] Shares* FIRST GUARANTY BANCSHARES, INC. Common Stock UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
[ ] Shares*
FIRST GUARANTY BANCSHARES, INC.
Common Stock
St. Petersburg, Florida
[—], 2014
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc.
As Representative of the Several Underwriters
listed on Schedule I hereto
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Ladies and Gentlemen:
First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc., a Louisiana corporation (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”), and certain shareholders of the Company named in Schedule II hereto (each a “Selling Shareholder” and, collectively, the “Selling Shareholders”), severally and not jointly, propose, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to sell to the Underwriters, an aggregate of [ ] shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share (the “Common Stock”), of which (a) [ ] shares are to be issued and sold by the Company, and (b) [ ] shares are to be sold by the Selling Shareholders, each Selling Shareholder selling the number of shares set forth opposite such Selling Shareholder’s name in Schedule II hereto. The aggregate of [ ] shares to be purchased from the Company and the Selling Shareholders are called the “Firm Shares.” In addition, the Company has agreed to sell to the Underwriters, upon the terms and conditions stated herein, up to an additional [ ] shares of Common Stock (the “Additional Shares”) to cover over-allotments by the Underwriters, if any. The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares are collectively referred to in this Agreement as the “Shares.” ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc. is acting as the representative of the several Underwriters and in such capacity is referred to in this Agreement as the “Representative.”
| * | Plus an additional [ ] shares subject to Underwriter’s over-allotment option. |
The Company wishes to confirm as follows its agreement with you and the other several Underwriters, on whose behalf you are acting, in connection with the several purchases of the Shares from the Company and the Selling Shareholders.
1. Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Act”), a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-199602), including a prospectus subject to completion, relating to the Shares. Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, at the time when it becomes effective and as thereafter amended by any post-effective amendment, is referred to in this Agreement as the “Registration Statement.” The prospectus in the form included in the Registration Statement or, if the prospectus included in the Registration Statement omits certain information in reliance upon Rule 430A under the Act and such information is thereafter included in a prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act or as part of a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement after the Registration Statement becomes effective, the prospectus as so filed, is referred to in this Agreement as the “Prospectus.” If the Company files another registration statement with the Commission to register a portion of the Shares pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference to “Registration Statement” herein shall be deemed to include the registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-199602) and the Rule 462 Registration Statement, as each such registration statement may be amended pursuant to the Act. The prospectus subject to completion in the form included in the Registration Statement at the time of the initial filing of such Registration Statement with the Commission and as such prospectus is amended from time to time until the date of the Prospectus is referred to in this Agreement as the “Preliminary Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning ascribed to it in Rule 405 under the Act, and “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean each free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Company or used or referred to by the Company in connection with the offering of the Common Stock. “Time of Sale Information” shall mean the Preliminary Prospectus together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, each identified in Schedule III hereto. All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462 Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Information, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents incorporated by reference therein, and shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“▇▇▇▇▇”).
2. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. Upon the terms and conditions set forth herein, (i) the Company agrees to issue and sell an aggregate of [ ] Firm Shares to the Underwriters and (ii) the Selling Shareholders agree to sell an aggregate [ ] Firm Shares to the Underwriters, each Selling Shareholder selling the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite such Selling Shareholder’s name on Schedule II hereto. Upon the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Selling Shareholders herein contained and subject to all the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company and the Selling Shareholders at a purchase price of $[—] per Share (the “purchase price per Share”), the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto.
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The Company hereby also agree to sell to the Underwriters, and, upon the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained and subject to all the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Underwriters shall have the option to purchase from the Company up to [ ] Additional Shares at the purchase price per Share for the Firm Shares. The Additional Shares may be purchased solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, made in connection with the offering of the Firm Shares. If any Additional Shares are to be purchased, each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase the number of Additional Shares (subject to such adjustments as you may determine to avoid fractional shares) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Additional Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters as the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto bears to the total number of Firm Shares. The option to purchase Additional Shares may be exercised at any time within 30 days after the date of the Prospectus, but no more than once.
3. Terms of Public Offering. The Company has been advised by you that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Shares as soon after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have become effective as in your judgment is advisable and initially to offer the Shares upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus.
Not later than 12:00 p.m., St. Petersburg, Florida time, on the second business day following the date the Shares are released by the Underwriters for sale to the public, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered copies of the Prospectus in such quantities and at such places as the Representative shall request.
4. Delivery of the Shares and Payment Therefor. Delivery to the Underwriters of the Firm Shares and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc., ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ at 10:00 a.m., St. Petersburg, Florida time, on [ ], or such other place, time and date not later than 1:30 p.m., St. Petersburg, Florida time, on [ ] as the Representative shall designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “Closing Date”). The place of closing for the Firm Shares and the Closing Date may be varied by agreement between the Representative and the Company. The Company and the Selling Shareholders hereby acknowledge that circumstances under which the Representative may provide notice to postpone the Closing Date as originally scheduled include any determination by the Company, the Selling Shareholders or the Representative to recirculate to the public copies of an amended or supplemented Prospectus or a delay as contemplated by the provisions of Section 11 hereof.
Delivery to the Underwriters of and payment for any Additional Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters shall be made at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc., ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, at 10:00 a.m., St. Petersburg, Florida time, on such date or dates (the “Additional Closing Date”) (which may be the same as the Closing Date, but shall in no event be earlier than the Closing Date nor earlier than three nor later than ten business
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days after the giving of the notice hereinafter referred to) as shall be specified in a written notice, from the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters to the Company, of the Underwriters’ determination to purchase a number, specified in such notice, of Additional Shares. Such notice may be given at any time within 30 days after the date of the Prospectus and must set forth (i) the aggregate number of Additional Shares as to which the Underwriters are exercising the option and (ii) the names and denominations in which the certificates, if any, for which the Additional Shares are to be registered. The place of closing for the Additional Shares and the Additional Closing Date may be varied by agreement between you, the Company and the Selling Shareholders.
Delivery of the Firm Shares and any Additional Shares to be purchased hereunder shall be made to the Representative on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, against payment of the purchase price therefore by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account or accounts specified in writing, not later than the close of business on the business day next preceding the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, by the Company and the Selling Shareholders. The Company shall deliver the Firm Shares through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company unless the Representative shall otherwise instruct. Payment for the Shares sold by the Company hereunder shall be delivered by the Representative to the Company. Payment for the Shares sold by the Selling Shareholders hereunder shall be delivered by the Representative to the Custodian (as defined herein).
It is understood that the Representative has been authorized, for its own account and the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price per Share for the Firm Shares and the Additional Shares, if any, that the Underwriters have agreed to purchase. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ and Associates, Inc., individually and not as Representative of the Underwriters, may, but shall not be obligated to, make payment for any Shares to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by the Representative by the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, for the account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.
Each Selling Shareholder hereby agrees that (i) it will pay all stock transfer taxes, stamp duties and other similar taxes, if any, payable upon the sale or delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder to the several Underwriters, or otherwise in connection with the performance of such Selling Shareholder’s obligations hereunder and (ii) the Custodian is authorized to deduct for such payment any such amounts from the proceeds to such Selling Shareholder hereunder and to hold such amounts for the account of such Selling Shareholder with the Custodian under the Custody Agreement (as defined herein).
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5. Covenants and Agreements.
5.1 Covenants and Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters as follows:
(a) The Company will use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto to become effective, if it has not already become effective, and will advise you promptly and, if requested by you, will confirm such advice in writing (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective and the time and date of any filing of any post-effective Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus and the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective, (ii) if Rule 430A under the Act is employed, when the Prospectus has been timely filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, (iii) of the receipt of any comments of the Commission, or any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of the suspension of qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation of any proceeding for such purposes and (v) within the period of time referred to in Section 5.1(h) hereof, of any change in the Company’s condition (financial or other), business, prospects, properties, net worth or results of operations, or of any event that comes to the attention of the Company that makes any statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented) untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any additions thereto or changes therein in order to make the statements therein (in the case of the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading in any material respect, or of the necessity to amend or supplement the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented) to comply with the Act or any other law. If at any time the Commission shall issue any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company will make every reasonable effort to obtain the withdrawal or lifting of such order at the earliest possible time. The Company will provide the Underwriters with copies of the form of Prospectus, in such number as the Underwriters may reasonably request, and file with the Commission such Prospectus in accordance with Rule 424(b) under the Act before the close of business on the first business day immediately following the date hereof.
(b) The Company will furnish to you, without charge, two signed duplicate originals of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission and of each amendment thereto, including financial statements and all exhibits thereto, and will also furnish to you, without charge, such number of conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto as you may reasonably request.
(c) The Company will promptly file with the Commission any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that may, in the reasonable judgment of the Company or the Representative, be required by the Act or requested by the Commission.
