Financial Advisory Agreement - e-Net Inc. and Barron Chase Securities Inc.
FINANCIAL ADVISORY AGREEMENT
This Agreement is made and entered into as of the day of
, 1997, between e-Net, Inc. (the "Company") and Barron Chase Securities, Inc.
(the "Financial Advisor").
W I T N E S S E T H :
WHEREAS, The Company has engaged the Financial Advisor to act as the
Underwriter in connection with the public offering of the Company's securities;
and
WHEREAS, the Financial Advisor has experience in providing financial and
business advice to public and private companies; and
WHEREAS, the Company is seeking and the Financial Advisor is willing to
furnish business and financial related advice and services to the Company on the
terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of, and for the mutual promises and
covenants contained herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the
receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:
1. PURPOSE. The Company hereby engages the Financial Advisor on a
non-exclusive basis for the term specified in this Agreement to render financial
advisory and consulting advice to the Company as an investment banker relating
to financial and similar matters upon the terms and conditions set forth herein.
However, the advisory will only be rendered if specifically requested in writing
by the CEO of the Company.
2. REPRESENTATIONS OF THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR AND THE COMPANY. The
Financial Advisor represents and warrants to the Company that (i) it is a member
in good standing of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
("NASD") and that it is engaged in the securities brokerage business; (ii) in
addition to its securities brokerage business, the Financial Advisor provides
consulting advisory services; and (iii) it is free to enter into this Agreement
and the services to be provided pursuant to this Agreement are not in conflict
with any other contractual or other obligation to which the Financial Advisor is
bound. The Company acknowledges that the Financial Advisor is in the business
of providing financial services and consulting advice (of the type contemplated
by this Agreement) to others and that nothing herein contained shall be
construed to limit or restrict the Financial Advisor in conducting such business
with respect to others, or rendering such advice to others.
3. DUTIES OF THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR. During the term of this Agreement,
the Financial Advisor will provide the Company with consulting advice as
specified below at the request of the Company, provided that the Financial
Advisor shall not be required to undertake duties not reasonably within the
scope of the consulting advisory service in which the Financial Advisor is
engaged
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generally. In performance of these duties, the Financial Advisor shall provide
the Company with the benefits of its best judgment and efforts. It is
understood and acknowledged by the parties that the value of the Financial
Advisor's advice is not measurable in any quantitative manner, and that the
amount of time spent rendering such consulting advice shall be determined
according to the Financial Advisor's discretion.
The Financial Advisor's duties may include, but will not necessarily be
limited to:
1) Advice relating to corporate financing activities;
2) Recommendations relating to specific business operations and
investments;
3) Advice relating to financial planning; and
4) Advice regarding future financings involving securities of the
Company or any subsidiary.
4. TERM. The term of this Agreement shall be for thirty-six (36) months
commencing on the first day of the month following the Company's receipt of the
proceeds from the contemplated public offering (the "Commencement Date");
provided, however, that this Agreement may be renewed or extended upon such
terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto.
5. FEE. The Company shall pay the Financial Advisor a fee of $108,000
for the financial services to be rendered pursuant to this Agreement, all of
which shall be payable at the Closing Date of the Company's proposed public
offering.
6. EXPENSES. In addition to the fees payable hereunder, the Company shall
reimburse the Financial Advisor, within five (5) business days of its request,
for any and all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with
the services performed by the Financial Advisor and its counsel pursuant to this
Agreement, including (i) reasonable hotel, food and associated expenses; (ii)
reasonable charges for travel; (iii) reasonable long-distance telephone calls;
and (iv) other reasonable expenses spent or incurred on the Company's behalf.
All such expenses in excess of $500 shall be pre-approved by the Company.
7. INTRODUCTION OF CUSTOMERS, ORIGINATION OF LINE OF CREDIT AND SIMILAR
TRANSACTIONS. In the event the Financial Advisor originates a line of credit
with a lender or a corporate partner, the Company and the Financial Advisor will
mutually agree on a satisfactory fee and the terms of payment of such fee. In
the event the Financial Advisor introduces the Company to a joint venture
partner or customer and sales develop as a result of the introduction, the
Company agrees to pay a fee of five percent (5%) of total sales generated
directly from this introduction during the first two years following the date of
the first sale. Total sales shall mean cost receipts less any applicable
refunds, returns, allowances, credits and shipping charges and monies paid by
the Company by way of settlement or judgment arising out of claims made by or
threatened against the Company. Commission payments shall be
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paid on the 15th day of each month following the receipt of customers' payments.
