-----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, M5AJ9dg+w7BbiLivTHImxyUOKoPuY84BivwGZwpikAXmDgUSf8sB6u82uhZ/6hFt wRd2AolmH2ctQuL2ZYoiwQ== 0001193125-04-145235.txt : 20040823 0001193125-04-145235.hdr.sgml : 20040823 20040823172750 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001193125-04-145235 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 2 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20040817 ITEM INFORMATION: Other Events ITEM INFORMATION: Financial Statements and Exhibits FILED AS OF DATE: 20040823 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20040823 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001171759 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: RETAIL-EATING PLACES [5812] IRS NUMBER: 841573084 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 000-49916 FILM NUMBER: 04992620 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 6312 FIDDLER'S GREEN CIRCLE CITY: GREENWOOD VILLAGE STATE: CO ZIP: 80111 BUSINESS PHONE: 3038466000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 6312 FIDDLER'S GREEN CIRCLE CITY: GREENWOOD VILLAGE STATE: CO ZIP: 80111 8-K 1 d8k.htm FORM 8-K Form 8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 


 

FORM 8-K

 


 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 17, 2004

 


 

RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Delaware   0-49916   84-1573084
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)   (Commission File Number)  

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

6312 S. Fiddlers Green Circle
Suite 200N

Greenwood Village, CO

      80111
(Address of principal executive offices)       (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (303) 846-6000

 

Not Applicable

Former name or former address, if changed since last report

 



Item 8.01 OTHER EVENTS

 

Public Offering of Common Stock

 

On August 17, 2004, Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Wachovia Capital Markets LLC (the “Underwriter”), in connection with the sale of 1,937,543 shares of its common stock held by RR Investors, LLC and RR Investors II, LLC (the “Selling Stockholders”). The offering is being made from a shelf registration statement that became effective on June 3, 2004. The Company will not receive any of the proceeds from this offering. A copy of the Underwriting Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit 1.1 and is being incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

 

(c) Exhibits.

 

Exhibit
Number


 

Description


1.1   Underwriting Agreement, dated August 17, 2004, by and among the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriter


SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

   

RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS, INC.,

a Delaware corporation

   

By:

 

/s/ James P. McCloskey


Date: August 23, 2004

      Chief Financial Officer
EX-1.1 2 dex11.htm UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT Underwriting Agreement

Exhibit 1.1

 

1,937,543 Shares

 

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.

 

Common Stock

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

dated August 17, 2004


Table of Contents

 

            Page

Section 1.

  Representations and Warranties.   2

        A.

  Representations and Warranties of the Company   2
    (a)   Compliance with Registration Requirements   2
    (b)   Offering Materials Furnished to the Underwriter   2
    (c)   Offering Material   2
    (d)   The Underwriting Agreement   3
    (e)   No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights   3
    (f)   No Material Adverse Change   3
    (g)   Independent Accountants   3
    (h)   Preparation of the Financial Statements   3
    (i)   Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries   4
    (j)   Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters   4
    (k)   Stock Exchange Listing   4
    (l)   Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required   5
    (m)   No Material Actions or Proceedings   5
    (n)   Intellectual Property Rights   6
    (o)   All Necessary Permits, etc   6
    (p)   Title to Properties   6
    (q)   Tax Law Compliance   6
    (r)   Company Not an “Investment Company.”   7
    (s)   Insurance   7
    (t)   No Price Stabilization or Manipulation   7
    (u)   Related Party Transactions   7
    (v)   No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments   7
    (w)   Company’s Accounting System   7
    (x)   Disclosure Controls   8
    (y)   Exchange Act Compliance   8
    (z)   Compliance with Environmental Laws   8
    (aa)   Periodic Review of Costs of Environmental Compliance   9
    (bb)   ERISA Compliance   9
    (cc)   Off Balance Sheet Transactions   9
    (dd)   Brokers   10
    (ee)   No Outstanding Loans or Other Indebtedness   10
    (ff)   Compliance with Laws   10

        B.

  Representations and Warranties of the Selling Stockholders   10
    (a)   The Underwriting Agreement   10
    (b)   Title to Common Shares to be Sold; All Authorizations Obtained   10
    (c)   Delivery of the Common Shares to be Sold   10
    (d)   Non-Contravention; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required   10
    (e)   No Registration or Other Similar Rights   11
    (f)   No Preemptive Rights or Other Rights   11
    (g)   No Further Consents, etc   11
    (h)   Disclosure Made by Such Selling Stockholder in the Prospectus   11
    (i)   No Price Stabilization or Manipulation   11
    (j)   Confirmation of Company Representations and Warranties   12

Section 2.           

  Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Common Shares.   12

 

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Section 3.

   Additional Covenants.    13

A.        

  Covenants of the Company    13
    (a)    Underwriter’s Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements    13
    (b)    Securities Act Compliance    13
    (c)    Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters    14
    (d)    Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus    14
    (e)    Blue Sky Compliance    14
    (f)    Transfer Agent    14
    (g)    Earnings Statement    14
    (h)    Periodic Reporting Obligations    14
    (i)    Company to Provide Interim Financial Statements    15
    (j)    Nasdaq Listing    15
    (k)    Agreement Not To Offer or Sell Additional Securities    15
    (l)    Future Reports to the Underwriter    15
    (m)    Exchange Act Compliance    15
    (n)    No Manipulation of Price    15

B.        

  Covenants of the Selling Stockholders    15
    (a)    Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Securities    15
    (b)    Delivery of Form W-9    16

Section 4.

   Payment of Expenses.    16

Section 5.

   Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriter.    17
    (a)    Accountants’ Comfort Letter    17
    (b)    Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from NASD    17
    (c)    No Material Adverse Change    18
    (d)    Opinion of Counsel for the Company    18
    (e)    Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriter    18
    (f)    Officers’ Certificate    18
    (g)    Bring-down Comfort Letter    18
    (h)    Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Stockholders    18
    (i)    Selling Stockholders’ Certificate    18
    (j)    Selling Stockholders’ Documents    19
    (k)    Lock-Up Agreement from Certain Securityholders of the Company Other Than Selling Stockholders    19
    (l)    Additional Documents    19

Section 6.

