VWR CORPORATION (Delaware corporation) 8,000,000 Shares of Common Stock UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
Execution Version
VWR CORPORATION
(Delaware corporation)
8,000,000 Shares of Common Stock
Dated: August 9, 2016
VWR CORPORATION
(Delaware corporation)
8,000,000 Shares of Common Stock
August 9, 2016
c/o Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx
Incorporated
Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Varietal Distribution Holdings, LLC (the “Selling Shareholder”) as shareholder of VWR Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) confirms its agreement with Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated (the “Underwriter”) with respect to (i) the sale by the Selling Shareholder and the purchase by the Underwriter of an aggregate of 8,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”) and (ii) the grant by the Selling Shareholder to the Underwriter of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of the 1,200,000 additional shares of Common Stock. The aforesaid 8,000,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Initial Securities”) to be purchased by the Underwriter and all or any of the 1,200,000 shares of Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “Option Securities”) are herein called, collectively, (the “Securities”).
The Selling Shareholder understands that the Underwriter proposes to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Underwriter deems advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.
The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-207924), covering the public offering and sale of certain securities, including the Securities, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1933 Act Regulations”), which automatic shelf registration statement became effective under Rule 462(e) under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 462(e)”). Such registration statement, as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto to such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 430B”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement;” provided, however, that the “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Securities, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” of such registration statement with respect to the Securities within the meaning of paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B, including the exhibits and schedules thereto as of such time, the documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein at such
1
time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to the Rule 430B. Each preliminary prospectus used in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, are collectively referred to herein as a “preliminary prospectus.” Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a final prospectus relating to the Securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”). The final prospectus, in the form first furnished or made available to the Underwriter for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, and the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, are collectively referred to herein as the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system or any successor system (“XXXXX”).
As used in this Agreement:
“Applicable Time” means 4:26 p.m., New York City time, on August 9, 2016 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Underwriter.
“General Disclosure Package” means any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the most recent preliminary prospectus (including any documents incorporated therein by reference) that is distributed to investors prior to the Applicable Time and the information included on Schedule C hereto, all considered together.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including without limitation any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 405”)) relating to the Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433 (the “Bona Fide Electronic Road Show”)), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule C hereto.
“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed
2
to include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “1934 Act”), incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, at or after the execution and delivery of this Agreement.
SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.
(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriter as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time, the Closing Time and any Date of Delivery (as defined below), except for any representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, in which case only as of such date, and agrees with the Underwriter, as follows:
(i) Registration Statement and Prospectuses. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” (as defined in Rule 405) and the Securities have been and remain eligible for registration by the Company on such automatic shelf registration statement. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.
Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of its effectiveness and at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriter pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the 1933 Act Regulations, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time each was filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriter for use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T under the 1933 Act.
The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1934 Act (the “1934 Act Regulations”).
(ii) Accurate Disclosure. Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time, at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will 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, neither (A) the General Disclosure Package nor (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted 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. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), as of its issue date, at the time of any
3
filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement became effective or when such documents incorporated by reference were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, did not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any post-effective amendment thereto), the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be the information in the first paragraph under the heading “Underwriting–Commissions and Discounts,” the information in the second and third paragraphs under the heading “Underwriting–Price Stabilization and Short Positions” and the information under the heading “Underwriting–Electronic Distribution” in each case contained in the Prospectus (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).
(iii) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance on and conformity with Underwriting Information. Any offer that is a written communication relating to the Securities made prior to the initial filing of the Registration Statement by the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this paragraph only, of Rule 163(c) of the 1933 Act Regulations) has been filed with the Commission in accordance with the exemption provided by Rule 163 under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 163”) and otherwise complied with the requirements of Rule 163, including without limitation the legending requirement, to qualify such offer for the exemption from Section 5(c) of the 1933 Act provided by Rule 163.
(iv) Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (A) At the original effectiveness of the Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus), (C) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the 0000 Xxx) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the 1933 Act, and (D) as of the Applicable Time, the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” (as defined in Rule 405).
(v) Company Not Ineligible Issuer. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Securities and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.
