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)  November 10, 2009

 

METABOLIX, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

DELAWARE

(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

 

001-33133

 

04-3158289

(Commission File Number)

 

(IRS Employer Identification No.)

 

 

 

21 Erie Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts

 

02139

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

(Zip Code)

 

(617) 583-1700

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

 

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions ( see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 



 

Item 1.01

 

Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

 

On November 11, 2009, Metabolix, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an Underwriting Agreement with Jefferies & Company, Inc. and Thomas Weisel Partners LLC (the “Underwriting Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to offer and sell 3,000,000 shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering at a public offering price of $9.00 per share.  Pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company granted the Underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 450,000 shares to cover over-allotments, if any.  The Company expects to receive approximately $27 million in gross proceeds from the offering before underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses.  If the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, gross proceeds from the offering, before underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses will be approximately $31 million.   The shares are expected to be delivered to the Underwriters on or about November 16, 2009, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

 

The common stock was registered for offer and sale on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), by the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-148758) (the “Registration Statement”) which was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 30, 2008.  Attached hereto as Exhibit 1.1 is a copy of the Underwriting Agreement. The opinion of the Company’s counsel regarding the validity of the shares issued pursuant to the offering is filed as Exhibit 5.1 hereto. This Current Report is being filed in part for the purpose of incorporating such exhibits by reference into the Registration Statement.  In connection with this offering, on November 12, 2009, the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a prospectus supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act.

 

Item 7.01

 

Regulation FD Disclosure.

 

On November 10, 2009, the Company issued a press release announcing the commencement of a public offering of its common stock in an underwritten public offering. A copy of this press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report.

 

On November 11, 2009, the Company issued a press release announcing the pricing of an offer and sale of its common stock in an underwritten public offering described in Item 1.01 above. A copy of this press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.2 to this Current Report.

 

The information set forth in this Item 7.01 and Exhibit 99.1 and Exhibit 99.2 attached hereto is intended to be furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

 

Item 9.01.

 

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)

 

Exhibits.

 

 

 

1.1

 

Underwriting Agreement among the Company and Jefferies & Company, Inc. and Thomas Weisel Partners LLC, dated as of November 11, 2009.

 

 

 

5.1

 

Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP.

 

 

 

23.1

 

Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP (contained in its opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1).

 

 

 

99.1

 

Press Release dated November 10, 2009, furnished herewith.

 

 

 

99.2

 

Press Release dated November 11, 2009, furnished herewith.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

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

 

 

METABOLIX, INC.

 

 

Date:   November 12, 2009

By:

/s/ Joseph D. Hill

 

 

Joseph D. Hill

 

 

Chief Financial Officer

 

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INDEX TO EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit

 

 

No.

 

Description

 

 

 

1.1

 

Underwriting Agreement among the Company, Jefferies & Company, Inc. and Thomas Weisel Partners LLC, dated as of November 11, 2009.

 

 

 

5.1

 

Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP.

 

 

 

23.1

 

Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP (contained in its opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1).

 

 

 

99.1

 

Press Release dated November 10, 2009, furnished herewith.

 

 

 

99.2

 

Press Release dated November 11, 2009, furnished herewith.

 

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Exhibit 1.1

 

3,000,000 Shares

 

METABOLIX, INC.

 

COMMON STOCK

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

November 11, 2009

 

JEFFERIES & COMPANY, INC.

 

THOMAS WEISEL PARTNERS LLC

c/o JEFFERIES & COMPANY, INC.

520 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10022

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Introductory.  Metabolix, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to Jefferies & Company, Inc. (“Jefferies”) and Thomas Weisel Partners LLC (“TWP”), acting severally (the “Underwriters”), an aggregate of 3,000,000 shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Shares”).  The 3,000,000 Shares to be sold by the Company are called the “Firm Shares.”  In addition, the Company has granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 450,000 Shares as provided in Section 2 hereof.  The additional 450,000 Shares to be sold by the Company pursuant to such option are collectively called the “Optional Shares.”  The Firm Shares and, if and to the extent such option is exercised, the Optional Shares are collectively called the “Offered Shares.”

 

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-148758), which contains a form of prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”) to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of the Offered Shares.  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 of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), including all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein and any information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, 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, if any.  Such prospectus, in the form first used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Offered Shares or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act, is called the “Prospectus.”  The preliminary prospectus supplement dated

 



 

November 10, 2009 describing the Offered Shares and the offering thereof, together with the Base Prospectus, is called the “Preliminary Prospectus,” and the Preliminary Prospectus and any other preliminary prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus that describes the Offered Shares and the offering thereof and is used prior to the filing of the Prospectus (as defined below), together with the Base Prospectus, is called a “preliminary prospectus.”  As used herein, the term “Prospectus” shall mean the final prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus that describes the Offered Shares and the offering thereof (the “Final Prospectus Supplement”), together with the Base Prospectus, in the form first used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Offered Shares or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act.  As used herein, “Applicable Time” is 9:00 a.m. (New York time) on November 11, 2009.   As used herein, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, and “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the preliminary prospectus, as amended or supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule A hereto, and the information relating to the number of Shares being offered, the price per Share to the public and the estimated net proceeds to be received by the Company identified in Schedule B hereto.  As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,” “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”, “Preliminary Prospectus” “preliminary prospectus,” “Base Prospectus,” “Time of Sale Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall include the documents incorporated and deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.  All references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus 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, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.  All references in this Agreement to (i) the Registration Statement, the 462(b) Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, a preliminary prospectus, the Base 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”) and (ii) the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the “electronic Prospectus” provided for use in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares as contemplated by Section 3(k) of this Agreement and (iii) all references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which are “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus 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, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus 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, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.

 

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In the event that the Company has only one subsidiary, then all references herein to “subsidiaries” of the Company shall be deemed to refer to such single subsidiary, mutatis mutandis.  For all purposes of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated herein, Telles, LLC shall not be deemed a subsidiary of the Company.

 

The Company hereby confirms its agreements with the Underwriters as follows:

 

Section 1.  Representations and Warranties of the Company.

