SEABRIDGE GOLD INC. UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT
99.1
COMMON
SHARES
February
25, 2010
|
XXXXXXX
XXXX & COMPANY, LLC
NOMURA
SECURITIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
CI
CAPITAL MARKETS INC.
c/o
Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Company, LLC
000 Xxxx
00xx
Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies/Gentlemen:
Seabridge
Gold Inc., a corporation existing under the laws of Canada (the "Company"), proposes,
subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the
several underwriters named in Schedule I hereto
(the "Underwriters") an
aggregate of 2,500,000 common shares, without par value, of the Company (the
"Firm Shares")
and, for the sole purpose of covering over-allotments as of the Closing Date (as
defined below) in connection with the sale of the Firm Shares, at the option of
the Underwriters, up to an additional 375,000 common shares, without par value,
of the Company (the "Additional
Shares"). The Firm Shares and any Additional Shares purchased
by the Underwriters are referred to herein as the "Shares". Xxxxxxx
Xxxx & Company, LLC ("Xxxxxxx") and Nomura
Securities International, Inc. are acting as representatives of the Underwriters
(the "Representatives") in
connection with the offering and sale of the Shares contemplated herein (the
"Offering").
The
Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of
the Shares in the United States and in the Qualifying Provinces (as defined
below), either directly or through their respective U.S. or Canadian
broker-dealer affiliates, upon the terms set forth in the Prospectuses (as
defined below) as soon as the Underwriters deem advisable after this Agreement
has been executed and delivered.
1. Representations and
Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants
to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters that:
(a) The
Company meets the requirements under the Securities Act (Ontario) and
the rules, regulations and national, multilateral or local instruments and
published policy statements applicable in each of Ontario, Alberta and British
Columbia (collectively, the "Qualifying
Provinces"), including the rules and procedures established pursuant to
National Instrument 44-101 – Short Form Prospectus
Distributions and National Instrument 44-102 – Shelf Distributions
(together, the "Canadian Shelf
Procedures"), for the distribution of the Shares in the Qualifying
Provinces pursuant to a final short form base shelf prospectus (collectively,
the "Canadian
Securities Laws"); the Company has prepared and filed a preliminary short
form base shelf prospectus, dated January 26, 2010, and a final short form base
shelf prospectus, dated February 12, 2010, providing for the offer and sale,
from time to time, of up to CDN$100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of common
shares, without par value, of the Company (the "Shelf Securities") with the
Ontario Securities Commission, as principal regulator pursuant to Multilateral
Instrument 11-102 – Passport System (the "Reviewing Authority")
and the Canadian securities regulatory authorities in each of the Qualifying
Provinces (collectively, the "Canadian Qualifying
Authorities"); the Reviewing Authority has issued a prospectus receipt
under National Policy 11-202 – Process for Prospectus Reviews in
Multiple Jurisdictions (a "Receipt") for each of
such preliminary short form base shelf prospectus and such final short form base
shelf prospectus (the final short form base shelf prospectus, as most recently
amended, if applicable, filed with the Reviewing Authority on or before the date
of this Agreement for which a Receipt has been obtained, and including all
documents incorporated therein by reference, is hereinafter referred to as the
"Canadian Base
Prospectus"); no order suspending the distribution of the Shares or any
other securities of the Company has been issued by any Canadian Qualifying
Authority and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are
pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by
any Canadian Qualifying Authority; and any request on the part of
any Canadian Qualifying Authority for additional information has been
complied with. The preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the
Offering, which excludes certain pricing information and other final terms of
the Shares, filed with the Reviewing Authority on February 19, 2010, together
with the Canadian Base Prospectus, is hereinafter referred to as the "Canadian Preliminary
Prospectus"; and the prospectus supplement relating to the Offering,
which includes the pricing and other information omitted from the Canadian
Preliminary Prospectus, to be dated the date hereof and filed with the Reviewing
Authority in accordance with the Canadian Shelf Procedures pursuant to Section
4(a) hereof, together with the Canadian Base Prospectus, is hereinafter referred
to as the "Canadian
Prospectus". All references in this Agreement to the Canadian Base
Prospectus, the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus and the Canadian Prospectus, or
any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing, shall be deemed to include
any copy thereof filed with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities pursuant to the
System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR).
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(b) The
Company meets the general eligibility requirements for the use of Form F-10
under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and
has prepared and filed a registration statement on Form F-10 (No.
333-164530) in respect of the Shelf Securities with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") and has
filed an appointment of agent for service of process upon the Company on Form
F-X (the "Form
F-X") with the Commission in conjunction with the filing of the
registration statement; such registration statement, including the Canadian
Base Prospectus with such deletions therefrom and additions thereto as are
permitted or required by Form F-10 and the applicable rules and regulations of
the Commission (the "Rules and
Regulations") and including the exhibits to such registration statement
and all documents incorporated by reference therein, has become effective in
such form pursuant to Rule 467(a) under the Securities Act; and no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the such registration statement has been issued
by the Commission and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or
are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the
Commission and any request on the part of the Commission for additional
information has been complied with (the various parts of such registration
statement, including all exhibits thereto and the documents incorporated by
reference in the prospectus contained in the registration statement at the time
the registration statement became effective, each as amended at the time the
registration statement became effective, are hereinafter referred to
collectively as the "Registration
Statement"). The base prospectus relating to the Shelf Securities
included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective,
including the documents incorporated therein by reference, is referred to herein
as the "U.S. Base
Prospectus"; the preliminary
prospectus supplement relating to the Offering filed with the Commission
pursuant to General Instruction II.L of Form F-10 on February 19, 2010,
including the documents incorporated therein by reference, together with the
U.S. Base Prospectus, is hereinafter referred to as the "U.S. Preliminary
Prospectus"; and the final prospectus supplement relating to the Offering
to be filed with the Commission pursuant to General Instruction II.L of Form
F-10 in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof, including the documents
incorporated therein by reference, together with the U.S. Base Prospectus, is
hereinafter referred to as the "U.S.
Prospectus". As used herein, "Base Prospectuses"
shall mean, collectively, the Canadian Base Prospectus and the U.S. Base
Prospectus; "Preliminary Prospectuses" shall
mean, collectively, the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus and the U.S. Preliminary
Prospectus; and "Prospectuses" shall
mean, collectively, the Canadian Prospectus and the U.S.
Prospectus.
Any
reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectuses, the
Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses shall be deemed to refer to and
include the documents incorporated by reference therein as of the effective date
of the Registration Statement or the date of the Base Prospectuses, the
Preliminary Prospectuses or the Prospectuses, as the case may be, and any
reference herein to any "amendment" or "supplement" with respect to the
Registration Statement, the Base Prospectuses, the Preliminary Prospectuses or
the Prospectuses shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed
after such date that are deemed to be incorporated by reference
therein. All references herein to the Registration Statement, the
U.S. Base Prospectus, the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus or the U.S.
Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), or any
amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing, shall be deemed to include any
copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to the Electronic Data
Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (XXXXX).
(c) The
Canadian Base Prospectus and the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus, as of the time
of filing thereof, complied, and the Canadian Prospectus and any amendment
or supplement thereto, as of the time of filing thereof, will comply, in all
material respects with the applicable requirements of Canadian Securities Laws;
the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus, as of the time of filing thereof, did not,
and the Canadian Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, as of the
time of filing thereof and as of the Closing Date and any Additional Closing
Date (as defined below), as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and the Canadian
Preliminary Prospectus, as of the time of filing thereof, constituted, and the
Canadian Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, as of the time of
filing thereof and as of the Closing Date and any Additional Closing Date, as
the case may be, will constitute, full, true and plain disclosure of all
material facts relating to the Shares and to the Company; provided, however, that this
representation and warranty shall not apply to any information contained in or
omitted from the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus or the Canadian Prospectus or
any amendment or supplement thereto in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any
Underwriter specifically for use therein, it being agreed that such
information provided by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists solely of
the material referred to in Section 16 hereof.
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(d) As
of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any
post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such
post-effective amendment thereto complied and will comply in all material
respects with the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did not and
will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the
statements therein not misleading; the U.S. Prospectus and any amendment or
supplement thereto, as of the time of filing thereof, will comply in all
material respects with the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations; and the
U.S. Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, as of the time of
filing thereof and as of the Closing Date and any Additional Closing Date, as
the case may be, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this
representation and warranty shall not apply to any information contained in or
omitted from the Registration Statement or the U.S. Prospectus or any amendment
or supplement thereto in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any
Underwriter specifically for use therein, it being agreed that such
information provided by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists solely of
the material referred to in Section 16 hereof.
(e) No
order preventing or suspending the use of the U.S. Preliminary
Prospectus has been issued by the Commission; the U.S. Preliminary
Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects
with the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations; and the Pricing
Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, did not, and as of the Closing
Date and the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this
representation and warranty shall not apply to any information contained in or
omitted from the Pricing Disclosure Package in reliance upon and in conformity
with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any
Underwriter specifically for use therein, it being agreed that such information
provided by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists solely of the material
referred to in Section 16 hereof. As used herein, "Pricing Disclosure
Package" means, collectively, (i) the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus, (ii)
each "free writing prospectus" (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the
Securities Act) listed on Annex IV hereto and
(iii) the pricing information set forth on Annex IV
hereto. For purposes of this Agreement, the "Applicable Time" is
5:30 p.m. (Eastern) on February 25, 2010.
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(f) Other
than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the
Prospectuses, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than
the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, used, authorized,
approved or referred to and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve or refer
to any "written communication" (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act)
that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Shares
(each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other
than a communication referred to in clause (i) below) an "Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus") other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus
pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the
Securities Act or (ii) the documents listed on Annex IV hereto, each
electronic road show and any other written communications approved in writing in
advance by the Representatives. Each such Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and the
Rules and Regulations, has been or will be (within the time period specified in
Rule 433 under the Securities Act) filed in accordance with the Securities Act
(to the extent required thereby) and, when taken together with the Pricing
Disclosure Package, each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not, and as of
the Closing Date and any Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not,
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this
representation and warranty shall not apply to any information contained in or
omitted from the any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf
of any Underwriter specifically for use therein, it being agreed that such
information provided by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists solely of
the material referred to in Section 16 hereof. Each such Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus did not, does not and will not include any information that
conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the
Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the
Prospectuses.
(g) The
documents incorporated by reference in the Canadian Prospectus, when they were
filed with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities, conformed in all material
respects to the requirements of Canadian Securities Laws, and none of such
documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state
a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further
documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Canadian Prospectus,
when such documents are filed with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities, will
conform in all material respects to the requirements of Canadian Securities Laws
and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The
documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing
Disclosure Package and the U.S. Prospectus, when they were filed with the
Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the U.S.
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and
none of such documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any
further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the U.S. Prospectus, when such
documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects
to the requirements of the Exchange Act and will not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading.
5
(h) KPMG
LLP, who have audited the consolidated financial statements of the Company and
its subsidiaries that are included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses, are
independent with respect to the Company as required by Canadian Securities Laws
and are independent public accountants as required by the Securities Act, the
Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations.