4
(vi) Independent Accountants. The accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are independent public accountants with respect to the Company as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations, and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
(vii) Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly the consolidated financial position of the entities to which they relate as of and at the dates indicated and the results of their operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein. The pro forma financial statements and the related notes thereto included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or incorporated by reference therein, regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the 1934 Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act, to the extent applicable. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(viii) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (A) there has not been any material adverse change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock, and (D) none of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court of governmental action, order or decree.
5
(ix) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing (or has equivalent status) under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, or is subject to no material liability or disability by reason of the failure to be so qualified in any such jurisdiction, except for such jurisdictions where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(x) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each “significant subsidiary” of the Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) (each, a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) has been duly incorporated or formed, as applicable, and is validly existing in its corporate form in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, as applicable, has corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, or is subject to no material liability or disability by reason of the failure to be so qualified in any such jurisdiction, except where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing would not individually or in the aggregate result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity (other than liens securing the Senior Credit Facility (as defined in the General Disclosure Package)). The only subsidiaries of the Company are the subsidiaries listed on Exhibit 21 to the Registration Statement.
(xi) Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company, including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriter from the Selling Shareholder, have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company, including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriter from the Selling Shareholder, were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.
(xii) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
6
(xiii) Authorization and Description of Securities. The Common Stock conforms in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms in all material respects to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same. No holder of Securities will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder.
(xiv) Registration Rights. There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale or sold by the Company under the 1933 Act pursuant to this Agreement except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and have been waived.
(xv) Absence of Violations, Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its charter, by-laws or similar organizational document, (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for such defaults that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Entity”), except for such violations that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or bylaws of the Company, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or a Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (other than liens securing the Senior Credit Facility) (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect), and (iii) such action will not result in any violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity, except for such violations as would not individually or, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect and as would not adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(xvi) Absence of Labor Dispute. No strike, labor dispute, slowdown or work stoppage with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is pending or threatened, except as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
7
(xvii) Absence of Proceedings. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental actions, suits, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge or threatened (i) against or affecting the Company or Subsidiaries or (ii) which have as the subject thereof any property owned or leased by, the Company or Subsidiaries and any such action, suit, investigation or proceeding, if determined adversely to such parties, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(xviii) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described and filed as required.
(xix) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market, state securities laws or the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
(xx) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, permits, certificates, consents, orders, approvals and other authorizations from, and have made all declarations and filings with, all federal, state and other governmental authorities, presently required or necessary to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate their respective properties and to carry on their respective businesses (“Permits”) as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess, make or obtain such Permits (by possession, declaration or filing) would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxi) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them that are material to the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as (A) are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (B) do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or (C) liens securing the Senior Credit Facility; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries.
(xxii) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and each of its subsidiaries owns, or has the legal right to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, trade names, copyrights, technology, know-how and processes necessary for each of them to conduct its business as currently conducted (the “Intellectual Property”), except for those the failure to own or have such legal right to use would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No claim has been asserted and is pending by any person challenging or questioning the use of any such Intellectual Property or the validity or effectiveness of any such
8
Intellectual Property, nor does the Company know of any such claim, and, to the knowledge of the Company, the use of such Intellectual Property by the Company and its subsidiaries does not infringe on the rights of any person, except for such claims and infringements which in the aggregate, would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxiii) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) 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 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 hazardous chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, hazardous wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials or toxic mold (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or, 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 (D) there are no events or circumstances that would 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 Entity, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.
(xxiv) Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13-a15 and 15d-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (E) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15 and Rule 15d-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not
9
remediated) and (2) 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.
(xxv) Compliance with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”) and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith which the Company is required to comply with.
(xxvi) Payment of Taxes. To the knowledge of the Company, all U.S. federal income tax returns of the Company and its subsidiaries required by law to be filed have been filed and (a) all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and (b) all taxes shown to be due and payable in any assessments of which it has received notice made against it or any of its property and all other taxes, fees or other charges imposed on it or any of its property by any Governmental Entity (other than (i) taxes, fees or other charges with respect to which the failure to pay, in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) taxes, fees or other charges the amount or validity of which are currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and with respect to which reserves in conformity with GAAP have been provided on the books of the Company or its subsidiaries, as the case may be) have been paid. No tax lien has been filed, and no claim is being asserted, with respect to any such tax, fee or other charge. The U.S. federal income tax returns of the Company through the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 have been settled and no assessment in connection therewith has been made against the Company. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all other tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable foreign, state, local or other law except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and has paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Company and its subsidiaries, except for such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been established by the Company. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxvii) Insurance. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries carries insurance (including self-insurance, if any) in such amounts and covering such risks as in its reasonable determination is adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties, except where failure to carry such insurance would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxviii) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
(xxix) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any affiliate take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed, or would be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities or to result in a violation of Regulation M under the 1934 Act.