       Reimbursement of Underwriter’s Expenses.    19

Section 7.

       Effectiveness of this Agreement.    19

Section 8.

       Indemnification.    20
    (a)    Indemnification of the Underwriter    20
    (b)    Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers and the Selling Stockholders    21
    (c)    Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures    22
    (d)    Settlements    22

Section 9.

       Contribution.    23

Section 10.

   Termination of this Agreement.    24

Section 11.

   Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery.    24

Section 12.

       Notices.    25

Section 13.

       Successors.    26

Section 14.

       Partial Unenforceability.    26

Section 15.

       Governing Law Provisions.    26

 

ii


(a)

  Governing Law Provisions    26

(b)

  Consent to Jurisdiction    26

(c)

  Waiver of Immunity    26

Section 16.

  Failure of One or More of the Selling Stockholders to Sell and Deliver Common Shares.    27

Section 17.

  General Provisions.    27

 

iii


Underwriting Agreement

 

August 17, 2004

 

Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC

7 St. Paul Street

First Floor

Baltimore, Maryland 21202

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Introductory. The stockholders of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), named in Schedule A (collectively, the “Selling Stockholders”) severally propose to sell to Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC (the “Underwriter”) an aggregate of 1,937,543 shares of Common Stock, par value $.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company. The 1,937,543 shares of Common Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholders are collectively called the “Common Shares”.

 

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-115707), which contains a form of prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”) to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of the Common Shares, and has filed with, or shall promptly hereafter file with, the Commission a final prospectus supplement (the “Prospectus Supplement”) relating to the Common Shares pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). As used herein, the term “Securities Act” shall mean to include the rules and regulations thereunder. Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in the form in which it was declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act, including all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein as well as any information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), is called the “Registration Statement”. Any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act is called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”, and from and after the date and time of filing of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. As used herein, the term “Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement (as well as any preliminary prospectus supplement). All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, a preliminary prospectus, or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall include any copy thereof 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 or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be.


The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders hereby confirm their respective agreements with the Underwriter as follows:

 

Section 1. Representations and Warranties.

 

A. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to the Underwriter as follows:

 

(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement have been declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act. The Company has complied to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission.

 

Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus when filed complied in all material respects with the applicable requirements and provisions of the Securities Act and, if filed by electronic transmission pursuant to EDGAR (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T under the Securities Act), was identical to the copy thereof delivered to the Underwriter for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Common Shares. Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective and at all subsequent times until the expiration of the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), complied and will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements and provisions of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus (including any prospectus wrapper), as amended or supplemented, as of its date and at all subsequent times until the expiration of the Prospectus Delivery Period, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or 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. The representations and warranties set forth in the two immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Underwriter expressly for use therein. There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required.

 

(b) Offering Materials Furnished to the Underwriter. The Company has delivered to the Underwriter one complete manually signed copy of the Registration Statement and of each consent and certificate of experts filed as a part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement (without exhibits) and preliminary prospectuses and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, in such quantities and at such places as the Underwriter has reasonably requested.

 

(c) Offering Material. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the completion of the Underwriter’s distribution of the Common Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Common Shares other than a preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the Registration Statement. There is no potential liability to the Company with respect to any materials used in connection with the offering and sale of the Common Shares, other than a preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the Registration Statement.

 

2


(d) The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by, and is a valid and binding agreement of, the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification hereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement hereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.

 

(e) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. There are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, other than the Selling Stockholders with respect to the Common Shares included in the Registration Statement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.

 

(f) No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus: (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, operations or prospects, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (any such change is called a “Material Adverse Change”); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, not in the ordinary course of business nor entered into any material transaction or agreement not in the ordinary course of business; and (iii) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or, except for dividends paid to the Company or other subsidiaries, any of its subsidiaries on any class of capital stock or repurchase or redemption by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any class of capital stock.

 

(g) Independent Accountants. Deloitte & Touche LLP, who have expressed their opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) and supporting schedules of the Company filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Prospectus, are independent public or certified public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

 

(h) Preparation of the Financial Statements. The financial statements filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of and at the dates indicated and the results of their operations and cash flows for the periods specified. The supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein. Such financial statements and supporting schedules have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. No other financial statements or supporting schedules or pro forma financial statements are required to be included in the Registration Statement. The financial data set forth (i) in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2003 under the captions “Selected Financial Data” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and (ii) in the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended April 18, 2004 and July 11, 2004 under the caption “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” fairly present the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements contained in the Registration Statement.

 

3


(i) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and, in the case of the Company, to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. Each of the Company and each subsidiary 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 for such jurisdictions where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. All of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and nonassessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or claim except as described in the Prospectus or on Schedule B hereto. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2003 or on Schedule C hereto. The Company does not have any “Significant Subsidiaries” as defined in Section 1-02 of Regulation S-X other than Red Robin International, Inc. and Red Robin West, Inc.

 

(j) Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. The issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth under the caption “Prospectus Supplement Summary – The Offering” in the Prospectus (other than for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to employee benefit plans described in the Prospectus or upon exercise of outstanding options described in the Prospectus). The Common Stock (including the Common Shares) conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus. All of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock (including the shares of Common Stock owned by Selling Stockholders) have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and have been issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws. None of the outstanding shares of Common Stock were issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. There are no authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those accurately described in the Prospectus. The Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Prospectus.