In the event any adjustments are made to the total sales after the commission
has been paid, the Company shall be entitled to an appropriate refund or credit
against future payments under this Agreement.
All fees to be paid pursuant to this paragraph, except as otherwise
specified, are due and payable to the Financial Advisor in cash at the closing
or closings of any transaction specified in this paragraph. In the event that
this Agreement shall not be renewed or if terminated for any reason,
notwithstanding any such non-renewal or termination, the Financial Advisor shall
be entitled to a full fee as provided under this paragraph for any transaction
for which the discussions were initiated during the term of this Agreement and
which is consummated within a period of twelve months after non-renewal or
termination of this Agreement. Nothing herein shall impose any obligation on
the part of the Company to enter into any transaction or to use any services of
the Financial Advisor offered pursuant to this paragraph or this Agreement.
8. USE OF ADVICE BY THE COMPANY; PUBLIC MARKET FOR THE COMPANY'S
SECURITIES. The Company acknowledges that all opinions and advice (written or
oral) given by the Financial Advisor to the Company in connection with the
engagement of the Financial Advisor are intended solely for the benefit and use
of the Company in considering the transaction to which they relate, and the
Company agrees that no person or entity other than the Company shall be entitled
to make use of or rely upon the advice of the Financial Advisor to be given
hereunder, and no such opinion or advice shall be used for any other purpose or
reproduced, disseminated, quoted or referred to at any time, in any manner or
for any purpose, nor may the Company make any public references to the Financial
Advisor, or use of the Financial Advisor's name in any annual reports or any
other reports or releases of the Company without the prior written consent of
the Financial Advisor.
The Company acknowledges that the Financial Advisor makes no commitment
whatsoever as to making a public trading market in the Company's securities or
to recommending or advising its clients to purchase the Company's securities.
Research reports or corporate finance reports that may be prepared by the
Financial Advisor will, when and if prepared, be done solely on the merits or
judgment and analysis of the Financial Advisor or any senior corporate finance
personnel of the Financial Advisor.
9. COMPANY INFORMATION; CONFIDENTIALLY. The Company recognizes and
confirms that, in advising the Company and in fulfilling its engagement
hereunder, the Financial Advisor will use and rely on data, material and other
information furnished to the Financial Advisor by the Company. The Company
acknowledges and agrees that in performing its services under this engagement,
the Financial Advisor may rely upon the data, material and other information
supplied by the Company without independently verifying the accuracy,
completeness or veracity of same. In addition, in the performance of its
services, the Financial Advisor may look to such others for such factual
information, economic advice and/or research upon which to base its advice to
the Company hereunder as the Financial Advisor shall in good faith deem
appropriate.
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Except as contemplated by the terms hereof or as required by applicable
law, the Financial Advisor shall keep confidential all non-public information
provided to it by the Company, and shall not disclose such information to any
third party without the Company's prior written consent, other than such of its
employees and advisors as the Financial Advisor determines to have a need to
know.
10. INDEMNIFICATION. The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless the
Financial Advisor against any and all liabilities, claims, lawsuits, including
any and all awards and/or judgments to which it may become subject under the
Securities Act of 1933, (the "Act"), the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the "1934 Act") or any other federal or state statute, at common law or
otherwise, insofar as said liabilities, claims and lawsuits (including costs,
expenses, awards and/or judgments) arise out of or are in connection with the
services rendered by the Financial Advisor or any transactions in connection
with this Agreement, except for any liabilities, claims and lawsuits (including
awards and/or judgments), arising out of willful misconduct or willful omissions
of the Financial Advisor. In addition, the Company shall also indemnify and
hold harmless the Financial Advisor against any and all reasonable costs and
expenses, including reasonable counsel fees, incurred relating to the foregoing.