10
(xxx) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor any director, officer, or employee of the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (i) has used any funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity, (ii) taken any action, directly or indirectly that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”) or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Xxxxxxx Xxx 0000 of the United Kingdom, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws, 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 or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws or (iii) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit and the Company and its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws and have instituted, and maintain and enforce, policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
(xxxi) ERISA. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any liability for any prohibited transaction or accumulated funding deficiency or any complete or partial withdrawal liability with respect to any pension, profit sharing or other plan which is subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries makes or ever has made a contribution and in which any employee of the Company or any such subsidiary is or has ever been a participant, which would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. With respect to such plans, each of the Company and its subsidiaries is in compliance in all respects with all applicable provisions of ERISA, except where the failure to so comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxxii) 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 rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity 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.
(xxxiii) No Conflicts with Sanctions Law. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, directors, officers or employees, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, representative or affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is an individual or entity (“Person”) currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including, without limitation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions
11
authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its Subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria and the Crimean region of the Ukraine (each, a “Sanctioned Country”). For the past 5 years, the Company and its subsidiaries (at such times that they have been subsidiaries of the Company) have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country while such country was a Sanctioned Country.
(xxxiv) Lending Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of the Underwriter.
(xxxv) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be reliable and accurate in all material respects and represent their good faith estimates that are made on the basis of data derived from such sources and, to the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.
(b) Representations and Warranties by the Selling Shareholder. The Selling Shareholder represents and warrants to the Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Applicable Time, as of the Closing Time and any Date of Delivery except for any representations or warranties that speak as of a specific date, and agrees with the Underwriter, as follows:
(i) Accurate Disclosure. Neither the General Disclosure Package nor the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto includes any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, provided that such representations and warranties set forth in this subsection (b)(i) apply only to statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Selling Shareholder furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholder expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any other Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (the “Selling Shareholder Information”); the Selling Shareholder is not prompted to sell the Securities to be sold by the Selling Shareholder hereunder by any information concerning the Company or any subsidiary of the Company which is not set forth in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
(ii) Authorization of this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholder.
(iii) [Reserved].
(iv) Noncontravention. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the sale and delivery of the Securities to be sold by the Selling Shareholder and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and compliance by the Selling Shareholder with its obligations hereunder will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any tax, lien, charge or encumbrance upon the Securities to be sold by the Selling Shareholder or any property or assets of the Selling Shareholder pursuant to any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, license, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Selling Shareholder is a party or by which the Selling
12
Shareholder may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Selling Shareholder is subject, nor will the action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or other organizational instrument of the Selling Shareholder, if applicable, or any applicable treaty, law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Selling Shareholder or any of its properties except for such violations as would not individually or, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, or any prospective material adverse change in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Selling Shareholder and as would not adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(v) Valid Title. The Selling Shareholder has, and at the Closing Time will have, valid title to the Securities to be sold by the Selling Shareholder free and clear of all security interests, claims, liens, equities or other encumbrances and the legal right and power, and all authorization and approval required by law, to enter into this Agreement and to sell, transfer and deliver the Securities to be sold by the Selling Shareholder or a valid security entitlement in respect of such Securities.