(d) The Company will furnish a copy of any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to you and counsel for Underwriters and obtain your consent prior to filing any of those with the Commission, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned.
(e) The Company will not make any offer relating to the Common Stock that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without your prior consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned.
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(f) The Company will retain in accordance with the Act all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses not required to be filed pursuant to the Act; and if at any time after the date hereof any events shall have occurred as a result of which any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or would include an 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 under which they were made, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary to amend or supplement any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to notify you and, upon your request, to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter as many copies as they may from time to time reasonably request of an amended or supplemented Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that will correct such conflict, statement or omission or effect such compliance;
(g) Prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company has delivered or will deliver to you, without charge, in such quantities as you have requested or may hereafter reasonably request, copies of each form of the Preliminary Prospectus. Consistent with the provisions of Section 5.1(h) hereof, the Company consents to the use, in accordance with the provisions of the Act and with the securities or Blue Sky laws of the jurisdictions in which the Shares are offered by the several Underwriters and by dealers, prior to the date of the Prospectus, of each Preliminary Prospectus so furnished by the Company.
(h) As soon after the execution and delivery of this Agreement as is practicable and thereafter from time to time for such period as in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered in connection with sales by any Underwriter or a dealer (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), and for so long a period as you may reasonably request for the distribution of the Shares, the Company will deliver to each Underwriter and each dealer, without charge, as many copies of the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information (and of any amendment or supplement thereto) as they may reasonably request. The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information (and of any amendment or supplement thereto) in accordance with the provisions of the Act and with the securities or Blue Sky laws of the jurisdictions in which the Shares are offered by the several Underwriters and by all dealers to whom Shares may be sold, both in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares and for such period of time thereafter as the Prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered in connection with sales by any Underwriter or dealer. If at any time prior to the later of (i) the completion of the distribution of the Shares pursuant to the offering contemplated by the Registration Statement or (ii) the expiration of prospectus delivery requirements with respect to the Shares under Section 4(3) of the Act and Rule 174 thereunder, any event shall occur that in the reasonable judgment of the Company or in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters is required to be set forth in the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented) or should be set forth therein in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary to supplement or amend the Prospectus to comply with the Act or any other law, the Company will forthwith prepare and, subject to Section 5.1(a) hereof, file with the Commission and use its best
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efforts to cause to become effective as promptly as possible an appropriate supplement or amendment thereto, and will furnish to each Underwriter who has previously requested Prospectuses, without charge, a reasonable number of copies thereof.
(i) The Company will cooperate with you and counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the registration or qualification of the Shares for offering and sale by the several Underwriters and by dealers under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as you may reasonably designate and will file such consents to service of process or other documents as may be reasonably necessary in order to effect and maintain such registration or qualification for so long as required to complete the distribution of the Shares; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the Shares, as contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject. In the event that the qualification of the Shares in any jurisdiction is suspended, the Company shall so advise you promptly in writing. The Company will use its best efforts to qualify or register its Common Stock for sale in non-issuer transactions under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the Blue Sky laws of each state where necessary to permit market making transactions and secondary trading and will comply with such Blue Sky laws and will continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect for a period of two years after the date hereof.
(j) The Company will make generally available to its security holders a consolidated earnings statement (in form complying with the provisions of Rule 158 under the Act), which need not be audited, covering a twelve-month period commencing after the effective date of the Registration Statement and the Rule 462 Registration Statement, if any, and ending not later than 15 months thereafter, as soon as practicable after the end of such period, which consolidated earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act.
(k) During the period ending three years from the date hereof, the Company will furnish to you and, upon your request, to each of the other Underwriters, (i) as soon as available, a copy of each proxy statement, quarterly or annual report or other report of the Company mailed to shareholders or filed with the Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or the NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”) or any national securities exchange and (ii) from time to time such other information concerning the Company as you may reasonably request. For purposes of this paragraph, any document filed electronically with the Commission and publicly available shall be deemed to be furnished to the Underwriters.
(l) If this Agreement shall terminate or shall be terminated after execution pursuant to any provision hereof (except pursuant to a termination under Section 12 hereof, other than clauses (iv) or (v)) or if this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters because of any inability, failure or refusal on the part of the Company to perform in all material respects any agreement herein or to comply in all material respects with any of the terms or provisions hereof or to fulfill in all material respects any of the conditions of this Agreement, the Company agrees
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to reimburse you and the other Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including travel expenses and reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters, but excluding wages and salaries paid by you) reasonably incurred by you in connection herewith.
(m) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares to be sold by it hereunder in accordance in all material respects with the statements under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus.
(o) For a period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the 180th day after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”), not to, directly or indirectly, (1) offer for sale, sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock (other than the Common Stock issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans existing on the date hereof or pursuant to currently outstanding options, warrants or rights), or sell or grant options, rights or warrants with respect to any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock (other than the grant of options pursuant to option plans existing on the date hereof), (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of such shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, (3) file or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments, with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into Common Stock or any other securities of the Company or (4) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing, in each case without the prior written consent of the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, and to cause each officer, director and shareholder of the Company set forth on Schedule IV hereto to furnish to the Representative, prior to the Initial Delivery Date, a letter or letters, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (the “Lock-Up Agreements”); notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the Lock-Up Period, the Company issues an earnings release or announces 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, then the restrictions imposed in the preceding paragraph shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of issuance of the earnings release or the announcement of the material news or the occurrence of the material event, unless the Representative, on behalf of the Underwriters, waive such extension in writing.
(p) Prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company will furnish to you, as promptly as possible, copies of any unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries for any period subsequent to the periods covered by the financial statements appearing in the Prospectus.
(q) The Company will comply with all provisions of any undertakings contained in the Registration Statement.
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(r) The Company will not at any time, directly or indirectly, take any action designed, or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or which will constitute, stabilization or manipulation of the price of the shares of Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares.
(s) The Company will timely file with NASDAQ all documents and notices required by the NASDAQ of companies that have or will issue securities that are traded on the NASDAQ.
(t) The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a transfer agent and, if necessary under the jurisdiction of its incorporation or the rules of any national securities exchange on which the Common Stock will be listed, a registrar (which, if permitted by applicable laws and rules may be the same entity as the transfer agent) for the Common Stock.
5.2 Covenants and Agreements of Each Selling Shareholder. Each Selling Shareholder covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters as follows:
(a) Such Selling Shareholder will execute and deliver a Lock-Up Agreement, in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.
(b) Such Selling Shareholder will review the Prospectus and will comply with all agreements and satisfy all conditions on its part to be complied with or satisfied pursuant to this Agreement on or prior to the Closing Date and will advise the Underwriters prior to the Closing Date if any statements to be made on behalf of such Selling Shareholder in the certificate contemplated by Section 9(l) hereof would be inaccurate if made as of the Closing Date.
(c) On the Closing Date, all stock transfer and other taxes (other than income taxes) that are required to be paid in connection with the sale and transfer of the Firm Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder to the Underwriters hereunder will have been fully paid for by such Selling Shareholder and all laws imposing such taxes will have been fully complied with.
(d) In order to document the Underwriters’ compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and the regulations promulgated thereunder, with respect to the transactions herein contemplated, such Selling Shareholder shall deliver to you at least two days prior to the Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Substitute Form W-9 or Form W-8, as applicable.
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6. Representations and Warranties.
6.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby represents and warrants to each Underwriter on the date hereof, and shall be deemed to represent and warrant to each Underwriter on the Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, that:
(a) The Company was not at the time of initial filing of the Registration Statement and at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Act) of Common Stock, is not on the date hereof and will not be on the applicable Delivery Date an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act).
(b) The Registration Statement conformed in all material respects, and any amendment to the Registration Statement filed after the date hereof will conform in all material respects when filed with the Commission, to the requirements of the Act. The most recent Preliminary Prospectus conformed, and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects when filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), to the requirements of the Act.
(c) The Registration Statement does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 13.
(d) The Prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 13.
(e) The Time of Sale Information does not, and will not at the time of sale of the Shares, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Time of Sale Information in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 13.
(f) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (including, without limitation, any road show that is a free writing prospectus under Rule 433 under the Act), when considered together with the Time of Sale Information at the time of sale of the Shares, did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
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made, not misleading; ; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus filed or used by the Company or the Time of Sale Information in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein.
(g) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act on the date of first use, and the Company has complied with all prospectus delivery and any filing requirements applicable to such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to the Act. The Company has not made any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without the prior written consent of the Representative. The Company has retained in accordance with the Act all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses that were not required to be filed pursuant to the Act. The Company has taken all actions necessary so that any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Act) in connection with the offering of the Shares will not be required to be filed pursuant to the Act.
