EXHIBIT 1.1
Draft of August 12, 1999
Form of
Underwriting Agreement
______________, 1999
BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx Inc.
U.S. Bancorp Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Inc.
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.
000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxx Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Introductory. AmeriCredit Corp. (the "Company"), proposes to issue
and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A (the "Underwriters") an
aggregate of 8,000,000 shares (the "Firm Shares") of its Common Stock, par value
$.01 per share (the "Common Shares"). In addition, the Company has granted to
the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 1,200,000 Common
Shares (the "Option Shares"), as provided in Section 2. The Firm Shares and, if
and to the extent such option is exercised, the Option Shares are collectively
called the "Shares". BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc., Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Inc. and U.S. Bancorp Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Inc. have agreed to act as the
representatives of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the
"Representatives") in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No.
333-82999), which contains a form of prospectus to be used in connection with
the public offering and sale of the Shares. Such registration statement, as
amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in
the form in which it was declared effective by the Commission under the
Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder
(collectively, the "Securities Act"), including all documents incorporated or to
be deemed incorporated by reference therein and any information deemed to be a
part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 434
under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules
and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the "Exchange Act"), is
called the "Registration Statement". Any
registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the
Securities Act is called the "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement", and from and
after the date and time of filing of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement the
term "Registration Statement" shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement. Such prospectus, in the form first used by the Underwriters to
confirm sales of the Shares, is called the "Prospectus"; provided, however, if
the Company has, with the consent of BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc., elected
to rely upon Rule 434 under the Securities Act, the term "Prospectus" shall mean
the Company's prospectus subject to completion (each, a "preliminary
prospectus") dated July 27,1999 (such preliminary prospectus is called the "Rule
434 preliminary prospectus"), together with the applicable term sheet (the "Term
Sheet") prepared and filed by the Company with the Commission under Rules 434
and 424(b) under the Securities Act and all references in this Agreement to the
date of the Prospectus shall mean the date of the Term Sheet. All references in
this Agreement to (i) the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement, a preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the Term Sheet, or any
amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall include any copy
thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering,
Analysis and Retrieval System ("XXXXX"). All references in this Agreement to
financial statements and schedules and other information which is "contained,"
"included" or "stated" in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (and all
other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such
financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed
to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus,
as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or
supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to
mean and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act which is or
is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, as the case may be.
The Company hereby confirms its agreements with the Underwriters as
follows:
Section 1. Representations and Warranties of the Company.
A. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby
represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter as follows:
(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration Statement
and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement have been declared effective by the
Commission under the Securities Act. The Company has complied to the
Commission's satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or
supplemental information. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is in effect
and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to
the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the
Commission.
Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus when filed complied in
all material respects with the Securities Act and, if filed by electronic
transmission pursuant to XXXXX (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T
under the Securities Act), was identical to the copy thereof delivered to the
Underwriters for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares. Each
of
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the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any
post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective and at all
subsequent times, complied and will comply in all material respects with the
Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as
amended or supplemented, as of its date and at all subsequent times, did not and
will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The
representations and warranties set forth in the two immediately preceding
sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration
Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any post-effective
amendment thereto, or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto,
made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any
Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Representatives expressly
for use therein. There are no contracts or other documents required to be
described in the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration
Statement which have not been described or filed as required.
(b) Offering Materials Furnished to Underwriters. The Company has
delivered to the Representatives three complete conformed copy of the
Registration Statement and of each consent and certificate of experts filed as a
part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement (without
exhibits) and preliminary prospectuses and the Prospectus, as amended or
supplemented, in such quantities and at such places as the Representatives have
reasonably requested for each of the Underwriters.
(c) Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. The Company has not
distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Second Closing
Date (as defined below) and the completion of the Underwriters' distribution of
the Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of
the Shares other than a preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the
Registration Statement.
(d) The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by, and is a valid and binding agreement of, the Company,
enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification
hereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement hereof
may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other
similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by
general equitable principles.
(e) Authorization of the Shares To Be Sold by the Company. The Shares to
be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for
issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by
the Company pursuant to this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable.
(f) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. There are no
persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt
securities registered for sale under the
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Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this
Agreement, with respect to the Shares included in the Registration Statement,
except for such rights as have been duly waived or expired after notice.