(vi) Delivery of Securities. Upon payment of the purchase price for the Securities to be sold by the Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement, delivery of such Securities, as directed by the Underwriter, to Cede & Co. (“Cede”) or such other nominee as may be designated by The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) (unless delivery of such Securities is unnecessary because such Securities are already in possession of Cede or such nominee), registration of such Securities in the name of Cede or such other nominee (unless registration of such Securities is unnecessary because such Securities are already registered in the name of Cede or such nominee), and the crediting of such Securities on the books of DTC to securities accounts (within the meaning of Section 8-501(a) of the UCC) of the Underwriter (assuming that neither DTC nor the Underwriter has notice of any “adverse claim,” within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the Uniform Commercial Code then in effect in the State of New York (“UCC”), to such Securities), (A) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, the Underwriter will acquire a valid “security entitlement” in respect of such Securities and (B) no action (whether framed in conversion, replevin, constructive trust, equitable lien, or other theory) based on any “adverse claim,” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, to such Securities may be asserted against the Underwriter with respect to such security entitlement; for purposes of this representation, the Selling Shareholder may assume that when such payment, delivery (if necessary) and crediting occur, (I) such Securities will have been registered in the name of Cede or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s share registry in accordance with its certificate of incorporation, bylaws and applicable law, (II) DTC will be registered as a “clearing corporation,” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, (III) appropriate entries to the account of the Underwriter on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC, (IV) to the extent DTC, or any other securities intermediary which acts as “clearing corporation” with respect to the Securities, maintains any “financial asset” (as defined in Section 8-102(a)(9) of the UCC in a clearing corporation pursuant to Section 8-111 of the UCC, the rules of such clearing corporation may affect the rights of DTC or such securities intermediaries and the ownership interest of the Underwriter, (V) claims of creditors of DTC or any other securities intermediary or clearing corporation may be given priority to the extent set forth in Section 8-511(b) and 8-511(c) of the UCC and (VI) if at any time DTC or other securities intermediary does not have sufficient Securities to satisfy claims of all of its entitlement holders with respect thereto then all holders will share pro rata in the Securities then held by DTC or such securities intermediary.
13
(vii) Absence of Manipulation. The Selling Shareholder has not taken, and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which constituted or would be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
(viii) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or consent, approval, authorization, order, registration, qualification or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency, domestic or foreign, is necessary or required for the performance by the Selling Shareholder of its obligations hereunder or in connection with the sale and delivery of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market, state securities laws or the rules of FINRA.
(ix) No Registration or Other Similar Rights. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Selling Shareholder does not have any registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale by the Company under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement.
(x) No Free Writing Prospectuses. The Selling Shareholder has not prepared or had prepared on its behalf or used or referred to, any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405), and has not distributed any written materials in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities.
(xi) No Association with FINRA. Neither the Selling Shareholder nor any of its affiliates directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with any member firm of FINRA or is a person associated with a member (within the meaning of the FINRA By-Laws) of FINRA.
(c) Officers’ Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriter shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby; and any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholder as such and delivered to the Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriter pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Selling Shareholder to the Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.
SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriter; Closing.
(a) Sale of Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Selling Shareholder agrees to sell to the Underwriter and the Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Selling Shareholder, at the price per share set forth in Schedule B, that proportion of the number of Securities set forth in Schedule A.
(b) Option Securities. In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Selling Shareholder hereby grants an option to the Underwriter to purchase up to an additional 1,200,000 shares of Common Stock, as set forth on Schedule B, at the price per share set forth in Schedule A, less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities. The option hereby granted may be exercised for 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part at any time and from time to time upon written notice by the
14
Underwriter to the Selling Shareholder setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the Underwriter is then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any such time and date of delivery (a “Date of Delivery”) shall be determined by the Underwriter as set forth in the notice, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time.
(c) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, the Securities shall be made at the offices of Xxxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP at 00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriter and the Selling Shareholder, at 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the fourth business day after the date hereof, or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriter and the Selling Shareholder (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).
In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriter, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriter and the Selling Shareholder, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Underwriter to the Selling Shareholder.
Payment shall be made to the Selling Shareholder by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Selling Shareholder against delivery to the Underwriter of certificates for the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriter.
SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company and the Selling Shareholder. The Company and the Selling Shareholder covenant with the Underwriter as follows:
(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A, and will notify the Underwriter promptly after receiving notice thereof (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or public filings, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment. The Company shall pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) under the 1933 Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the 1933 Act Regulations (including, if applicable, by updating the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or on the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)).
15
(b) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Underwriter notice of such event, (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Underwriter with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Underwriter or counsel for the Underwriter shall reasonably object. The Company will furnish to the Underwriter such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriter may reasonably request. The Company has given the Underwriter notice of any filings made pursuant to the 1934 Act or 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time; the Company will give the Underwriter notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time and will furnish the Underwriter with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Underwriter or counsel for the Underwriter shall reasonably object.