 

The Company hereby represents and warrants to, and covenants with, each Underwriter, as of the date of this Agreement, as of the First Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) and as of each Option Closing Date (as hereafter defined), if any, 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 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 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 Underwriters for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered 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 times during which a prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any other applicable rule) in connection with any sale of the Offered Shares (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), complied and will comply in all material respects with 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.  As of the Applicable Time, the Time of Sale Prospectus did not, and at the time of each sale of the Offered Shares and at the First Closing Date (as defined in Section 2 hereof), the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date and at all subsequent times, 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 three 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 the Time of Sale Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to either Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriters to the Company consists of the information described in Section 9(b) hereof below.  There are no contracts or other documents required

 

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to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required.

 

The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act.  Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, timely filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act.  Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act, including but not limited to timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending, and each such free writing prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Shares did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts with or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein.  Except for the free writing prospectuses identified in Schedule A hereto, and electronic road shows, if any, furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.

 

(b)  Offering Materials Furnished to Underwriters.  The Company has delivered to the Underwriters one complete copy of the Registration Statement, each amendment thereto and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and of each consent and certificate of experts filed as a part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement, each amendment thereto and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement (without exhibits) and preliminary prospectuses, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, and any free writing prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Underwriters, in such quantities and at such places as the Underwriters have reasonably requested.

 

(c)  Distribution of Offering Material By the Company.  The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of (i) the expiration or termination of the option granted to the several Underwriters in Section 2 hereof and (ii) the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Offered Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares other than a preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Underwriters, or the Registration Statement.

 

(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)  Authorization of the Offered Shares.  The Offered Shares have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares is not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase the Offered Shares.

 

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(f)  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.

 

(g)  No Material Adverse Change.  Except as otherwise disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in Time of Sale 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.

 

(h)  Independent Accountants.  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have expressed their opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Prospectus and Time of Sale Prospectus (each, an “Applicable Prospectus” and collectively, the “Applicable Prospectuses”), are (i) independent public or certified public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, (ii) in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X and (iii) a registered public accounting firm as defined by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”) whose registration has not been suspended or revoked and who has not requested such registration to be withdrawn.

 

(i)  Preparation of the Financial Statements.  The financial statements filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects 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.  Such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles 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 are required to be included in the Registration Statement or any Applicable Prospectus.  The financial data set forth in each Applicable Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization” fairly present the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements contained in the Registration Statement and each Applicable Prospectus.  The unaudited as adjusted financial information contained in the Registration Statement and each Applicable Prospectus has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Regulation S-X and give effect to assumptions used in the preparation thereof on a reasonable basis and in good faith.  No person who has been suspended or barred from being associated with a registered public accounting firm, or who has failed to comply with any sanction pursuant to Rule 5300 promulgated by the PCAOB, has participated in or otherwise aided the preparation of, or audited, the financial statements, supporting schedules or other financial data filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in any Applicable Prospectus.

 

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(j)  Company’s Accounting System.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries make and keep accurate books and records and maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance 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 and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.  There has not been and is no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and since December 31, 2008, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(k)  Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries.  Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly incorporated or organized, as the case may be, and is validly existing as a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has the power and authority (corporate or other) to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in each Applicable 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, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on (A) 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 or (B) the ability of the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby (each, a “Material Adverse Effect”).  All of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity or ownership interests of each subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or adverse claim.  The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than (i) the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 and (ii) such other entities omitted from Exhibit 21 which, when such omitted entities are considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary, would not constitute a “significant subsidiary” within the meaning of Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X.

 

(l)  Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters.  The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in each Applicable Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization” (other than for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to employee benefit plans described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants described in each Applicable Prospectus).  The Shares (including the Offered Shares) conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus.  All of the issued and outstanding Shares 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 was 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

 

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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 described in each Applicable Prospectus.  The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in each Applicable Prospectus accurately and fairly presents the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.  Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, the Company has not sold or issued any Shares during the six-month period preceding the date of the Prospectus, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulation D or Regulation S of, the Securities Act other than Shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants.

 

(m)  Stock Exchange Listing.  The Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and are listed on the NASDAQ Global Market, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Shares under the Exchange Act or delisting the Shares from the NASDAQ Global Market, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the NASDAQ Global Market is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

 

(n)  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, partnership agreement or operating agreement or similar organizational document, as applicable, 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, any credit agreement, indenture, pledge agreement, security agreement or other instrument or agreement evidencing, guaranteeing, securing or relating to indebtedness of the Company or any of its subsidiaries), 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 Effect.  The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by each Applicable Prospectus and the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities (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, the Company or any subsidiary, as applicable, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or Default 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 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, except, in case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation, default, lien, charge or encumbrance that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  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 each Applicable 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 Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

 

(o)  No Material Actions or Proceedings.  There are no legal or governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened (i) against or affecting

 

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the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) which have as the subject thereof any officer or director of, or property owned or leased by, the Company or any of its subsidiaries 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, such subsidiary or such officer or director, (B) any such action, suit or proceeding, if so determined adversely, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (C) any such action, suit or proceeding is or would be material in the context of the sale of Shares.  No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or with the employees of any principal supplier, manufacturer, customer or contractor of the Company, exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened or imminent.

 

(p)  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 as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of infringement or conflict with asserted Intellectual Property Rights of others.  The Company is not a party to or bound by any options, licenses or agreements with respect to the Intellectual Property Rights of any other person or entity that are required to be set forth in the Prospectus and are not described therein.  None of the technology employed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries has been obtained or is being used by the Company or any of its subsidiaries in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or any of 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.  To the Company’s knowledge, the use of the Intellectual Property Rights in connection with the current and proposed business and operations of the Company does not and will not infringe on the rights of others or require the payment of license fees for any Intellectual Property Rights of a third party material to the business or prospects of the Company.

 

(q)  No Marketing or Selling Limitations.  Except as otherwise disclosed in any Applicable Prospectus, except in the ordinary course of business and except for contract manufacturers and similar parties engaged by the Company, the Company has not granted material rights to develop, manufacture, produce, assemble, distribute, license, market or sell its products to any other person and is not bound by any agreement that materially affects the Company’s exclusive right to develop, manufacture, product, assemble, distribute, license, market or sell its products.