 

(k) Stock Exchange Listing. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act; the Common Stock (including the Common Shares) is included or has been approved for inclusion 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 Exchange Act or delisting the Common Stock (or the Common Shares) from the Nasdaq National Market, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the “NASD”) is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

 

4


(l) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws or is in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) (“Default”) under any indenture, mortgage, loan or credit agreement, note, contract, franchise, lease or other instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound (including, without limitation, the Company’s revolving credit facility with Wachovia Bank, National Association, as amended, real estate and equipment loans with General Electric Capital Corporation and its affiliates, and real estate and equipment loans with various parties, including Captec Financial Group and its affiliates and their respective assignees), or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”), except for such Defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and as described in the Prospectus (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any subsidiary, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or Default or a Debt Repayment Triggering 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 of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument, except for such conflicts, breaches, Defaults, liens, charges or encumbrances (a) as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change, or (b) for which valid consents or waivers have been obtained by the Company, and (iii) will not result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to the Company or any subsidiary. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency, is required for the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Prospectus, except such as have been obtained or made by the Company and are in full force and effect under the Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue sky laws and from the NASD. As used herein, a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition which gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to accelerate the obligation or to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment, of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries. There are no covenants under any indenture, mortgage, loan or credit agreement, note or any similar debt 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 of its subsidiaries is subject other than those set forth in the Company’s revolving credit facility with Wachovia Bank, National Association, as amended, real estate and equipment loans with General Electric Capital Corporation and its affiliates, and real estate and equipment loans with various parties, including Captec Financial Group and its affiliates, and their respective assignees. To the Company’s knowledge, none of the Company’s franchisees are in default under, or in breach of, any franchise agreement to which any franchisee is a party or by which any franchisee may be bound or to which any property or assets of any franchisee is subject.

 

(m) No Material Actions or Proceedings. There are no legal or governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened (i) against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its franchisees, (ii) which has as the subject thereof any officer or director of or related person of, or property owned or leased by, the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its franchisees or (iii) relating to environmental or discrimination matters, where in any such case (A) there is a reasonable possibility that such action, suit or proceeding might be determined adversely to the Company or such subsidiary or

 

5


such franchisee and (B) any such action, suit or proceeding, if so determined adversely, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change or adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its franchisees, or with the employees of any principal supplier of the Company, exists or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, is threatened or imminent. With respect to references to franchisees and employees of any principal supplier of the Company in the foregoing representations and warranties, each such representation and warranty as to franchisees and employees of any principal supplier is made only as to the Company’s knowledge.

 

(n) Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess sufficient trademarks, trade names, patent rights, copyrights, domain names, licenses, approvals, trade secrets and other similar rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) reasonably necessary to conduct their businesses as now conducted; and the expected expiration of any of such Intellectual Property Rights would not result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of infringement or conflict with asserted Intellectual Property Rights of others, which infringement or conflict, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, would result in a Material Adverse Change. Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, the Company is not a party to or bound by any material options, licenses or agreements with respect to the Intellectual Property Rights of any other person or entity. None of the Intellectual Property Rights employed by the Company or its subsidiaries has been obtained or is being used by the Company or its subsidiaries in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its or its subsidiaries’ officers, directors or employees or otherwise in violation of the rights of any persons, except for any such violations as would not result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

(o) All Necessary Permits, etc. The Company and each subsidiary possess such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits issued by the appropriate state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

(p) Title to Properties. The Company and each of its subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all the properties and assets reflected as owned in the financial statements referred to in Section 1(A)(h) above (or elsewhere in the Prospectus), in each case free and clear of any security interests, mortgages, liens, encumbrances, equities, claims and other defects, except such as do not materially and adversely affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company or such subsidiary and except as described in the Prospectus. The real property, improvements, equipment and personal property held under lease by the Company or any subsidiary are held under valid and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material in the aggregate and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such real property, improvements, equipment or personal property by the Company or such subsidiary.

 

(q) Tax Law Compliance. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns and have paid all taxes required to be paid by any of them and, if due and payable, any related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them except as may be being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings. The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable

 

6


financial statements referred to in Section 1(A)(h) above in respect of all federal, state and foreign income and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has not been finally determined.

 

(r) Company Not an “Investment Company.” The Company has been advised of the rules and requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). The Company is not an “investment company” within the meaning of Investment Company Act and will conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment Company Act.

 

(s) Insurance. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries are insured by recognized, financially sound and reputable institutions with policies in such amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks as are generally deemed adequate and customary for their businesses including, but not limited to, policies covering real and personal property owned or leased by the Company and its subsidiaries against theft, damage, destruction, acts of vandalism and earthquakes. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any subsidiary will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither of the Company nor any subsidiary has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

 

(t) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Common Shares. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriter may engage in passive market making transactions in the Common Shares on the Nasdaq National Market in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act.

 

(u) Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any subsidiary or any other person, including those business relationships or related party transactions described in the Commission’s Statement about Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (Release Nos. 33-8056; 34-45321; FR-61) (the “Commission’s MD&A Pronouncement”), required to be described in the Prospectus which have not been described as required.

 

(v) No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or any subsidiary, has made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state or foreign office in violation of any law or of the character required to be disclosed in the Prospectus.

 

(w) Company’s Accounting System. The Company on a consolidated basis, and each of the Company’s subsidiaries, maintain a system of accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; (v) material information relating to the Company and its

 

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consolidated subsidiaries is promptly made known to the officers responsible for establishing and maintaining the system of internal control over financial reporting; and (vi) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information, and any fraud whether or not material that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, are adequately and promptly disclosed to the Company’s independent auditors and the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors.

 

(x) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries employ disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.

