Original GBL Prospectus - Gabelli
Original GBL Prospectus - Gabelli
Original GBL Prospectus - Gabelli
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE<br />
Immediately after consummation of the OÅering, the Company will have 6 million shares of Class A<br />
Common Stock issued and outstanding (6.9 million shares of Class A Common Stock if the Underwriters'<br />
over-allotment option is exercised in full) and 24 million shares of Class B Common Stock issued and<br />
outstanding. All of the shares of Class A Common Stock to be sold in the OÅering will be freely tradable<br />
without restrictions or further registration under the Securities Act, except that shares purchased by an<br />
""aÇliate'' of the Company (as that term is deÑned in Rule 144 (an ""AÇliate'')) will be subject to the resale<br />
limitations of Rule 144. The 24 million shares of Class B Common Stock owned by GFI and two of its<br />
subsidiaries are ""restricted securities'' as deÑned in Rule 144 under the Securities Act, and may not be sold in<br />
the absence of registration under the Securities Act other than pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act<br />
or another exemption from registration under the Securities Act.<br />
In general, under Rule 144, as currently in eÅect, (i) a person (or persons whose shares are required to be<br />
aggregated) who has beneÑcially owned shares of Common Stock as to which at least one year has elapsed<br />
since such shares were sold by the Company or by an AÇliate of the Company in a transaction or chain of<br />
transactions not involving a public oÅering (""restricted securities'') or (ii) an AÇliate of the Company who<br />
holds shares of Common Stock that are not restricted securities may sell, within any three-month period, a<br />
number of such shares that does not exceed the greater of 1% of the Company's class of Common Stock then<br />
outstanding or the average weekly trading volume in the class of Common Stock during the four calendar<br />
weeks preceding the date on which notice of such sale required under Rule 144 was Ñled. Sales under<br />
Rule 144 are also subject to certain provisions relating to the manner and notice of sale and availability of<br />
current public information about the Company. AÇliates of the Company must comply with the requirements<br />
of Rule 144, including the one-year holding period requirement, to sell shares of Common Stock that are<br />
restricted securities. Furthermore, if a period of at least two years has elapsed from the date restricted<br />
securities were acquired from the Company or an AÇliate of the Company, a holder of such restricted<br />
securities who is not an AÇliate of the Company at the time of the sale and has not been an AÇliate of the<br />
Company at any time during the three months prior to such sale would be entitled to sell such shares without<br />
regard to the volume limitation and other conditions described above.<br />
For a period of 180 days after the date of this <strong>Prospectus</strong>, without the prior written consent of Merrill<br />
Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Salomon Smith Barney Inc., on behalf of the Underwriters,<br />
(i) the Company, GFI and two of its subsidiaries have agreed with the Underwriters that they will not offer, sell<br />
or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exchangeable or<br />
exercisable for shares of Common Stock, except for the shares of Class A Common Stock to be sold in the<br />
Offering and options granted in the ordinary course of business under the Plan or for shares of Class B Common<br />
Stock transferred among GFI and its two subsidiaries and (ii) shareholders of GFI who are also officers and<br />
directors of the Company have agreed with the Underwriters that they will not offer, sell or otherwise dispose of<br />
any shares of capital stock of GFI or any security convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of<br />
capital stock of GFI, except in transactions between existing shareholders of GFI and through gifts, in each case,<br />
to persons who agree to be bound by similar restrictions. See ""Underwriting.'' In addition, GFI and two of its<br />
subsidiaries have agreed with the Company that they will not offer, sell or otherwise dispose of any shares of<br />
Class B Common Stock for a period of three years after the date of this <strong>Prospectus</strong> without the prior written<br />
consent of the Company (except for transfers among GFI and its two subsidiaries).<br />
The shares of Class A Common Stock authorized for issuance pursuant to awards that may be granted under<br />
the Company's 1999 Stock Award and Incentive Plan may be either authorized but unissued shares or treasury<br />
shares obtained by the Company through market or private purchases. See ""Management Ì 1999 Stock Award<br />
and Incentive Plan.'' The Company intends to register under the Securities Act the shares of Class A Common<br />
Stock issuable upon the exercise of options granted pursuant to the 1999 Stock Award and Incentive Plan.<br />
Prior to the OÅering, there has been no public market for Class A Common Stock. Although the<br />
Company can make no prediction as to the eÅect, if any, that sales of shares of Class B Common Stock by<br />
GFI or two of its subsidiaries would have on the market price of Class A Common Stock prevailing from time<br />
to time, sales of substantial amounts of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock, or the perception<br />
that such sales could occur, could adversely aÅect prevailing market prices for the Class A Common Stock.<br />
See ""Risk Factors Ì Shares Available for Future Sale or Distribution.''<br />
67