 

(r)  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, except for such certificates, authorizations or permits which the failure to obtain would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, 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, could result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(s)  Title to Properties. The Company and each of its subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all of the real and personal property and other assets reflected as owned in the financial statements referred to in Section 1(i) above, in each case free and clear of any security

 

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interests, mortgages, liens, encumbrances, equities, adverse 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.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries owns any real property.  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 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.

 

(t)  Tax Law Compliance.  The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns or have properly filed requested extensions thereof 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 the same may be being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings.  The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section 1(i) 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.

 

(u)  Company Not an “Investment Company.”  The Company is not, and will not be, either after receipt of payment for the Offered Shares or after the application of the proceeds therefrom as described under “Use of Proceeds” in each Applicable Prospectus, an “investment company” within the meaning of Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).

 

(v)  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 and policies covering the Company and its subsidiaries for product liability claims.  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 Effect.  Neither of the Company nor any subsidiary has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

 

(w)  No Price Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M.  The Company has not taken, 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 Shares or any other “reference security” (as defined in Rule 100 of Regulation M under the 1934 Act (“Regulation M”)) whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and has taken no action which would directly or indirectly violate Regulation M.  The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters may engage in passive market making transactions in the Offered Shares on the NASDAQ Global Market in accordance with Regulation M.

 

(x)  Related Party Transactions.  There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in each Applicable Prospectus which have not been described as required.

 

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(y)  S-3 Eligibility.  At the time the Registration Statement was originally declared effective and at the time the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 (the “Annual Report”) was filed with the Commission, the Company met the then applicable requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act.  The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act specified in FINRA Conduct Rule 5110(b)(7)(C)(i).

 

(z)  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 First Closing Date and the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, 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 the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(aa)  FINRA Matters.  All of the information provided to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters by the Company, its officers and directors in connection with letters, filings or other supplemental information provided to FINRA pursuant to FINRA Conduct Rule 2710 or 2720 is true, complete and correct.

 

(bb)  Parties to Lock-Up Agreements.  Each of the Company’s directors and executive officers listed in Exhibit C has executed and delivered to the Underwriters a lock-up agreement in the form of Exhibit D hereto. Exhibit C hereto contains a true, complete and correct list of all directors and executive officers of the Company. If any additional persons shall become directors or executive officers of the Company prior to the end of the Company Lock-up Period (as defined below), the Company shall cause each such person, prior to or contemporaneously with their appointment or election as a director or executive officer of the Company, to execute and deliver to the Underwriters an agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D.

 

(cc)  Statistical and Market-Related Data.  The statistical, demographic and market-related data included in the Registration Statement and each Applicable Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate or represent the Company’s good faith estimates that are made on the basis of data derived from such sources.

 

(dd)  No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to 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 Registration Statement and each Applicable Prospectus.

 

(ee)  Disclosure Controls and Procedures; Deficiencies in or Changes to Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)), which (i) are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer by others within those entities, particularly during the periods in which the periodic reports required under the Exchange Act are being prepared; (ii) have been evaluated by management of the Company for effectiveness as of the end of the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter; and (iii) are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which

 

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they were established.  The Company is not aware of (i) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information or (ii) 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.  The Company is not aware of any change in its internal control over financial reporting that has occurred during its most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(ff)  No SEC Comments.  The Company has not received any written comments from the Commission regarding its periodic or current reports under the Exchange Act that remain unresolved.

 

(gg)  Compliance with Environmental Laws.  Except as described in each Applicable Prospectus and except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any applicable federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any binding and enforceable judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (iii) there are no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (iv) there are no events or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, or against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

 

(hh)  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, to the extent applicable, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with applicable 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, if any, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ii)  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

 

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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 material 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, except where such act or failure to act would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(jj)  Brokers.  Except for the underwriting discounts and commissions payable to the Underwriters as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, 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.

 

(kk)  No Outstanding Loans or Other Extensions of Credit.  Since the adoption of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed any extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any director or executive officer (or equivalent thereof) of the Company and/or such subsidiary except for such extensions of credit as are expressly permitted by Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act.

 

(ll)  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 Effect.  Except as described in the Applicable Prospectus, each of the Company and its subsidiaries: (A) is and at all times has been in material compliance with all statutes, rules or regulations applicable to the ownership, testing, development, manufacture, packaging, processing, use, distribution, marketing, labeling, promotion, sale, offer for sale, storage, import, export or disposal of any product under development, manufactured or distributed by the Company (“Applicable Laws”); (B) has not received any non-acceptance letter, objection letter, inspectional observations form, notice of adverse finding, warning letter, untitled letter or other correspondence or notice from any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) alleging or asserting material noncompliance with any Applicable Laws or any licenses, certificates, approvals, clearances, authorizations, permits and supplements or amendments thereto required by any such Applicable Laws (“Authorizations”); (C) possesses all material Authorizations and such Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect and the Company is not in material violation of any term of any such Authorizations; (D) has not received notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority or third party alleging that any product operation or activity is in material violation of any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and has no knowledge that  any  federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority or third party is considering any such claim, litigation, arbitration, action, suit, investigation or proceeding; (E) has not received notice that any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority has taken, is taking or intends to take action to limit, suspend, modify or revoke any material Authorizations and has no knowledge that any

 

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federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority is considering such action; (F) has filed, obtained, maintained or submitted all material reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and that all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were materially complete and correct on the date filed (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission); and (G) has not, either voluntarily or involuntarily, initiated, conducted, or issued or caused to be initiated, conducted or issued, any recall, market withdrawal or replacement, safety alert,  or other notice or action relating to the alleged lack of safety of any product or any alleged product defect or violation and, to the Company’s knowledge, no third party has initiated, conducted or intends to initiate any such notice or action.

 

(mm)  Dividend Restrictions.  No subsidiary of the Company is prohibited or restricted, directly or indirectly, from paying dividends to the Company, or from making any other distribution with respect to such subsidiary’s equity securities or from repaying to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company any amounts that may from time to time become due under any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any property or assets to the Company or to any other subsidiary.

