-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, TaqFdxIRCXoMRJgrNV6Csm7SKuaX0pPC3OQjiUaXawdU1x7Qjhqc5RUbxG/rbaoU T7stJlI0ATYx+Bo72NlpLw== 0001047469-99-002741.txt : 19990201 0001047469-99-002741.hdr.sgml : 19990201 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001047469-99-002741 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: S-3/A PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 3 FILED AS OF DATE: 19990129 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000103145 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: MEASURING & CONTROLLING DEVICES, NEC [3829] IRS NUMBER: 112989601 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: S-3/A SEC ACT: SEC FILE NUMBER: 333-70417 FILM NUMBER: 99517032 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: TERMINAL DR CITY: PLAINVIEW STATE: NY ZIP: 11803 BUSINESS PHONE: 5163498300 S-3/A 1 FORM S-3/A AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JANUARY 29, 1999 REGISTRATION NO. 333-70417 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 ------------------------ AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO FORM S-3 REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 ------------------------ VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) DELAWARE 11-2989601 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) or organization)
TERMINAL DRIVE PLAINVIEW, NEW YORK 11803 (516) 349-8300 (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices) EDWARD H. BRAUN CHAIRMAN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND PRESIDENT VEECO INDUSTRIES INC. TERMINAL DRIVE PLAINVIEW, NEW YORK 11803 (516) 349-8300 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service) ------------------------------ COPIES TO: RORY A. GREISS, ESQ. JEFFREY A. STEIN, ESQ. KAYE, SCHOLER, FIERMAN, HAYS & HANDLER, LLP HALE AND DORR LLP 425 PARK AVENUE 60 STATE STREET NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02109 (212) 836-8000 (617) 526-6000
------------------------ APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO PUBLIC: AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE AFTER THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT BECOMES EFFECTIVE. THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(A) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR UNTIL THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(A), MAY DETERMINE. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PART II INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS ITEM 14. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION. The following table sets forth the estimated (except for the Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. filing fee and The Nasdaq Stock Market filing fee) fees and expenses (other than underwriting discounts and commissions) in connection with the offering described in this registration statement: Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee............... $ 61,861 National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. filing fee....... 22,752 The Nasdaq National Market filing fee............................. 17,500 Blue Sky filing and counsel fees and expenses..................... 10,000 Printing and engraving costs...................................... 100,000 Legal fees and expenses........................................... 250,000 Accounting fees and expenses...................................... 75,000 Miscellaneous..................................................... 62,887 --------- Total......................................................... $ 600,000 --------- ---------
ITEM 15. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS. Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL") provides that a Delaware corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or proceeding 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 corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. Section 145 further provides that a Delaware corporation similarly may indemnify any such person serving in any such capacity who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor, against expenses actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit 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 corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper. II-1 Article 9 of the Company's Certificate of Incorporation entitles officers and directors of the Company to indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL, as the same may be supplemented from time to time. Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, provided that such provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholder, (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 DGCL (relating to unlawful payment of dividends and unlawful stock purchase and redemption) or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. The Company's Certificate of Incorporation provides that its directors shall not be liable to the issuer or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director except to the extent that exculpation from liabilities is not permitted under the DGCL as in effect at the time such liability is determined. Such Certificate of Incorporation further provides that the Company shall indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling any registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act, and is therefore unenforceable. Reference is made to the Company's Certificate of Incorporation, filed as an exhibit to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K which is incorporated herein by reference. Reference is also made to Section 5 of the Underwriting Agreement, a form of which is filed as Exhibit 1.1 hereto, which provides certain indemnification rights to the directors and officers of the Company in connection with this offering. ITEM 16. EXHIBITS.
EXHIBIT NUMBER EXHIBIT - ----------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.1 Form of Underwriting Agreement.* 4.1 Form of Certificate of Common Stock.(2) 5.1 Opinion of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler, LLP regarding the legality of the securities being registered.* 23.1 Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.(1) 23.2 Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.(1) 23.3 Consent of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler, LLP (included in opinion).* 24.1 Power of Attorney (included on signature page).(1)
- ------------------------ * Filed herewith. (1) Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Company's initial Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-70417) (2) Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 33-85184) and incorporated herein by reference. II-2 ITEM 17. UNDERTAKINGS. (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 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. (b) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 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 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. (c) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that: (1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective. (2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus 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. II-3 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Amendment No. 1 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York, on January 29, 1999. VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC. By: /s/ EDWARD H. BRAUN ----------------------------------------- Edward H. Braun CHAIRMAN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND PRESIDENT
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Amendment No. 1 has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
SIGNATURES TITLE DATE - ------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------- Director, Chairman, Chief /s/ EDWARD H. BRAUN Executive Officer and - ------------------------------ President (principal January 29, 1999 Edward H. Braun executive officer) * - ------------------------------ Director January 29, 1999 Richard A. D'Amore * - ------------------------------ Director January 29, 1999 Joel A. Elftmann * - ------------------------------ Director January 29, 1999 Virgil Elings, Ph.D. * - ------------------------------ Director January 29, 1999 Heinz K. Fridrich * - ------------------------------ Director January 29, 1999 John A. Gurley * - ------------------------------ Director January 29, 1999 Dr. Paul R. Low * - ------------------------------ Director January 29, 1999 Roger D. McDaniel * - ------------------------------ Director January 29, 1999 Irwin H. Pfister
II-4
SIGNATURES TITLE DATE - ------------------------------ -------------------------- ------------------- * - ------------------------------ Director January 29, 1999 Walter J. Scherr * - ------------------------------ Director January 29, 1999 James C. Wyant, Ph.D. Vice President-Finance, /s/ JOHN F. REIN, JR. Chief Financial Officer, - ------------------------------ Treasurer and Secretary January 29, 1999 John F. Rein, Jr. (principal financial officer) Vice President and /s/ JOHN P. KIERNAN Corporate Controller - ------------------------------ (principal accounting January 29, 1999 John P. Kiernan officer)
*By: /s/ EDWARD H. BRAUN ------------------------- ATTORNEY-IN-FACT
II-5 EXHIBIT INDEX