(i) Subsequent
to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Pricing
Disclosure Package, except as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package,
(i) the Company has not declared or paid any dividends, or made any other
distribution of any kind, on or in respect of its share capital, (ii) there has
not been any material change in the share capital or long-term or short-term
debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (each, a "Subsidiary" and,
collectively, the "Subsidiaries"), (iii)
neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has sustained any material loss or
interference with its business or properties from fire, explosion, flood,
hurricane, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or
from any labor dispute or any legal or governmental proceeding, and (iv) there
has not been any material adverse change or any development involving a
prospective material adverse change, whether or not arising from transactions in
the ordinary course of business, in or affecting the business, general affairs,
management, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations,
shareholders' equity, properties or prospects of the Company and the
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a "Material Adverse
Change"). Since the date of the latest balance sheet included,
or incorporated by reference, in the Pricing Disclosure Package, neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary has incurred or undertaken any liabilities or
obligations, whether direct or indirect, liquidated or contingent, matured or
unmatured, or entered into any transactions, including any acquisition or
disposition of any business or asset, which are material to the Company and the
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except for liabilities, obligations and
transactions which are disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package.
(j) No
Subsidiary is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any
dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such
Subsidiary's capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances
to such Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such
Subsidiary's property or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the
Company.
(k) The
Company has an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the
Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses, and all of the issued and
outstanding share capital of the Company is fully paid and non-assessable and
has been duly and validly authorized and issued in compliance with all
applicable Canadian, United States and other securities laws and not in
violation of or subject to any preemptive or similar right that entitles any
person to acquire from the Company or any Subsidiary any common shares of the
Company or other security of the Company or any security convertible into, or
exercisable or exchangeable for, common shares of the Company or any other such
security (any "Relevant Security"),
except for such rights as may have been fully satisfied or waived prior to the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement. All of the issued share
capital of or other ownership interests in each Subsidiary have been duly
and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and
(except as otherwise set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the
Prospectuses) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company free and clear of
any lien, charge, mortgage, pledge, security interest, claim, equity, trust or
other encumbrance, preferential arrangement, defect or restriction of any kind
whatsoever (any "Lien").
6
(l) The
Company has full power and authority (corporate or otherwise) to issue the
Shares and to perform its obligations hereunder. The Shares to be
delivered on the Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date, if any, have been
duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered in accordance with
this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable, will have been issued in
compliance with all applicable Canadian, United States and other securities laws
and will not have been issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive or
similar right that entitles any person to acquire any Relevant Security from the
Company. The common shares of the Company and the Shares conform to
the descriptions thereof contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the
Prospectuses. Except as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package
and the Prospectuses, the Company has no outstanding warrants, options to
purchase, or any preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or to
purchase, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell, any Relevant
Security. Except as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package and
the Prospectuses, no holder of any Relevant Security has any rights to require
registration or qualification under the Securities Act or Canadian Securities
Laws of any Relevant Security in connection with the offer and sale of the
Shares contemplated hereby, and any such rights so disclosed have either been
fully complied with by the Company or effectively waived by the holders
thereof.
(m) The Subsidiaries
listed in Exhibit
A hereto are the only "subsidiaries" of the Company (within the meaning
of Rule 405 under the Securities Act). The Company and
each Subsidiary has been duly organized and validly exists as a
corporation, partnership or limited liability company in good standing under the
laws of its jurisdiction of organization. The Company and each
Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign
corporation, partnership or limited liability company in each jurisdiction in
which the character or location of its properties (owned, leased or licensed) or
the nature or conduct of its business makes such qualification necessary, except
for those failures to be so qualified or in good standing which (individually
and in the aggregate) could not reasonably be expected to have a material
adverse effect on (i) the business, general affairs, management, condition
(financial or otherwise), results of operations, shareholders' equity,
properties or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole;
or (ii) the ability of the Company to consummate the Offering or any other
transaction contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or
the Prospectuses (a "Material Adverse
Effect").
(n) The
Company and each Subsidiary has all requisite power and authority, and all
necessary consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations,
qualifications, licenses, filings and permits of, with and from all judicial,
regulatory and other legal or governmental agencies and bodies and all third
parties, Canadian, United States or foreign (collectively, the "Consents"), to own,
lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as it is now being
conducted, in each case as disclosed in the Registration Statement,
the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses, and each such Consent
is valid and in full force and effect, except in each case as could not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary has received notice of any investigation or
proceedings which, if decided adversely to the Company or any
such Subsidiary, could reasonably be expected to result in the revocation of, or
imposition of a materially burdensome restriction on, any such
Consent.
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(o) This
Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company.
(p) There
are no reports or information that in accordance with the requirements of
Canadian Securities Laws, the Securities Act or the Exchange Act must be made
publicly available in connection with the Offering that have not been made
publicly available as required; there are no documents required to be filed as
of the date hereof with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities or with any other
Canadian securities regulatory authority or with the Commission in connection
with the Offering that have not been filed as required.
(q) The
issue and sale of the Shares, the compliance by the Company with this Agreement
and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated do not and will not
(i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or
provisions of, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse
of time, or both, would constitute a default) under, or result in the creation
or imposition of any Lien upon any property or assets of the Company or any
Subsidiary pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement
or other agreement, instrument, franchise, license or permit to which the
Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or
any Subsidiary or their respective properties, operations or assets may be
bound, (ii) violate or conflict with any provision of the certificate or
articles of incorporation, by-laws, certificate of formation, limited liability
company agreement, partnership agreement or other organizational documents of
the Company or any Subsidiary, or (iii) violate or conflict with any statute,
law, rule, regulation, ordinance, directive, judgment, decree or order of any
judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body, Canadian,
U.S. or other, except (in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above) as could not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(r) No
Consent of, with or from any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental
agency or body or any third party, Canadian, U.S. or foreign, is required for
the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the registration under the
Securities Act of the Shares, the qualification of the Shares for distribution
in the Qualifying Provinces as contemplated by this Agreement, necessary
approvals of the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") and the NYSE
Amex LLC ("NYSE
AMEX")
and any consents as may be required under state securities or blue sky laws or
the by-laws and rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
("FINRA") in
connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters,
each of which has been obtained and is in full force and effect (on a
conditional basis, in the case of the Consent of the TSX).
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(s) Except
as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses, there is no
judicial, regulatory, arbitral or other legal or governmental proceeding or
other litigation or arbitration, Canadian, United States or foreign, pending to
which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or of which any property,
operations or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary is the subject which,
individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any
Subsidiary, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; to
the Company's knowledge, no such proceeding, litigation or arbitration is
threatened or contemplated; and the defense of all such proceedings, litigation
and arbitration against or involving the Company or any Subsidiary could not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(t)
The consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto, included or
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing
Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses, present fairly, in all material
respects, the financial position as of the dates indicated and the cash flows
and results of operations for the periods specified of the Company and its
consolidated Subsidiaries; except as otherwise stated in the Registration
Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses, said
consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with Canadian
generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis
throughout the periods involved and have been reconciled to United States
generally accepted accounting principles in accordance with Item 18 of Form 20-F
under the Exchange Act. No other financial statements or supporting
schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement,
the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectuses by Canadian
Securities Laws, the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or the Rules and
Regulations. The other financial and statistical information included
or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing
Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses, including the selected consolidated
financial data set forth under the caption "Consolidated Capitalization" in the
Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses, present fairly the information
included therein and have been prepared on a basis consistent with that of the
financial statements that are included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses and
the books and records of the Company.
(u) There
has not been any reportable event (within the meaning of National Instrument
51-102 – Continuous Disclosure
Obligations of the Canadian Securities Administrators) between the
Company and KPMG LLP.
(v) The
statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the
Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses are
based on or derived from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith
believes are reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from
which they are derived.
(w) The
common shares of the Company have been registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of
the Exchange Act. The common shares of the Company are listed on the
TSX and on the NYSE AMEX, the Company is not in default of any listing
requirements of the TSX or the NYSE AMEX applicable to the Company, and the
Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of,
terminating the registration of the common shares of the Company under the
Exchange Act or de-listing the common shares of the Company from the TSX or NYSE
AMEX, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission, any
Canadian securities regulatory authority, the TSX or NYSE AMEX is contemplating
terminating such registration or listing.
9
(x) The
Company and its Subsidiaries maintain a system of "internal control over
financial reporting" (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act and as
contemplated by the certifications required under Form 52-109F1 and Form
52-109F2 under Multilateral Instrument 52-109 – Certification of Disclosure in
Issuer's Annual and Interim Filings
("MI 52-109"))
that complies in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act
and MI 52-109 and that has been designed by the Company's principal executive
officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide
reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles, including, but not limited to,
internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i)
transactions are executed in accordance with management's general or specific
authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets, (iii) access to
assets is permitted only in accordance with management's general or specific
authorization, and (iv) the recorded accounting for assets is compared with
existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with
respect to any differences. The Company's internal control over
financial reporting is effective and the Company is not aware of any material
weaknesses or significant deficiencies in its internal control over financial
reporting. Since the date of the latest audited consolidated
financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing
Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses, there has been no change in the
Company's internal control over financial reporting that has materially
affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal
control over financial reporting.
(y) The
Company and its Subsidiaries maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as
such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act and as
contemplated by MI 52-109) that comply in all material respects with the
requirements of the Exchange Act and MI 52-109; such disclosure controls and
procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to
the Company and its Subsidiaries is made known to the Company's management,
including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, by
others within those entities; and such disclosure controls and procedures are
effective.
(z) There
is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of its directors or
officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with
any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and the rules and
regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including, without limitation,
Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to
certifications.
(aa) Neither
the Company nor, to the Company's knowledge, any of its affiliates (within the
meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act) has taken, directly or indirectly,
any action which constitutes or is designed to cause or result in, or which
could reasonably be expected to constitute, cause or result in, the
stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the
sale or resale of the Shares.
10
(bb) Neither
the Company nor, to the Company's knowledge, any of its affiliates (within the
meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act) has, prior to the date hereof,
made any offer or sale of any securities which could be "integrated" (within the
meaning of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations) with the offer and
sale of the Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement.
(cc) The
statements set forth in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses under
the captions "Certain Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders," "Certain
Income Tax Considerations for Canadian Holders," "Enforceability of Civil
Liabilities," and "Underwriting", in the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus and the
Canadian Prospectus under the caption "Eligibility for Investment" and in the
Registration Statement under "Part II - Indemnification", insofar as such
statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings
discussed therein, are, in all material respects, accurate, complete and fair
summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or
proceedings.
(dd) The
Company is not and, after giving effect to the Offering and the sale of the
Shares and the application of the net proceeds of the Offering as described in
the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses, will not be required to
register as an "investment company" under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended, and is not and will not be an entity "controlled" by an "investment
company" within the meaning of such act.
(ee) Except
as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses, there are
no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person
that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any
Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder's fee or other like payment
in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or, to the
Company's knowledge, any arrangements, agreements, understandings, payments or
issuance with respect to the Company or any of its officers, directors,
shareholders, partners, employees, Subsidiaries or affiliates that may affect
the Underwriters' compensation as determined by FINRA.