 

(y) Exchange Act Compliance. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in 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 Exchange Act, and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto become effective and at the Closing Date, 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 fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(z) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign law or regulation relating to pollution or protection of human health or 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 emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum and petroleum products (collectively, “Materials of Environmental Concern”), or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Materials of Environment Concern (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), which violation includes, but is not limited to, noncompliance with any permits or other governmental authorizations required for the operation of the business of the Company or its subsidiaries under applicable Environmental Laws, or noncompliance with the terms and conditions thereof, nor has the Company or any of its subsidiaries received any written communication, whether from a governmental authority, citizens group, employee or otherwise, that alleges that the Company or any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any Environmental Law; (ii) there is no claim, action or cause of action filed with a court or governmental authority, no investigation with respect to which the Company has received written notice, and no written notice by any person or entity alleging potential liability for investigatory costs, cleanup costs, governmental responses costs, natural resources damages, property damages, personal injuries, attorneys’ fees or penalties arising out of, based on or resulting from the presence, or release into the environment, of any Material of Environmental Concern at any location owned, leased or operated by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, now or in the past (collectively, “Environmental Claims”), pending or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened

 

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against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any person or entity whose liability for any Environmental Claim the Company or any of its subsidiaries has retained or assumed either contractually or by operation of law; and (iii) to the best of the Company’s knowledge, there are no past or present actions, activities, circumstances, conditions, events or incidents, including, without limitation, the release, emission, discharge, presence or disposal of any Material of Environmental Concern, that reasonably could result in a violation of any Environmental Law or form the basis of a potential Environmental Claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or against any person or entity whose liability for any Environmental Claim the Company or any of its subsidiaries has retained or assumed either contractually or by operation of law.

 

(aa) Periodic Review of Costs of Environmental Compliance. In the ordinary course of its business, the Company conducts a periodic review of the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review and the amount of its established reserves, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

(bb) ERISA Compliance. The Company and its subsidiaries and any “employee benefit plan” (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”)) established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with ERISA. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company or a subsidiary, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”) of which the Company or such subsidiary is a member. No “reportable event” (as defined under ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates. No “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates, if such “employee benefit plan” were terminated, would have any “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (as defined under ERISA). Neither the Company, its subsidiaries nor any of their ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code. Each “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification.

 

(cc) Off Balance Sheet Transactions. There are no transactions, arrangements and other relationships between and/or among the Company, any of its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) and any unconsolidated entity, including, but not limited to, any structural finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity (each, an “Off Balance Sheet Transaction”) that could reasonably be expected to affect materially the Company’s liquidity or the availability of or requirements for its capital resources, including those Off Balance Sheet Transactions described in the Commission’s MD&A Pronouncement, required to be described in the Prospectus which have not been described as required.

 

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(dd) Brokers. There is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(ee) No Outstanding Loans or Other Indebtedness. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any of the members of any of them, except as disclosed in the Prospectus.

 

(ff) Compliance with Laws. The Company has not been advised, and has no reason to believe, that it and each of its subsidiaries are not conducting business in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it is conducting business, except where failure to be so in compliance would not result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Underwriter or its counsel pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriter as to the matters set forth therein.

 

The Company acknowledges that the Underwriter and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 5 hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Underwriter, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.

 

B. Representations and Warranties of the Selling Stockholders. Each Selling Stockholder severally represents, warrants and covenants to the Underwriter as follows:

 

(a) The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder and is a valid and binding agreement of such Selling Stockholder, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification hereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement hereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.

 

(b) Title to Common Shares to be Sold; All Authorizations Obtained. Such Selling Stockholder has, and on the Closing Date (as defined below) will have, good and valid title to all of the Common Shares which may be sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement on such date and the legal right and power, and all authorizations and approvals required by law and, with respect to any entity, under its charter, by-laws, partnership agreement, trust agreement or other organizational documents, to enter into this Agreement, to sell, transfer and deliver all of the Common Shares which may be sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement and to comply with its other obligations hereunder and thereunder.

 

(c) Delivery of the Common Shares to be Sold. Delivery of the Common Shares which are sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement will pass good and valid title to such Common Shares, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or other claim.

 

(d) Non-Contravention; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. The execution and delivery by such Selling Stockholder of, and the performance by such Selling Stockholder of its obligations under, this Agreement will not contravene or conflict with, result in

 

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a breach of, or constitute a Default under, or require the consent of any other party to, any charter, by-laws, partnership agreement, trust agreement or other organizational documents of such Selling Stockholder or any other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which it is bound or under which it is entitled to any right or benefit, any provision of applicable law or any judgment, order, decree or regulation applicable to such Selling Stockholder of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body or arbitrator having jurisdiction over such Selling Stockholder. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental authority or agency, is required for the consummation by such Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement, except such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect under the Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue sky laws and from the NASD.

 

(e) No Registration or Other Similar Rights. Such Selling Stockholder does not have any registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale by the Company under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, dated May 11, 2000, as amended, by and among Red Robin International, Inc. and the other parties named therein (the “Registration Rights Agreement”).

 

(f) No Preemptive Rights or Other Rights. Such Selling Stockholder does not have any preemptive rights or other rights to any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement, or any other offering or issuance of securities by the Company or any of its subsidiaries prior to or on or after the date hereof (other than rights pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement); such Selling Stockholder has not granted or assigned any preemptive rights or other rights to any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries to any person or entity.

 

(g) No Further Consents, etc. Except for the (i) exercise by such Selling Stockholder of certain registration rights pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement (which registration rights have been duly exercised pursuant thereto), and (ii) waiver by certain other holders of Common Stock of certain registration rights pursuant to such Registration Rights Agreement, no consent, approval or waiver is required under any instrument or agreement to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which it is bound or under which it is entitled to any right or benefit, in connection with the offering, sale or purchase by the Underwriter of any of the Common Shares which may be sold by such Selling Stockholder under this Agreement or the consummation by such Selling Stockholder of any of the other transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(h) Disclosure Made by Such Selling Stockholder in the Prospectus. All information furnished by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder in writing expressly for use in the Registration Statement and Prospectus (the “Selling Stockholder Information”) is, and on the Closing Date will be, true, correct, and complete in all material respects, and does not, and on the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make such information not misleading. Such Selling Stockholder confirms as accurate the number of shares of Common Stock set forth opposite such Selling Stockholder’s name in the Prospectus under the caption “Selling Stockholders” (both prior to and after giving effect to the sale of the Common Shares).

 

(i) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. Such Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Common Shares.