EXHIBIT NO. DOCUMENT PAGE - ------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- 1.1 Form of Underwriting Agreement.* 4.1 Form of Certificate of Common Stock.(2) 5.1 Opinion of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler, LLP regarding the legality of the securities being registered.* 23.1 Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.(1) 23.2 Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.(1) 23.3 Consent of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler, LLP (included in opinion).* 24.1 Power of Attorney (included on signature page).(1)
- ------------------------ * Filed herewith. (1) Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Company's initial Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-70417) (2) Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 33-85184) and incorporated herein by reference. EX-1.1 2 FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT Exhibit 1.1 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC. (a Delaware corporation) 3,575,000 Shares of Common Stock PURCHASE AGREEMENT ------------------ Dated: February __, 1999 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Representations and Warranties............................................3 (a) Representations and Warranties by the Company.....................3 (i) Compliance with Registration Requirements....................3 (ii) Incorporated Documents.......................................4 (iii) Independent Accountants......................................4 (iv) Financial Statements.........................................4 (v) No Material Adverse Change in Business.......................4 (vi) Good Standing of the Company.................................5 (vii) Good Standing of Subsidiaries................................5 (viii) Capitalization...............................................5 (ix) Authorization of Agreement...................................5 (x) Authorization and Description of Securities..................5 (xi) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts............................6 (xii) Absence of Labor Dispute.....................................6 (xiii) Absence of Proceedings.......................................6 (xiv) Accuracy of Exhibits.........................................7 (xv) Possession of Intellectual Property..........................7 (xvi) Absence of Further Requirements..............................7 (xvii) Possession of Licenses and Permits...........................7 (xviii) Title to Property............................................8 (xix) Compliance with Cuba Act.....................................8 (xx) Investment Company Act.......................................8 (xxi) Environmental Laws...........................................8 (xxii) Listing......................................................9 (b) Representations and Warranties by the Selling Shareholders........9 (i) Accurate Disclosure..........................................9 (ii) Authorization of Agreements..................................9 (iii) Good and Marketable Title....................................9 (iv) Due Execution of Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement...................................................10 (v) Absence of Manipulation.....................................10 (vi) Absence of Further Requirements.............................10 (vii) Restriction on Sale of Securities...........................10 (viii) Certificates Suitable for Transfer..........................11 (ix) No Association with NASD....................................11 (c) Officer's Certificates...........................................11 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing...............................11 (a) Initial Securities...............................................11 (b) Option Securities................................................11 i (c) Payment..........................................................12 (d) Denominations; Registration......................................13 3. Covenants of the Company.................................................13 (a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests.........................................................13 (b) Filing of Amendments.............................................13 (c) Delivery of Registration Statements..............................13 (d) Delivery of Prospectuses.........................................14 (e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws........................14 (f) Blue Sky Qualifications..........................................14 (g) Rule 158.........................................................15 (h) Use of Proceeds..................................................15 (i) Listing..........................................................15 (j) Restriction on Sale of Securities................................15 (k) Reporting Requirements...........................................15 4. Payment of Expenses......................................................15 (a) Expenses.........................................................15 (b) Expenses of the Selling Shareholders.............................16 (c) Termination of Agreement.........................................16 (d) Allocation of Expenses...........................................16 5. Conditions of Underwriters' Obligations..................................16 (a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement..........................16 (b) Opinion of Counsel for Company...................................17 (c) Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Shareholders..................17 (d) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters..............................17 (e) Officers' Certificate............................................17 (f) Certificate of Selling Shareholders..............................18 (g) Accountant's Comfort Letter......................................18 (h) Bring-down Comfort Letter........................................18 (i) Approval of Listing..............................................18 (j) No Objection.....................................................18 ii (k) Lock-up Agreements...............................................18 (l) Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities......................18 (i) Officers' Certificate.......................................18 (ii) Certificate of Selling Shareholders.........................19 (iii) Opinion of Counsel for Company..............................19 (iv) Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Shareholders.............19 (v) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters.........................19 (vi) Bring-down Comfort Letter...................................19 (m) Additional Documents.............................................19 (n) Termination of Agreement.........................................19 6. Indemnification..........................................................20 (a) Indemnification of Underwriters..................................20 (b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers and Selling Shareholders.............................................20 (c) Actions against Parties; Notification............................21 (d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse...............21 (e) Other Agreements with Respect to Indemnification.................22 7. Contribution.............................................................22 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery...........23 9. Termination of Agreement.................................................23 (a) Termination; General.............................................23 (b) Liabilities......................................................24 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters...............................24 11. Default by one or more of the Selling Shareholders or the Company........25 12. Notices..................................................................25 13. Parties..................................................................25 14. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME...................................................26 15. Effect of Headings.......................................................26 iii SCHEDULES Schedule A - List of Underwriters.................................Sch A-1 Schedule B - List of Selling Shareholders.........................Sch B-1 Schedule C - Pricing Information..................................Sch C-1 Schedule D - List of Subsidiaries..................................Sch D-1 Schedule E - List of Persons subject to Lock-up....................Sch E-1 EXHIBITS Exhibit A - Form of Opinion of Company's Counsel........................A-1 Exhibit B - Form of Opinion for the Selling Shareholders(s).............B-1 Exhibit C - Form of Lock-up Letter......................................C-1 iv Draft of 1/27/99 VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC. (a Delaware corporation) 3,575,000 Shares of Common Stock (Par Value $.01 Per Share) PURCHASE AGREEMENT o, 1999 MERRILL LYNCH & CO. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation NationsBanc Montgomery Securities LLC Salomon Smith Barney Inc. SoundView Technology Group, Inc. as Representative(s) 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: Veeco Instruments Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and the persons listed in Schedule B hereto (the "Selling Shareholders"), confirm their respective agreements with Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated ("Merrill Lynch") 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 and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation, NationsBanc Montgomery Securities LLC, Salomon Smith Barney Inc. and SoundView Technology Group, Inc. are acting as representative(s) (in such capacity, the "Representative(s)"), with respect to (i) the sale by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, acting severally and not jointly, 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 Schedules A and B hereto and (ii) the grant by the Company and the Selling Shareholders to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of 536,250 additional shares of Common Stock to cover over-allotments, if any. The aforesaid 3,575,000 shares of 1 Common Stock (the "Initial Securities") to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the 536,250 shares of Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the "Option Securities") are hereinafter called, collectively, the "Securities". The Company and the Selling Shareholder(s) understand 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. 333-70417) covering the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), including the related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses. 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 such prospectus or in such 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, schedules thereto, if any, and the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, at the time it became effective and including the Rule 430A Information and 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, including the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, 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 January 21, 1999 together with the Term Sheet and all references in this Agreement to the date of the Prospectus shall mean the date of the Term Sheet. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary 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"). All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is "contained," "included" or "stated" in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is 2 incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "1934 Act") which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be. 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. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act. 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 (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any amendments and 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. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement was issued and at the Closing Time (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. The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by any Underwriter through Merrill Lynch expressly for use in the Registration Statement or Prospectus. Each preliminary prospectus and the 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 copies 3 thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations and Regulation S-T. (ii) INCORPORATED DOCUMENTS. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the "1934 Act Regulations"), and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement became effective, at the time the Prospectus was issued and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), 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. (iii) INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS. The accountants who certified any 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. (iv) FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. The financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the results 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 principles ("GAAP") applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, 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 in all material respects 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 orders publicly reported by the Company for the fourth quarter of 1997 and 1998 and for the years ended December 31, 1997 and 1998 have been calculated on a basis consistent with the manner in which the Company calculates orders for its own internal reporting purposes and with the manner in which the Company has calculated orders as previously publicly reported for other fiscal periods. (v) 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. 4 (vi) 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 business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. (vii) 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 corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate 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 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; except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each such Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is 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 shares of capital stock 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 hereto. (viii) CAPITALIZATION. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Prospectus 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, including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Selling Shareholders, have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock, including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Selling Shareholders, was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. (ix) AUTHORIZATION OF AGREEMENT. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company. (x) 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 and fully paid and non-assessable; the Common Stock conforms in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Prospectus and such description conforms in all material respects to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same; no 5 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. (xi) ABSENCE OF DEFAULTS AND CONFLICTS. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in material violation of its charter or by-laws 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 herein 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 hereunder have 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 (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events 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 or by-laws 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, domestic or foreign, 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. (xii) 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. (xiii) ABSENCE OF PROCEEDINGS. Other than as disclosed in the Registration Statement, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, 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, 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; 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 6 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. (xiv) ACCURACY OF EXHIBITS. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so described and filed as required. (xv) 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, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, "Intellectual Property") necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, 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. (xvi) 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 hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or state securities laws. (xvii) 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, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them except where the failure to possess any such Governmental License would not have a Material Adverse Effect; the 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 where 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. 7 (xviii) 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. (xix) 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. (xx) 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"). (xxi) 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, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, 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 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) 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. 8 (xxii) LISTING. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the 1934 Act, and is listed on the Nasdaq National Market, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the 1934 Act or delisting the Common Stock from the Nasdaq National Market, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the Nasdaq National Market is contemplating terminating such registration or listing. (b) REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES BY THE SELLING SHAREHOLDERS. Each Selling Shareholder severally represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Closing Time, and, if the Selling Shareholder is selling Option Securities on a Date of Delivery, as of such Date of Delivery, and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows: (i) ACCURATE DISCLOSURE. To the best knowledge of such Selling Shareholder, the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1(a) hereof are true and correct; such Selling Shareholder has reviewed and is familiar with the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto includes any untrue statement of a material fact or omits 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; such Selling Shareholder is not prompted to sell the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder by any information concerning the Company or any subsidiary of the Company which is not set forth in the Prospectus. (ii) AUTHORIZATION OF AGREEMENTS. Each Selling Shareholder has the full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement, the Irrevocable Power of Attorney and the Letter of Transmittal and Custody Agreement (collectively, the "Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement") and to sell, transfer and deliver the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement and the sale and delivery of the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and compliance by such Selling Shareholder with its obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by such Selling Shareholder 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 under, or result in the creation or imposition of any tax, lien, charge or encumbrance upon the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder or any property or assets of such Selling Shareholder pursuant to any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, license, lease or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Shareholder is a party or by which such Selling Shareholder may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of such Selling Shareholder is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or other organizational instrument of such Selling Shareholder, if applicable, or any applicable treaty, law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over such Selling Shareholder or any of its properties. (iii) GOOD AND MARKETABLE TITLE. Such Selling Shareholder has and will at the Closing Time and, if any Option Securities are purchased, on each Date of Delivery have good and marketable title to the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, charge, claim, equity or encumbrance of 9 any kind, other than pursuant to this Agreement; and upon delivery of such Securities and payment of the purchase price therefor as herein contemplated, assuming each such Underwriter has no notice of any adverse claim, each of the Underwriters will receive good and marketable title to the Securities purchased by it from such Selling Shareholder, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, charge, claim, equity or encumbrance of any kind. (iv) DUE EXECUTION OF POWER OF ATTORNEY AND CUSTODY AGREEMENT. Such Selling Shareholder has duly executed and delivered, in the form heretofore furnished to the Representatives, the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement with Edward H. Braun and John F. Rein, Jr., or any of them, as attorneys-in-fact (the "Attorneys-in-Fact") and the Company, as custodian (the "Custodian"); the Custodian is authorized to deliver the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder and to accept payment therefor; and each Attorney-in-Fact is authorized to execute and deliver this Agreement and the certificate referred to in Section 5(f) or that may be required pursuant to Sections 5(l) and 5(m) on behalf of such Selling Shareholder, to sell, assign and transfer to the Underwriters the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder, to determine the purchase price to be paid by the Underwriters to such Selling Shareholder, as provided in Section 2(a) hereof, to authorize the delivery of the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder, to accept payment therefor, and otherwise to act on behalf of such Selling Shareholder in connection with this Agreement. (v) ABSENCE OF MANIPULATION. Such Selling Shareholder has not taken, and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities. (vi) ABSENCE OF FURTHER REQUIREMENTS. No filing with, or consent, approval, authorization, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign, is necessary or required for the performance by such Selling Shareholder of its obligations hereunder or in the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement, or in connection with the sale and delivery of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as may have previously been made or obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or state securities laws. (vii) RESTRICTION ON SALE OF SECURITIES. During a period of 90 days from the date of the Prospectus, such Selling Shareholder will not, without the prior written consent of Merrill Lynch, (i) 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, directly or indirectly, 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 the Securities to be sold hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, such Selling Shareholder may transfer shares (i) as a BONA FIDE gift or gifts, provided that the donee or donees thereof agree to 10 be bound by the restrictions set forth in this paragraph; or (ii) as otherwise specifically agreed in writing by Merrill Lynch. (viii) CERTIFICATES SUITABLE FOR TRANSFER AND RELATED DOCUMENTATION. Certificates for all of the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement, in suitable form for transfer by delivery or accompanied by duly executed instruments of transfer or assignment in blank with signatures guaranteed, or, to the extent the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder will be issued prior to Closing Time pursuant to the exercise of stock options held by such Selling Shareholder, duly executed and irrevocable stock option exercise forms (including a cashiers' check in the amount of the full exercise price of such options or irrevocable instructions to the Custodian to apply a portion of the proceeds from the sale of such Securities to the payment in full of the exercise price of such options) accompanied by duly executed instruments of transfer or assignment in blank with signatures guaranteed, have been placed in custody with the Custodian with irrevocable conditional instructions to deliver such Securities to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement. (ix) NO ASSOCIATION WITH NASD. Neither such Selling Stockholder nor any of his/her/its affiliates directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, or has any other association with (within the meaning of Article I, Section 1(m) of the By-laws of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.), any member firm of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (c) OFFICER'S CERTIFICATES. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to 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; and any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholders as such and delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by such Selling Shareholder to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby. 2. SALE AND DELIVERY TO 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 and the Selling Shareholders, severally and not jointly, agree to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company and each Selling Shareholder, at the price per share set forth in Schedule C, that proportion of the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule B opposite the name of the Company or such Selling Shareholder, as the case may be, which 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, bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional securities. (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 and the 11 Selling Shareholders, acting severally and not jointly, hereby grant an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 536,250 shares of Common Stock, as set forth in Schedule B, at the price per share set forth in Schedule C, less 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. The option hereby granted will expire 30 days after the date hereof 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 Representatives to the Company and the Selling Shareholders 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 (a "Date of Delivery") shall be determined by the Representatives, 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 hereinafter defined. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, 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 Representatives in their 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 Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler, LLP, 425 Park Avenue, New York, New York, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company and the Selling Shareholders, 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 Representatives and the Company and the Selling Shareholders (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called "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 Representatives and the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representatives to the Company and the Selling Shareholders. Any partial exercise of the option shall be proportionately allocated among all parties granting such option, in proportion to the total number of shares of the Company or such Selling Shareholder (as the case may be) then subject to the option. Payment shall be made to the Company and the Selling Shareholders by wire transfer of immediately available funds to bank accounts designated by the Company and the Custodian pursuant to each Selling Shareholder's Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement, as the case may be, 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 12 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. (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. 