(ff) Except
as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses, (i) the
Company and each Subsidiary owns or leases all properties as are necessary
to the conduct of its business as presently operated and as proposed to be
operated as described in the Pricing Disclosure
Package and
the Prospectuses, and (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, it and the
Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property
and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them, in each
case free and clear of any and all Liens except such as are described in the
Pricing Disclosure
Package and
the Prospectuses or such as do
not (individually or in the aggregate) materially affect the value of such
property or materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of
such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries; and any real property and
buildings held under lease or sublease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are
held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions
as are not material to, and do not materially interfere with, the use made and
proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and
the Subsidiaries. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary
has received any notice of any claim adverse to its ownership of any real or
personal property or of any claim against the continued possession of any real
property, whether owned or held under lease or sublease by the Company or
any Subsidiary.
11
(gg) All
interests in material mining claims, concessions, mining leases, leases of
occupation, exploitation or extraction rights or similar rights ("Mining Claims") that
are held by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries are completely and
accurately described in all material respects in the Pricing Disclosure Package
and the Prospectuses and are in good standing, are valid and enforceable, are
free and clear of any liens or charges, and no royalty is payable in respect of
any of them, except as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the
Prospectuses. Except as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package
and the Prospectuses, no other material property rights are necessary for the
conduct of the Company's business as described therein, and there are no
material restrictions on the ability of the Company and its Subsidiaries to use,
transfer or otherwise exploit any such property rights except as required by
applicable law. Except as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package
and the Prospectuses, the Mining Claims held by the Company or
its Subsidiaries cover the properties required by the Company for the
purposes described therein.
(hh) Except
as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses, the
information relating to estimates by the Company of the measured, indicated
and inferred resources associated with its mineral property projects contained
in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses has been prepared in all
material respects in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral
Projects ("NI
43-101"). The Company believes that all of the assumptions
underlying such resource estimates are reasonable and appropriate, and that
the projected production and operating results relating to its projects and
summarized in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses are
reasonable. The Company has duly filed with the applicable regulatory
authorities all reports required by NI 43-101, and all such reports comply with
the requirements of such instrument in all material respects.
(ii) The
Company and the Subsidiaries maintain insurance in such amounts and
covering such risks as the Company reasonably considers adequate for the conduct
of its business and the value of its properties and as is customary for
companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries, all of which
insurance is in full force and effect, except where the failure to maintain such
insurance could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect. There are no material claims by the Company or
any Subsidiary under any such policy or instrument as to which any
insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of
rights clause. The Company reasonably believes that it will be able
to renew its existing insurance as and when such coverage expires or will be
able to obtain replacement insurance adequate for the conduct of the business
and the value of its properties at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse
Effect.
12
(jj) The
Company and each Subsidiary has accurately prepared and timely filed all U.S.,
Canadian and foreign tax returns that are required to be filed by it and has
paid or made provision for the payment of all taxes, assessments, governmental
or other similar charges, including without limitation, all sales and use taxes
and all taxes which the Company or any Subsidiary is obligated to withhold from
amounts owing to employees, creditors and third parties, with respect to the
periods covered by such tax returns (whether or not such amounts are shown as
due on any tax return), except in any such case as could not reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No deficiency assessment
with respect to a proposed adjustment of the Company's or any Subsidiary's
Canadian federal and provincial, U.S. federal and state, local or foreign taxes
is pending or, to the best of the Company's knowledge,
threatened. The accruals and reserves on the books and records of the
Company and the Subsidiaries in respect of tax liabilities for any taxable
period not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments and related
liabilities for any such period and, since the date of the most recent audited
consolidated financial statements, the Company and the Subsidiaries have not
incurred any liability for taxes other than in the ordinary course of
their respective businesses. There is no tax lien, whether imposed by any
U.S., Canadian or other taxing authority, outstanding against the assets,
properties or business of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(kk) There
are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under Canadian or U.S.
federal law or the laws of any state, province or any political subdivision
thereof, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of
this Agreement or the issuance by the Company or sale by the Company of the
Shares.
(ll) No
stamp duty, registration or documentary taxes, duties or similar charges are
payable under the federal laws of Canada or the laws of any province in
connection with the creation, issuance, sale and delivery to the Underwriters of
the Shares or the authorization, execution, delivery and performance of this
Agreement or the resale of Shares by an Underwriter to U.S.
residents.
(mm) No
dispute between the Company and any local, native or indigenous group exists or,
to the best of the Company's knowledge, is threatened or imminent with respect
to any of the Company's properties or exploration activities that could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(nn) No
labor disturbance by the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary exists
or, to the best of the Company's knowledge, is imminent and the Company is not
aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbances by the employees of any of
its or any Subsidiary's principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or
contractors, which, in either case (individually or in the aggregate), could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
13
(oo) There
has been no storage, generation, transportation, handling, use, treatment,
disposal, discharge, emission, contamination, release or other activity
involving any kind of hazardous, toxic or other wastes, pollutants,
contaminants, petroleum products or other hazardous or toxic substances,
chemicals or materials ("Hazardous
Substances") by, due to, on behalf of, or caused by the Company or any
Subsidiary (or, to the Company's knowledge, any other entity for whose acts or
omissions the Company is or may be liable) upon any property now or previously
owned, operated, used or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary, or upon any
other property, which would be a violation of or give rise to any liability
under any applicable law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit,
common law provision or other legally binding standard relating to pollution or
protection of human health and the environment ("Environmental Law"),
except for violations and liabilities which, individually or in the aggregate,
could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect. There has been no disposal, discharge, emission contamination
or other release of any kind at, onto or from any such property or into the
environment surrounding any such property of any Hazardous Substances with
respect to which the Company or any Subsidiary has knowledge, except as could
not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has agreed to
assume, undertake or provide indemnification for any liability of any other
person under any Environmental Law, including any obligations for cleanup or
remedial action, except as could not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no
pending or, to the best of the Company's knowledge, threatened administrative,
regulatory or judicial action, claim or notice of noncompliance or violation,
investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the
Company or any Subsidiary. No property of the Company or any
Subsidiary is subject to any Lien under any Environmental
Law. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is subject to any order,
decree, agreement or other individualized legal requirement related to any
Environmental Law, which, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(pp) In
the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically reviews the effect
of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company
and its Subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates
associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or
operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure or remediation of
properties or compliance with Environmental Laws, or any permit, license or
approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential
liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the
Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities
would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(qq) None
of the Company, any Subsidiary or, to the Company's knowledge, any of its
employees or agents, has at any time during the last five years (i) made any
unlawful contribution to any candidate for non-United States office, or failed
to disclose fully any such contribution in violation of law, or (ii) made any
payment to any U.S. federal or state governmental officer or official, or other
person charged with similar public or quasi-public duties, other than payments
required or permitted by the laws of the United States of any jurisdiction
thereof. The operations of the Company and each Subsidiary are and
have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with
applicable financial record-keeping 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 agency (collectively, the "Money Laundering
Laws") and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or
governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company
or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to
the best knowledge of the Company, threatened. Neither the Company
nor any Subsidiary nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer,
agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary is currently
subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets
Control of the U.S. Treasury Department ("OFAC"); and the
Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the Offering, or
lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary,
joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing
the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions
administered by OFAC.
14
(rr) Neither
the Company nor any Subsidiary (i) is in violation of its certificate or
articles of incorporation, by-laws, certificate of formation, limited liability
company agreement, partnership agreement or other organizational documents, (ii)
is in default under, and no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of
time or both, would constitute a default under or result in the creation or
imposition of any Lien upon any property or assets of the Company or
any Subsidiary pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
agreement or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it
is bound or to which any of its property or assets is subject, or (iii) is in
violation of any statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, directive, judgment,
decree or order of any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental
agency or body, Canadian, U.S. or foreign, except (in the case of clauses (ii)
and (iii) above) for violations or defaults that could not, individually or in
the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(ss) The
Company is a reporting issuer in the Qualifying Provinces, is not in default
under applicable Canadian Securities Laws and is not on the list of defaulting
reporting issuers maintained by the Canadian Qualifying Authorities; the Company
is subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and is current in
its filings thereunder; the Company is in compliance with its obligations under
the rules of the TSX and NYSE AMEX; and the Company has not filed any
confidential material change reports which remain confidential at the date
hereof.
(tt) Computershare
Investor Services Inc. at its principal office in Toronto, Ontario (and
co-transfer points in Vancouver, British Columbia and Denver, Colorado) is the
duly appointed registrar and transfer agent of the Company with respect to its
common shares.
(uu) The
minute books and corporate records of the Company and the Subsidiaries are
true and correct in all material respects and contain all minutes of all
meetings and all resolutions of the directors (and any committees of such
directors) and shareholders of the Company and the Subsidiaries as at the date
hereof, and as at the Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date, if any, such
minute books and corporate records will contain the minutes of all meetings and
all resolutions of the directors (and any committees of such directors) and
shareholders of the Company and the Subsidiaries.
(vv) The
Company is, and upon completion of the transactions described herein, will be, a
"foreign private issuer" within the meaning of Rule 3b-4 under the Exchange
Act.
(ww) At
the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment
thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or any offering
participant made a bona
fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities
Act) of the Shares and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an
"ineligible issuer", as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities
Act.
15
(xx) Each
stock option granted under any stock option plan of the Company or any
Subsidiary (each, a "Stock Plan") was
granted with a per share exercise price no less than the fair market value per
common share on the grant date of such option, and no such grant involved any
"back-dating," "forward-dating" or similar practice with respect to the
effective date of such grant; each such option (i) was granted in compliance
with applicable laws and with the applicable Stock Plan(s), (ii) was duly
approved by the board of directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof) of
the Company, and (iii) has been properly accounted for in the Company's
financial statements and disclosed, to the extent required, in the Company's
filings or submissions with the Commission, the Canadian Qualifying Authorities
and the TSX.
Any
certificate signed by or on behalf of the Company and delivered to the
Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed to be a
representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters
covered thereby.
2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery
of the Shares.
(a) On
the basis of the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements herein
contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company
agrees to sell to each Underwriter and each Underwriter, severally and not
jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price set forth in
Annex IV
hereto, the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names on
Schedule I
hereto together with any additional number of Shares which such Underwriter may
become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 9
hereof. As compensation for the services rendered to the Company by
the Underwriters in respect of the Offering, the Company will pay to the
Underwriters a commission for Shares sold to the Underwriters under this
Agreement as set forth in Annex IV hereto,
payable on the Closing Date (as defined below), which may be netted against
payment from the Underwriters to the Company for the Firm Shares.
(b) Payment
of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates representing, the Firm
Shares shall be made at the offices of DuMoulin Black LLP, or at such
other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, at
8:00 A.M., New York City time, on March 3, 2010, or such other time and date as
the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing but not later than
42 days after the date hereof (such time and date of payment and delivery being
herein called the "Closing
Date"). Delivery of the Firm Shares shall be made to the
Representatives through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company for the respective
accounts of the several Underwriters against payment of the purchase price for
the Firm Shares by wire transfer in same day funds to or as directed in writing
by the Company. Certificates for the Firm Shares, if applicable,
shall be registered in such name or names and shall be in such denominations as
the Representatives may request.