 

(nn)  Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that has resulted or would result in a violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA; and the Company and its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Company’s affiliates have conducted their respective businesses in compliance with the FCPA.

 

(oo)  Money Laundering Laws.  The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are, and have been conducted at all times, in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar applicable rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(pp)  OFAC.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the

 

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Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of this offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

 

(qq)  The ADM/Metabolix Agreements.  The Operating Agreement of ADM/Metabolix Sales Company, LLC by and between the Company and ADM Polymer Corporation dated July 14, 2006, and the Commercial Alliance Agreement by and among the Company, ADM/Metabolix Sales Company and ADM Polymer Corporation each 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.

 

Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and delivered to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 6 hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Underwriters, 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 Offered Shares.

 

(a)  The Firm Shares.  Upon the terms herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of 3,000,000 Firm Shares.  On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective number of Firm Shares set forth opposite its name on Schedule C.  The purchase price per Firm Share to be paid by the several Underwriters to the Company shall be $8.5275 per share.

 

(b)  The First Closing Date.  Delivery of certificates for the Firm Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Jefferies, 520 Madison Avenue, New York, New York  (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Underwriters) at 9:00 a.m. New York time, on November 16, 2009 or such other time and date not later than 1:30 p.m. New York time, on November 16, 2009 as the Underwriters shall designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “First Closing Date”).  The Company hereby acknowledges that circumstances under which the Underwriters may provide notice to postpone the First Closing Date as originally scheduled include, but are in no way limited to, any determination by the Company or the Underwriters to recirculate to the public copies of an amended or supplemented Prospectus or a delay as contemplated by the provisions of Section 11.

 

(c)  The Optional Shares; Option Closing Date.  In addition, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to an aggregate of 450,000 Optional

 

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Shares from the Company at the purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters for the Firm Shares.  The option granted hereunder is for use by the Underwriters solely in covering any over-allotments in connection with the sale and distribution of the Firm Shares.  The option granted hereunder may be exercised at any time and from time to time in whole or in part upon notice by Jefferies to the Company which notice may be given at any time within 30 days from the date of this Agreement.  Such notice shall set forth (i) the aggregate number of Optional Shares as to which the Underwriters are exercising the option, (ii) the names and denominations in which the certificates for the Optional Shares are to be registered and (iii) the time, date and place at which such certificates will be delivered (which time and date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the First Closing Date; and in the event that such time and date are simultaneous with the First Closing Date, the term “First Closing Date” shall refer to the time and date of delivery of certificates for the Firm Shares and such Optional Shares).  Any such time and date of delivery, if subsequent to the First Closing Date, is called an “Option Closing Date” and shall be determined by Jefferies and shall not be earlier than three nor later than five full business days after delivery of such notice of exercise.  If any Optional Shares are to be purchased, each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Optional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Underwriters may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Optional Shares to be purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth on Schedule C opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares.  The Underwriters may cancel the option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company.

 

(d)  Public Offering of the Offered Shares.  The Underwriters hereby advise the Company that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, initially on the terms set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Offered Shares as soon after this Agreement has been executed as the Underwriters, in their sole judgment, have determined is advisable and practicable.

 

(e)  Payment for the Offered Shares.  Payment for the Offered Shares shall be made at the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, at each Option Closing Date) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company.

 

It is understood that Jefferies has been authorized, for its own account and the account of TWP, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Firm Shares and any Optional Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase.  Jefferies, individually and not as the representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any Offered Shares to be purchased by an Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by Jefferies by the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

(f)  Delivery of the Offered Shares.  The Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to Jefferies for the accounts of the several Underwriters certificates for the Firm Shares at the First Closing Date, against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor.  The Company shall also deliver, or cause to be delivered, to Jefferies for the account of TWP, certificates for the Optional Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase at the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor.  The certificates for the Offered Shares shall be in definitive form and registered in such names and

 

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denominations as the Underwriters shall have requested at least two full business days prior to the First Closing Date (or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be) and shall be made available for inspection on the business day preceding the First Closing Date (or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be) at a location in New York City as the Underwriters may designate.  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 Underwriters.

 

Section 3.  Additional Covenants of the Company.  The Company further covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)  Delivery of Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus.  The Company shall furnish to you, without charge, as many copies of the Registration Statement, any amendments thereto and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) as the Underwriters may reasonably request and shall furnish to you in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 3(e) or 3(f) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.

 

(b)  Underwriters’ Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements.  Prior to amending or supplementing the Registration Statement (including any registration statement filed under Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act), any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus 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 Underwriters for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement, and the Company shall not file or use any such proposed amendment or supplement without the Underwriters’ consent, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.

 

(c)  Free Writing Prospectuses.  The Company shall furnish to the Underwriters for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto without the Underwriters’ consent.  The Company shall furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, or used by the Company, as such Underwriter may reasonably request.  If at any time when a prospectus is required by the Securities Act (including, without limitation, pursuant to Rule 173(d)) to be delivered in connection with sales of the Offered Shares (but in any event if at any time through and including the First Closing Date) there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company shall promptly amend or supplement such free writing prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict or so that the statements in such free writing prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,

 

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in the light of the circumstances prevailing at such subsequent time, not misleading, as the case may be; provided, however, that prior to amending or supplementing any such free writing prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Underwriters for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of such proposed amended or supplemented free writing prospectus and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any such amended or supplemented free writing prospectus without the Underwriters’ consent.

 

(d)  Filing of Underwriter Free Writing Prospectuses.  The Company shall not take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

 

(e)  Amendments and Supplements to Time of Sale Prospectus.  If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the Time of Sale Prospectus does not include an 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 when delivered to a prospective purchaser, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, including the Securities Act, the Company shall (subject to Sections 3(b) and 3(c)) forthwith prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an 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 when delivered to a prospective purchaser, not misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law including the Securities Act.

 

(f)  Securities Act Compliance.  After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Underwriters 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, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus, (iii) of the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) 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, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Shares from any securities exchange upon which they are 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

 

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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 Rule 424(b), Rule 433 and Rule 430A, 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 Rule 433 were received in a timely manner by the Commission.