(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. If requested in writing, the Company will deliver to the Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriter, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and, if requested in writing, signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and, if requested in writing, will also deliver to the Underwriter, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for the Underwriter. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriter will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(d) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to the Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as the Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to the Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriter will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
16
(e) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriter, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Underwriter may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.
(f) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriter the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.
(g) Listing. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to effect and maintain the inclusion of the Securities on the NASDAQ Stock Market.
(h) Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 45 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter directly or indirectly, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof and referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including shares of Common Stock registered on any registration statement on Form S-8 under the 1933 Act with respect to the foregoing, (C) any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common Stock granted pursuant to existing employee benefit plans, or an employee benefit plan to be adopted simultaneously with the consummation of this offering, of the Company referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including shares of Common Stock registered on any registration statement on Form S-8 under the 1933 Act with respect to the foregoing, (D) any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to any non-employee director stock plan or dividend reinvestment plan referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (E) the filing of (but not sales under) any registration statement on Form S-8 under the 1933 Act with respect to the foregoing clauses (B) and (C), or (F) the sale or issuance (or the entry into an agreement to sell or issue) of up to 5% of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of the Closing Time on an as converted, as exercised basis after giving effect to this offering in connection with an acquisition or business combination; provided, however, that (i) with respect to the foregoing clauses (B), (C) and (D), the Company will not issue any shares of Common Stock or grant any award to an officer required to file reports under Section 16 of the 1934 Act or director or modify any award granted to an officer required to file reports under Section 16 of the 1934 Act or director such that it will or could vest within the 45-day restricted period unless such officer or director enters into a signed lock-up agreement in the form of Exhibit B hereto for the balance of the 45-day restricted period and (ii) with respect to the foregoing clause (F), the acquirer of such shares of Common Stock agrees in writing to be bound by the terms of this Section 3(i) for the balance of the 45-day restricted period.
17
(i) If the Underwriter, in its discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up agreement described in Section 5(i) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provide the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.
(j) [Reserved].
(k) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company and the Selling Shareholder agree that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Underwriter, it will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Underwriter will be deemed to have consented to the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule C hereto and any “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Underwriter. The Company and the Selling Shareholder represent that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Underwriter as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus 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 existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriter and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission. The Underwriter represents that it has not made, and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company and the Selling Shareholder, it will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Company and the Selling Shareholder will be deemed to have consented to (a) the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule C hereto and (b) any “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Company and the Selling Shareholder.
SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Expenses. The Company and the Selling Shareholder will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the following matters: (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriter of copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, and reasonable costs associated with electronic delivery of the foregoing by the Underwriter to investors, in each case, for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriter, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery
18
of the Securities to the Underwriter, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(e) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto in an amount not to exceed $25,000, (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, reasonable and documented fees and expenses of any consultants engaged with the written consent of the Company in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives of the Company and officers of the Company and any such consultants (for the avoidance of doubt, the Underwriter will pay travel and lodging expenses of the representatives of the Underwriter), and fifty percent (50%) of the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show (it being understood that the other fifty percent (50%) of the cost of such aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show shall be paid by the Underwriter), (viii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriter in connection with, the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities in an amount not to exceed $25,000 and (ix) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the inclusion of the Securities on the NASDAQ Stock Market.
(b) Expenses of the Selling Shareholder. The Selling Shareholder will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its respective obligations under, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by, this Agreement, including (i) any stamp and other duties and stock and other transfer taxes, if any, payable upon the sale of the Securities to the Underwriter and (ii) the fees and disbursements of its respective counsel and other advisors.
(c) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Underwriter in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a)(i) or (iii), the Company shall reimburse the Underwriter for its reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter.
(d) Allocation of Expenses. The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement that the Company and the Selling Shareholder may make for the sharing of such costs and expenses.
SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriter’s Obligations. The obligations of the Underwriter hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholder contained herein or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or on behalf of the Selling Shareholder delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company and the Selling Shareholder of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:
(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement has become effective and, at the Closing Time, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission; and the Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information. The Company shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) under the 1933 Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the 1933 Act Regulations and, if applicable, shall have updated the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or on the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b).