16
(c) In
addition, on the basis of the representations, warranties, covenants and
agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set
forth, the Company hereby grants to the Underwriters, acting severally and not
jointly, the option to purchase up to 375,000 Additional Shares (which, for
greater certainty, shall not be a greater number of Additional Shares than the
over-allocation position (as defined in NI 41-101 of the Canadian Securities
Administrators) of the Underwriters on the Closing Date), at the same purchase
price per share to be paid by the Underwriters for the Firm Shares and at the
same commission per share to be received by the Underwriters as set forth in
Section 2(a) above, for the sole purpose of covering over-allotments as of the
Closing Date in the sale of Firm Shares by the Underwriters. This
option may be exercised at any time and from time to time, in whole or in part
on one or more occasions, on or before the thirtieth day following the Closing
Date, by written notice from the Representatives to the Company. Such
notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Additional Shares as to which the
option is being exercised and the date and time, as reasonably determined by the
Representatives, when the Additional Shares are to be delivered (any such date
and time being herein sometimes referred to as the "Additional Closing
Date"); provided, however, that no
Additional Closing Date shall occur earlier than the Closing Date or earlier
than the second full business day after the date on which the option shall have
been exercised nor later than the eighth full business day after the date on
which the option shall have been exercised. Upon any exercise of the
option as to all or any portion of the Additional Shares, each Underwriter,
acting severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company the number
of Additional Shares that bears the same proportion of the total number of
Additional Shares then being purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth
opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto (or
such number increased as set forth in Section 9 hereof) bears to the total
number of Firm Shares that the Underwriters have agreed to purchase hereunder,
subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as Xxxxxxx
in its sole discretion shall make.
(d) Payment
of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates representing, the
Additional Shares shall be made at the offices of DuMoulin Black LLP, or at
such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company,
at 8:00 A.M., New York City time, on the Additional Closing Date, or such other
time as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the
Company. Delivery of the Additional Shares shall be made to the
Representatives through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company for the respective
accounts of the several Underwriters against payment of the purchase price for
the Additional Shares by wire transfer in same day funds to or as directed in
writing by the Company. Certificates for the Additional Shares, if
applicable, shall be registered in such name or names and shall be in such
denominations as the Representatives may request.
(e) The
Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the terms of this Agreement and the
Offering (including the price of the Shares and commission with respect to the
Shares) were negotiated at arm's length between sophisticated parties
represented by counsel; (ii) the Underwriters' obligations to the Company in
respect of the Offering are set forth in this Agreement in their entirety; and
(iii) it has obtained such legal, tax, accounting and other advice as it deems
appropriate with respect to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated
hereby and any other activities undertaken in connection therewith, and it is
not relying on the Underwriters with respect to any such
matters.
3. Covenants of the
Underwriters. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly,
covenants and agrees with the Company that such Underwriter will not use or
refer to any "free writing prospectus" (as defined in Rule 405 under the
Securities Act) without the prior written consent of the Company, except for any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus set forth in Annex IV hereto and
any electronic road show previously approved by the
Representatives.
17
4. Covenants of the
Company. In addition to the other covenants and agreements of
the Company contained herein, the Company further covenants and agrees with each
of the Underwriters that:
(a) The
Company will prepare the Canadian Prospectus and the U.S. Prospectus in a form
approved by the Representatives and will (i) file the Canadian Prospectus with
the Canadian Qualifying Authorities in accordance with the Canadian Shelf
Procedures not later than the Reviewing Authority's close of business on the
business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement; (ii) file
the U.S. Prospectus with the Commission pursuant to General Instruction II.L of
Form F-10 not later than the Commission's close of business on the business day
following the filing of the Canadian Prospectus with the Canadian Qualifying
Authorities; (iii) file promptly any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to the
extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; (iv) file promptly all
reports and other documents required to be filed or furnished by the Company
with Canadian securities regulatory authorities pursuant to Canadian Securities
Laws or with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectuses and for so long as the
delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of
the Shares; and (v) furnish copies of the Prospectuses and each Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters
prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the
date of this Agreement in such quantities and at such locations as the
Representatives may reasonably request.
(b) The
Company will deliver, without charge, (i) to the Representatives and counsel to
the Underwriters, (A) signed copies of the Canadian Base Prospectus and the
Registration Statement, in each case as originally filed and including each
amendment thereto and all exhibits and consents filed therewith, and (B) signed
copies of the Form F-X; and (ii) to each Underwriter (x) a conformed copy of the
Canadian Base Prospectus and the Registration Statement, in each case as
originally filed and including each amendment thereto (without exhibits) and (y)
during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the
Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses (including all amendments and
supplements thereto) and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the
Representatives may reasonably request. As used herein, the term
"Prospectus Delivery
Period" means such period of time after the first date of the public
offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a
prospectus relating to the Shares is required by law to be delivered (or
required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in
connection with sales of the Shares by any Underwriter or dealer.
(c) Before
preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus, and before filing any amendment or supplement to the
Registration Statement, the Canadian Base Prospectus or the Prospectuses, the
Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters a
copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for
review and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement
to which the Representatives reasonably objects.
18
(d) The
Company will advise the Representatives promptly, and confirm such advice in
writing, (i) when the Canadian Prospectus has been filed with the Canadian
Qualifying Authorities in accordance with the Canadian Shelf Procedures; (ii)
when the U.S. Prospectus has been filed with the Commission pursuant to General
Instruction II.L of Form F-10; (iii) when any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has
been filed with the Commission; (iv) prior to the termination of the offering of
the Shares, when any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the
Canadian Base Prospectus or the Prospectuses has been filed with the Commission
or the Reviewing Authority, as applicable; (v) of any request by any Canadian
Qualifying Authority for any amendment or supplement to the Canadian Base
Prospectus or the Canadian Prospectus or any other request by any Canadian
Qualifying Authority for any additional information; (vi) of any request by the
Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the
U.S. Prospectus or any other request by the Commission for any additional
information; (vii) of the issuance by any Canadian Qualifying Authority or the
Commission, as applicable, of any cease trade order relating to the Company or
the Company's common shares or any order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, any Prospectus or any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that
purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (viii) of the
occurrence of any event within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of
which the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectuses or any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order
to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when
the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectuses or any such Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; (ix) of the receipt by
the Company of any communication relating to the listing of the Shares on the
TSX or the NYSE AMEX; or (x) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with
respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale
in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such
purpose; and the Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of
any such cease trade order or order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, any Prospectus or any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus or suspending any such qualification of the Shares and, if
any such order is issued, will obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal
thereof.
19
(e) (1)
If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event shall occur or condition
shall exist as a result of which the Prospectuses as then amended or
supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
the light of the circumstances existing when a Prospectus is delivered to a
purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend the Registration
Statement or Canadian Base Prospectus, file a new registration statement or
amend or supplement the Prospectuses to comply with law, the Company will
immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject
to paragraph (c) above, file with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities and the
Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the
Representatives may designate such additional registration statements,
amendments or supplements as may be necessary so that the statements in the
Prospectuses as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the
circumstances existing when a Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be
misleading or so that the Prospectuses will comply with law; the Company shall
use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or any
new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable in order to
avoid any disruption in the use of the Prospectuses, and (2) if at any time
prior to the Closing Date (i) any event shall occur or condition shall
exist as a result of which the Pricing Disclosure Package as then amended or
supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is
delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or
supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package to comply with law, the Company will
immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject
to paragraph (c) above, file with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities and the
Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such
dealers as the Representatives may designate such amendments or supplements to
the Pricing Disclosure Package as may be necessary so that the statements in the
Pricing Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light
of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered
to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Pricing Disclosure Package will
comply with law.
(f) Promptly
from time to time, the Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with
the Representatives, to qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the
securities laws relating to the offer or sale of the Shares in the
Qualifying Provinces and such other jurisdictions, U.S. or foreign, as the
Representatives may designate and to maintain such qualification in effect for
so long as required for the distribution thereof; except that in no event shall
the Company be obligated in connection therewith to qualify as a foreign
corporation or to execute a general consent to service of process in any
jurisdiction where it is not now so subject or require the Company to file a
prospectus in such jurisdiction or subject the Company to ongoing reporting
requirements in such jurisdiction.
(g) The
Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as
practicable an earnings statement of the Company (which need not be audited)
complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act.
(h) During
the period of 90 days from the date of the Prospectuses (the "Lock-Up Period"),
without the prior written consent of the Representatives, the Company (i) will
not, directly or indirectly, issue, offer, sell, agree to issue, offer or sell,
solicit offers to purchase, grant any call option, warrant or other right to
purchase, purchase any put option or other right to sell, pledge, borrow or
otherwise dispose of any Relevant Security, or make any public announcement of
any of the foregoing, (ii) will not establish or increase any "put equivalent
position" or liquidate or decrease any "call equivalent position" (in each case
within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the Rules and
Regulations) with respect to any Relevant Security, and (iii) will not otherwise
enter into any swap, derivative or other transaction or arrangement that
transfers to another, in whole or in part, any economic consequence of ownership
of a Relevant Security, whether or not such transaction is to be settled by
delivery of Relevant Securities, other securities, cash or other consideration;
and the Company will obtain an undertaking in substantially the form
of Annex
III
hereto of each of its officers and directors and the shareholders listed
on Schedule II
attached hereto, not to engage in any of the aforementioned transactions on
their own behalf, other than the sale of Shares as contemplated by this
Agreement and the Company's issuance of its common shares upon (i) the
conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding on
the date hereof; (ii) the exercise of currently outstanding options;
(iii) the exercise of currently outstanding warrants; (iv) the grant
and exercise of options under, or the issuance and sale of shares pursuant to,
employee stock option plans in effect on the date hereof, each as described in
the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the
Prospectuses. The Company will not file a prospectus under Canadian
Securities Laws or a registration statement under the Securities Act in
connection with any transaction by the Company or any person that is prohibited
pursuant to the foregoing, except for registration statements on Form S-8
relating to employee benefit plans.
20
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the Lock-Up Period, the Company
issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the
Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the
Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period
beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, the restrictions imposed by the
immediately preceding paragraph shall continue to apply until the expiration of
the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the
occurrence of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless the
Representatives waive, in writing, such extension. The Company will
provide the Representatives, each officer and director of the Company and each
of the other shareholders listed on Schedule II attached
hereto with prior notice of any such announcement that gives rise to an
extension of the Lock-Up Period.
(i) The
Company has obtained the conditional approval of the TSX for the listing of the
Shares and will use its best efforts to satisfy any requirements of the TSX to
the listing thereof within the time specified in such approval. The
Company has obtained the approval of the NYSE AMEX for the listing of the
Shares, subject to official notice of issuance. The Company will use
its best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Shares on the TSX and
NYSE AMEX for a period of at least three years from the date of this
Agreement.