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 Representatives 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 Representatives 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, whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, will furnish the Representatives 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 Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall object. (c) DELIVERY OF REGULATION STATEMENTS. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the 13 Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representatives, without charge, a conformed copy 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 the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations and Regulation S-T. (d) DELIVERY OF PROSPECTUSES. 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 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 and the 1934 Act and the 1934 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 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 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 Representatives 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 or such shorter period as is required to complete the distribution of the Securities; 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 14 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 or such shorter period as is required to complete the distribution of the Securities. (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". (i) LISTING. The Company will use its best efforts to effect and maintain the quotation of the Securities on the Nasdaq National Market and will file with the Nasdaq National Market all documents and notices required by the Nasdaq National Market of companies that have securities that are traded in the over-the-counter market and quotations for which are reported by the Nasdaq National Market. (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 to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof and referred to in the Prospectus, (C) any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common Stock granted pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the Prospectus or (D) any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to any non-employee director stock plan. (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 required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations. 4. PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. (a) EXPENSES. The Company and the Selling Shareholders will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including (A) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements 15 and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (B) 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, (C) 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, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (D) the fees and disbursements of the Company's counsel, accountants and other advisors, (E) 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, (F) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, any Term Sheets and of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, (G) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (H) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities and (I) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD") of the terms of the sale of the Securities and (J) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the inclusion of the Securities in the Nasdaq National Market. (b) EXPENSES OF THE SELLING SHAREHOLDERS. The Selling Shareholders will pay all expenses incident to the performance of their respective obligations under, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including (A) any stamp duties, capital duties and stock transfer taxes, if any, payable upon the sale of the Securities to the Underwriters, and their transfer between the Underwriters pursuant to an agreement between such Underwriters, and (B) the fees and disbursements of their respective counsel and accountants. (c) TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a)(i) or Section 11 hereof, the Company and the Selling Shareholders shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters. (d) ALLOCATION OF EXPENSES. The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement that the Company and the Selling Shareholders may make for the sharing of such costs and expenses. 5. CONDITIONS OF UNDERWRITERS' OBLIGATIONS. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholders contained in Section 1 hereof or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or on behalf of any Selling Shareholder 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 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 16 part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to 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 COMPANY. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler, LLP, 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 to the Underwriters may reasonably request. 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. (c) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE SELLING SHAREHOLDERS. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of counsel for the Selling Shareholders, 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 B hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request. (d) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR UNDERWRITERS. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Hale and Dorr LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters with respect to the matters set forth in clauses (i) , (ii), (v), (vi) (solely as to preemptive or other similar rights arising by operation of law or under the charter or by-laws of the Company), (viii) through (x), inclusive, (xii) and the penultimate paragraph of Exhibit A hereto. In giving such opinion such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than 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. (e) OFFICERS' CERTIFICATES. At 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 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 Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied in all material 17 respects with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to 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 are contemplated by the Commission. (f) CERTIFICATE OF SELLING SHAREHOLDERS. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received a certificate of an Attorney-in-Fact on behalf of each Selling Shareholder, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that (i) the representations and warranties of each Selling Shareholder contained in Section 1(b) hereof are true and correct in all material respects with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of Closing Time and (ii) each Selling Shareholder has complied in all material respects with all agreements and all conditions on its part to be performed under this Agreement at or prior to Closing Time. (g) 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 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. (h) BRING-DOWN COMFORT LETTER. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to Closing Time. (i) APPROVAL OF LISTING. At Closing Time, the Securities shall have been approved for inclusion in the Nasdaq National Market, subject only to official notice of issuance. (j) NO OBJECTION. The NASD has confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements. (k) LOCK-UP AGREEMENTS. At the date of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto signed by the persons listed on Schedule E hereto. (l) 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 and the Selling Shareholders contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company, any subsidiary of the Company and the Selling Shareholders 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 18 officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(e) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery. (ii) CERTIFICATE OF SELLING SHAREHOLDERS. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of an Attorney-in-Fact on behalf of each Selling Shareholder confirming that the certificate delivered at Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(f) remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery. (iii) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR COMPANY. The favorable opinion of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler, LLP, 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. (iv) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE SELLING SHAREHOLDERS. The favorable opinion of counsel for the Selling Shareholders, 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(c) hereof. (v) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR UNDERWRITERS. The favorable opinion of Hale and Dorr LLP, 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(d) hereof. (vi) 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(h) 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. (m) ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS. At Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may 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 and the Selling Shareholders in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters. (n) 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 Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without 19 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. 