19
(b) Opinion of Counsel for Company, General Counsel of Company and Counsel for the Selling Shareholder. At the Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received (i) the opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company, in the form agreed upon by Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLP and the Underwriter, (ii) the opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Xxxxxx Xxx Xxxx, Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of the Company, in the form agreed upon by Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLP and the Underwriter, and (iii) the opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLP, counsel for the Selling Shareholder, in the form agreed upon by Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLP and the Underwriter.
(c) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriter. At the Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received the satisfactory opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Xxxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriter, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for the Underwriter with respect to the issuance and sale of the Securities, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and other related matters as the Underwriter may require. In giving such opinion such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than the law of the State of New York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the federal securities laws of the United States, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Underwriter. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers and other representatives of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.
(d) Officers’ Certificate. At the Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect, and the Underwriter shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer or the President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, in their respective capacities as such officers only, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the 1933 Act has been issued, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, threatened by the Commission.
(e) Certificate of Selling Shareholder. At the Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received a certificate of an authorized officer of the Selling Shareholder, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) the representations and warranties of the Selling Shareholder in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time and (ii) the Selling Shareholder has complied with all agreements and all conditions on its part to be performed under this Agreement at or prior to the Closing Time.
(f) Accountant’s Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Underwriter shall have received from KPMG LLP a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
20
(g) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At the Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received from KPMG LLP a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.
(h) Approval of Listing. At the Closing Time, the Securities shall have been approved for inclusion on the NASDAQ Stock Market.
(i) No Objection. FINRA has confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements relating to the offering of the Securities.
(j) Lock-up Agreements. At the date of this Agreement or at the Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto signed by the Selling Shareholder and each non-executive director of the Company.
(k) Maintenance of Rating. Since the execution of this Agreement, there shall not have been any decrease in or withdrawal of the rating of any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” registered under Section 15E of the Exchange Act or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in or withdrawal of any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.
(l) Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities. In the event that the Underwriter exercises their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholder contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company, any of its subsidiaries and the Selling Shareholder hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Underwriter shall have received:
(i) Officers’ Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the Chief Executive Officer or the President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, in their respective capacities as such officers only, confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(d) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.
(ii) Certificate of Selling Shareholder. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of an authorized officer of the Selling Shareholder confirming that the certificate delivered at Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(e) remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.
(iii) Opinion of Counsel for Company. If requested by the Underwriter, the opinion of Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company, together with the opinion of Xxxxxx Xxx Xxxx, Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel for the Company, each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriter, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b) hereof.
(iv) Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Shareholder. If requested by the Underwriter, the favorable opinion of Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLP, counsel for the Selling Shareholder, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriter, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b) hereof.
21
(v) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriter. If requested by the Underwriter, the favorable opinion of Xxxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriter, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(c) hereof.
(vi) Bring-down Comfort Letter. If requested by the Underwriter, a letter from KPMG LLP, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Underwriter pursuant to Section 5(f) hereof, except that the “specified date” in the letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than three business days prior to such Date of Delivery.
(m) Additional Documents. At the Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery (if any), counsel for the Underwriter shall have been furnished with such customary documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company and the Selling Shareholder in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriter.
(n) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the Underwriter to purchase the Option Securities, may be terminated by the Underwriter by notice to the Company and the Selling Shareholder at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 6. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of Underwriter. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an “Affiliate”)), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included (A) in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or (B) in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Stock (“Marketing Materials”) not constituting an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including any “roadshow” (as defined in Rule 433 under the 0000 Xxx) or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically), or the omission or alleged omission in any preliminary prospectus, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Prospectus or in any Marketing Materials 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;
22
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(e) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company and the Selling Shareholder;
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the documented fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Underwriter), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;
provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, the General Disclosure Package, any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or in any Marketing Materials in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
(b) Indemnification of Underwriter by the Selling Shareholder. The Selling Shareholder agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter, its Affiliates and selling agents and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act to the extent and in the manner set forth in clauses (a)(i), (ii) and (iii) above and in Section 6(f); provided that the Selling Shareholder shall be liable only to the extent that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with the Selling Shareholder Information.
(c) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers and Selling Shareholder. The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, and the Selling Shareholder and each person, if any, who controls the Selling Shareholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, the General Disclosure Package, any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
(d) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially
23
prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Sections 6(a) and 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Underwriter, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(c) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company or the Selling Shareholder, as applicable. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the indemnifying party has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; (iii) the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interest between them. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(e) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
(f) Other Agreements with Respect to Indemnification. The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the Company and the Selling Shareholder with respect to indemnification.