 

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(j) Confirmation of Company Representations and Warranties. To such Selling Stockholder’s knowledge, the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1(A) hereof are true and correct. Such Selling Stockholder is familiar with the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and has no knowledge of any material fact, condition or information concerning the Company which is not disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and which has had or may reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Change.

 

Any certificate signed by or on behalf of any Selling Stockholder and delivered to the Underwriter or its counsel pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by such Selling Stockholder to the Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

Such Selling Stockholder acknowledges that the Underwriter and, for purposes of the opinion to be delivered pursuant to Section 5 hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Underwriter, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.

 

Section 2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Common Shares.

 

(a) The Common Shares. Upon the terms herein set forth, the Selling Stockholders agree to sell to the Underwriter an aggregate of 1,937,543 Common Shares, each Selling Stockholder selling the number of Common Shares set forth opposite such Selling Stockholder’s name on Schedule A. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Selling Stockholders 1,937,543 Common Shares. The purchase price per Common Share to be paid by the Underwriter to the Selling Stockholders shall be $32.00 per share.

 

(b) The Closing Date. Delivery of the Common Shares to be purchased by the Underwriter and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, One New York Plaza, New York, New York (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Underwriter) at 9:00 a.m. East Coast time, on August 20, 2004 or such other time and date as the Underwriter shall reasonably designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “Closing Date”). The Company and the Selling Stockholders hereby acknowledge that circumstances under which the Underwriter may provide notice to postpone the Closing Date as originally scheduled include, but are in no way limited to, any determination by the Company, the Selling Stockholders or the Underwriter to recirculate to the public copies of an amended or supplemented Prospectus.

 

(d) Public Offering of the Common Shares. The Underwriter hereby advises the Company and the Selling Stockholders that the Underwriter intends to offer for sale to the public, as described in the Prospectus, the Common Shares as soon after this Agreement has been executed and the Registration Statement has been declared effective as the Underwriter, in its sole judgment, has determined is advisable and practicable.

 

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(e) Payment for the Common Shares. Payment for the Common Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholders shall be made at the Closing Date by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Selling Stockholders.

 

Each Selling Stockholder hereby agrees that it will pay all stock transfer taxes, stamp duties and other similar taxes, if any, payable upon the sale or delivery of the Common Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder to the Underwriter, or otherwise in connection with the performance of such Selling Stockholder’s obligations hereunder.

 

(f) Delivery of the Common Shares. The Selling Stockholders shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, a credit representing the Common Shares to an account or accounts of The Depository Trust Company as designated by the Underwriter for its account at the Closing Date, against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Underwriter.

 

(g) Delivery of Prospectus to the Underwriter. Not later than 5:00 p.m. on the first business day following the date the Common Shares are first released by the Underwriter for sale to the public, the Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, copies of the Prospectus in such quantities and at such places as the Underwriter shall request.

 

Section 3. Additional Covenants.

 

A. Covenants of the Company. The Company further covenants and agrees with the Underwriter as follows:

 

(a) Underwriter’s Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements. During such period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the later of the Closing Date or such date, as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter, the Prospectus is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an underwriter or dealer (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), prior to amending or supplementing the Registration Statement (including any registration statement filed under Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act) or the Prospectus (including any amendment or supplement through incorporation by reference of any report filed under the Exchange Act), the Company shall furnish to the Underwriter for review a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement, and the Company shall not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Underwriter or its counsel reasonably object.

 

(b) Securities Act Compliance. After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Underwriter in writing (i) of the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission, (ii) of the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, (iii) of the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Common Stock from any securities exchange upon which it is listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of

 

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Rules 424(b), 430A and 434, as applicable, under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) or 462(b) were received in a timely manner by the Commission.

 

(c) Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. If, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Underwriter or its counsel it is otherwise necessary or appropriate to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company agrees to promptly prepare (subject to Section 3(A)(a) hereof), file with the Commission and furnish at its own expense to the Underwriter and to dealers, amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with law.

 

(d) Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus. The Company agrees to furnish the Underwriter, without charge, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, as many copies of the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto (including any documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein) as the Underwriter may request promptly after such request.

 

(e) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Underwriter and its counsel to qualify or register the Common Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws or Canadian provincial securities laws or other foreign laws of those jurisdictions designated by the Underwriter, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Common Shares. The Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation. The Company will advise the Underwriter promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Common Shares for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

(f) Transfer Agent. The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Common Stock.

 

(g) Earnings Statement. As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Underwriter an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering the twelve-month period ending on the last day of the first quarter ending after one year following the effective date of the Registration Statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act.

 

(h) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the Nasdaq National Market all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act.

 

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(i) Company to Provide Interim Financial Statements. Prior to the Closing Date, the Company will furnish the Underwriter, as soon as they have been prepared by or are available to the Company, a copy of any unaudited interim financial statements of the Company for any period subsequent to the period covered by the most recent financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus whether or not such financial statements are complete.

 

(j) Nasdaq Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Common Shares on the Nasdaq National Market.

 

(k) Agreement Not To Offer or Sell Additional Securities. During the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the 30th day following the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter (which consent may be withheld at the sole discretion of the Underwriter), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell, pledge, transfer or establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act, or otherwise dispose of or transfer, or announce the offering of, or file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of, any shares of Common Stock, options or warrants to acquire shares of the Common Stock or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock (other than as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Common Shares), or enter into any swap or any other agreement or transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise; provided, however, that the Company may issue shares of its Common Stock or options to purchase its Common Stock, or Common Stock upon exercise of options, pursuant to any stock option, stock bonus or other stock plan or arrangement described in the Prospectus.

 

(l) Future Reports to the Underwriter. During the period of five years hereafter the Company will furnish to the Underwriter at 301 South College Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28288, Attention: James P. Walsh (i) as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, copies of the Annual Report of the Company containing the balance sheet of the Company as of the close of such fiscal year and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended and the opinion thereon of the Company’s independent public or certified public accountants; (ii) as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, copies of each proxy statement, Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other report filed by the Company with the Commission, the NASD or any securities exchange; and (iii) as soon as available, copies of any report or communication of the Company mailed generally to holders of its capital stock.