(g) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the respective dates as of
which information is given in the Prospectus: (i) there has been no material
adverse change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result
in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in
the earnings, business, operations or prospects, whether or not arising from
transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its
subsidiaries, considered as one entity (any such change or effect, where the
context so requires, is called a "Material Adverse Change" or a "Material
Adverse Effect"); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one
entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct
or contingent, not in the ordinary course of business nor entered into any
material transaction or agreement not in the ordinary course of business; and
(iii) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or
made by the Company or, except for dividends paid to the Company or other
subsidiaries, any of its subsidiaries on any class of capital stock or
repurchase or redemption by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any class
of capital stock.
(h) Independent Accountants. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have
expressed their opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as
used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) filed with the
Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the
Prospectus, are independent public or certified public accountants as required
by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
(i) Preparation of the Financial Statements. The financial statements
filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included
in the Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the
Company and its subsidiaries as of and at the dates indicated and the results of
their operations and cash flows for the periods specified. No other financial
statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the
Registration Statement. The financial data set forth in the Prospectus under
the captions "Selected Financial and Operating Information", "Capitalization"
and "Selected Consolidated Financial Data" fairly present the information set
forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial
statements contained in the Registration Statement. The pro forma portfolio-
based financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and the related
notes thereto included under the caption "Management's Discussion and Analysis
of Financial Condition and Results of Operations--Results of Operations--Pro-
Forma "Portfolio-Based" Earnings Data" and elsewhere in the Prospectus and in
the Registration Statement present fairly the information contained therein,
have been prepared in accordance with the Commission's rules and guidelines with
respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly presented on
the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof
are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect
to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. No other pro forma
financial information is required to be included in the Registration Statement
pursuant to Regulation S-X.
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(j) Company's Accounting System. The Company and each of its subsidiaries
maintain a system of accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable
assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management's
general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary
to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States and to maintain
accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in
accordance with management's general or specific authorization; and (iv) the
recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at
reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any
differences.
(k) Subsidiaries of the Company. Other than entities formed in connection
with the securitization transactions, the Company does not own or control,
directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than
the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21 to the Company's Form S-4 Registration
Statement filed with the Commission on June 15, 1999.
(l) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly organized and is validly
existing as a corporation or limited liability company, as the case may be, in
good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is organized with
full corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its
business as described in the prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as
a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each
jurisdiction which requires such qualification except where the failure to be so
qualified or in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(m) Capitalization of the Subsidiaries. All the outstanding shares of
capital stock of each subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and
issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, except as otherwise set forth
in the Prospectus, all outstanding shares of capital stock of the subsidiaries
are owned by the Company either directly or through wholly owned subsidiaries
free and clear of any security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances.
(n) No Prohibition on Subsidiaries from Paying Dividends or Making Other
Distributions. No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly
or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other
distribution on such subsidiary's capital stock, from repaying to the Company
any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring
any of such subsidiary's property or assets to the Company or any other
subsidiary of the Company, except as described in or contemplated by the
Prospectus.
(o) Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. The authorized, issued
and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Prospectus
under the caption "Capitalization" (other than for subsequent issuances, if any,
pursuant to employee benefit plans described in the Incorporated Documents or
upon exercise of outstanding options or warrants described in the Incorporated
Documents). The Common Shares (including the Shares) conform in all material
respects to the description thereof contained in the Incorporated Documents. All
of the issued and outstanding Common Shares have been duly authorized and
validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and have been issued in
compliance with federal and state securities laws. None
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of the outstanding Common Shares were issued in violation of any preemptive
rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or
purchase securities of the Company. There are no authorized or outstanding
options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to
purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or
exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
other than those accurately described in the Incorporated Documents or
subsequently granted to employees pursuant to employee benefit plans described
in the Incorporated Documents. The description of the Company's stock option,
stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other
rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Incorporated Documents accurately
and fairly presents the information required to be shown with respect to such
plans, arrangements, options and rights.
(p) Stock Exchange Listing. The Shares are registered pursuant to Section
12(g) of the Exchange Act and are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the
"NYSE"), and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the
effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Shares under the Exchange
Act or delisting the Common Shares from the NYSE, nor has the Company received
any notification that the Commission or the NYSE is contemplating terminating
such registration or listing.
(q) No Consents, Approvals or Authorizations Required. No consent,
approval, authorization, filing with or order of any court or governmental
agency or regulatory body is required in connection with the transactions
contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained or made under the
Securities Act and such as may be required (i) under the blue sky laws of any
jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by
the Underwriters in the manner contemplated here and in the Prospectus, (ii) by
the National Association of Securities Dealers, LLC and (iii) by the federal and
provincial laws of Canada.