SECTION 7. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling
24
Shareholder, on the one hand, and of the Underwriter, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriter, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.
The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Selling Shareholder by the Underwriter and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company, the Selling Shareholder and the Underwriter agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriter were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public.
No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 0000 Xxx) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and the Underwriter’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as the Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or the Selling Shareholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company or the Selling Shareholder, as the case may be.
SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties, agreements, indemnification and contributions contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or the Selling Shareholder submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling the Underwriter, its officers or directors, any person controlling the Company or any person controlling the Selling Shareholder and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.
25
SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.
(a) Termination. The Underwriter may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company and the Selling Shareholder, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if there has been, in the judgment of the Underwriter, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Underwriter, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the NASDAQ Stock Market, or (iv) if trading generally on the NYSE Amex or the New York Stock Exchange or in the NASDAQ Stock Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, or (v) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, or (vi) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.
(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 10. [reserved].
SECTION 11. Default by the Selling Shareholder. If the Selling Shareholder shall fail at the Closing Time or a Date of Delivery, as the case may be, to sell and deliver the number of Securities which the Selling Shareholder is obligated to sell hereunder, then the Underwriter may, at option of the Underwriter, by notice from the Underwriter to the Company terminate this Agreement without any liability on the fault of any non-defaulting party except that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall remain in full force and effect. No action taken pursuant to this Section 11 shall relieve any Selling Shareholder so defaulting from liability, if any, in respect of such default.
In the event of a default by any Selling Shareholder as referred to in this Section 11, each of the Underwriter and the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Time or any Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required change in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.
SECTION 12. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriter shall be directed to Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated, Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000 (facsimile: (000) 000 0000) Attention: Syndicate Department (with a copy to facsimile: (000) 000-0000, Attention: ECM Legal); notices to the Company shall be directed to it at Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx Xxx, Xxxxx 000, 100 Matsonford
00
Xxxx, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00000, attention of Xxxxxx Xxx Xxxx, with a copy to Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx, P.C., Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLP, 000 Xxxxx XxXxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000; and notices to the Selling Shareholder shall be directed to c/o Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC, Three First Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, attention of Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx (facsimile: (000) 000-0000).
In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriter is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies its clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of its clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriter to properly identify its clients.
SECTION 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the initial public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering of the Securities and the process leading thereto, the Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or the Selling Shareholder, or its respective stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) the Underwriter has not assumed or will not assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or the Selling Shareholder with respect to the offering of the Securities or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether the Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company, any of its subsidiaries or the Selling Shareholder on other matters) and the Underwriter has no obligation to the Company or the Selling Shareholder with respect to the offering of the Securities except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriter and its affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder, and (e) the Underwriter has not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering of the Securities and the Company and the Selling Shareholder has consulted its own respective legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
SECTION 14. Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriter and the Company and the Selling Shareholder and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriter, the Company and the Selling Shareholder and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriter, the Company and the Selling Shareholder and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from the Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
SECTION 15. Trial by Jury. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates), the Selling Shareholder and the Underwriter hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
SECTION 16. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.
27
SECTION 17. Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunity. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) shall be instituted in (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan or (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
SECTION 18. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
SECTION 19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.
SECTION 20. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
28
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company the Selling Shareholder a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriter, the Company and the Selling Shareholder in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, | ||
VWR CORPORATION | ||
By | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxxx Xxxxx | ||
Title: Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | ||
VARIETAL DISTRIBUTION HOLDINGS, LLC | ||
By | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxxx | ||
Title: Assistant Secretary |
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, | ||
as of the date first above written: | ||
Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx | ||
Incorporated | ||
By: | Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx | |
Incorporated | ||
By | /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxx Xxxxxxx | ||
Title: Vice Chairman |
[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]
SCHEDULE A
The public offering price per share for the Securities is, as to each investor, the price paid by such investor.
The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the Underwriter shall be $29.30 per share.