(h) The capitalization of the Company is and will be as set forth in the Prospectus as of the date set forth and subject to the assumptions contained therein. All the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company have been, and as of the Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will be, duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are free of any preemptive or similar rights; except as set forth in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, the Company is not a party to or bound by any outstanding options, warrants or similar rights to subscribe for, or contractual obligations to issue, sell, transfer or acquire, any of its capital stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for any of such capital stock; the Shares to be issued and sold to the Underwriters by the Company hereunder have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered to the Underwriters against full payment therefor in accordance with the terms hereof, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free of any preemptive or similar rights; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto); and the delivery of certificates for the Shares being sold by the Company against payment therefor pursuant to the terms of this Agreement will pass valid title to the Shares being sold by the Company, free and clear of any claim, encumbrance or defect in title, to the several Underwriters purchasing such shares in good faith and without notice of any lien, claim or encumbrance. The certificates for the Shares being sold by the Company, if any, are in valid and sufficient form.
(i) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries is duly organized and validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company or other organization in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization with full corporate or organizational power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as presently conducted and as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto) and is duly registered and qualified to conduct its business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction or place where the nature of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such registration or
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qualification, except where the failure to so register or qualify has not had or will not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or other), business, properties, net worth, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”).
(j) The issued shares of capital stock of each of the Company’s subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Company free and clear of any security interests, liens, encumbrances, equities or claims. The Company does not have any subsidiaries and does not own a material interest in or control, directly or indirectly, any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, trust or other business organization, except as set forth in Exhibit 21 to the Registration Statement. As used in this Agreement, subsidiaries shall mean direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company.
(k) There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened, against the Company or its subsidiaries or to which the Company or its subsidiaries or any of their properties are subject, that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) but are not described as required. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there is no action, suit, inquiry, proceeding or investigation by or before any court or governmental or other regulatory or administrative agency or commission pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or involving the Company or its subsidiaries, which might individually or in the aggregate prevent or adversely affect the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or result in a Material Adverse Effect, nor to the Company’s knowledge, is there any basis for any such action, suit, inquiry, proceeding or investigation. There are no agreements, contracts, indentures, leases or other instruments that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement that are not described, filed or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus as required by the Act. All such contracts to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company or the applicable subsidiary, and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the applicable counterparties, constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company or the applicable subsidiary and are enforceable against the Company or the applicable subsidiary in accordance with the terms thereof, except as enforceability thereof may be limited by (i) the application of bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency and other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and (ii) equitable principles being applied at the discretion of a court before which any proceeding may be brought, except as rights to indemnity and contribution hereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws. Neither the Company nor the applicable subsidiary has received notice or been made aware that any other party is in breach of or default to the Company under any of such contracts.
(l) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of (A) its articles of incorporation or bylaws, or other organizational documents, (B) any federal, state or foreign law, ordinance, administrative or governmental rule or regulation applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, the violation of which would have a Material Adverse Effect
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or (C) any decree of any federal, state or foreign court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (ii) in default in the performance of any obligation, agreement or condition contained in (A) any bond, debenture, note or any other evidence of indebtedness or (B) any agreement, indenture, lease or other instrument (each of (A) and (B), an “Existing Instrument”) to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which any of their properties may be bound, which default would have a Material Adverse Effect; and there does not exist any state of facts that constitutes an event of default on the part of the Company or any of its subsidiaries as defined in such documents or that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such an event of default.
(m) The Company’s execution and delivery of this Agreement and the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement have been duly and validly authorized by the Company and has been duly executed and delivered by the Company, and, assuming due execution and delivery by the Representative, this Agreement constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except to the extent enforceability may be limited by (i) the application of bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency and other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and (iii) equitable principles being applied at the discretion of a court before which any proceeding may be brought, except as rights to indemnity and contribution hereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws.
(n) None of the issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company, the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by the Company nor the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby (i) requires any consent, approval, authorization or other order of or registration or filing with, any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body, agency or official (except such as may be required for the registration of the Shares under the Act, the listing of the Shares for trading on the NASDAQ, the registration of the Common Stock under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) and compliance with the securities or Blue Sky laws of various jurisdictions, all of which will be, or have been, effected in accordance with this Agreement and except for FINRA’s clearance of the underwriting terms of the offering contemplated hereby as required under FINRA’s Rules of Fair Practice), (ii) conflicts with or will conflict with or constitutes or will constitute a breach of, or a default under, the Company’s articles of incorporation or the Company’s bylaws, (iii) conflicts with or will conflict with or constitutes or will constitute a breach of, or default under any agreement, indenture, lease or other instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which any of its properties may be bound, (iv) violates any statute, law, regulation, ruling, filing, judgment, injunction, order or decree applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, or (v) results in a breach of, or default or Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or results in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or requires the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument, except, in the case of clauses (iii), (iv) and (v) of this Section 6.1(n), for such conflicts, breaches, defaults, liens, charges or encumbrances that will not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, a “Debt Repayment
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Triggering Event” means any event or condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(o) Except as described in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has outstanding and at the Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will have outstanding any options to purchase, or any warrants to subscribe for, or any securities or obligations convertible into, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell, any shares of Common Stock or any such warrants or convertible securities or obligations. No holder of securities of the Company has rights to the registration of any securities of the Company as a result of or in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby that have not been satisfied or heretofore waived in writing.
(p) Castaing, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇, LLC, the certified public accountants who have certified the financial statements (including the related notes thereto and supporting schedules, if any) filed as part of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), are independent public accountants as required by the Act and the Exchange Act.
(q) [Reserved].
(r) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any material liabilities or obligations, indirect, direct or contingent, or entered into any transaction that is not in the ordinary course of business, (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any material loss or interference with its business or properties from fire, flood, windstorm, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has paid or declared any dividends or other distributions with respect to its capital stock and the Company is not in default under the terms of any class of capital stock of the Company or any outstanding debt obligations, (iv) there has not been any change in the authorized or outstanding capital stock of the Company or any material change in the indebtedness of the Company (other than in the ordinary course of business) and (v) there has not been any material adverse change, or any development involving or that may reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(s) All offers and sales of the Company’s capital stock and other debt or other securities prior to the date hereof were made in compliance with or were the subject of an available exemption from the Act and all other applicable state and federal laws or regulations, or any actions under the Act or any state or federal laws or regulations in respect of any such offers or sales are effectively barred by effective waivers or statutes of limitation.
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(t) The Shares have been approved for listing on the NASDAQ under the symbol “FGBI”, subject to official notice of issuance of the Shares being sold by the Company, and upon consummation of the offering contemplated hereby the Company will be in compliance with the designation and maintenance criteria applicable to NASDAQ issuers.
(u) Other than excepted activity pursuant to Regulation M under the Exchange Act, the Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action that constituted, or any action designed to, or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in or constitute, under the Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or for any other purpose.
(v) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have filed all tax returns required to be filed (other than certain state or local tax returns, as to which the failure to file, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect), which returns are complete and correct, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary is in default in the payment of any taxes that were payable pursuant to said returns or any assessments with respect thereto. Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, all deficiencies asserted as a result of any federal, state, local or foreign tax audits have been paid or finally settled and no issue has been raised in any such audit that, by application of the same or similar principles, reasonably could be expected to result in a proposed deficiency for any other period not so audited. There are no outstanding agreements or waivers extending the statutory period of limitation applicable to any federal, state, local or foreign tax return for any period. On the Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, all stock transfer and other taxes that are required to be paid in connection with the sale of the shares to be sold by the Company to the Underwriters will have been fully paid by the Company and all laws imposing such taxes will have been complied with in all material respects.
(w) Except as set forth in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there are no transactions with “affiliates” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) or any officer, director or security holder of the Company (whether or not an affiliate) that are required by the Act to be disclosed in the Registration Statement. Additionally, no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between the Company or any of its subsidiaries on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any subsidiary on the other hand that is required by the Act to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus that is not so disclosed.
(x) The Company is not an “investment company” or an “affiliated person” of, or “promoter” or “principal underwriter” for, an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(y) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has good and valid title to all property (real and personal) described in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus as being owned by it, free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests or other encumbrances except (i) such as are described in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus or (ii) such as are not materially burdensome and do not have or will not result in a Material Adverse Effect to the use of the property or the conduct of the business of the Company. All property (real and
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personal) held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries is held by it under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with only such exceptions as in the aggregate are not materially burdensome and do not have or result in a Material Adverse Effect to the use of the property or the conduct of the business of the Company.
