification payment within 60 days after such
payment is claimed by such person, such person is permitted to petition the
court to make an independent determination as to whether such person is entitled
to indemnification. As a condition precedent to the right of indemnification,
the director or officer must give the Registrant notice of the action for which
indemnity is sought and the Registrant has the right to participate in such
action or assume the defense thereof.
Article NINTH of the Certificate of Incorporation further provides that the
indemnification provided therein is not exclusive, and provides that in the
event that the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended to expand the
indemnification permitted to directors or officers, the Registrant must
indemnify those persons to the fullest extent permitted by such law as so
amended.
The Company has a Directors and Officers liability policy that insures the
Company's officers and directors against certain liabilities.
Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed
Not applicable.
Item 8. Exhibits
The Exhibit Index immediately preceding the exhibits is attached hereto and
incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9. Undertakings
1. The Registrant hereby undertakes:
(a) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement to include any
material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously
disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such
information in the registration statement.
(b) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.
(c) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.
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2. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.
3. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the city of Boston, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on this 12th
day of April, 2000.
BE FREE, INC.
By: /s/ Gordon B. Hoffstein
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Gordon B. Hoffstein
President and Chief Executive Officer
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Amendment has
been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates
indicated.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Signature Title Date
- --------- ----- ----
<S> <C> <C>
/s/ Gordon Hoffstein President and Chief Executive April 12, 2000
- --------------------------- Officer, Director
Gordon Hoffstein
* Executive Vice President, April 12, 2000
- --------------------------- Research & Technology and
Samuel P. Gerace, Jr. Director
* Chief Financial Officer, April 12, 2000
- --------------------------- Secretary and Treasurer
Stephen M. Joseph (Principal Financial Officer
and Principal Accounting Officer)
* Director April 12, 2000
- ---------------------------
Ted R. Dintersmith
* Director April 12, 2000
- ---------------------------
W. Michael Humphreys
* Director April 12, 2000
- ---------------------------
Jeffrey F. Rayport
* Director April 12, 2000
- ---------------------------
Daniel J. Nova
* By: /s/ Gordon Hoffstein
-------------------------
Gordon Hoffstein
Attorney-in-Fact
</TABLE>
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Exhibit Index
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<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit
Number Description
- ------ -----------
<C> <S>
4.1 Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant.*
4.2 Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant.*
5 Opinion of Hale and Dorr LLP.**
23.1 Consent of Hale and Dorr LLP (included in Exhibit 5).**
23.2 Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP.**
23.3 Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP.
24 Power of Attorney.**
</TABLE>
* Incorporated by reference to the Company's Registration Statement on
Form S-1, as amended, (File No. 333-84535) filed August 5, 1999.
** Incorporated by reference to the Company's Registration Statement on
Form S-8, as amended, (File No. 333-90859) filed November 12, 1999.
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Exhibit 23.3
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration
Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated February 8, 2000, except for Footnote
N which is dated March 8, 2000 relating to the financial statements of Be Free,
Inc. and its subsidiaries, which appears in Be Free, Inc.'s Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
April 28, 2000