(j) The
Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares as set forth
under the caption "Use of Proceeds" in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the
Prospectuses.
(k) The
Company will not take, and will cause its affiliates (within the meaning of Rule
144 under the Securities Act) not to take, directly or indirectly, any action
which constitutes or is designed to cause or result in, or which could
reasonably be expected to constitute, cause or result in, the stabilization or
manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the sale or resale of
the Shares.
(l) The
Company shall provide the Representatives with a draft of any press release to
be issued in connection with the Offering, and will provide the Representatives
and counsel to the Underwriters sufficient time to comment thereon and will
accept all reasonable comments of the Representatives and counsel to the
Underwriters on such press releases.
21
(m) During
the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will file all documents required to
be filed or furnished by the Company with (i) Canadian securities regulatory
authorities in accordance with applicable Canadian Securities Laws and (ii) the
Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the
Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder.
5. Payment of
Expenses. Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, the Registration Statement and the Prospectuses are consummated or
this Agreement is terminated, the Company hereby agrees to pay all costs and
expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including the
following: (i) all expenses in connection with the preparation, printing and
filing of the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectuses, any Preliminary
Prospectus, any Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any and all
amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies
thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the fees, disbursements and
expenses of the Company's counsel and accountants in connection with the
qualification of the Shares under Canadian Securities Laws, the registration of
the distribution of the Shares under the Securities Act and the Offering; (iii)
the cost of producing this Agreement and any agreement among Underwriters; (iv)
all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offering and
sale under state or foreign securities or "blue sky" laws as provided in Section
4(f) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the
Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with any
blue sky survey; (v) the filing fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements
of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, compliance with the rules
and regulations of FINRA in connection with the Offering; (vi) all fees and
expenses in connection with listing the Shares on the TSX and the NYSE AMEX;
(vii) all travel expenses of the Company's officers and employees and any
other expense of the Company incurred in connection with attending or hosting
meetings with prospective purchasers of the Shares; and (viii) any transfer
taxes incurred in connection with this Agreement or the Offering. The
Company also will pay or cause to be paid: (w) the cost of preparing
certificates representing the Shares; (x) the cost and charges of any transfer
agent or registrar for the Shares; (y) the costs and expenses incurred by the
Underwriters, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel and other
out of pocked expenses incurred by them in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement; and (z) all other costs and expenses incident to
the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise
specifically provided for in this Section 5. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Company shall not reimburse the Underwriters for any costs, fees,
disbursements or expenses, including fees and disbursements of counsel to the
Underwriters and taxes thereon, in an amount greater than
US$200,000. It is also understood that except as provided in
this Section 5 and in Sections 7, 8 and 11 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all
of their own costs and expenses, including the transfer taxes on the
resale of any of the Shares by them, in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
6. Conditions of
Underwriters'
Obligations. The several obligations of the Underwriters to
purchase and pay for the Firm Shares and the Additional Shares, as provided
herein, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties
of the Company herein contained as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date
(for purposes of this Section 6, "Closing Date" shall
refer to the Closing Date for the Firm Shares and any Additional Closing Date,
if different, for the Additional Shares), to the performance by the Company of
all of its obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional
conditions:
22
(a) No
order suspending the distribution of the Shares shall have been issued by any
securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in Canada and no proceedings
for that purpose shall have been instituted or threatened; the Canadian
Prospectus shall have been filed with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities in
accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; and all requests by any Canadian Qualifying
Authority for additional information shall have been complied with to the
reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives.
(b) No
order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in
effect, and no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the
Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the U.S.
Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed
with the Commission under the Securities Act (in the case of an Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act)
and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission
for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable
satisfaction of the Representatives.
(c) DuMoulin
Black LLP, Canadian counsel to the Company, shall have furnished to the
Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion, dated the
Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Annex I
hereto. In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely, to the extent
appropriate, upon local counsel or arrange, to the extent appropriate, for
separate opinions of local counsel acceptable to the Underwriters, acting
reasonably, and shall be entitled as to matters of fact to rely upon a
certificate of fact from responsible persons in a position to have knowledge of
such facts and their accuracy.
(d) Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, U.S. counsel to the Company, shall have furnished to
the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion and
10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect
set forth in Annex
II
hereto.
(e) XxxXxxx
Xxxxx LLP, special tax counsel to the Company, shall have furnished to the
Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion, dated the
Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, with respect to the accuracy of
the statements in the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus and the Canadian
Prospectus under the headings "Certain Income Tax Considerations for U.S.
Holders – Canadian Federal Income Tax Considerations", "Certain Income Tax
Considerations for Canadian Holders" and "Eligibility for Investment" and such
other matters as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(f) DuMoulin
Black LLP, special British Columbia counsel to the Company, shall have furnished
to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion,
dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, as to the ownership
and title of the Company and its Subsidiaries to the KSM Project (as
defined in the Prospectuses) and with respect to such matters related to the
transactions contemplated hereby as may be reasonably requested by the
Representatives.
23
(g) Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxx and Malakoe LLP, special Northwest Territories counsel to the Company,
shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company,
their written opinion, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters,
as to the ownership and title of the Company to the Courageous Lake Project
(as defined in the Prospectuses), including the due incorporation and good
standing of 5073 N.W.T. Ltd. and the ownership by the Company of all of the
outstanding shares of 5073 N.W.T. Ltd., and with respect to such other matters
related to the transactions contemplated hereby as may be reasonably requested
by the Representatives.
(h) Blake,
Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, special Canadian counsel to the Underwriters, shall
have furnished to the Representatives their written opinion, dated the Closing
Date and addressed to the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the
Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received
such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to
pass upon such matters.
(i) Skadden,
Arps, Slate, Xxxxxxx & Xxxx LLP, special United States counsel to the
Underwriters, shall have furnished to the Representatives their written opinion
and 10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters,
with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and
such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may
reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(j) At
the Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received a certificate of the
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated the
Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, as to the
accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in
Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, as to the
performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed
at or prior to the Closing Date, and as to the matters set forth in subsections
(a), (b) and (k) of this Section 6.
(k) On
the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date, KPMG LLP shall have
furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, letters, dated
the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, containing
statements and information of the type customarily included in
accountants' "comfort letters" to underwriters with respect to the
financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated
by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and
the Prospectuses; provided, that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall
use a "cut-off" date no more than two business days prior to such Closing
Date.
24
(l) Neither
the Company nor any Subsidiary shall have sustained, since the date of the
latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the
Pricing Disclosure Package, any material loss or interference with its business
or properties from fire, explosion, flood, hurricane, accident or other
calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or any
legal or governmental proceeding, other than as set forth in the Pricing
Disclosure Package (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto); and
subsequent to the dates as of which information is given in the Pricing
Disclosure Package (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), there
shall not have been any change in the share capital or long-term or short-term
debt of the Company or any Subsidiary or any change or any development involving
a change, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of
business, in the business, general affairs, management, condition (financial or
otherwise), results of operations, shareholders' equity, properties or prospects
of the Company and the Subsidiaries, individually or taken as a whole, the
effect of which, in any such case described above, is, in the judgment of the
Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or
inadvisable to proceed with the Offering on the terms and in the manner
contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package (exclusive of any amendment or
supplement thereto).
(m) No
action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall
have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign
governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent
the issuance or sale of the Shares; and no injunction or order of any federal,
state, provincial or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the
Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares.
(n) The
Underwriters shall have received a duly executed lock-up agreement from each
person listed on Schedule II hereto,
in each case substantially in the form attached hereto as Annex
III.
(o) The
Shares shall have been listed and admitted and authorized for trading on the
NYSE AMEX, subject to official notice of issuance. The Shares shall
have been conditionally approved for listing on the TSX, subject only to
satisfaction by the Company of customary listing conditions.
(p) At
the Closing Date, FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the
fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements for the
Offering.
(q) The
Company shall have furnished the Underwriters and Underwriters' counsel
with such other certificates, opinions or other documents as they may have
reasonably requested.
If any of
the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when
and as required by this Agreement, or if any of the certificates, opinions,
written statements or letters furnished to the Underwriters or to Underwriters'
counsel pursuant to this Section 6 shall not be satisfactory in form and
substance to the Representatives and to Underwriters' counsel, all obligations
of the Underwriters hereunder may be cancelled by the Representatives at, or at
any time prior to, the Closing Date and the obligations of the Underwriters to
purchase the Additional Shares may be cancelled by the Representatives at, or at
any time prior to, the Additional Closing Date. Notice of such
cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by
telephone. Any such telephone notice shall be confirmed promptly
thereafter in writing.
25
7. Indemnification.
(a) The
Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person,
if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of
the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any and all
losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses whatsoever as incurred
(including but not limited to attorneys' fees and any and all expenses
whatsoever incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any
litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, and any and all
amounts paid in settlement of any claim or litigation), joint or several, to
which they or any of them may become subject under Canadian Securities Laws, the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses,
liabilities, claims, damages or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) arise
out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of
a material fact contained (A) in any Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as
originally filed or in any supplement thereto or amendment thereof, in the
Registration Statement, as originally filed or any amendment thereof, in any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or in any "issuer information" (as defined in
Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act) filed or required to be filed pursuant
to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, or (B) in any other materials or
information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in
connection with the Offering, including in any "road show" (as defined in Rule
433 under the Securities Act) for the Offering ("Marketing
Materials"), or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any
Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as originally filed or in any supplement
thereto or amendment thereof, in the Registration Statement, as originally filed
or any amendment thereof, in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or in any
"issuer information" (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act)
filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act,
or in any Marketing Materials, a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein (in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made, in the case of any prospectus) not misleading; provided, however, that the
Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent but only to the extent
that any such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense arises out of or is
based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any
Underwriter expressly for use therein. The parties agree that
such information provided by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists
solely of the material referred to in Section 16 hereof. This
indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may
otherwise have, including but not limited to other liability under this
Agreement.
(b) Each
Underwriter, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and hold harmless the
Company, each of the directors of the Company, each of the officers of the
Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement or the Canadian
Prospectus, and each other person, if any, who controls the Company within the
meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act,
against any losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses whatsoever as
incurred (including but not limited to attorneys' fees and any and all expenses
whatsoever incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any
litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, and any and all
amounts paid in settlement of any claim or litigation), joint or several, to
which they or any of them may become subject under Canadian Securities Laws, the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses,
liabilities, claims, damages or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) arise
out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as
originally filed or any amendment thereof or amendment thereto, or in the
Registration Statement, as originally filed or any amendment thereof, or arise
out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that
any such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense arises out of or is based
upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any
Underwriter specifically for use therein; provided, however, that in no
case shall any Underwriter be liable or responsible for any amount in
excess of the underwriting commission applicable to the Shares to be purchased
by such Underwriter hereunder. The parties agree that such
information provided by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists solely of
the material referred to in Section 16 hereof.