(z) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has all permits, licenses, franchises, approvals, consents and authorizations of governmental or regulatory authorities (hereinafter “permit” or “permits”) as are necessary to own its properties and to conduct its business in the manner described in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, subject to such qualifications as may be set forth in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, except where the failure to have obtained any such permit has not had and will not have a Material Adverse Effect; each of the Company and its subsidiaries has operated and is operating its business in material compliance with and not in material violation of all of its obligations with respect to each such permit and no event has occurred that allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination of any such permit or result in any other material impairment of the rights of any such permit, subject in each case to such qualification as may be set forth in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; and, except as described in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, such permits contain no restrictions that are materially burdensome to the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(aa) The consolidated financial statements of the Company, together with the related schedules, if any, and notes thereto, set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects (i) the financial condition of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and (ii) the consolidated results of operations, stockholders’ equity and changes in cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods therein specified; and such financial statements and related schedules, if any, and notes thereto have been prepared in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise stated therein and subject, in the case of unaudited financial statements, to the absence of footnotes and normal year-end adjustments). There are no other financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; and the Company does not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), not disclosed in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; and all disclosures contained in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K under the Act, to the extent applicable, and present fairly the information shown therein and the Company’s basis for using such measures.
(bb) The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances 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
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permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences and (v) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(cc) The Company has established and maintains and evaluates “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act); such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer by others within those entities, and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective to perform the functions for which they were established; the Company’s independent auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting; since the date of the most recent evaluation of such disclosure controls and procedures, except as described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, there have been no significant changes in internal control over financial reporting or in other factors that could significantly affect internal control over financial reporting, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses; the principal executive officers (or their equivalents) and principal financial officers (or their equivalents) of the Company have made all certifications required by the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act (the “▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act”) and any related rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission, and the statements contained in each such certification are complete and correct; the Company and its subsidiaries are, and the Company has taken or will take all necessary actions to ensure that the Company’s directors and officers in their capacities as such are, each in compliance in all material respects with all applicable effective provisions of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission and NASDAQ promulgated thereunder;
(dd) The Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, are each in compliance in all material respects with Section 402 of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder;
(ee) The Company has not, prior to the date hereof, made any offer or sale of securities which could be “integrated” for purposes of the Act with the offer and sale of the Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, the Company has not sold or issued any security during the 180-day period preceding the date of the Prospectus, including but not limited to any sales pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation D or S under the Act, other than shares of Common Stock used pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or the employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants as described in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus;
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(ff) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Foreign Corrupt Practices Act”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; and the Company, its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance in all material respects with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance in all material respects therewith;
(gg) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“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;
(hh) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with (i) applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the “United and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001” (the “Patriot Act”) or the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency, and (ii) all federal, state, local and foreign statutes, laws, rules, regulations, decisions, directives and orders applicable to them, (including, without limitation, all regulations and orders of, or agreements with, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act or 1974, as amended, the Fair Housing Act of 1968, as amended, the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, as amended (the “Community Reinvestment Act”), the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975, as amended, all other applicable fair lending laws or other laws relating to discrimination and the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, as amended, and the Patriot Act);
(ii) No labor problem or dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists, or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened or imminent, which would
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reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not aware that any key employee or significant group of employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries plans to terminate employment with the Company or any of its subsidiaries. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has engaged in any unfair labor practice, and except for matters which would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (i) there is (A) no unfair labor practice complaint pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries before the National Labor Relations Board, and no grievance or arbitration proceeding arising out of or under collective bargaining agreements is pending or to the Company’s knowledge, threatened, (B) no strike, labor dispute, slowdown or stoppage pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (C) no union representation dispute currently existing concerning the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, (A) no union organizing activities are currently taking place concerning the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (B) there has been no violation of any federal, state, local or foreign law relating to discrimination in the hiring, promotion or pay of employees, any applicable wage or hour laws or any provision of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder concerning the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(jj) The Company and its subsidiaries are (i) in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or other approvals would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been named as a “potentially responsible party” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries owns, leases or occupies any property that appears on any list of hazardous sites compiled by any state or local governmental agency. There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure 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) which would, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(kk) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries owns and has full right, title and interest in and to, or has valid licenses to use, each material trade name, trademark, service ▇▇▇▇, patent, copyright, approval, trade secret and other similar rights (collectively “Intellectual Property”) under which the Company and its subsidiaries conduct all or any material part of its business, and the Company has not created any lien or encumbrance on, or granted any right or license with respect to, any such Intellectual Property except where the failure to own or obtain a
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license or right to use any such Intellectual Property has not and will not have a Material Adverse Effect; there is no claim pending against the Company or its subsidiaries with respect to any Intellectual Property and the Company and its subsidiaries have not received notice or otherwise become aware that any Intellectual Property that it uses or has used in the conduct of its business infringes upon or conflicts with the rights of any third party. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has become aware that any material Intellectual Property that it uses or has used in the conduct of its business infringes upon or conflicts with the rights of any third party.
(ll) The Company has procured Lock-Up Agreements, in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto, from each of the Company’s senior executive officers and directors and the Selling Shareholders set forth on Schedule IV hereto.
(mm) To the Company’s knowledge, there are no affiliations or associations between (i) any member of FINRA and (ii) the Company or any of the Company’s officers, directors, 5% or greater security holders or any beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities that were acquired at any time on or after the 180th day immediately preceding the date the Registration Statement was initially filed with the Commission, except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(nn) The Company and each of its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which it is engaged; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a comparable cost.
(oo) The Company and its subsidiaries and any “employee benefit plan” (as defined under ERISA) established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with ERISA and all other applicable state and federal laws. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company or a subsidiary, any member of any group or organization described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code of which the Company or such subsidiary is a member. No “reportable event” (as defined in ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates. No “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates, if such “employee benefit plan” were terminated, would have any “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (as defined in ERISA). Neither the Company, its subsidiaries nor any of their ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code. Each “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, that would cause the loss of such qualification.
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(pp) All statistical and market related data contained in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company believes are reliable and accurate.
(qq) [Reserved].
(rr) As of the date of this Agreement, the Company’s insured depository institution subsidiary is “well capitalized” (as that term is defined at 12 C.F.R. 6.4(b)(1)), and met or exceeded all applicable regulatory capital requirements. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is, nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries aware of any facts or circumstances that exist that would cause the Company or any subsidiary to be, (i) not in satisfactory compliance in any material respect with the Community Reinvestment Act, and the regulations promulgated thereunder, or to be assigned a rating for Community Reinvestment Act purposes by federal or state bank regulators of lower than “satisfactory,” or (ii) not in satisfactory compliance in any respect with the applicable privacy of customer information requirements contained in any federal and state privacy laws and regulations, including, without limitation, in Title V of the ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 1999 and regulations promulgated thereunder, as well as the provisions of the information security program adopted by the Bank, pursuant to 12 C.F.R. Part 364.
(ss) Any deposit accounts issued by the insured depositary subsidiary of the Company are insured by the FDIC up to the legal maximum, each such subsidiary has paid all premiums and assessments required by the FDIC and the regulations thereunder and no proceeding for the termination or revocation of such insurance is pending, or to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(tt) Except as has or would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, since January 1, 2012, all material swaps, caps, floors, futures, forward contracts, option agreements (other than employee stock options) and other derivative financial instruments, contracts or arrangements, whether entered into for the account of the Company or one of its subsidiaries or for the account of a customer of the Company or one of its subsidiaries, were entered into in the ordinary course of business and in accordance in all material respects with applicable laws, rules, regulations and policies of all applicable regulatory agencies and with counterparties believed to be financially responsible at the time. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have duly performed in all material respects all of their obligations thereunder to the extent that such obligations to perform have accrued. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto, is in breach of its material obligations under any such agreement or arrangement.
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6.2 Representations and Warranties of the Selling Shareholders. Each Selling Shareholder hereby represents and warrants, severally as to itself and not jointly, to each Underwriter on the date hereof, and shall be deemed to represent and warrant to each Underwriter on the Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date, that:
(a) Such Selling Shareholder is the lawful owner of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement and has, and on the Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will have, good and valid title to such Shares, free of all restrictions on transfer, liens, encumbrances, security interests, equities and claims whatsoever.
(b) Such Selling Shareholder has, and on the Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will have, full legal right, power and authority, and all authorization and approval required by law, to enter into (i) this Agreement, (ii) the Custody Agreement signed by such Selling Shareholder and [ ], as custodian (the “Custodian”), relating to the deposit of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder (the “Custody Agreement”) and (iii) the Power of Attorney appointing certain individuals named therein as such Selling Shareholder’s attorneys-in-fact (the “Attorneys”) to the extent set forth therein relating to the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Prospectus (the “Power of Attorney”) to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder in the manner provided herein.
(c) Each of the Agreement, the Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney of such Selling Shareholder has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Selling Shareholder and is a valid and binding agreement of such Selling Shareholder, enforceable as to such Selling Shareholder in accordance with its terms, except to the extent enforceability may be limited by (i) the application of bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency and other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and (ii) equitable principles being applied at the discretion of a court before which a proceeding may be brought, except as rights to indemnity and contribution hereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws and, pursuant to such Power of Attorney, such Selling Shareholder has, among other things, authorized the Attorneys, or any one of them, to execute and deliver on such Selling Shareholder’s behalf this Agreement and any other document that they, or any one of them, may deem necessary or desirable in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and to deliver the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement.