 

(g)  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 so that the Prospectus does not include an 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 when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, including the Securities Act, the Company agrees (subject to Section 3(b) and 3(c)) to promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish at its own expense to the Underwriters and to dealers, amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an 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 when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law including the Securities Act.  Neither the Underwriters’ consent to, or delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the Company’s obligations under Sections 3(b) or (c).

 

(h)  Blue Sky Compliance.  The Company shall cooperate with the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters to qualify or register the Offered Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws or Canadian provincial securities laws of those jurisdictions designated by the Underwriters, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Offered 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. The Company will advise the Underwriters promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Offered 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.

 

(i)  Use of Proceeds.  The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Offered Shares sold by it in the manner described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in each Applicable Prospectus.

 

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

 

(k)  Earnings Statement.  As soon as practicable, but in any event no later than twelve months after the date of this Agreement, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Underwriters an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the

 

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Company occurring after the date of this Agreement which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

(l)  Periodic Reporting Obligations.  The Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the NASDAQ Global Market all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act.

 

(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)  Listing.  The Company will use its best efforts to maintain the listing of the Offered Shares on the NASDAQ Global Market.

 

(o)  Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Shares.  During the period commencing on and including the date hereof and ending on and including the 90th day following the date of this Agreement (as the same may be extended as described below, the “Lock-up Period”), the Company will not, without the prior written consent of Jefferies (which consent may be withheld at the sole discretion of Jefferies), directly or indirectly, sell (including, without limitation, any short sale), 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, except for a registration statement on Form S-8 relating to the Company’s existing employee benefit plans, in respect of, any Shares, options, rights or warrants to acquire Shares or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares (other than as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Offered Shares) or publicly announce the intention to do any of the foregoing; other than (i) the issuance of restricted Common Stock, restricted stock units or options to acquire Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans as such plans are in existence on the date hereof and described in the Applicable Prospectus, (ii) issuances of Common Stock upon the exercise or settlement of options or restricted stock units or warrants disclosed as outstanding in any Applicable Prospectus; or (iii) the purchase or sale of the Company’s securities pursuant to a plan, contract or instruction, if any, that satisfies all of the requirements of Rule 10b5-1(c)(1)(i)(B) that was in effect prior to the date hereof.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (A) during the last 17 days of the Lock-up Period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (B) prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-up Period, then in each case the Lock-up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless Jefferies waives, in writing, such extension (which waiver may be withheld at the sole discretion of Jefferies), except that such extension will not apply if, (i) within three business days prior to the 15th calendar day before the last day of the Lock-up Period, the Company delivers a certificate, signed by the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certifying on behalf of the Company that (i) the Shares are “actively traded securities” (as defined in Regulation M), (ii) the Company meets the applicable requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 139 under the Securities Act in the manner contemplated by FINRA Conduct Rule 2711(f)(4), and (iii) the

 

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provisions of FINRA Conduct Rule 2711(f)(4) are not applicable to any research reports relating to the Company published or distributed by any of the Underwriters during the 15 days before or after the last day of the Lock-up Period (before giving effect to such extension).  The Company will provide the Underwriters with prior notice of any such announcement that gives rise to an extension of the Lock-up Period.

 

(p)  Investment Limitation.  The Company shall not invest, or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Offered Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

 

(q)  No Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation MThe Company 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 Shares or any other reference security, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and the Company will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with all applicable provisions of Regulation M.  If the limitations of Rule 102 of Regulation M (“Rule 102”) do not apply with respect to the Offered Shares or any other reference security pursuant to any exception set forth in Section (d) of Rule 102, then promptly upon notice from the Underwriters (or, if later, at the time stated in the notice), the Company will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with Rule 102 as though such exception were not available but the other provisions of Rule 102 (as interpreted by the Commission) did apply.

 

(r)  Existing Lock-Up Agreements.  During the Lock-up Period, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to enforce all existing agreements between the Company and any of its security holders that prohibit the sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation of any of the Company’s securities.  In addition, the Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon any such securities of the Company that are bound by such existing “lock-up” agreements for the duration of the periods contemplated in such agreements, including, without limitation, “lock-up” agreements entered into by the Company’s officers and directors pursuant to Section 6(i).

 

Section 4.  Payment of Expenses.  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 Offered Shares (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Shares, (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares to the Underwriters, (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors, (v) 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), the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and each preliminary prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (vi) all filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Offered 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 Underwriters, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum and a “Canadian wrapper”, and any supplements thereto, advising the

 

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Underwriters of such qualifications, registrations determinations and exemptions, (vii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, FINRA’s review, if any, and approval of the Underwriters’ participation in the offering and distribution of the Offered Shares, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses, if any, of the representatives, employees and officers of the Company and of the Underwriters and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, if any (ix) the fees and expenses, if any, associated with listing the Offered Shares on the NASDAQ Global Market, and (x) all other fees, costs and expenses of the nature referred to in Item 14 of Part II of the Registration Statement.  Except as provided in this Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel.  Notwithstanding anything in Section 4 or Section 7 of this Agreement to the contrary, in no event shall the Company be required to pay any costs, fees or expenses of the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated herein in excess of $100,000.00 in the aggregate.

 

Section 5.  Covenant of the Underwriters.  Each Underwriter severally and not jointly, covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.

 

Section 6.  Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters.  The several obligations of each Underwriter to purchase and pay for the Offered Shares as provided herein on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof and as of the First Closing Date as though then made and, with respect to the Optional Shares, as of each Option Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:

 

(a)  Accountants’ Comfort Letter.  On the date hereof, the Underwriters shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent public or certified public accountants for the Company, (i) a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountant’s “comfort letters” to underwriters, delivered according to Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and each free writing prospectus, if any, and, with respect to each letter dated the date hereof only, the Prospectus, and (ii) confirming that they are (A) independent public or certified public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and (B) in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.

 

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(b)  Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from FINRAFor the period from and after effectiveness of this Agreement and prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option 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;
 
(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)                  FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
 

(c)  No Material Adverse Change or Ratings Agency Change.  For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and through and including the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date:

 

(i)            in the reasonable judgment of either Underwriter, there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Effect; and

 

(ii)           there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of a possible change, in the rating accorded any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act.