 

(m) Exchange Act Compliance. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15 of the Exchange Act in the manner and within the time periods required by the Exchange Act.

 

(n) No Manipulation of Price. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.

 

B. Covenants of the Selling Stockholders. Each Selling Stockholder further covenants and agrees with the Underwriter:

 

(a) Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Securities. Such Selling Stockholder will not, (and will cause any spouse or immediate family member of the spouse or Selling

 

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Stockholder living in the Selling Stockholder’s household not to), without the prior written consent of the Underwriter (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell (including without limitation any short sale), pledge, transfer, establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act, or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock, options or warrants to acquire shares of Common Stock, or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by the undersigned (or such spouse or family member), or enter into any swap or any other agreement or transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, or publicly announce an intention to do any of the foregoing, for a period commencing on the date hereof and continuing through the close of trading on the date 30 days after the date of the Prospectus.

 

(b) Delivery of Form W-9. To deliver to the Underwriter prior to the Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9.

 

The Underwriter may, in its sole discretion, waive in writing the performance by the Company or any Selling Stockholder of any one or more of the foregoing covenants or extend the time for their performance.

 

Section 4. Payment of Expenses.

 

Except for such expenses as are otherwise required in this Section 4 to be paid by the Selling Stockholders, the Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Common Shares (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Common Stock, (iii) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors, (iv) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (v) all filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriter in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Common Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the provincial securities laws of Canada, and, if requested by the Underwriter, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Underwriter of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions, (vi) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriter in connection with, the NASD’s review and approval of the Underwriter’s participation in the offering and distribution of the Common Shares, and (vii) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 14 of Part II of the Registration Statement. Except as provided in this Section 4, Section 6, Section 8 and Section 9 hereof, the Underwriter shall pay its own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel.

 

The Selling Stockholders further agree with the Underwriter to pay (directly or by reimbursement) all fees and expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement which are not otherwise specifically provided for herein, including but not limited

 

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to (i) fees and expenses of counsel and other advisors for such Selling Stockholders (except as otherwise previously agreed with the Company) and (ii) expenses and taxes incident to the sale and delivery of the Common Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholders to the Underwriter hereunder.

 

This Section 4 shall not affect or modify any separate, valid agreement relating to the allocation of payment of expenses between the Company, on the one hand, and the Selling Stockholders, on the other hand.

 

Section 5. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriter.

 

The obligations of the Underwriter to purchase and pay for the Common Shares as provided herein on the Closing Date shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company and the Selling Stockholders set forth in Sections 1(A) and 1(B) hereof, respectively, as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by the Company and the Selling Stockholders of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:

 

(a) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Underwriter shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent public or certified public accountants for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriter, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountant’s “comfort letters” to underwriters, delivered according to Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the Company’s audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from NASD. For the period from and after effectiveness of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:

 

(i) the Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the Commission (including the information required by Rule 430A under the Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall have filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing the information required by such Rule 430A, and such post-effective amendment shall have become effective; or, if the Company elected to rely upon Rule 434 under the Securities Act and obtained the Underwriter’s consent thereto, the Company shall have filed the applicable term sheet (the “Term Sheet”) with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by such Rule 424(b);

 

(ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, shall be in effect and no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission; and

 

(iii) the NASD shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

 

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(c) No Material Adverse Change. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date, in the sole judgment of the Underwriter there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change.

 

(d) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. On the Closing Date the Underwriter shall have received the favorable opinions of O’Melveny & Myers LLP, counsel for the Company, John Grant, Vice President and General Counsel of the Company, and such other counsel for the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, the forms of which are attached as Exhibit A.

 

(e) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriter. On the Closing Date the Underwriter shall have received the favorable opinion of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, counsel for the Underwriter, dated as of the Closing Date, with respect to the matters agreed upon by the Underwriter.

 

(f) Officers’ Certificate. On the Closing Date, the Underwriter shall have received a written certificate executed by the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer or President of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Accounting Officer of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect set forth in subsection (b)(ii) of this Section 5, and further to the effect that:

 

(i) for the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date, there has not occurred any Material Adverse Change;

 

(ii) the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company set forth in Section 1(A) of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of the Closing Date; and

 

(iii) the Company has complied with all the agreements hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date.

 

(g) Bring-down Comfort Letter. On the Closing Date the Underwriter shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent public or certified public accountants for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 5, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date.

 

(h) Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Stockholders. On the Closing Date the Underwriter shall have received the favorable opinion of McGuireWoods LLP, counsel for the Selling Stockholders, dated as of the Closing Date, the form of which is attached as Exhibit B.

 

(i) Selling Stockholders’ Certificate. On the Closing Date the Underwriter shall receive a written certificate executed by or on behalf of each Selling Stockholder, dated as of such Closing Date, to the effect that:

 

(i) the representations, warranties and covenants of such Selling Stockholder set forth in Section 1(B) of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made by such Selling Stockholder on and as of the Closing Date; and

 

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(ii) such Selling Stockholder has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date.

 

(j) Selling Stockholders’ Documents. On the date hereof, the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have furnished for review by the Underwriter such information, certificates and documents as the Underwriter may reasonably request.

 

(k) Lock-Up Agreement from Certain Securityholders of the Company Other Than Selling Stockholders. On or prior to the date hereof, the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriter an agreement in the form of Exhibit C hereto from each person or entity listed on Schedule D hereto or as otherwise agreed to by the Underwriter, and such agreement shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date.

 

(l) Additional Documents. On or before the Closing Date, the Underwriter and its counsel shall have received such certificates (including Secretaries’ Certificates), information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Common Shares as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.

 

If any condition specified in this Section 5 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Underwriter by notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholders at any time on or prior to the Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 4, Section 6, Section 8 and Section 9 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

Section 6. Reimbursement of Underwriter’s Expenses.