(d) None of the sale of the Shares by such Selling Shareholder, the execution, delivery or performance by such Selling Shareholder of this Agreement, the Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney of such Selling Shareholder by or on behalf of such Selling Shareholder, the compliance by such Selling Shareholder with all the provisions hereof and thereof nor the consummation by such Selling Shareholder of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (i) requires any consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court, regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body, agency or official (except such as may be required under the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states), (ii) conflicts with or will conflict with or constitutes or will constitute a breach of or a default under, the organizational documents of such Selling Shareholder, if such Selling Shareholder is not an individual, or any agreement, indenture, lease or other instrument to which such Selling Shareholder is a party or by which such Selling Shareholder or any property of such Selling Shareholder is bound or (iii) violates any statute, law, regulation, ruling, filing, judgment, injunction, order or decree applicable to such Selling Shareholder or any property of such Selling Shareholder.
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(e) The information in the Prospectus under the caption “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners, Management and Selling Shareholders” that specifically relates to such Selling Shareholder does not, and will not on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any 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, not misleading.
(f) At any time prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, if there is any change in the information referred to in Section 6.2(e) hereof, such Selling Shareholder will immediately notify the Representative of such change.
(g) Other than excepted activity pursuant to Regulation M under the Exchange Act, such Selling Shareholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action that constituted, or any action designed to, or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in or constitute, under the Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(h) Upon delivery of and payment for the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement, good and valid title to such Shares will pass to the Underwriters, free of all restrictions on transfer, liens, encumbrances, security interests, equities and claims whatsoever.
(i) Such Selling Shareholder does not have any registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale by the Company under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement.
(j) Such Selling Shareholder has no reason to believe that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 6.1 hereof are not true and correct, is familiar with the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and has no knowledge of any material fact, condition or information not disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that has had or may have a Material Adverse Effect, and is not prompted to sell shares of Common Stock by any information concerning the Company that is not set forth in the Registration Statement.
7. Expenses. Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated or this Agreement becomes effective or is terminated, the Company agrees to pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Shares under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof and of any Preliminary Prospectus to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the printing and delivery (including postage, air freight charges and charges for counting and
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packaging) of such copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information, the Blue Sky memoranda, the Master Agreement Among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Selected Dealers Agreement and all amendments or supplements to any of them as may be reasonably requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares; (iii) consistent with the provisions of Section 5.1(i), all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state securities laws or Blue Sky laws, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and out-of-pocket expenses of the counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith; (iv) the filing fees incident to securing any required review by FINRA of the fairness of the terms of the sale of the Shares and the reasonable fees and disbursements of the Underwriters’ counsel relating thereto; (v) the fees and expenses associated with listing the Common Stock on the NASDAQ; (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent or registrar; (viii) the cost of the tax stamps, if any, in connection with the issuance and delivery of the Shares to the respective Underwriters; (ix) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 13 of the Registration Statement; and (x) the transportation, lodging, graphics and other expenses incidental to the Company’s preparation for and participation in the “roadshow” for the offering contemplated hereby. Except as provided in this Section 7 and in Section 8 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel. In addition, in the event that the proposed offering is terminated for the reasons set forth in Section 5.1(l) hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters as provided in Section 5.1(l).
8. Indemnification and Contribution. Subject to the limitations in this paragraph below and under applicable law, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless you and each other Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees and agents of each Underwriter, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses, including reasonable costs of investigation and attorneys’ fees and expenses (collectively, “Damages”) arising out of or based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto, or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, except to the extent that any such Damages arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission that has been made therein or omitted therefrom in reliance upon and in conformity with the information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through you, or by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholders, as the case may be, expressly for use in connection therewith or (ii) any inaccuracy in or breach of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or any failure of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder or under law; provided, however, that with respect to any untrue statement or omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter (or to the benefit of any person controlling such Underwriter or to any officer, director, employee or agent of any Underwriter) from whom the person asserting any such Damages purchased the Shares concerned if both (A) a copy of the Time of Sale Information was not sent or given to such
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person at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of such Shares to such person as required by the Act and (B) the untrue statement or omission in the Preliminary Prospectus was corrected in the Time of Sale Information. This indemnification shall be in addition to any liability that the Company may otherwise have.
Subject to the limitations in this paragraph below, each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless you and each other Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees and agents of each Underwriter, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all Damages arising out of or based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus or in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto, or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, except to the extent that any such Damages arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission that has been made therein or omitted therefrom in reliance upon and in conformity with the information not expressly relating to the Selling Shareholders or the offering by them of their shares of Common Stock or furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through you expressly for use in connection therewith or (ii) any inaccuracy in or breach of the representations and warranties of such Selling Shareholder contained herein or any failure of such Selling Shareholder to perform its obligations hereunder or under law; provided, however, that with respect to any untrue statement or omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter (or to the benefit of any person controlling such Underwriter or to any officer, director, employee or agent of any Underwriter) from whom the person asserting any such Damages purchased the Shares concerned if both (A) a copy of the Time of Sale Information was not sent or given to such person at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of such Shares to such person as required by the Act and (B) the untrue statement or omission in the Preliminary Prospectus was corrected in the Time of Sale Information. This indemnification shall be in addition to any liability that the Selling Shareholders or any Selling Shareholder may otherwise have.
In addition to their other obligations under this Section 8, each of the Company and the Selling Shareholders, severally and not jointly, agrees that, as an interim measure during the pendency of any claim, action, investigation, inquiry or other proceeding arising out of or based upon any statement or omission, or any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of the Company or the Selling Shareholders herein or failure to perform their respective obligations hereunder, all as set forth in this Section 8, the party against whom indemnification is being sought will reimburse each Underwriter on a monthly basis for all reasonable legal or other out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with investigating or defending any such claim, action, investigation, inquiry or other proceeding (to the extent documented by reasonably itemized invoices therefor), notwithstanding the absence of a judicial determination as to the propriety and enforceability of the obligation of the Company or a Selling Shareholder to reimburse each Underwriter for such expenses and the possibility that such payments might later
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be held to have been improper by a court of competent jurisdiction. To the extent that any such interim reimbursement payment is so held to have been improper, each Underwriter shall promptly return it to the person(s) from whom it was received. Any such return of payment not made to the person(s) from whom it was received within 30 days of such holding, shall bear interest in the manner calculated as described in the next sentence. Any such interim reimbursement payments that are not made to the Underwriters within 30 days of a request for reimbursement shall bear interest compounded daily at a rate determined on the basis of the base lending rate announced from time to time by The Wall Street Journal from the date of such request.
If any action or claim shall be brought against any Underwriter or any person controlling any Underwriter in respect of which indemnity may be sought jointly and severally against the Company and the Selling Shareholders, such Underwriter or such controlling person shall promptly notify in writing the party(s) against whom indemnification is being sought (the “indemnifying party” or “indemnifying parties”), and such indemnifying party(s) shall assume the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably acceptable to such Underwriter or such controlling person and the payment of all reasonable fees of and expenses incurred by such counsel. Such Underwriter or any such controlling person shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or such controlling person, unless (i) the indemnifying party(s) has (have) agreed in writing to pay such fees and expenses, (ii) the indemnifying party(s) has (have) failed to assume the defense and employ counsel reasonably acceptable to the Underwriter or such controlling person or (iii) the named parties to any such action (including any impleaded parties) include both such Underwriter or such controlling person and the indemnifying party(s), and such Underwriter or such controlling person shall have been advised by its counsel that one or more legal defenses may be available to the Underwriter that may not be available to the Company or the Selling Shareholders, or that representation of such indemnified party and any indemnifying party(s) by the same counsel would be inappropriate under applicable standards of professional conduct (whether or not such representation by the same counsel has been proposed) due to actual or potential differing interests between them (in which case the indemnifying party(s) shall not have the right to assume the defense of such action on behalf of such Underwriter or such controlling person (but the Company and the Selling Shareholders, as applicable, shall not be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one counsel for the Underwriters and such controlling persons)). The indemnifying party(s) shall not be liable for any settlement of any such action effected without its (their several) written consent, but if settled with such written consent, or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff in any such action, the indemnifying party(s) agree(s) to indemnify and hold harmless any Underwriter and any such controlling person from and against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment, but in the case of a judgment only to the extent stated in the first and second paragraph of this Section 8.
Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and the Selling Shareholders, their respective directors, their respective officers who sign the Registration Statement and any person who controls the Company or the Selling Shareholders within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, to
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the same extent as the foregoing several indemnity from the Company and the Selling Shareholders to each Underwriter, but only with respect to information furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Preliminary Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto. If any action or claim shall be brought or asserted against the Company or the Selling Shareholders, any of their respective directors, any of their respective officers or any such controlling person based on the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or any Preliminary Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, and in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any Underwriter pursuant to this paragraph, such Underwriter shall have the rights and duties given to the Company and the Selling Shareholders by the immediately preceding paragraph (except that if the Company and the Selling Shareholders shall have assumed the defense thereof such Underwriter shall not be required to do so, but may employ separate counsel therein and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at such Underwriter’s expense), and the Company and the Selling Shareholders, their respective directors, any such officers and any such controlling persons, shall have the rights and duties given to the Underwriters by the immediately preceding paragraph.
In any event, the Company or the Selling Shareholders will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any proceeding or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which the indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not the Representative or any person who controls the Representative within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act is a party to such claim, action, suit or proceeding) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of all Underwriters and such controlling persons from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding.
If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable or insufficient for any reason whatsoever to an indemnified party in respect of any Damages referred to herein, then an indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such Damages (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, respectively, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other hand, from the offering and sale of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative and several fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholders, respectively, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such Damages as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative and several benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, respectively, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other hand, shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus; provided that, in the event that the Underwriters shall have purchased any Additional Shares hereunder, any determination of the
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relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders or the Underwriters from the offering of the Shares shall include the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, from the sale of such Additional Shares, in each case computed on the basis of the respective amounts set forth in the notes to the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholders, respectively, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other hand, 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 Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, or by the Underwriters on the other hand and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 was determined by a pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the Damages referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount of the underwriting commissions received by such underwriter in connection with the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the respective numbers of Firm Shares set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto (or such numbers of Firm Shares increased as set forth in Section 10 hereof) and not joint.
Notwithstanding the third paragraph of this Section 8, any Damages for which an indemnified party is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Section 8 shall be paid by the indemnifying party to the indemnified party as Damages are incurred after receipt of reasonably itemized invoices therefor. The indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Section 8 and the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholders set forth in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any person controlling any Underwriter, the Company, the Selling Shareholders, their respective directors or officers or any person controlling the Company or the Selling Shareholders, (ii) acceptance of any Shares and payment therefor hereunder and (iii) any termination of this Agreement. A successor to any Underwriter or any person controlling any Underwriter, or to the Company or the Selling Shareholders, their respective directors or officers or any person controlling the Company or the Selling Shareholders, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Section 8.
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It is agreed that any controversy arising out of the operation of the interim reimbursement arrangements set forth in the third paragraph of this Section 8, including the amounts of any requested reimbursement payments and the method of determining such amounts, shall be settled by arbitration conducted pursuant to the Code of Arbitration Procedure of FINRA. Any such arbitration must be commenced by service of a written demand for arbitration or written notice of intention to arbitrate, therein electing the arbitration tribunal. In the event the party demanding arbitration does not make such designation of an arbitration tribunal in such demand or notice, then the party responding to said demand or notice is authorized to do so. Such arbitration would be limited to the operation of the interim reimbursement provisions contained in the third and fifth paragraphs of this Section 8, and would not resolve the ultimate propriety or enforceability of the obligation to reimburse expenses that is created by the provisions of the third paragraph of this Section 8.
9. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Firm Shares hereunder are subject to the following conditions:
(a) The Registration Statement shall have become effective not later than [12:00 noon], New York City time, on the date hereof, or at such later date and time as shall be consented to in writing by the Representative, and all filings required by Rules 424(b), 430A and 462 under the Act shall have been timely made.
(b) You shall be reasonably satisfied that since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, (i) there shall not have been any change in the capital stock of the Company or any material change in the indebtedness (other than in the ordinary course of business) of the Company, (ii) except as set forth or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus, no material oral or written agreement or other transaction shall have been entered into by the Company that is not in the ordinary course of business or that could reasonably be expected to result in a material reduction in the future earnings of the Company, (iii) no loss or damage (whether or not insured) to the property of the Company shall have been sustained that had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (iv) no legal or governmental action, suit or proceeding affecting the Company or any of its properties that is material to the Company or that affects or could reasonably be expected to affect the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall have been instituted or threatened and (v) there shall not have been any material change in the condition (financial or otherwise), business, management, results of operations or prospects of the Company or its subsidiaries that makes it impractical or inadvisable in your judgment to proceed with the public offering or purchase of the Shares as contemplated hereby.
(c) You shall have received on the Closing Date (and the Additional Closing Date, if any) an opinion of ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, P.C., counsel to the Company, substantially to the effect that:
(i) The Company is a corporation duly incorporated and validly
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existing in good standing under the laws of the State of Louisiana, with full corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto), and is duly registered or otherwise qualified to conduct its business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction or place where the nature of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such registration or qualification, except where the failure to so register or qualify does not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) Each of the Company’s subsidiaries is duly organized and validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with full corporate or other power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto), and is duly registered or otherwise qualified to conduct its business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction or place where the nature of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such registration or qualification, except where the failure to so register or qualify does not have a Material Adverse Effect; and all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, and are fully paid and nonassessable, and are owned by the Company directly, or indirectly through one of the other subsidiaries, free and clear of any perfected security interest, or any other security interest, lien, adverse claim, equity or other encumbrance.
(iii) The Shares conform in all material respects to the description of the Common Stock in the Prospectus. Except as described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company is not a party to or bound by any outstanding options, warrants or similar rights to subscribe for, or contractual obligations to issue, sell, transfer or acquire, any of its capital stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for any of such capital stock. Except as described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, the Company is not a party to any contract, agreement or arrangement that would require the inclusion in the Registration Statement of shares or other securities owned by any person or entity other than the Company.
(iv) To the knowledge of such counsel after reasonable inquiry, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its articles of incorporation or bylaws or other organizational documents, as applicable, and is not in default in the performance of any obligation, agreement or condition contained in any bond, indenture, note or other evidence of indebtedness or any other agreement or obligation of the Company, where the default would have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(v) Neither the offer, sale or delivery of the Shares by the Company, the execution, delivery or performance by the Company of this Agreement, compliance by the Company with all provisions hereof nor consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby (A) conflicts or will conflict with or constitutes or will
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constitute a breach of, or a default under, the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the Company or any material agreement, indenture, lease or other instrument to which the Company is a party or by which any of its properties is bound, (B) creates or will result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or (C) violates or will result in any violation of any existing law, statute, regulation, ruling (no opinion need be rendered regarding compliance with all applicable state securities and Blue Sky laws), judgment, injunction, order or decree that is known to such counsel and is applicable to the Company or any of its properties.
(vi) Except as described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, there is no action, suit, inquiry, proceeding, or investigation by or before any court or governmental or other regulatory or administrative agency or commission pending or, to the knowledge of such counsel, threatened, against or involving the Company or its subsidiaries, or the properties of either the Company or any of its subsidiaries: (A) which might individually or in the aggregate prevent or adversely affect the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or result in a Material Adverse Effect, nor, to the knowledge of such counsel, is there any basis for any such action, suit, inquiry, proceeding or investigation; or (B) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) that are not described as required therein.
(vii) Such counsel has reviewed all agreements, contracts, indentures, leases or other documents or instruments described or referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and such agreements, contracts (and forms of contracts), indentures, leases or other documents or instruments are fairly summarized or disclosed in all material respects therein, and filed as exhibits thereto as required, and such counsel does not know of any agreements, contracts, indentures, leases or other documents or instruments required to be so summarized or disclosed or filed that have not been so summarized or disclosed or filed.
(viii) No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body, agency or official is required on the part of the Company (except such as have been obtained under the Act or such as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws governing the purchase and distribution of the Shares) for the valid issuance and sale of the Shares to the Underwriters under this Agreement.
(ix) The form of certificate used to evidence the Common Stock is in due and proper form and complies with all applicable requirements of the articles of incorporation and bylaws of the Company and the Business Corporation Law of the State of Louisiana.
(x) The Company has all requisite power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to issue, sell and deliver the Shares to be sold by it to the Underwriters as provided herein. The Agreement has been duly authorized, executed
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and delivered by, and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Representative, is a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as to the extent enforceability may be limited by (i) the application of bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and (ii) equitable principles being applied at the discretion of a court before which any proceeding may be brought, and except as rights to indemnity and contribution hereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws.
(xii) The Shares to be issued and sold to the Underwriters by the Company hereunder have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered to the Underwriters against payment therefor in accordance with the terms hereof, (A) such Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free of any preemptive or similar rights that entitle or will entitle any person to acquire any Shares upon the issuance thereof by the Company and (B) good and valid title to such Shares, free and clear of any claim, encumbrance or defect in title of any nature (other than any arising by or through the Underwriters), will pass to each Underwriter that has purchased any portion of such Shares in good faith and without knowledge of any such claim, encumbrance or defect.
(xii) The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission under the Act. To the knowledge of such counsel, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Act and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or are contemplated or threatened by the Commission. Any required filing of the Prospectus and any supplement thereto pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act has been made in the manner and within the time period required by such Rule 424(b).