 

(d)  Opinion of Counsel for the Company.  On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Underwriters shall have received the opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, the form of which is attached as Exhibit A.

 

(e)  Opinion of Intellectual Property Counsel for the Company.  On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Underwriters shall have received the opinions of Pabst Patent Group LLP, acting as intellectual property counsel to the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, the form of which is attached hereto as Exhibit B.

 

(f)  Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters.  On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Underwriters shall have received the opinion of Proskauer Rose LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, dated as of such Closing Date.

 

(g)  Officers’ Certificate.  On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Underwriters shall have received a written certificate executed by the Chief Executive Officer or President of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, to the effect set forth in subsections (b)(ii) of this Section 6, and further to the effect that:

 

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(i)            for the period from and including the date of this Agreement through and including such Closing Date, there has not occurred any Material Adverse Change;
 
(ii)           the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of such 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 such Closing Date.
 

(h)  Bring-down Comfort Letter.  On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Underwriters shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent public or certified public accountants for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 6, 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 First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

(i)  Lock-Up Agreement from Certain Securityholders of the Company.  On or prior to the date hereof, the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters an agreement in the form of Exhibit D hereto from the persons listed on Exhibit C hereto, and such agreement shall be in full force and effect on each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date.

 

(j)  Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.  In the event that a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is filed in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement, such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have been filed with the Commission on the date of this Agreement and shall have become effective automatically upon such filing.

 

(k)  Additional Documents.  On or before each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably request for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Offered 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; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated herein and in connection with the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters.

 

If any condition specified in this Section 6 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Underwriters by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, at any time on or prior to the applicable Option 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 7.  Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses.  If this Agreement is terminated by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 6, Section 8, Section 11 or Section 12, or

 

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if the sale to the Underwriters of the Offered Shares on the First Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters (or such Underwriter as has terminated this Agreement with respect to itself), severally, upon demand for all documented out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Offered Shares, including but not limited to fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.

 

Section 8.  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 Underwriters 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 to either Underwriter, except that the Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Underwriters pursuant to Sections 4 and 7 hereof, (b) of either Underwriter to the Company, or (c) of any party hereto to any other party except that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

Section 9.  Indemnification.

 

(a)  Indemnification of the Underwriters.  The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its officers and employees, and each person, if any, who controls either Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or such officer, employee or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430A 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) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (iii) any act or failure to act or any alleged act or failure to act by either Underwriter in connection with, or relating in any manner to, the Shares 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 shall not be liable under this clause (iii) 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 such Underwriter through its bad faith or willful misconduct and to reimburse each Underwriter and each such officer, employee and controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel

 

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chosen by Jefferies) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or such officer, employee or 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 Underwriters expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any such free writing prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriters to the Company consists of the information described in subsection (b) below.  The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.

 

(b)  Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers.  Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company 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 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 statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (or such 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, such preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, such free writing prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, the Prospectus (or such amendment or supplement thereto), in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter expressly for use therein; and to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person for any legal and other expense reasonably incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action.  The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information that the Underwriters have furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are (A) the statements set forth in the table in the first paragraph, (B) the statements set forth in the table in the fourth paragraph, and (C) the thirteenth paragraph, fourteenth paragraph and fifteenth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus Supplement. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Underwriter may otherwise have.

 

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(c)  Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures.  Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 9 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 9, 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 9 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 reasonably 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, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 9 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 preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action), which counsel (together with any local counsel) for the indemnified parties shall be selected by Jefferies (in the case of counsel for the indemnified parties referred to in Section 8(a) above) or by the Company (in the case of counsel for the indemnified parties referred to in Section 8(b) above)) (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 or (iii) the indemnifying party has authorized in writing the employment of counsel for the indemnified party at the expense of the indemnifying party, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party and shall be paid as they are incurred.

 

(d)  Settlements.  The indemnifying party under this Section 9 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 9(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

 

26



 

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 includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding.

 

Section 10.  Contribution.  If the indemnification provided for in Section 9 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, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Offered 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, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions 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, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Offered 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 Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Offered Shares as set forth on such cover.  The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, 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 9(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 9(c) with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 10; provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 9(c) for purposes of indemnification.

 

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 10 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 10.

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions

 

27



 

received by such Underwriter in connection with the Offered 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.  The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 19 are several, and not joint, in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments as set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule C.  For purposes of this Section 10, each officer and employee of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company with the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

 

Section 11.  Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters.  If, on the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, either Underwriter shall fail or refuse to purchase all of the Offered Shares that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the other Underwriter and the Company for the purchase of such Offered Shares are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.  In any such case either the non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company shall have the right to postpone the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, 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.

 

As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section 11.  Any action taken under this Section 11 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

 

Section 12.  Termination of this Agreement.  Prior to the purchase of the Firm Shares by the Underwriters on the First Closing Date this Agreement may be terminated by the Underwriters by notice given to the Company 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 Global 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 FINRA; (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 either Underwriter is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Offered Shares in the manner and on the terms described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in the reasonable judgment of either 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 reasonable judgment of either Underwriter is reasonably likely to interfere materially with the

 

28



 

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 12 shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company to either Underwriter, except that the Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Underwriters pursuant to Sections 4 and 7 hereof, (b) either Underwriter to the Company, or (c) of any party hereto to any other party except that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

Section 13.  No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Offered Shares and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

 

Section 14.  Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery.  The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers and of each 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 either Underwriter or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

 

Section 15.  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 either Underwriter:

 

c/o Jefferies & Company, Inc.

520 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10022

Facsimile:  (212) 284-2280    

Attention:  General Counsel

 

If to the Company:

 

Metabolix, Inc.

21 Erie Street

 

29



 

Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
Facsimile:  (617) 663-6384
Attention:  Chief Financial Officer

 

with a copy to:

 

Metabolix, Inc.