 

If this Agreement is terminated by the Underwriter pursuant to Section 5, Section 10 or Section 16, or if the sale to the Underwriter of the Common Shares on the Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company or any Selling Stockholder to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriter, upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Underwriter in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Common Shares, including but not limited to fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.

 

Section 7. Effectiveness of this Agreement.

 

This Agreement shall not become effective until the later of (i) the execution of this Agreement by the parties hereto and (ii) notification by the Commission to the Company and the Underwriter of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the Securities Act.

 

Prior to such effectiveness, this Agreement may be terminated by any party by notice to each of the other parties hereto, and any such termination shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company or the Selling Stockholders to the Underwriter, (b) of the Underwriter to the Company or the Selling Stockholders, or (c) of any party hereto to any other party except that the provisions of Section 8 and Section 9 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

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Section 8. Indemnification.

 

(a) Indemnification of the Underwriter. Each of the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders, severally, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter, its officers and employees, and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Underwriter or such controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or the laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company or the Selling Stockholders), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 434 under the Securities Act, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any prospectus wrapper material, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (iii) in whole or in part upon any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of the Company or the Selling Stockholders contained herein (except that with respect to this clause (iii), each Selling Stockholder shall only be liable, severally and not jointly, for its representations and warranties set forth in Section 1(B) hereof); or (iv) in whole or in part upon (x) any failure of the Company or the Selling Stockholders to perform their respective obligations hereunder or under law or (y) any action by the Company or any of its stockholders which violates any law with respect to the offering and sale of the Common Shares (except that with respect to this clause (iv), each Selling Stockholder shall only be liable, severally and not jointly, for its respective obligations hereunder or under law); or (v) upon any act or failure to act or any alleged act or failure to act by the Underwriter in connection with, or relating in any manner to, the Common Stock or the offering contemplated hereby, and which is included as part of or referred to in any loss, claim, damage, liability or action arising out of or based upon any matter covered by clause (i) or (ii) above, provided that the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall not be liable under this clause (v) to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction shall have determined by a final judgment that such loss, claim, damage, liability or action resulted directly from any such acts or failures to act undertaken or omitted to be taken by the Underwriter through its bad faith or willful misconduct; and to reimburse the Underwriter and each such controlling person for any and all expenses (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Underwriter) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by the Underwriter or such controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto); and provided further, that each Selling Stockholder under the foregoing indemnity shall have no obligation to provide indemnity hereunder where the loss, claim, damage, liability or expense arises out of or is based (A) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto, including any information deemed to be a part thereof

 

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pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 434 under the Securities Act, 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 (B) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any prospectus wrapper material, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (C) upon any act or failure to act or any alleged act or failure to act by the Underwriter in connection with, or relating in any manner to, the Common Stock or the offering contemplated hereby, and which is included as part of or referred to in any loss, claim, damage, liability or action arising out of or based upon any matter covered by clause (A) or (B) above, except to the extent to which such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission or act or failure to act or alleged act or failure to act relates to such Selling Stockholder’s Selling Stockholder Information; and provided, further, that with respect to any preliminary prospectus, the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not inure to the benefit of the Underwriter from whom the person asserting any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense purchased Common Shares, or any person controlling the Underwriter, if copies of the Prospectus were timely delivered to the Underwriter pursuant to Section 2 and a copy of the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) was not sent or given by or on behalf of the Underwriter to such person, if required by law so to have been delivered, at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of the Common Shares to such person, and if the Prospectus (as so amended or supplemented) would have cured the defect giving rise to such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 8(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company and the Selling Stockholders may otherwise have.

 

(b) Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers and the Selling Stockholders. The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, the Selling Stockholders and each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Stockholder within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company, or any such director, officer, Selling Stockholder or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Underwriter), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or arises out of or is based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein; and to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer, Selling Stockholder or controlling person for any and all expenses (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer, Selling Stockholder or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 8(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Underwriter may otherwise have.

 

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(c) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than under the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 8 or to the extent it is not prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel (which approval may not be unreasonably withheld), the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 8 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the next preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), approved by the indemnifying party (the Underwriter in the case of Section 8(b) and Section 9), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action) or (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party.

 

(d) Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 8 shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by Section 8(c) hereof, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent (a) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding and (b) 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.

 

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(e) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section 8, the total liability of each Selling Stockholder under the provisions of this Section 8 of this Agreement shall be limited to an amount equal to the proceeds, net of underwriting discounts, from the sale of the Common Shares sold by such Selling Stockholder to the Underwriter.

 

Section 9. Contribution.

 

If the indemnification provided for in Section 8 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, from the offering of the Common Shares pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above 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 Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions or inaccuracies in the representations and warranties herein which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Common Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Common Shares pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Selling Stockholders, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriter, in each case as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus (or, if Rule 434 under the Securities Act is used, the corresponding location on the Term Sheet) bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Common Shares as set forth on such cover. The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, 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 or any such inaccurate or alleged inaccurate representation or warranty relates to information supplied by the Company or the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, or the Underwriter, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 8(c), any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim. The provisions set forth in Section 8(c) with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 9; provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 8(c) for purposes of indemnification.

 

The Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriter agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 9.

 

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Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, the Underwriter shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by the Underwriter in connection with the Common Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 9, each officer and employee of the Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the 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 a Selling Stockholder within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company or a Selling Stockholder, as the case may be.

 

Section 10. Termination of this Agreement.

 

Prior to the Closing Date this Agreement may be terminated by the Underwriter by notice given to the Company and the Selling Stockholders if at any time (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the Nasdaq National Market, or trading in securities generally on either the Nasdaq Stock Market or the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or the NASD; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of federal, New York, Delaware or California authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Underwriter is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Common Shares in the manner and on the terms described in the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in the judgment of the Underwriter there shall have occurred any Material Adverse Change; or (v) the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire, flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as in the judgment of the Underwriter may interfere materially with the conduct of the business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss shall have been insured. Any termination pursuant to this Section 10 shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company or the Selling Stockholders to the Underwriter, except that the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Underwriter pursuant to Sections 4 and 6 hereof, (b) the Underwriter to the Company or the Selling Stockholders, or (c) of any party hereto to any other party except that the provisions of Section 8 and Section 9 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

Section 11. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery.