6. INDEMNIFICATION (a) INDEMNIFICATION OF UNDERWRITERS. The Company and the Selling Shareholders, jointly and severally, agree 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, 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; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and (iii) 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, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) 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 Merrill Lynch 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). (b) INDEMNIFICATION OF COMPANY, DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS AND SELLING SHAREHOLDERS. 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, and 20 each Selling Shareholder against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection 6(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 Merrill Lynch 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 to the indemnified parties shall be selected by Merrill Lynch, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to 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 to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to 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 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)(ii) 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. 21 (e) OTHER AGREEMENTS WITH RESPECT TO INDEMNIFICATION. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Selling Shareholder shall be liable for indemnification pursuant to this Section 6 in an amount which exceeds the gross proceeds to such Selling Stockholder from the sale of Securities to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement. The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the Company and the Selling Shareholders with respect to indemnification. 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 and the Selling Shareholders 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 and the Selling Shareholders on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders 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 Selling Shareholders 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 and the Selling Shareholders 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 the Selling Shareholders 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, the Selling Shareholders 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. 22 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. 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 or any Selling Shareholder 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 or such Selling Shareholder, as the case may be. 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. The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the Company and the Selling Shareholders with respect to contribution. 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 or the Selling Shareholders 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 or the Selling Shareholders, and shall survive delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters. 9. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT (a) TERMINATION; GENERAL. The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company and the Selling Shareholders, at any time at or prior to 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 or the international financial markets, 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 of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the Nasdaq National Market, 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 23 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. 10. DEFAULT BY ONE OR MORE OF THE UNDERWRITERS. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at 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 and the Selling Shareholders 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, the Company or any Selling Shareholder, except that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8 shall remain in full force and effect. 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 and the Selling Shareholders to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either (i) the Representatives or (ii) the Company and any Selling Shareholder shall have the right to postpone 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. 24 11. DEFAULT BY ONE OR MORE OF THE SELLING SHAREHOLDERS OR THE COMPANY. (a) If a Selling Shareholder shall fail at Closing Time or at a Date of Delivery to sell and deliver the number of Securities which such Selling Shareholder is obligated to sell hereunder, and the remaining Selling Shareholders do not exercise the right hereby granted to increase, pro rata or otherwise, the number of Securities to be sold by them hereunder to the total number to be sold by all Selling Shareholders as set forth in Schedule B hereto, then the Underwriters may, at option of the Representatives, by notice from the Representatives to the Company and the non-defaulting Selling Shareholders, either terminate this Agreement without any liability of any non-defaulting party except that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8 shall remain in full force and effect or (b) elect to purchase the Securities which the non-defaulting Selling Shareholders and the Company have agreed to sell hereunder. No action taken pursuant to this Section 11 shall relieve any Selling Shareholder so defaulting from liability, if any, in respect of such default. In the event of a default by any Selling Shareholder as referred to in this Section 11, each of the Representatives, the Company and the non-defaulting Selling Shareholders shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or Date of Delivery for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required change in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. (b) If the Company shall fail at Closing Time or at the Date of Delivery to sell the number of Securities that it is obligated to sell hereunder, then this Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part of any nondefaulting party; provided, however, that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8 shall remain in full force and effect. No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve the Company from liability, if any, in respect of such default. 12. 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, c/o Merrill Lynch, at North Tower, World Financial Center, New York, New York 10281-1201, attention: Equity Capital Markets; notices to the Company shall be directed to it at Terminal Drive, Plainview, New York, attention of President; and notices to the Selling Shareholders shall be directed to them care of Edward H. Braun, Attorney-in-fact, Terminal Drive, Plainview, New York. 13. PARTIES. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders 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, the Company and the Selling Shareholders 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, the Company and the Selling Shareholders 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 25 purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase. 14. 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. 15. 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. 26 If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company and the Attorney-in-Fact for the Selling Shareholders a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders in accordance with its terms. Very truly yours, VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC. By: ------------------------------ The Selling Stockholders named on Exhibit B hereto By: ------------------------------ Edward H. Braun Attorney-in-fact 27 CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, as of the date first above written: MERRILL LYNCH & CO. MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE SECURITIES CORPORATION NATIONSBANC MONTGOMERY SECURITIES LLC SALOMON SMITH BARNEY INC. SOUNDVIEW TECHNOLOGY GROUP, INC. BY: MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED By: ------------------------------ Authorized Signatory For themselves and as Representatives of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto. 28 SCHEDULE A NAME OF UNDERWRITER NUMBER OF INITIAL SECURITIES Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated...................................... Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation......... NationsBanc Montgomery Securities LLC Salomon Smith Barney Inc. SoundView Technology Group, Inc. ------- Total....................................................... 