21 Erie Street

Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
Facsimile:  (617) 663-6384
Attention:  General Counsel

 

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

 

Section 16.  Successors.  This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters pursuant to Section 11 hereof, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 9 and Section 10, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.  The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Offered Shares as such from any of the Underwriters merely by reason of such purchase.

 

Section 17.  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 18.  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.  Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City 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, 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.

 

Section 19.  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.

 

30



 

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 9 and the contribution provisions of Section 10, and is fully informed regarding said provisions.  Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Sections 9 and 10 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, the Time of Sale Prospectus, each free writing prospectus and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements thereto), as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

 

31



 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company 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,

 

 

 

 

 

METABOLIX, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Richard P. Eno

 

 

Name: Richard P. Eno

 

 

Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

 

The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by each of the Underwriters as of the date first above written.

 

JEFFERIES & COMPANY, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Jeffrey Lipton

 

 

Name: Jeffrey Lipton

 

 

Title: Managing Director

 

 

 

 

 

THOMAS WEISEL PARTNERS LLC

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Seth Rubin

 

 

Name: Seth Rubin

 

 

Title: Managing Director

 

 

32



 

SCHEDULE A

 

Free Writing Prospectus dated November 11, 2009 Relating to Registration Statement on Form S-3 Registration No. 333-148758.

 



 

SCHEDULE B

 

Number of Shares being offered:  3,000,000

 

Underwriters Over-Allotment Amount: 450,000 shares

 

Price per Share to the public:  $9.00

 

Estimated net proceeds to be received by the Company:  $25.3 million

 



 

SCHEDULE C

 

Underwriters

 

Number of
Firm Shares
to be Purchased

 

Jefferies & Company, Inc.

 

1,800,000

 

Thomas Weisel Partners LLC

 

1,200,000

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

3,000,000

 

 



 

EXHIBIT A

 

Opinion of counsel for the Company

to be delivered pursuant to Section 6(d) of the Underwriting Agreement

 

SEE ATTACHED

 

A-1



 
EXHIBIT B

 

Opinion of Intellectual Property counsel
for the Company to be delivered pursuant
to Section 6(e) of the Underwriting Agreement

 

SEE ATTACHED

 

B-1



 

EXHIBIT C

 

LIST OF PERSONS EXECUTING LOCK-UPS

 

1.

Richard P. Eno

 

 

2.

Edward M. Giles

 

 

3.

Peter N. Kellogg

 

 

4.

Jay Kouba

 

 

5.

Edward M. Muller

 

 

6.

Oliver P. Peoples

 

 

7.

Anthony J. Sinskey

 

 

8.

Matthew Strobeck

 

 

9.

Robert L. Van Nostrand

 

 

10.

Joseph D. Hill

 

 

11.

Robert E. Engle

 

 

12.

Sarah P. Cecil

 

 

13.

Johan van Walsem

 

 

14.

Metabolix, Inc.

 

C-1



 

EXHIBIT D

 

November        , 2009

 

Jefferies & Company, Inc.
Thomas Weisel Partners LLC

c/o Jefferies & Company, Inc.

520 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10022

 

RE:          Metabolix, Inc. (the “Company”)

 

Ladies & Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned is an owner of record or beneficially of certain shares of common stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company (“Shares”) or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Shares.  The Company proposes to carry out a public offering of Shares (the “Offering”) for which you will be the underwriters.  The undersigned recognizes that the Offering will be of benefit to the undersigned and will benefit the Company by, among other things, raising additional capital for its operations.  The undersigned acknowledges that you and the other underwriters are relying on the representations and agreements of the undersigned contained in this letter agreement in carrying out the Offering and in entering into underwriting arrangements with the Company with respect to the Offering.

 

In consideration of the foregoing, the undersigned hereby agrees that the undersigned will not, (and will cause any spouse or immediate family member of the spouse or the undersigned living in the undersigned’s household not to), without the prior written consent of Jefferies & Company, Inc. (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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise dispose of any Shares, options or warrants to acquire Shares, or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) by the undersigned (or such spouse or family member), 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 90 days after the date of the Prospectus (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement relating to the Offering to which the Company is a party)(the “Lock-up Period”); provided, that if (i) during the last 17 days of the Lock-up Period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (ii) prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-up Period, then in each case the Lock-up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless Jefferies & Company, Inc. waives, in writing, such extension, except that such extension will not apply if, (i) within three business days prior to the 15th calendar day before the last day of the Lock-up Period, the Company delivers a certificate, signed by the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certifying on behalf of the Company that (i) the Shares are “actively traded securities” (as defined in Regulation M), (ii) the Company meets the applicable requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 139 under the Securities Act in the manner contemplated by FINRA Conduct Rule 2711(f)(4), and (iii) the provisions of FINRA Conduct Rule 2711(f)(4) are not applicable to any research reports relating to the Company published or distributed by any of the Underwriters during the 15 days before or after the last day of the Lock-up Period (before giving effect to such extension).  The foregoing restrictions shall not apply to the transfer

 

1



 

of any or all of the Shares owned by the undersigned, either during his or her lifetime or on death, by gift, will or intestate succession to the immediate family of the undersigned or to a trust the beneficiaries of which are exclusively the undersigned and/or a member or members of his immediate family; provided, however, that it shall be a condition to such transfer that the transferee executes and delivers to Jefferies & Company, Inc. an agreement stating that the transferee is receiving and holding the Shares subject to the provisions of this letter agreement, and there shall be no further transfer of such Shares except in accordance with this letter agreement. The undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees that written notice of any extension of the Lock-up Period pursuant to the preceding sentence will be delivered by Jefferies & Company, Inc. to the Company and that any such notice properly delivered will be deemed to have been given to, and received by, the undersigned.

 

The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Shares held by the undersigned except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

 

With respect to the Offering only, the undersigned waives any registration rights relating to registration under the Securities Act of any Shares owned either of record or beneficially by the undersigned, including any rights to receive notice of the Offering.

 

This agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on the undersigned and the respective successors, heirs, personal representatives, and assigns of the undersigned.

 

 

 

Printed Name of Holder

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Signature

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Printed Name of Person Signing

 

 

 

(and indicate capacity of person signing if

 

signing as custodian, trustee, or on behalf

 

of an entity)

 

 

2


Exhibit 5.1

 

November 12, 2009

 

Metabolix, Inc.