26
(c) Promptly
after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of
notice of any claims or the commencement of any action, such indemnified party
shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying
party under such subsection, notify each party against whom indemnification is
to be sought in writing of the claim or the commencement thereof (but the
failure so to notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying
party from any liability which it may have under this Section 7 to the extent it
is not materially prejudiced 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 case any such claim or action is brought against
any indemnified party, and it notifies an indemnifying party of the commencement
thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate, at its own
expense in the defense of such action, and to the extent it may elect by written
notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid
notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with
counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party acting reasonably; provided however, that counsel
to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the written consent of the
indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified
party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnified party or
parties shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case
(including one local counsel in each relevant jurisdiction), but the fees and
expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party or
parties unless (i) the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in
writing by one of the indemnifying parties in connection with the defense of
such action, (ii) the indemnifying parties shall not have employed counsel to
have charge of the defense of such action within a reasonable time after notice
of commencement of the action, (iii) the indemnifying party does not diligently
defend the action after assumption of the defense, or (iv) such indemnified
party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses
available to it or them which are different from or additional to those
available to one or all of the indemnifying parties (in which case the
indemnifying parties shall not have the right to direct the defense of such
action on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events
such fees and expenses shall be borne by the indemnifying parties. No
indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified
parties, effect any settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of
judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened claim, investigation, action
or proceeding in respect of which indemnity or contribution may be or could have
been sought by an indemnified party under this Section 7 or Section 8 hereof
(whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party thereto),
unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional
release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim,
investigation, action or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to
or an admission of fault, culpability or any failure to act, by or on behalf of
the indemnified party.
27
8. Contribution. In
order to provide for contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification
provided for in Section 7 hereof is for any reason held to be unavailable from
any indemnifying party or is insufficient to hold harmless a party indemnified
thereunder, the Company and the Underwriters shall contribute to the
aggregate losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses of the nature
contemplated by such indemnification provision (including any investigation,
legal and other expenses incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in
settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claims asserted, but after
deducting in the case of losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses
suffered by the Company, any contribution received by the Company from persons,
other than the Underwriters, who may also be liable for contribution, including
persons who control the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the
Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, officers of the Company who
signed the Canadian Prospectus or the Registration Statement and each director
of the Company) as incurred to which the Company and one or more of the
Underwriters may be subject, in such proportions as is appropriate to
reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the
Underwriters from the Offering or, if such allocation is not permitted by
applicable law, in such proportions as are appropriate to reflect not only the
relative benefits referred to above but also the relative fault of the Company
and the Underwriters in connection with the statements or omissions which
resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as
any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits
received by the Company and the Underwriters shall be deemed to be in the
same proportion as (x) the total proceeds from the Offering (net of underwriting
discounts and commissions but before deducting expenses) received by the Company
bears to (y) the underwriting discount or commissions received by the
Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the
U.S. Prospectus. The relative fault of each of the Company and of the
Underwriters shall be determined by reference to, among other things,
whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the
omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information
supplied by the Company or the Underwriters and the parties' relative
intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent
such statement or omission. The Company and the
Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution
pursuant to this Section 8 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the
Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other
method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations
referred to above in this Section 8. The aggregate amount of losses,
liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and
referred to above in this Section 8 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 judicial, regulatory or other legal or 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 8, (i) no
Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the
amount by which the discounts and commissions applicable to the Shares
underwritten by it and distributed to the public exceeds the amount of any
damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason
of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission and
(ii) no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of
Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any
person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For
purposes of this Section 8, each person, if any, who controls an
Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or
Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as
such Underwriter, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the
meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act,
and each officer of the Company who signed the Canadian Prospectus or the
Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same
rights to contribution as the Company subject in each case to clauses (i) and
(ii) of the immediately preceding sentence. Any party entitled to
contribution will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any
action, suit or proceeding against such party in respect of which a claim for
contribution may be made against another party or parties, notify each party or
parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission to so notify such
party or parties shall not relieve the party or parties from whom contribution
may be sought from any obligation it or they may have under this Section 8 or
otherwise. The obligations of the Underwriters to contribute
pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the respective number of
Shares to be purchased by each of the Underwriters hereunder and not
joint.
28
9. Underwriter
Default.
(a) If
any Underwriter or Underwriters shall default in its or their obligation to
purchase Firm Shares or Additional Shares hereunder, and if the Firm Shares or
Additional Shares with respect to which such default relates (the "Default Shares") do
not (after giving effect to arrangements, if any, made by the Representatives
pursuant to subsection (b) below) exceed in the aggregate 10% of the number of
Firm Shares or Additional Shares, as the case may be, each non-defaulting
Underwriter, acting severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the
Company that number of Default Shares that bears the same proportion of the
total number of Default Shares then being purchased as the number of Firm Shares
set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto
bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of the
non-defaulting Underwriters, subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate
fractional shares as Xxxxxxx in its sole discretion shall
make.
(b) In
the event that the aggregate number of Default Shares exceeds 10% of the number
of Firm Shares or Additional Shares, as the case may be, the Representatives may
in their discretion arrange for themselves or for another party or parties
(including any non-defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters who so agree) to
purchase the Default Shares on the terms contained herein. In the
event that within five calendar days after such a default Representatives do not
arrange for the purchase of the Default Shares as provided in this Section 9,
this Agreement (or, in the case of a default with respect to the Additional
Shares, the obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to
sell the Additional Shares) shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the
part of the Company with respect thereto (except in each case as provided in
Sections 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11(d)) or the non-defaulting Underwriters,
but nothing in this Agreement shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter or
Underwriters of its or their liability, if any, to the other Underwriters and
the Company for damages occasioned by its or their default
hereunder.
29
(c) In
the event that any Default Shares are to be purchased by the non-defaulting
Underwriters, or are to be purchased by another party or parties as aforesaid,
the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing
Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, for a period, not exceeding
five business days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made
necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectuses or in any other
documents and arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any
amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectuses which,
in the opinion of Underwriters' counsel, may thereby be made necessary or
advisable. The term "Underwriter" as used
in this Agreement shall include any party substituted under this Section 9 with
like effect as if it had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect
to such Firm Shares and Additional Shares.
10. Survival of Representations
and Agreements. All representations and warranties, covenants
and agreements of the Underwriters and the Company contained in this
Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any Subsidiary
submitted pursuant hereto, including the agreements contained in Section 5, the
indemnity agreements contained in Section 7 and the contribution agreements
contained in Section 8, shall remain operative and in full force and effect
regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or
any controlling person thereof or by or on behalf of the Company, any of its
officers and directors or any controlling person thereof, and shall survive
delivery of and payment for the Shares to and by the
Underwriters. The representations and warranties contained in Section
1 and the agreements contained in Sections 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11 hereof shall
survive any termination of this Agreement, including termination pursuant to
Section 9 or 11 hereof.
11. Effective Date of Agreement;
Termination.
(a) This
Agreement shall become effective when the parties hereto have executed and
delivered this Agreement.
(b) The
Representatives shall have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time
prior to the Closing Date or to terminate the obligations of the Underwriters to
purchase the Additional Shares at any time prior to the Additional Closing Date,
as the case may be, if, at or after the Applicable Time, (i) any domestic or
international event or act or occurrence has materially disrupted, or in the
opinion of the Representatives will in the immediate future materially disrupt,
the market for the Company's securities or securities in general; or (ii)
trading in the Company's common shares shall have been suspended by the
Commission, any Canadian securities commission, the TSX or the NYSE AMEX, or
trading in securities generally on the NYSE AMEX, Nasdaq or on the TSX shall
have been suspended or been made subject to material limitations, or minimum or
maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices
for securities shall have been required, on the NYSE AMEX, Nasdaq or TSX or by
order of the Commission, any Canadian securities commission or any other
governmental authority having jurisdiction; or (iii) a banking moratorium has
been declared by any U.S. state or U.S. or Canadian federal authority or any
material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance
services shall have occurred; or (iv) any downgrading shall have occurred in the
Company's corporate credit rating or the rating accorded the Company's debt
securities by any "nationally recognized statistical rating organization" (as
defined for purposes of Rule 436(g) under the Securities Act) or any such
organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or
review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company's
debt securities or any notice or announcement shall have been given or made
of any watch, review or possible change that does not indicate an
affirmation or improvement in the rating accorded; or (v) (A) there shall have
occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or acts of terrorism
involving the United States or Canada or there is a declaration of a national
emergency or war by the United States or Canada or (B) there shall have been any
other calamity or crisis or any change in political, financial or economic
conditions if the effect of any such event in (A) or (B), in the judgment of the
Representatives, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the
offering, sale and delivery of the Firm Shares or the Additional Shares, as the
case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the
Prospectuses.
30
(c) Any
notice of termination pursuant to this Section 11 shall be in
writing.
(d) If
this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to any of the provisions hereof
(other than pursuant to Section 9(b) hereof), or if the sale of the Shares
provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations
of the Underwriters set forth herein is not satisfied or because of any
refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any
agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof, the Company will, subject
to demand by the Representatives, reimburse the Underwriters for all reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of their
counsel), incurred by the Underwriters in connection herewith.
12. Notices. All
communications hereunder, except as may be otherwise specifically provided
herein, shall be in writing, and:
(a) if
sent to any Underwriter, shall be delivered, or faxed and confirmed in writing,
to such Underwriter c/o Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Company, LLC, 000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx,
00xx
Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Syndicate Department, with a copy to
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Xxxxxxx & Xxxx LLP at 000 Xxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000,
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx, X0X 0X0, Attention: Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, and to Blake,
Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, 2600, Three Bentall Centre, 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, X.X.
Xxx 00000, Xxxxxxxxx, XX X0X 0X0, Attention: Xxx Xxxxxx;
(b) if
sent to the Company, shall be delivered, or faxed and confirmed in writing to
the Company and its counsel at the addresses set forth in the Registration
Statement;
provided, however, that any
notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 7 shall be delivered or sent
by facsimile transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in
its acceptance facsimile to Xxxxxxx, which address will be supplied to any other
party hereto by Xxxxxxx upon request. Any such notices and other
communications shall take effect at the time of receipt thereof.
31
13. Parties. This
Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of, and shall be binding upon, the
Underwriters and the Company and the controlling persons, directors,
officers, employees and agents referred to in Sections 7 and 8 hereof, and their
respective successors and assigns, and no other person shall have or be
construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in
respect of or by virtue 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 parties hereto and
said controlling persons and their respective successors, officers, directors,
heirs and legal representatives, and it is not for the benefit of any other
person, firm or corporation. The term "successors and assigns" shall
not include a purchaser, in its capacity as such, of Shares from any of the
Underwriters.
14. Governing Law and
Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial. This Agreement shall be governed by
and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New
York. The Company irrevocably (a) submits to the jurisdiction
of any court of the State of New York or the United States District Court for
the Southern District of the State of New York (each a "New York Court") for
the purpose of any suit, action, or other proceeding arising out of this
Agreement, or any of the agreements or transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, the Registration Statement and the Prospectuses (each, a "Proceeding"), (b)
agrees that all claims in respect of any Proceeding may be heard and determined
in any New York Court, (c) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any
immunity from jurisdiction of any New York Court or from any legal process
therein, (d) agrees not to commence any Proceeding other than in a New York
Court, and (e) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claim that
such Proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum. The Company
hereby irrevocably designates Corporation Service Company, 1180 Avenue of the
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, as agent upon whom process
against the Company may be served. THE COMPANY (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF
AND, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ON BEHALF OF ITS RESPECTIVE EQUITY
HOLDERS AND CREDITORS) HEREBY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN
RESPECT OF ANY CLAIM BASED UPON, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS
AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, THE REGISTRATION
STATEMENT AND THE PROSPECTUSES.