3,575,000 ========== 29 SCHEDULE B NUMBER OF INITIAL MAXIMUM NUMBER OF OPTION SECURITIES TO BE SOLD SECURITIES TO BE SOLD Veeco Instruments Inc. 1,000,000 James C. Wyant, Ph.D. 700,000 John A. Gurley 420,000 Virgil Elings, Ph.D. 400,000 Betty Elings-Wells 400,000 John B. Hayes 175,000 Jeffrey Elings 200,000 Michael Elings 100,000 Edward H. Braun 75,000 Francis Steenbeke 36,000 Matthew Longmire 15,000 John F. Rein, Jr. 15,000 Peter Maivald 25,000 Emmanuel M. Lakios 6,000 Don R. Kania, Ph.D. 3,000 John P. Kiernan 5,000 ----- Total.......................... 3,575,000 30 SCHEDULE C VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC. 3,575,000 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 $ . 2. The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $ , being an amount equal to the initial public offering price set forth above less $ per share; provided 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. 31 [SCHEDULE D] [List of subsidiaries] 32 [SCHEDULE E] [List of persons and entities subject to lock-up] 33 Exhibit A FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY'S COUNSEL 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 the following jurisdictions:_______________________. (iv) The authorized capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Prospectus 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 of the Company, including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Selling Shareholders, 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 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. (vi) The issuance and sale of the Securities by the Company and the sale of the Securities by the Selling Shareholders is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company contained in the Company's Certificate of Incorporation or bylaws or any other agreement known to such counsel. (vii) Each Subsidiary has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate 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 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; except as 34 otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and, to the best of our knowledge, is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; to the best of our knowledge, none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary (provided, however, that with respect to Subsidiaries not incorporated in the State of Delaware or New York, such counsel may rely on, or cause to be obtained, an opinion of local counsel as to the matters set forth in this paragraph). (viii) The Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company. (ix) 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, excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein, and each amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and Prospectus, excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein, as of their respective effective or issue dates (other than the financial statements and supporting schedules included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we express no opinion) complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. (xi) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and supporting schedules included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we express no opinion), when they were filed with the Commission complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act or 1934 Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. (xii) The form of certificate used to evidence the Common Stock complies in all material respects with all applicable statutory requirements, with any applicable requirements of the charter and by-laws of the Company and the requirements of the Nasdaq National Market. (xiii) To the best of our knowledge, 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, domestic or foreign, 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 35 contemplated in the Purchase Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder. (xiv) The information in the Prospectus under "Risk Factors - Anti-Takeover Provisions" and "Risk Factors - Shares Eligible for Future Sale" and in the Registration Statement under Item 15, to the extent that it constitutes matters of law, summaries of legal matters, the Company's charter and bylaws or legal proceedings, or legal conclusions, has been reviewed by us and is correct in all material respects. (xv) To the best of our knowledge, there are no statutes or regulations that are required to be described in the Prospectus that are not described as required. (xvi) All descriptions in the Registration Statement of contracts and other documents to which the Company or its subsidiaries are a party are accurate in all material respects; 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, and the descriptions thereof or references thereto are correct in all material respects. (xvii) To the best of our knowledge, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in material violation of its charter or by-laws and no material default by the Company or any Subsidiary exists in the due performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument that is described or referred to in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or filed or incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. (xviii) No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign (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 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. (xix) The execution, delivery and performance of the Purchase Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Purchase 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 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 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 filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not have a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such 36 action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any Subsidiary, or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree, known to us, of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or any of their respective properties, assets or operations. Nothing has come to our attention that would lead us to believe that the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto, including the Rule 430A Information and Rule 434 Information (if applicable) (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we make no statement), at the time such Registration Statement or any such amendment became effective, 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 the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we make no statement), at the time the Prospectus was issued, at the time any such amended or supplemented prospectus was issued or at the Closing Time, included or includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits 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. 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, the Legal Opinion Accord of the ABA Section of Business Law (1991). 37 Exhibit B FORM OF OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR EACH SELLING SHAREHOLDER TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(c) (i) No filing with, or consent, approval, authorization, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign (other than the issuance of the order of the Commission declaring the Registration Statement effective and such authorizations, approvals or consents as may be necessary under state securities laws, as to which we express no opinion) is necessary or required to be obtained by the Selling Shareholder for the performance by the Selling Shareholder of his obligations under the Purchase Agreement or in the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement, or in connection with the offer, sale or delivery of the Securities. (ii) The Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Selling Shareholder and constitutes the legal, valid and binding agreement of the Selling Shareholder. (iii) The Purchase Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholder. (iv) Each Attorney-in-Fact has been duly authorized by the Selling Shareholder to deliver the Securities on behalf of the Selling Shareholder in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement. (v) To the best of our knowledge, the Selling Shareholder has valid and marketable title to the Securities to be sold by the Selling Shareholder pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, free and clear of any pledge, lien, security interest, charge, claim, equity or encumbrance of any kind, and has full right, power and authority to sell, transfer and deliver such Securities pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. By delivery of a certificate or certificates therefor the Selling Shareholder will transfer to the Underwriters who have purchased such Securities pursuant to the Purchase Agreement (without notice of any defect in the title of the Selling Shareholder and who are otherwise bona fide purchasers for purposes of the Uniform Commercial Code) valid and marketable title to such Securities, free and clear of any pledge, lien, security interest, charge, claim, equity or encumbrance of any kind. 38 [FORM OF LOCK-UP FROM DIRECTORS, OFFICERS OR OTHER STOCKHOLDERS PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(K)] Exhibit C January 11, 1999 MERRILL LYNCH & CO. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation NationsBanc Montgomery Securities LLC Solomon Smith Barney Inc. SoundView Technology Group, Inc. as Representative(s) 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 VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC. Dear Sirs: The undersigned, a stockholder, officer and/or director of Veeco Instruments Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), understands that Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated ("Merrill Lynch"), Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation, NationsBanc Montgomery Securities LLC, Solomon Smith Barney Inc. and SoundView Technology Group, Inc. propose to enter into a Purchase Agreement (the "Purchase Agreement") with the Company and the Selling Shareholders 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, officer and/or director 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 of 90 days from the date of the Purchase Agreement, 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 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 Company's 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 any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in 39 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer shares as a BONA FIDE gift or gifts, provided that the donee or donees thereof agree to be bound by the restrictions set forth herein. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company's transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned's shares except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions. Very truly yours, Signature: -------------------------- Print Name: ------------------------- 40 Annex A FORM OF ACCOUNTANTS' COMFORT LETTER PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(g) (i) We are independent public accountants with respect to the Company within the meaning of the 1933 Act and the applicable published 1933 Act Regulations (ii) in our opinion, the audited financial statements and the related financial statement schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the 1933 Act and the published rules and regulations thereunder; (iii) on the basis of procedures (but not an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards) consisting of a reading of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company for the three months periods ended March 31, 1997 and March 31, 1998, the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 1997 and June 30, 1998, and the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 1997 and September 30, 1998, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (collectively, the "10-Q Financials") and for the three-month period ended December 31, 1998 (the "Fourth Quarter Financials"), a reading of the minutes of all meetings of the stockholders and directors of the Company and its subsidiaries and the Audit and Compensation Committees of the Company's Board of Directors and any subsidiary committees since January 1, 1998, inquiries of certain officials of the Company and its subsidiaries responsible for financial and accounting matters, a review of interim financial information in accordance with standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Statement on Auditing Standards No. 71, Interim Financial Information ("SAS 71"), with respect to the 10-Q Financials and the Fourth Quarter Financials and such other inquiries and procedures as may be specified in such letter, nothing came to our attention that caused us to believe that: (A) the 10-Q Financials incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations applicable to unaudited financial statements included in Form 10-Q or that any material modifications should be made to the 10-Q Financials incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles; (B) at December 31, 1998 and at a specified date not more than five days prior to the date of this Agreement, there was any increase in the long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries (including current installments) or any decrease in the shareholders' equity, capital stock or 41 working capital of the Company and its subsidiaries in each case as compared with amounts shown in the latest balance sheet included in the Registration Statement, except in each case for increases or decreases that the Registration Statement discloses have occurred or may occur; (C) for the period from October 1, 1998 to December 31, 1998 and for the period from January 1, 1999 to a specified date not more than five days prior to the date of this Agreement, there was any decrease in net sales, or total and per share amount of income before extraordinary items and of net income in each case as compared with the comparable period in the preceding year, except in each case for any decreases that the Registration Statement discloses have occurred or may occur; or (D) the sales for the three-month and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 1998 or the sales of the three-month period ended December 31, 1997 differ from the amount set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. (iv) based upon the procedures set forth in clause (iii) above and a reading of the Selected Consolidated Financial Data included in the Registration Statement and a reading of the financial statements from which such data were derived, nothing came to our attention that caused us to believe that the Selected Consolidated Financial Data included in the Registration Statement do not comply as to form in all material respects with the disclosure requirements of Item 301 of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act, that the amounts included in the Selected Consolidated Financial Data are not in agreement with the corresponding amounts in the audited consolidated financial statements for the respective periods or that the financial statements not included in the Registration Statement from which certain of such data were derived are not in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles; (v) we have compared the information included in the Company's 10-K/A under the heading "Executive Compensation" and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement with the disclosure requirements of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act and on the basis of limited procedures specified herein nothing came to our attention that caused us to believe that this information does not comply as to form in all material respects with the disclosure requirements of Item 402 of Regulation S-K; (vi) in addition to the procedures referred to in clause (ii) above, we have performed other procedures, not constituting an audit, with respect to certain amounts, percentages, numerical data and financial information appearing in the Registration Statement, which are specified herein, and have compared certain of such items with, and have found such items to be in agreement with, the accounting and financial records of the Company. 42 EX-5.1 3 EXHIBIT 5.1 Exh 5.1 [KAYE SCHOLER FIERMAN, HAYS & HANDLER, LLP LETTERHEAD] January 29, 1999 Veeco Instruments Inc. Terminal Drive Plainview, New York 11803 Gentlemen: We have acted as special counsel to Veeco Instruments Inc. ("the Company"), in connection with its registration statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement") filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (File No. 333-70417) relating to the proposed offering of up to 4,111,250 shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Shares'') to be offered to the public (including 536,250 Shares which may be so offered pursuant to an over-allotment option (the "Over-allotment Option") granted to the underwriters). Of the 4,111,250 Shares to be offered to the public, 1,150,000 Shares (including 150,000 Shares which may be offered pursuant to the Over-allotment Option) are to be offered by the Company and 2,961,250 Shares (including 386,250 Shares which may be offered pursuant to the Over-allotment Option) are to be offered by certain stockholders of the Company (the "Selling Stockholders"). In that connection, we have reviewed the certificate of incorporation of the Company, its by-laws, resolutions adopted by its Board of Directors, the Registration Statement, and such other documents and proceedings as we have deemed appropriate. On the basis of such review, and having regard to legal considerations that we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that: 1. The Shares to be offered by the Company have been duly authorized and, when issued in accordance with the terms set forth in the Registration Statement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable; and 2. The Shares to be offered by the Selling Stockholders have been duly authorized. The Shares to be offered by the Selling Stockholders which have been issued to the Selling Stockholders are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. The Shares to be offered by the Selling Stockholders which will be issued to the Selling Stockholders upon exercise by the Selling Stockholders of options, when issued upon exercise of such options in exchange for the payment of the exercise price therefor, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. We hereby consent to the use of our name under the caption "Legal Matters" in the Prospectus included in the Registration Statement and to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. Very truly yours, /s/ Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler, LLP -----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----