21 Erie Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

 

Re:          Securities Registered under Registration Statement on Form S-3

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Reference is made to our opinion letter dated January 18, 2008 and included as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”) filed on January 18, 2008 by Metabolix, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).  The Registration Statement was declared effective by the Commission on January 30, 2008.  We are delivering this supplemental opinion letter in connection with the prospectus supplement (the “Prospectus Supplement”) filed on November 12, 2009 by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.  The Prospectus Supplement relates to the offering by the Company of up to 3,450,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value (the “Shares”) covered by the Registration Statement.  The Shares include an over-allotment option granted to the underwriters of the offering to purchase 450,000 shares of common stock as set forth in that certain Underwriting Agreement among the Company and the underwriters identified therein, dated as of November 11, 2009 (the “Underwriting Agreement”).  We understand that the Shares are to be offered and sold in the manner described in the Prospectus Supplement.

 

We have reviewed such documents and made such examination of law as we have deemed appropriate to give the opinions expressed below.  We have relied, without independent verification, on certificates of public officials and, as to matters of fact material to the opinions set forth below, on certificates of officers of the Company.

 

The opinion expressed below is limited to the Delaware General Corporation Law (which includes applicable provisions of the Delaware Constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting the Delaware General Corporation Law and the Delaware Constitution).

 

Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized and, upon issuance and delivery against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

We hereby consent to the inclusion of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement.  In giving our consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.

 



 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

/s/ Goodwin Procter LLP

 

 

 

GOODWIN PROCTER LLP

 

2


Exhibit 99.1

 

 

Metabolix Announces Commencement of Public Offering of Common Stock

 

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (November 10, 2009) - Metabolix, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBLX), a bioscience company focused on developing sustainable solutions for plastics, chemicals and energy, today announced that it has commenced a public offering of shares of its common stock pursuant to the Company’s effective shelf registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Jefferies & Company and Thomas Weisel Partners LLC will serve as the underwriters for this offering. The underwriters also have the option to purchase up to an additional 15 percent of the offered amount of common stock from the Company at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions, within 30 days, to cover over-allotments, if any. The offering is subject to market conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering. The Company intends to use the net proceeds it receives from the offering for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

 

The shares will be issued pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement that was previously filed with the SEC and was declared effective on January 30, 2008. A preliminary prospectus supplement related to the offering has been filed with the SEC and is available on the SEC’s website http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the prospectus supplement relating to these securities may be obtained from Jefferies & Company, Inc., 520 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022, 1-888-449-2342 or Thomas Weisel Partners LLC, One Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California 94104 (415) 364-2720.

 

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

 

About Metabolix

Founded in 1992, Metabolix, Inc. is an innovation-driven bioscience company focused on providing sustainable solutions for the world’s needs for plastics, chemicals and energy. The Company is taking a systems approach, from gene to end product, integrating sophisticated biotechnology with advanced industrial practice. Metabolix is now developing and commercializing Mirel™, a family of high performance bioplastics which are biobased and biodegradable alternatives to many petroleum-based plastics. Metabolix is also developing a proprietary platform technology for co-producing plastics, chemicals and energy, from crops such as switchgrass, oilseeds and sugarcane.

 

For more information, please visit www.metabolix.com.

 

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements in this press

 



 

release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release which are not strictly historical statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding expectations for Metabolix research and development programs, constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated and are detailed in Metabolix’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Metabolix assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein.

 

Contacts

 

Media:

Matt Lindberg, ICR, (203) 682-8214, matthew.lindberg@icrinc.com

 

Brian Ruby, ICR, (203) 682-8268, brian.ruby@icrinc.com

 

 

Investors:

James Palczynski, ICR, (203) 682-8229, james.palczynski@icrinc.com

 

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Exhibit 99.2

 

GRAPHIC

 

Metabolix Prices Common Stock Offering

 

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (November 11, 2009) - Metabolix, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBLX), a bioscience company focused on developing sustainable solutions for plastics, chemicals and energy, today announced that it has priced a public offering of 3.0 million newly issued shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $9.00 per share. The gross proceeds to Metabolix, before underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses, from the sale of the shares are expected to be approximately $27 million. Jefferies & Company and Thomas Weisel Partners LLC are the underwriters for this offering. The Company has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 450,000 additional shares to cover over-allotments, if any. If the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, gross proceeds from the offering, before underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses, will be approximately $31million. The offering is expected to close on November 16, 2009, subject to customary closing conditions.  The Company intends to use the net proceeds it receives from the offering for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

 

The shares will be issued pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement that was previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and was declared effective on January 30, 2008. The offering is being made by means of a prospectus and related prospectus supplement. Copies of the prospectus and prospectus supplement relating to the offering may be obtained from Jefferies & Company, Inc., 520 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022, 1-888-449-2342. These shares may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to delivery of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

 

About Metabolix

Founded in 1992, Metabolix, Inc. is an innovation-driven bioscience company focused on providing sustainable solutions for the world’s needs for plastics, chemicals and energy. The Company is taking a systems approach, from gene to end product, integrating sophisticated biotechnology with advanced industrial practice. Metabolix is now developing and commercializing Mirel™, a family of high performance bioplastics which are biobased and biodegradable alternatives to many petroleum-based plastics. Metabolix is also developing a proprietary platform technology for co-producing plastics, chemicals and energy, from crops such as switchgrass, oilseeds and sugarcane.

 

For more information, please visit www.metabolix.com.

 

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements in this press

 



 

release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release which are not strictly historical statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding expectations for Metabolix research and development programs, constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated and are detailed in Metabolix’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Metabolix assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein.

 

Contacts

 

Media:

Matt Lindberg, ICR, (203) 682-8214, matthew.lindberg@icrinc.com

 

Brian Ruby, ICR, (203) 682-8268, brian.ruby@icrinc.com

 

 

Investors:

James Palczynski, ICR, (203) 682-8229, james.palczynski@icrinc.com

 

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