The Financial Advisor shall give the Company prompt notice of any such
liability, claim or lawsuit which the Financial Advisor contends is the subject
matter of the Company's indemnification and the Company thereupon shall be
granted the right to take any and all necessary and proper action, at its sole
cost and expense, with respect to such liability, claim and lawsuit, including
the right to settle, compromise and dispose of such liability, claim or lawsuit,
excepting therefrom any and all proceedings or hearings before any regulatory
bodies and/or authorities.
The Financial Advisor shall indemnify and hold the Company harmless against
any and all liabilities, claims and lawsuits, including any and all awards
and/or judgments to which it may become subject under the Act, the 1934 Act or
any other federal or state statute, at common law or otherwise, insofar as said
liabilities, claims and lawsuits (including costs, expenses, awards and/or
judgments) arise out of or are based upon willful misconduct or willful
omissions of the Financial Advisor. In addition, the Financial Advisor shall
also indemnify and hold the Company harmless against any and all reasonable
costs and expenses, including reasonable counsel fees, incurred relating to the
foregoing.
The Company shall give the Financial Advisor prompt notice of any such
liability, claim or lawsuit which the Company contends is the subject matter of
the Financial Advisor's indemnification and the Financial Advisor thereupon
shall be granted the right to take any and all necessary and proper action, at
its sole cost and expense, with respect to such liability, claim and lawsuit,
including the right to settle, compromise or dispose of such liability, claim or
lawsuit, excepting therefrom any and all proceedings or hearings before any
regulatory bodies and/or authorities.
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11. THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR AS AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR. The Financial
Advisor shall perform its services hereunder as an independent contractor and
not as an employee of the Company or an affiliate thereof. It is expressly
understood and agreed to by the parties hereto that the Financial Advisor shall
have no authority to act for, represent or bind the Company or any affiliate
thereof in any manner, except as may be agreed to expressly by the Company in
writing from time to time.
12. MISCELLANEOUS.
(a) This Agreement between the Company and the Financial Advisor
constitutes the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto, and
supersedes any and all previous agreements and understandings, whether oral or
written, between the parties with respect to the matters set forth herein.
(b) Any notice or communication permitted or required hereunder shall be
in writing and shall be deemed sufficiently given if hand-delivered or sent
postage prepaid by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to
the respective parties as set forth below, or to such other address as either
party may notify the other in writing:
If to the Company: Robert A. Veschi, President
e-Net, Inc.
12800 Middlebrook Road
Suite 200
Germantown, Maryland 20874
Copy to: Thomas T. Prousalis, Jr., Esq.
1919 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
If to the
Financial Advisor: Robert T. Kirk, President
Barron Chase Securities, Inc.
7700 West Camino Real, Suite 200
Boca Raton, Florida 33433
Copy to: David A. Carter, P.A.
355 West Palmetto Park Road
Boca Raton, Florida 33432
(c) This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of each
of the parties hereto and their respective successors, legal representatives and
assigns.
(d) This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of
which together shall constitute one and the same original document.
(e) No provision of this Agreement may be amended, modified or waived,
except in a writing signed by all of the parties hereto.
(f) This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and
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governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without giving effect to conflict
of law principles. The parties hereby agree that any dispute which may arise
between them arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be
adjudicated before a court located in Palm Beach County, Florida, and they
hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of
Florida located in Palm Beach County, Florida and of the federal courts in the
Southern District of Florida with respect to any action or legal proceeding
commenced by any party, and irrevocably waive any objection they now or
hereafter may have respecting the venue of any such action or proceeding brought
in such a court or respecting the fact that such court is an inconvenient forum,
relating to or arising out of this Agreement, and consent to the service of
process in any such action or legal proceeding by means of registered or
certified mail, return receipt requested, in care of the address set forth in
paragraph 12(b) hereof.
(g) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by and
on behalf of the Company and the Financial Advisor.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed, as of the day and year first above written.
Very truly yours,
e-NET, INC.
BY:
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Robert A. Veschi, President
BARRON CHASE SECURITIES, INC.
BY:
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Robert T. Kirk, President
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