15. Judgment Currency.
If for the
purposes of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert a sum due
hereunder into any currency other than U.S. dollars, the parties hereto agree,
to the fullest extent that they may effectively do so, that the rate of exchange
used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the
Underwriters could purchase U.S. dollars with such other currency in The City of
New York on the business day preceding that on which final judgment is
given. The obligations of the Company in respect of any sum due from
it to any Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment in any currency other
than U.S. dollars, not be discharged until the first business day following
receipt by such Underwriter of any sum adjudged to be so due in such other
currency on which (and only to the extent that) such Underwriter may in
accordance with normal banking procedures purchase U.S. dollars with such other
currency; if the U.S. dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due
to such Underwriter hereunder, the Company agrees, as a separate obligation and
notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Underwriter against such
loss. If the U.S. dollars so purchased are greater than the sum
originally due to such Underwriter hereunder, such Underwriter agrees to pay to
the Company an amount equal to the excess of the U.S. dollars so purchased over
the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder.
32
16. Underwriter
Information. The parties acknowledge and agree that, for
purposes of this Agreement, the information provided by or on behalf of any
Underwriter consists solely of the following: (i) the information included
in the first, second and third sentences of the seventh full paragraph under the
caption "Underwriting" in the Prospectuses relating to the price at which the
Shares will be offered, (ii) the information included in the twelfth, thirteenth
and fourteenth full paragraphs in each case under the caption "Underwriting" in
the Prospectuses relating to stabilization activities that may be undertaken by
the Underwriters, and (iii) the information included in the sixteenth full
paragraph under the caption "Underwriting" in the Prospectuses relating to the
provision of the Prospectuses in electronic format and the allocation of Shares
by the Representatives.
17. No Fiduciary
Relationship. The Company hereby acknowledges that the
Underwriters are acting solely as underwriters in connection with the purchase
and sale of the Company's securities contemplated hereby. The Company
further acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting pursuant to a contractual
relationship created solely by this Agreement entered into on an arm's length
basis, and in no event do the parties intend that the Underwriters act or be
responsible as a fiduciary to the Company, its management, shareholders or
creditors or any other person in connection with any activity that the
Underwriters may undertake or have undertaken in furtherance of such purchase
and sale of the Company's securities, either before or after the date
hereof. The Underwriters hereby expressly disclaim any fiduciary or
similar obligations to the Company, either in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions,
and the Company hereby confirms its understanding and agreement to that
effect. The Company and the Underwriters agree that they are each
responsible for making their own independent judgments with respect to any such
transactions and that any opinions or views expressed by the Underwriters to the
Company regarding such transactions, including, but not limited to, any opinions
or views with respect to the price or market for the Company's securities, do
not constitute advice or recommendations to the Company. The Company
and the Underwriters agree that the Underwriters are acting as principal and not
the agent or fiduciary of the Company and no Underwriter has assumed, and no
Underwriter will assume, any advisory responsibility in favor of the Company
with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading
thereto (irrespective of whether any Underwriter has advised or is currently
advising the Company on other matters). The Company hereby waives and
releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company
may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach
of any fiduciary, advisory or similar duty to the Company in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such
transactions.
18. 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 instrument. Delivery of a signed counterpart of this Agreement
by facsimile transmission shall constitute valid and sufficient delivery
thereof.
33
19. Headings. The
headings herein are inserted for convenience of reference only and are not
intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this
Agreement.
20. Time is of the
Essence. Time shall be of the essence of this
Agreement. As used herein, the term "business day" shall mean any day
when the Reviewing Authority's office in Toronto, Ontario is open for
business.
[signature
page follows]
34
If the
foregoing correctly sets forth your understanding, please so indicate in the
space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a
binding agreement among us.
Very
truly yours,
|
||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxx Xxxxx | |
Name:
Xxxx Xxxxx
|
||
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
|
Accepted
as of the date first above written
|
||
XXXXXXX
XXXX & COMPANY, LLC
|
||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx | |
Name:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
|
||
Title:
Chief Operating Officer
|
||
NOMURA
SECURITIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
|
||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxx | |
Name:
Xxxxxx Xxxx
|
||
Title:
Head of Investment Banking
|
||
CI
CAPITAL MARKETS INC.
|
||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxx Xxxxxx | |
Name:
Xxxx Xxxxxx
|
||
Title:
Managing Director
|
SCHEDULE
I
Underwriter
|
Total Number of Firm
Shares to be Purchased
|
Number of Additional
Shares to be Purchased if
Option is Fully Exercised
|
||||||
Xxxxxxx
Xxxx & Company, LLC
|
1,062,500 | 159,375 | ||||||
Nomura
Securities International, Inc.
|
1,062,500 | 159,375 | ||||||
CI
Capital Markets Inc.
|
375,000 | 56,250 | ||||||
Total
|
2,500,000 | 375,000 |
SCHEDULE
II
|
1.
|
Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx
|
|
2.
|
A.
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
|
|
3.
|
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx
|
|
4.
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
|
|
5.
|
Xxxxx
X. Xxx
|
|
6.
|
Xxxx
X. Xxxxx
|
|
7.
|
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx
|
|
8.
|
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxxx
|
|
9.
|
Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
|
|
10.
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx
|
EXHIBIT
A
Subsidiaries
Name of Subsidiary
|
Jurisdiction
|
|
5073
N.W.T Ltd.
|
Northwest
Territories
|
|
Seabridge
Gold Corporation
|
Nevada
|
|
Pacific
Intermountain Gold Corporation
|
Nevada
|
ANNEX
I
Form of Opinion of
DuMoulin Black
LLP
(a) A
final Receipt has been obtained in respect of the Canadian Base Prospectus from
the Reviewing Authority and, subject to the filing of standard post-closing
notices of distribution, all necessary documents have been filed, all necessary
proceedings have been taken and all necessary consents, approvals and
authorizations have been obtained, in each case by the Company, under Canadian
Securities Laws to permit the Shares to be offered, sold and delivered, as
contemplated by this Agreement in the Qualifying Provinces by or through
investment dealers or brokers duly and properly registered under Canadian
Securities Laws who have complied with the relevant provisions of such laws and
the terms of such registration; to the knowledge of such counsel, no order
suspending the distribution of the Shares has been issued, no proceedings for
that purpose have been instituted or threatened by any of the Canadian
Qualifying Authorities.
(b) The
Company has been duly incorporated and validly exists under the laws of its
jurisdiction of incorporation, is duly qualified to do business and is in good
standing in British Columbia and Ontario, and has all corporate power and
capacity necessary to own or hold its properties and to conduct the businesses
in which it is engaged. The Company is extra-provincially registered
in British Columbia.
(c) The
authorized, issued and outstanding share capital of the Company is as set forth
in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses.
(d) The
Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this
Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; and all action required to
be taken under corporate law and the Company's constating documents for the due
and proper authorization, execution and delivery by the Company of this
Agreement and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated
hereby or by the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectuses has been duly
and validly taken.
(e) The
Shares have been duly authorized, and when delivered to and paid for by the
Underwriters in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly
issued, fully paid and non-assessable and the issuance of the Shares is not
subject to any preemptive or similar rights under the Articles of the
Company.
(f) The
execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the
compliance by the Company with the terms thereof, the issuance and sale of the
Shares being delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as
the case may be, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any
of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the
creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or
assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to, any agreement or
instrument set forth in Schedule A to such counsel's opinion, (ii) result in any
violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational
documents of the Company or (iii) result in the violation of any applicable law,
statute, rule or regulation of the Province of British Columbia or any
applicable law, statute, rule or regulation of Canada applicable in British
Columbia, or, to the knowledge of such counsel, any judgment, order or
regulation of any Canadian court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory
authority to which the Company is subject set forth in Schedule B to such
counsel's opinion.
(g) To
the knowledge of such counsel, except as described in the Pricing Disclosure
Package and the Prospectuses, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory
investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries is or may be a party or in which any property of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may be specifically made the subject,
which, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect; and to the knowledge of such counsel, no such investigations,
actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or contemplated by any governmental
or regulatory authority or threatened by others.
(h) (I)
The statements in the Preliminary Prospectuses and Prospectuses under the
headings "Description of Share Capital—Authorized Capital", "Description of
Share Capital—Common Shares" and "Description of Share Capital—Preferred
Shares", (II) the statements attributed to such counsel in the Preliminary
Prospectuses and the Prospectuses under the heading "Enforceability of
Civil Liabilities", and (III) the statements in the Registration Statement under
"Part II – Information Not Required to be Delivered to Offerees or Purchasers –
Indemnification of Directors and Officers", in each case have been reviewed by
such counsel and fairly summarize the matters under such headings.
(i) Each
of the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus and the Canadian Prospectus (excluding
the financial data contained therein and all documents incorporated by reference
therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) complies as to form
in all material respects with the requirements of Canadian Securities
Laws.
(j) The
Company is a "reporting issuer" under the securities legislation of each of the
Qualifying Provinces and is not on the list of defaulting issuers maintained
under such legislation.
(k) The
Company is eligible to rely upon the Canadian Shelf
Procedures.
(l) All
necessary corporate action has been taken by the Company to authorize the filing
of each of the Canadian Base Prospectus, the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus and
the Canadian Prospectus with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities.
(m) The
Company has authorized and approved the filing of the Registration Statement
with the Commission.
2
(n) The
TSX has conditionally approved the listing of the Shares, subject to the Company
fulfilling the requirements of such exchange set forth in the conditional
approval letter on or before the date in such letter.
(o) A
court of competent jurisdiction in the Province of British Columbia (a "Canadian Court")
would give effect to the choice of the law of the State of New York ("New York law") as the
proper law governing the enforcement of this Agreement, provided that such
choice of law is bona fide (in the sense that it was not made with a view to
avoiding the consequences of the laws of any other jurisdiction) and provided
that such choice of law is not contrary to public policy, as that term is
understood under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the laws of
Canada applicable therein and in such counsel's opinion the choice of New York
law is not contrary to public policy, as that term is understood under the laws
in the Province of British Columbia and the laws of Canada applicable
therein.
(p) In
an action on a final and conclusive judgment in personam of any federal or state
court sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, New York (a
"New York
Court") that is not impeachable as void or voidable under New York law, a
Canadian Court would give effect to the appointment by the Company of
Corporation Service Company as its agent for service in the United States of
America under this Agreement, and to the provisions in this Agreement whereby
the Company has submitted to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of a New York
Court.