(xiii) The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462 Registration Statement, the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, and each amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, as of their respective effective or issue dates (other than the financial statements and supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference therein or in exhibits to or excluded from the Registration Statement, as to which no opinion need be given) comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act.
(xiv) The Company is not, and immediately after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of proceeds thereof as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus will not be, an “investment company” or an “affiliated person” of, or “promoter” or “principal investor” for, an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
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(xv) The Shares have been approved for listing on the NASDAQ Global Market upon notice of issuance by the Company.
(xvi) The statements (i) in the Prospectus under the captions “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Industry,” “Description of Capital Stock,” “Business—Legal Proceedings,” “Supervision and Regulation,” “Shares Eligible for Future Sale,” and “Underwriting” and (ii) in Item 14 and Item 15 of the Registration Statement, insofar as such statements constitute matters of law, summaries of legal matters, the Company’s articles of incorporation or bylaw provisions, documents or legal proceedings, or legal conclusions, have been reviewed by such counsel and fairly present and summarize, in all material respects, the matters referred to therein.
In rendering such opinion, counsel may rely, to the extent they deem such reliance proper, as to matters of fact upon certificates of officers of the Company and of government officials, provided that counsel shall state their belief that they and you are justified in relying thereon. Copies of all such certificates shall be furnished to you and your counsel on the Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
In addition to the opinion set forth above, such counsel shall state that during the course of such counsel’s participation in the preparation of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and the amendments thereto, nothing has come to the attention of such counsel that has caused such counsel to believe or given such counsel reason to believe that the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any amendment thereto (except for the financial statements and other financial and accounting information contained therein or omitted therefrom as to which no view need be expressed), at the date thereof, contained an 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 or that the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as of the Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date, if any (except as aforesaid), contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(d) You shall have received on the Closing Date (and the Additional Closing Date, if any) an opinion of [—], counsel to the Selling Shareholders, substantially to the effect that:
(i) The Selling Shareholders have all requisite power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to sell and deliver the Shares to be sold by them to the Underwriters as provided herein. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by, and is a valid and binding agreement of, the Selling Shareholders enforceable against the Selling Shareholders in accordance with its terms, except to the extent enforceability may be limited by (i) bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency or other laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and (ii) equitable principles being applied at the discretion of a court before which any proceeding may be brought, and except as to indemnity and contribution hereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws.
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(ii) The Shares to be sold to the Underwriters by the Selling Shareholders hereunder have been duly authorized and, when delivered to the Underwriters against payment therefor in accordance with the terms hereof, (A) such Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free of any preemptive or similar rights that entitle or will entitle any person to acquire any Shares upon the sale thereof by the Selling Shareholders and (B) good and valid title to such Shares, free and clear of any claim, encumbrance or defect in title of any nature (other than any arising by or through the Underwriters), will pass to each Underwriter that has purchased any portion of such Shares in good faith and without knowledge of any such claim, encumbrance or defect.
(iii) Neither the offer, sale or delivery of the Shares by the Selling Shareholders, the execution, delivery or performance by the Selling Shareholders of this Agreement, compliance by the Selling Shareholders with all provisions hereof nor consummation by the Selling Shareholders of the transactions contemplated hereby (A) conflicts or will conflict with or constitutes or will constitute a breach of, or a default under, the organizational documents of such Selling Shareholder, if such Selling Shareholder is not an individual, or any material agreement, indenture, lease or other instrument to which such Selling Shareholder is a party or by which any of their properties is bound, (B) creates or will result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of such Selling Shareholder or (C) violates or will result in any violation of any existing law, statute, regulation, ruling (assuming compliance with all applicable state and securities and Blue Sky laws), judgment, injunction, order or decree that is known to such counsel and is applicable to such Selling Shareholder or any of its properties.
(iv) No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body, agency or official is required on the part of the Selling Shareholders (except such as have been obtained under the Act or such as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws governing the purchase and distribution of the Shares) for the valid sale of the Shares to the Underwriters by the Selling Shareholders under this Agreement.
(v) Each of the Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney of the Selling Shareholders has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Selling Shareholders and is a valid, legal and binding agreement of the Selling Shareholders enforceable against the Selling Shareholders in accordance with its terms, except to the extent enforceability may be limited by (i) bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency or other laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and (ii) equitable principles being applied at the discretion of a court before which any proceeding may be brought, and except as to indemnity and contribution may be limited by federal or state securities laws.
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In rendering such opinion, counsel may rely, to the extent they deem such reliance proper, as to matters of fact upon certificates of officers of the Company and of government officials, provided that counsel shall state their belief that they and you are justified in relying thereon. Copies of all such certificates shall be furnished to you and your counsel on the Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(e) You shall have received on the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion of ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, LLP, as counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Shares, the Registration Statement and other related matters as you may reasonably request, and the Company and its counsel shall have furnished to your counsel such documents as they may reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(f) You shall have received letters addressed to you and dated the date hereof and the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, from the firm of Castaing, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇, LLC, independent registered public accountants, substantially in the forms heretofore approved by you.
(g) (i) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for that purpose shall be pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, shall be threatened or contemplated by the Commission at or prior to the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be; (ii) no order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the qualification or registration of the Shares under the securities or Blue Sky laws of any jurisdiction shall be in effect and no proceeding for such purpose shall be pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened or contemplated by the authorities of any jurisdiction; (iii) any request for additional information on the part of the staff of the Commission or any such authorities shall have been complied with to the satisfaction of the staff of the Commission or such authorities; (iv) after the date hereof, no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall have been filed unless a copy thereof was first submitted to you and you did not object thereto in good faith; and (v) all of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects (except for such representations and warranties qualified by materiality, which representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all respects) on and as of the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, as if made on and as of the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and you shall have received a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer of the Company (or such other officers as are acceptable to you) to the effect set forth in this Section 9(g) and in Sections 9(b) and 9(h) hereof.
(h) The Company shall not have failed in any material respect at or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, to have performed or complied with any of its agreements herein contained and required to be performed or complied with by it hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
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(i) The Company shall have furnished or caused to have been furnished to you such further certificates and documents as you shall have reasonably requested.
(j) At or prior to the Closing Date, you shall have received the Lock-Up Agreements from each of the persons set forth on Schedule IV hereto.
(k) At or prior to the effective date of the Registration Statement, you shall have received a letter from the Corporate Financing Department of FINRA confirming that such Department has determined to raise no objections with respect to the fairness or reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements of the offering contemplated hereby.
(l) On the Closing Date (and the Additional Closing Date, if any), all stock transfer and other taxes that are required to be paid in connection with the sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company and Selling Shareholders to the Underwriters will have been fully paid by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, as applicable, and all laws imposing such taxes will have been complied with.
(m) You shall be satisfied that, and you shall have received a certificate dated the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, from each Selling Shareholder to the effect that, as of the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be: (i) the representations and warranties made by such Selling Shareholders herein are true and correct in all material respect on the Closing Date and (ii) such Selling Shareholder has complied with all obligations and satisfied all conditions that are required to be performed or satisfied on his or its part at or prior to the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents will be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to you and your counsel.
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Additional Shares hereunder are subject to the satisfaction on and as of the Additional Closing Date of the conditions set forth in this Section 9, except that, if the Additional Closing Date is other than the Closing Date, the certificates, opinions and letters referred to in this Section 9 shall be dated as of the Additional Closing Date and the opinions called for by paragraphs (c), (d) and (e) shall be revised to reflect the sale of Additional Shares.
If any of the conditions hereinabove provided for in this Section 9 shall not have been satisfied when and as required by this Agreement, this Agreement may be terminated by you by notifying the Company of such termination in writing or by telegram at or prior to such Closing Date, but you shall be entitled to waive any of such conditions.
10. Effective Date of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective upon the later of (a) the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto and (b) release of notification of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement by the Commission; provided, however, that the provisions of Sections 7 and 8 shall at all times be effective.
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11. Defaulting Underwriters. If any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Firm Shares that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder, and the aggregate number of Firm Shares that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of the Firm Shares, each non-defaulting Underwriter shall be obligated, severally, in the proportion in which the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite its name in Schedule I hereto bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all non-defaulting Underwriters or in such other proportion as you may specify in the Agreement Among Underwriters, to purchase the Firm Shares that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed, but failed or refused to purchase. If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Firm Shares and the aggregate number of Firm Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm Shares and arrangements satisfactory to you and the Company for the purchase of such Firm Shares are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement will terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any such case that does not result in termination of this Agreement, either you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven (7) days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any such default of any such Underwriter under this Agreement.