 

The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers, of the Selling Stockholders and of the Underwriter set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriter or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, or the Selling Stockholders, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Common Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

 

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Section 12. Notices.

 

All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:

 

If to the Underwriter:

 

Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC

301 South College Street

Charlotte, NC 28288

Facsimile: (704) 383-4834

Attention: James P. Walsh

 

with a copy to:

 

Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC

  Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

7 St. Paul Street

  One New York Plaza

First Floor

  New York, New York 10004

Baltimore, MD 21202

  Facsimile: (212) 859-4000

Facsimile:

  Attention: Valerie Ford Jacob, Esq.

Attention: Legal Department

   

 

If to the Company:

 

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.

6312 S. Fiddler’s Green Circle, Suite 200N

Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111

Facsimile: (303) 846-6013

Attention: James P. McCloskey

 

with a copy to:

 

O’Melveny & Myers LLP

610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1700

Newport Beach, California 92660

Facsimile: (949) 823-6994

Attention: Thomas J. Leary, Esq.

 

If to the following Selling Stockholders:

 

RR Investors, LLC & RR Investors II, LLC

c/o Quad C Management, Inc.

230 East High Street

Charlottesville, Virginia 22902

Facsimile: (434) 979-1145

Attention: Stephen M. Burns

 

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with a copy to:

 

McGuireWoods LLP

One James Center

901 East Cary Street

Richmond, Virginia 23219

Facsimile: (804) 698-2155

Attention: James M. Anderson, III, Esq.

 

Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.

 

Section 13. Successors.

 

This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 8 and Section 9, and in each case their respective successors, and personal representatives, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Common Shares as such from the Underwriter merely by reason of such purchase.

 

Section 14. Partial Unenforceability.

 

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

 

Section 15. Governing Law Provisions.

 

(a) Governing Law Provisions. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in such state, without regard to conflicts of laws principles.

 

(b) Consent to Jurisdiction. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the City and County of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

(c) Waiver of Immunity. With respect to any Related Proceeding, each party irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all immunity (whether on the basis of sovereignty or otherwise) from jurisdiction, service of process, attachment (both

 

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before and after judgment) and execution to which it might otherwise be entitled in the Specified Courts, and with respect to any Related Judgment, each party waives any such immunity in the Specified Courts or any other court of competent jurisdiction, and will not raise or claim or cause to be pleaded any such immunity at or in respect of any such Related Proceeding or Related Judgment, including, without limitation, any immunity pursuant to the United States Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, as amended.

 

Section 16. Failure of One or More of the Selling Stockholders to Sell and Deliver Common Shares.

 

If one or more of the Selling Stockholders shall fail to sell and deliver to the Underwriter the Common Shares to be sold and delivered by such Selling Stockholders at the Closing Date pursuant to this Agreement, then the Underwriter may at its option, by written notice from the Underwriter to the Company and the Selling Stockholders, either (i) terminate this Agreement without any liability on the part of the Underwriter or, except as provided in Sections 4, 6, 8 and 9 hereof, the Company or the Selling Stockholders, or (ii) purchase the shares which the other Selling Stockholders have agreed to sell and deliver in accordance with the terms hereof. If one or more of the Selling Stockholders shall fail to sell and deliver to the Underwriter the Common Shares to be sold and delivered by such Selling Stockholders pursuant to this Agreement at the Closing Date, then the Underwriter shall have the right, by written notice from the Underwriter to the Company and the Selling Stockholders, to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.

 

Section 17. General Provisions.

 

This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The Table of Contents and the Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification provisions of Section 8 and the contribution provisions of Section 9, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Sections 8 and 9 hereto fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements thereto), as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

 

The respective indemnities, contribution agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriter set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of the

 

27


Underwriter, the officers or employees of the Underwriter, any person controlling the Underwriter, the Company, the officers or employees of the Company, any person controlling the Company, any Selling Stockholder or any person controlling such Selling Stockholder, (ii) acceptance of the Shares and payment for them hereunder and (iii) termination of this Agreement.

 

Except as otherwise provided, this Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of and shall be binding upon the Company, the Selling Stockholders, the Underwriter, the Underwriter’s officers and employees, any controlling persons referred to herein, the Company’s directors and the Company’s officers who sign the Registration Statement and their respective successors and assigns, all as and to the extent provided in this Agreement, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. The term “successors and assigns” shall not include a purchaser of any of the Shares from the Underwriter merely because of such purchase.

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company and the Selling Stockholders the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,

RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS, INC.

By:

 

 


Name:

 

James P. McCloskey

Title:

 

Chief Financial Officer

RR INVESTORS, LLC

By:

 

 


Name:

 

Stephen M. Burns

Title:

 

President

RR INVESTORS II, LLC

By:

 

 


Name:

 

Stephen M. Burns

Title:

 

President

 

The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Underwriter in Baltimore, Maryland as of the date first above written.

 

WACHOVIA CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC

By:

   

Name:

   

Title:

   

 

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List of Omitted Schedules and Exhibits

 

The following schedules and exhibits to the Underwriting Agreement have been omitted and shall be furnished supplementally to the Commission upon request.

 

SCHEDULE A - SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

 

SCHEDULE B - ISSUED AND OUTSTANDING CAPITAL STOCK OF LESS THAN WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARIES

 

SCHEDULE C - SUBSIDIARIES

 

SCHEDULE D - PARTIES TO LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

 

EXHIBIT A - OPINION OF O’MELVENY & MEYERS LLP

 

EXHIBIT B - OPINION OF MCGUIREWOODS LLP

 

EXHIBIT C - LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

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