Name of Underwriter |
Number of Initial Securities |
Number of Option Securities |
||||||
Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated |
8,000,000 | 1,200,000 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total |
8,000,000 | 1,200,000 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
Sch A
SCHEDULE B
Pricing Terms
1. The Selling Shareholder is selling 8,000,000 shares of Common Stock.
2. The Selling Shareholder has granted an option to the Underwriter to purchase up to an additional 1,200,000 shares of Common Stock.
3. The public offering price per share for the Securities is, as to each investor, the price paid by such investor.
Sch B
SCHEDULE C
Free Writing Prospectuses
None.
Sch C
Form of lock-up delivered pursuant to Section 5(j)
EXHIBIT B
August 9, 2016
Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated
Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile: (000) 000 0000
Attention: Syndicate Department
Re: | Proposed Offering by Selling Shareholder |
Dear Sirs:
The undersigned, a [stockholder]/[and a director] of VWR Corporation, a Delaware corporation, understands that, Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated as underwriter, proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with the Company and the Selling Shareholder providing for the public offering of shares (the “Public Offering”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Securities”). In recognition of the benefit that such an offering will confer upon the undersigned as [a stockholder]/[and a director] of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees with the Underwriter to be named in the Underwriting Agreement that, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the date that is 45 days from the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”), the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter directly or indirectly, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of or transfer any shares of the common stock of the Company (the “Common Stock”) or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition (collectively, the “Lock-Up Securities”), or file or cause to be filed any registration statement in connection therewith, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities, whether any such swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to the conditions below, the undersigned may transfer or sell the Lock-Up Securities without the prior written consent of the Underwriter; provided that (1) with respect to a distribution, transfer, exchange, conversion or sale made pursuant to clause (3)(i), (3)(ii), (3)(iii) or (3)(iv) below, the Underwriter receives a signed lock-up agreement for the balance of the lock-up period from each donee, trustee, distributee, or transferee, as the case may be, that is a record holder or a beneficial owner, as defined by Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), of the Lock-Up Securities following such transfer; (2) with respect to a distribution, transfer, exchange, conversion or sale made pursuant to clause (3)(i), (3)(ii), (3)(iii) or (3)(iv) below, such distribution, transfer, exchange, conversion or sale is not required to be reported with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 4 in accordance with Section 16 of the Exchange Act (except with respect to a distribution, transfer, exchange, conversion or sale to or with the direct or indirect members of Varietal Distribution Holdings, LLC), and the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any such
B-1
filing or report regarding such distribution, transfer, exchange, conversion or sale; and (3) such distribution, transfer, exchange, conversion or sale is made, or such transaction constitutes:
(i) | as a distribution, transfer (including by way of merger or consolidation), exchange, conversion or sale to or among the direct or indirect members of the undersigned; |
(ii) | to the undersigned’s affiliates or to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the undersigned; |
(iii) | as a bona fide gift or gifts; |
(iv) | as a sale of Common Stock acquired by the undersigned in open market transactions after completion of the Public Offering; |
(v) | the entry into a written plan meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities and Exchange Act, relating to the sale of the Common Stock; provided, that (a) no sales or transfers of Common Stock occur during the 45-day period referred to above and (b) no public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act regarding the establishment of such plan shall be required or voluntarily made on behalf of the undersigned or the Company during the 45-day period referred to above; or |
(vi) | the transfer to the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the vesting, conversion, exercise or exchange of securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (A) deemed to occur upon the cashless exercise of such securities provided that the shares received upon exercise shall continue to be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Letter Agreement and provided, further that any public report or filing required to be made under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to the “cashless” or “net” exercise of a stock option, that no shares were sold by the reporting person and that the shares received upon exercise of the stock option are subject to a lock-up letter agreement with the Underwriter of the Public Offering, and provided further that no other public announcement shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer or (B) for the purpose of paying the exercise price of such securities or for paying taxes (including estimated taxes) due as a result of the exercise of such securities provided that any public report or filing required to be made under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the purpose of such transfer is to cover such tax obligations or the payment of taxes due in connection with the vesting event, and provided further that no other public announcement shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer. |
The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the Lock-Up Securities except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
The undersigned understands that (i) if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective by October 1, 2016, (ii) if the Company files and later withdraws the registration statement relating to the Public Offering or (iii) if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Securities to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this letter.
B-2
Very truly yours, | ||
Signature: |
| |
Print Name: |
|