(q) If
this Agreement is sought to be enforced in the Province of British Columbia in
accordance with the laws applicable hereto as chosen by the parties, namely New
York law, a Canadian Court would, subject to paragraph (p) above, recognize the
choice of New York law, and, upon appropriate evidence as to such law being
specifically pleaded and proved, apply such law to all issues that, under the
conflict of law rules of the Province of British Columbia, are to be determined
in accordance with the proper or governing law of a contract, provided that such
Canadian Court will not apply (i) those New York laws which it characterizes as
being of a revenue, penal or public law nature, or (ii) those New York laws, the
application of which would be contrary to public policy, as that term is
understood under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the laws of
Canada applicable therein; provided, however, that, in
matters of procedure, the laws of the Province of British Columbia will be
applied, and a Canadian Court will retain discretion to decline to hear such
action if it is contrary to public policy, as that term is understood under the
laws of the Province of British Columbia and the laws of Canada applicable
therein, for such Canadian Court to do so, or if such Canadian Court is not the
proper forum to hear such an action or if concurrent proceedings are being
brought elsewhere.
3
(r) The
laws of the Province of British Columbia and the laws of Canada applicable
therein permit an action to be brought in a Canadian Court to enforce a final
and conclusive judgment in personam of a New York Court respecting the
enforcement of this Agreement that is not impeachable as void or voidable under
New York law for a sum certain if: (A) the court rendering such judgment
properly exercised jurisdiction over the judgment debtor as recognized by a
Canadian Court (and submission by the Company to the jurisdiction of a New York
Court pursuant to this Agreement will be sufficient for this purpose); (B) such
judgment was not obtained by fraud or in a manner contrary to natural justice
and the enforcement thereof would not be inconsistent with public policy, as
such term is understood under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and
the federal laws of Canada applicable therein or contrary to any order made by
the Attorney General of Canada under the Foreign Extraterritorial Measures
Act (Canada) or by the Competition Tribunal under the Competition Act (Canada); (C)
the enforcement of such judgment does not constitute, directly or indirectly,
the enforcement of foreign revenue or penal laws; and (D) the action to enforce
such judgment is commenced within the relevant limitation period prescribed
under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the laws of Canada
applicable therein; and in such counsel's opinion a Canadian Court should not
avoid the enforcement of judgments of a New York Court respecting the
enforcement of this Agreement on the basis of a reasonable interpretation of
public policy, as that term is understood under the laws of the Province of
British Columbia and the laws of Canada applicable therein.
In
rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely as to matters of fact on
certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials that
are furnished to the Underwriters.
4
ANNEX
II
Form of Opinion of
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
& Xxxxxxx LLP
(a) The
Registration Statement became effective upon filing with the Commission at 4:11
pm (New York City time) on February 12, 2010 pursuant to Rule 467(a) under the
Securities Act; each of the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus and the U.S. Prospectus
was filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required
by General Instruction II.L of Form F-10; and no order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceeding
for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the
Company or in connection with the Offering is pending or, to the knowledge of
such counsel, threatened by the Commission.
(b) The
Registration Statement, at the time it became effective, and the U.S.
Prospectus, as of its date, complied as to form in all material respects with
the requirements of the Securities Act (in each case other than the financial
statements and related schedules therein, as to which such counsel need express
no opinion); and the Form F-X, as of its date, complied as to form in all
material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act.
(c) Each
of Seabridge Gold Corporation and Pacific Intermountain Gold Corporation has
been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of
the State of Nevada, is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in
each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of
its businesses requires such qualification, and has all power and authority
necessary to own or hold its properties and to conduct the businesses in which
it is engaged.
(d) All
of the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each of
Seabridge Gold Corporation and Pacific Intermountain Gold Corporation are owned,
directly or indicrectly, by the Company and have been duly and validly
authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.
(e) This
Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company, to the extent
such execution and delivery are governed by the laws of the State of New
York.
(f) The
execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the
compliance by the Company with the terms thereof, the issuance and sale of the
Shares being delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as
the case may be, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any
of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the
creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or
assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to, any agreement or
instrument set forth in Schedule A to such counsel's opinion, or (ii) result in
the violation of any applicable United States federal or New York state law,
statute, rule or regulation (except that such counsel need express no
opinion with respect to state securities laws, statutes, rules or regulations)
or, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, any judgment, order or regulation
of any United States federal or New York state court, arbitrator or governmental
or regulatory authority set forth in Schedule B to such counsel's
opinion.
(g) No
consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or
with any United States federal or New York state court, arbitrator or
governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and
performance by the Company of this Agreement, the compliance by the Company with
the terms hereof, the issuance and sale of the Shares being delivered on the
Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for the
registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and such consents,
approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be
required under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase
and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters.
(h) To
our knowledge, there are no legal or governmental actions, suits or proceedings
pending or threatened which are required to be disclosed in the U.S. Preliminary
Prospectus and the U.S. Prospectus, other than those disclosed
therein.
(i) The
statements in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses under the
heading "Certain Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders—United States
Federal Income Tax Consequences", insofar as such statements constitute
summaries of legal matters referred to therein, fairly summarize the matters
referred to therein.
(j) The
statements in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses under the
heading "Underwriting", insofar as such statements constitute summaries of
certain provisions of this Agreement, fairly summarize such provisions in all
material respects, except for, in the case of the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus,
statements with respect to the pricing terms of the Shares and any other items
dependent upon the pricing terms and the delivery date of the
Shares.
(k) To
the knowledge of such counsel, there are no statutes, regulations, contracts and
other documents or consents that are required under the Securities Act to be
filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration
Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the U.S. Prospectus and that have
not been so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the
Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the U.S.
Prospectus.
(l) After
giving effect to the application of the proceeds received by the Company from
the offering and sale of the Shares as described in the Pricing Disclosure
Package and the Prospectuses, the Company will not be an "investment company" or
an entity "controlled" by an "investment company" within the meaning of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(m) The
submission by the Company to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the United States
federal and New York state courts located in the State of New York pursuant to
this Agreement is effective, and the appointment of the agent for service of
process pursuant to Section 14 of this Agreement is binding on the
Company. Such counsel may note that a court of the State of New York
or the United States of America sitting in New York County has the power to
decline to hear an action based on this Agreement on the ground that the State
of New York is an inconvenient forum.
2
Such
counsel shall also state, in its capacity as U.S. counsel to the Company, that
they have participated in conferences with representatives of the Company and
with representatives of its independent accountants and counsel at which
conferences the contents of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure
Package and the U.S. Prospectus and any amendment and supplement thereto and
related matters were discussed and, although such counsel assume no
responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the Registration
Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the U.S. Prospectus and any amendment
or supplement thereto (except as expressly provided above), nothing has come to
the attention of such counsel to cause such counsel to believe that the
Registration Statement, at the time it became effective, contained any untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, that
the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, contained any untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading, or that the U.S. Prospectus (or any amendment or
supplement thereto) as of its date and the Closing Date contains any untrue
statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading (other than the financial statements and other financial
information contained therein and the information derived from the reports of or
attributed to persons named in the U.S. Prospectus under the heading "Interest
of Experts", in each case included or incorporated by reference therein or
excluded therefrom, as to which such counsel need express no
belief).
In
rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely as to matters of fact on
certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials that
are furnished to the Underwriters.
3
ANNEX
III
Form of Lock-Up
Agreement
February
,
2010
Xxxxxxx
Xxxx & Company, LLC
Nomura
Securities International, Inc.
As
Representative of the several
Underwriters
referred to below
Seabridge Gold
Inc. Lock-Up
Agreement
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
This
letter agreement (this "Agreement") relates
to the proposed public offering (the "Offering") by
Seabridge Gold Inc., a Canadian corporation (the "Company"), of its
common shares, without par value (the "Shares").
In order
to induce you and the other underwriters for which you act as representative
(the "Underwriters") to
underwrite the Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior
written consent of Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Company, LLC and Nomura Securities
International, Inc. (together, the "Representatives"),
during the period from the date hereof until ninety (90) days from the date of
the final prospectus supplement for the Offering (the "Lock-Up Period"), the
undersigned (a) will not, directly or indirectly, offer, sell, agree to offer or
sell, solicit offers to purchase, grant any call option or purchase any put
option with respect to, pledge, borrow or otherwise dispose of any Relevant
Security (as defined below), and (b) will not establish or increase any "put
equivalent position" or liquidate or decrease any "call equivalent position"
with respect to any Relevant Security (in each case within the meaning of
Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder), or otherwise enter into any swap,
derivative or other transaction or arrangement that transfers to another, in
whole or in part, any economic consequence of ownership of a Relevant Security,
whether or not such transaction is to be settled by delivery of Relevant
Securities, other securities, cash or other consideration. As used herein "Relevant Security"
means the Shares, any other equity security of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries and any security convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable
for, any Shares or other such equity security.
Notwithstanding
the preceding paragraph, if (1) during the last 17 days of the Lock-Up Period
the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event
relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up
Period the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the
16-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, the restrictions
imposed by the immediately preceding paragraph shall continue to apply until the
expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings
release or the occurrence of the material news or material event, as applicable,
unless the Representatives waive, in writing, such extension. The
undersigned acknowledges that the Company has agreed in the underwriting
agreement for the Offering to provide notice to the undersigned of any event
that would result in an extension of the Lock-Up Period pursuant to this
paragraph, and the undersigned agrees that any such notice properly delivered
will be deemed to have been given to, and received by, the
undersigned.
The
undersigned hereby authorizes the Company during the Lock-Up Period to cause any
transfer agent for the Relevant Securities to decline to transfer, and to note
stop transfer restrictions on the share register and other records relating to,
Relevant Securities for which the undersigned is the record holder and, in the
case of Relevant Securities for which the undersigned is the beneficial but not
the record holder, agrees during the Lock-Up Period to cause the record holder
to cause the relevant transfer agent to decline to transfer, and to note stop
transfer restrictions on the share register and other records relating to, such
Relevant Securities. The undersigned hereby further agrees that,
without the prior written consent of the Representatives, during the Lock-up
Period the undersigned (x) will not file or participate in the filing with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any Canadian securities commission of
any registration statement or prospectus, or circulate or participate in the
circulation of any preliminary or final prospectus or other disclosure document
with respect to any proposed offering or sale of a Relevant Security and (y)
will not exercise any rights the undersigned may have to require registration
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any Canadian securities
commission of any proposed offering or sale of a Relevant Security.
The
undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power
and authority to enter into this Agreement and that this Agreement constitutes
the legal, valid and binding obligation of the undersigned, enforceable in
accordance with its terms. Upon request, the undersigned will execute
any additional documents necessary in connection with enforcement
hereof. Any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the
successors and assigns of the undersigned from the date first above
written.
This
Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the
State of New York. Delivery of a signed copy of this letter by
facsimile transmission shall be effective as delivery of the original
hereof.
Very
truly yours,
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Name:
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ANNEX
IV
Pricing Terms included in
the Disclosure Package
Number of
Firm Shares Offered: 2,500,000
Number of
Additional Shares Offered: 375,000
Public
Offering Price per Share: US$22.90
Underwriting
Commission per Share: US$1.4885
Date of
Delivery of Firm Shares: March 3, 2010
Issuer Free Writing
Prospectuses
None