12. Termination of Agreement. This Agreement shall be subject to termination in your absolute discretion, without liability on the part of any Underwriter to the Company by notice to the Company, if prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date (if different from the Closing Date and then only as to the Additional Shares), as the case may be, in your sole judgment, (i) trading in the Company’s Common Stock shall have been suspended by the Commission or the NASDAQ, (ii) trading in securities generally on the NYSE or NASDAQ shall have been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on such exchange, or additional material governmental restrictions, not in force on the date of this Agreement, shall have been imposed upon trading in securities generally by any such exchange or by order of the Commission or any court or other governmental authority, (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by either federal or New York State authorities, (iv) any downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities or outstanding preferred stock by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act, (v) 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 outstanding preferred stock or (vi) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other international or domestic calamity, crisis or change in political, financial or economic conditions or other material event the effect of which on the financial markets of the United States is such as to make it, in your reasonable judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Shares or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Shares. Notice of such cancellation shall be promptly given to the Company and its counsel by telegraph, telecopy or telephone and shall be subsequently confirmed by letter.
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13. Failure of One or More of the Selling Shareholders to Sell and Deliver the Shares. If one or more of the Selling Shareholders shall fail to sell and deliver to the Underwriters the Shares to be sold and delivered by such Selling Shareholders at the Closing Date pursuant to this Agreement, then the Underwriters may at their option, by written notice from the Representative to the Company and the Selling Shareholders, either (i) terminate this Agreement without any liability on the part of any Underwriter or, except as provided in Sections 7 and 8 hereof, the Company or the Selling Shareholders or (ii) purchase the Shares that the Company and other Selling Shareholders have agreed to sell and deliver in accordance with the terms hereof. If one or more of the Selling Shareholders shall fail to sell and deliver to the Underwriters the Shares to be sold and delivered by such Selling Shareholders pursuant to this Agreement at the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, then the Underwriters shall have the right, by written notice from the Representative to the Company and the Selling Shareholders, to postpone the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.
13. Information Furnished by the Underwriters. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that the third, fifteenth and sixteenth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in any Preliminary Prospectus, constitute the only information furnished by or on behalf of the Underwriters through you or on your behalf as such information is referred to in Sections 6.1(c), 6.1(d), 6.1(e) and 8 hereof.
14. Miscellaneous. Except as otherwise provided in Sections 5 and 12 hereof, notice given pursuant to any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be delivered
| (i) | to the Company |
First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: [—]
with a copy to
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, P.C.
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇, ▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.
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| (ii) | to the Underwriters |
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: [ ]
with a copy to
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. Rave, Esq.
This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the several Underwriters, the Company and its directors and officers and the Selling Shareholders.
15. Applicable Law; Counterparts. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without reference to choice of law principles thereunder.
This Agreement may be signed in various counterparts, which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
This Agreement shall be effective when, but only when, at least one counterpart hereof shall have been executed on behalf of each party hereto.
The Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Underwriters each hereby irrevocably waive any right they may have to a trial by jury in respect to any claim based upon or arising out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
16. No Fiduciary Duty. Notwithstanding any pre-existing relationship, advisory or otherwise, between the parties or any oral representations or assurances previously or subsequently made by any of the Underwriters, the Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) nothing herein shall create a fiduciary or agency relationship between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand; (ii) the Underwriters have been retained solely to act as underwriters and are not acting as advisors, expert or otherwise, to either the Company in connection with this offering, the sale of the Shares or any other services the Underwriters may be deemed to be providing hereunder, including, without limitation, with respect to the public offering price of the Shares; (iii) the relationship between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, is entirely and solely commercial, and the price of the Shares was established by the Company and the Underwriters based on discussions and arms’ length negotiations and the Company understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (iv) any duties and obligations that the
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Underwriters may have to the Company shall be limited to those duties and obligations specifically stated herein; and (v) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company acknowledges that the Underwriters may have financial interests in the success of the Offering that are not limited to the difference between the price to the public and the purchase price paid to the Company for the shares and such interests may differ from the interests of the Company, and the Underwriters have no obligation to disclose, or account to the Company for any benefit they may derive from such additional financial interests. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by the applicable law, any claims it may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Underwriters shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company or any of its shareholders, managers, employees or creditors.
17. Research Analyst Independence. The Company and Selling Shareholders acknowledge that (a) the Underwriters’ research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies and (b) the Underwriters’ research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company, the value of the Common Stock and/or the offering that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. The Company and Selling Shareholders hereby waive and release, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that it may have against the Underwriters with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by the Underwriters’ independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company and/or Selling Shareholders by any Underwriter’s investment banking division. The Company and Selling Shareholders acknowledge that each of the Underwriters is a full service securities firm and as such, from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that are the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
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Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement among the Company, the Selling Shareholders and the several Underwriters.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| FIRST GUARANTY BANCSHARES, INC. | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| SELLING SHAREHOLDERS | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | Attorney-in-Fact | |
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| CONFIRMED as of the date first above mentioned, on behalf of the Representative and the other several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto. | ||
| ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & ASSOCIATES, INC. | ||
| By: |
| |
| Authorized Representative | ||
SCHEDULE I
| Name |
Number Firm Shares | |
| ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc. |
||
| ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇, Inc. |
||
| Sterne Agee & ▇▇▇▇▇, Inc. |
||
| Total: |
||
|
| ||
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SCHEDULE II
Schedule of Selling Shareholders
| Shareholder |
Number of Firm Shares to be Sold | |
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SCHEDULE III
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
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SCHEDULE IV
Persons Subject to Lock-up
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EXHIBIT A
Form of Lock-up Agreement
, 2014
FIRST GUARANTY BANCSHARES, INC.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & ASSOCIATES, INC.
As Representative of the Several Underwriters
c/o Raymond ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
| Re: | First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company”) - Restriction on Stock Sales |
Dear Sirs:
This letter is delivered to you pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) to be entered into by the Company, as issuer, and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc., the representative (the “Representative”) of certain underwriters (the “Underwriters”) to be named therein. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Underwriting Agreement, the Underwriters intend to effect a public offering of Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company (the “Shares”), as described in and contemplated by the registration statement of the Company on Form S-1, File No. 333-199602 (the “Registration Statement”), as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 24, 2014 (the “Offering”).
The undersigned recognizes that it is in the best financial interests of the undersigned, as an officer or director, or an owner of stock, options, warrants or other securities of the Company (the “Company Securities”), that the Company complete the proposed Offering.
The undersigned further recognizes that the Company Securities held by the undersigned are, or may be, subject to certain restrictions on transferability, including those imposed by United States federal securities laws. Notwithstanding these restrictions, the undersigned has agreed to enter into this letter agreement to further assure the Underwriters that the Company Securities of the undersigned, now held or hereafter acquired, will not enter the public market at a time that might impair the underwriting effort.
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Therefore, as an inducement to the Underwriters to execute the Underwriting Agreement, the undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees that the undersigned will not directly or indirectly (i) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of (collectively, a “Disposition”) any Company Securities, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or any rights to purchase or otherwise acquire, any Company Securities held by the undersigned or acquired by the undersigned after the date hereof, or that may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned (collectively, the “Lock-Up Shares”), pursuant to the Rules and Regulations promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, for a period commencing on the date hereof and ending 180 days after the date of the Company’s Prospectus first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, inclusive (the “Lock-Up Period”), without the prior written consent of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates, Inc. or (ii) exercise or seek to exercise or effectuate in any manner any rights of any nature that the undersigned has or may have hereafter to require the Company to register under the Act the undersigned’s sale, transfer or other disposition of any of the Lock-Up Shares or other securities of the Company held by the undersigned, or to otherwise participate as a selling securityholder in any manner in any registration effected by the Company under the Act, including under the Registration Statement, during the Lock-Up Period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (x) during the last 17 days of the Lock-Up Period, the Company issues a release concerning earnings or material news or a material event relating to the company occurs; or (y) prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the Company announces it will release earnings results during the 16 day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period; the restrictions imposed in this letter agreement 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. The foregoing restrictions are expressly agreed to preclude the undersigned from engaging in any hedging, collar (whether or not for any consideration) or other transaction that is designed to or reasonably expected to lead or result in a Disposition of Lock-Up Shares during the Lock-Up Period, even if such Lock-Up Shares would be disposed of by someone other than such holder. Such prohibited hedging or other transactions would include any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including any put or call option or reversal or cancellation thereof) with respect to any Lock-Up Shares or with respect to any security (other than a broad-based market basket or index) that includes, relates to or derives any significant part of its value from Lock-Up Shares.
Notwithstanding the agreement not to make any Disposition during the Lock-Up Period, you have agreed that the foregoing restrictions shall not apply to the Company Securities being offered and sold pursuant to the Registration Statement by the Selling Shareholders (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement).
It is understood that, if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof that survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Shares, you will release the undersigned from the obligations under this letter agreement upon any such termination.
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In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent and registrar are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of Lock-Up Shares if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this letter. This letter shall be binding on the undersigned and the respective successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns of the undersigned. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement.
| Very truly yours, |
| Signature of Securityholder |
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