(r) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments Agreements. Neither the
issue and sale of the Shares nor the consummation of any other of the
transactions herein contemplated nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof will
conflict with, result in a breach or violation or imposition of any lien, charge
or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries pursuant to, (i) the charter or by-laws of the Company or any of
its subsidiaries, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage,
deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation,
condition, covenant or instrument to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or bound or to which its or their property is subject or
(iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree applicable
to the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body,
administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having
jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its or their
properties.
(s) No Defaults or Violations. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary is
in violation or default of (i) any provision of its charter or by-laws, (ii) the
terms of any material indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note
agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or
instrument to which it is a party or bound or to which its property is subject
or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any
court, regulatory
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body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority
having jurisdiction over the Company or such subsidiary or any of its
properties, as applicable, except any such violation or default which would not,
singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change except as
otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus.
(t) No Actions, Suits or Proceedings. Except as otherwise disclosed in the
Prospectus, no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental
agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or its or their property is pending or, to the best knowledge of
the Company, threatened that (i) could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect on the performance of this Agreement or the consummation of any
of the transactions contemplated hereby or (ii) could reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) All Necessary Permits, Etc. The Company and each subsidiary possess
such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits issued by the
appropriate state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to
conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary
has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or
modification of, or non-compliance with, any such certificate, authorization or
permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable
decision, ruling or finding, could result in a Material Adverse Change.
(v) Title to Properties. The Company and each of its subsidiaries has good
and marketable title to all the properties and assets reflected as owned in the
financial statements referred to in Section 1(A)(i) above, in each case free and
clear of any security interests, mortgages, liens, encumbrances, equities,
claims and other defects, except the pledge of stock of AFS Funding Corp. to
Financial Security Assurance disclosed in the Prospectus, or such as do not
materially and adversely affect the value of such property and do not materially
interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the
Company or such subsidiary. The real property, improvements, equipment and
personal property held under lease by the Company or any subsidiary are held
under valid and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and
do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such
real property, improvements, equipment or personal property by the Company or
such subsidiary.
(w) Tax Law Compliance. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all
necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns and have
paid all taxes required to be paid by any of them and, if due and payable, any
related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them. The
Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable
financial statements referred to in Section 1(A)(i) above in respect of all
federal, state and foreign income and franchise taxes for all periods as to
which the tax liability of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has not been
finally determined. The Company is not aware of any tax deficiency that has
been or might reasonably be asserted or threatened against the Company that
could result in a Material Adverse Change.
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(x) Intellectual Property Rights. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries
owns or possesses adequate rights to use all patents, patent rights or licenses,
inventions, collaborative research agreements, trade secrets, know-how,
trademarks, service marks, trade names and copyrights which are necessary to
conduct its businesses as described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus
and any Incorporated Document; the expiration of any patents, patent rights,
trade secrets, trademarks, service marks, trade names or copyrights would not
result in a Material Adverse Change that is not otherwise disclosed in the
Prospectus; the Company has not received any notice of, and has no knowledge of,
any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of the Company by others
with respect to any patent, patent rights, inventions, trade secrets, know-how,
trademarks, service marks, trade names or copyrights; and the Company has not
received any notice of, and has no knowledge of, any infringement of or conflict
with asserted rights of others with respect to any patent, patent rights,
inventions, trade secrets, know-how, trademarks, service marks, trade names or
copyrights which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable
decision, ruling or finding, might have a Material Adverse Change. There is no
claim being made against the Company regarding patents, patent rights or
licenses, inventions, collaborative research, trade secrets, know-how,
trademarks, service marks, trade names or copyrights. The Company and its
subsidiaries do not in the conduct of their business as now or proposed to be
conducted as described in the Prospectus infringe or conflict with any right or
patent of any third party, or any discovery, invention, product or process which
is the subject of a patent application filed by any third party, known to the
Company or any of its subsidiaries, which such infringement or conflict is
reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(y) Year 2000 Preparedness. There are no issues related to the Company's,
or any of its subsidiaries', preparedness for the Year 2000 that (i) are of a
character required to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement
or Prospectus or any Incorporated Document by the Securities Act or by the
Exchange Act which have not been accurately described in the Registration
Statement or Prospectus or any Incorporated Document or (ii) might reasonably be
expected to result in any Material Adverse Change or that might materially
affect their properties, assets or rights. All internal computer systems and
each Constituent Component (as defined below) of those systems and all computer-
related products and each Constituent Component (as defined below) of those
products of the Company and each of its subsidiaries will fully comply with Year
2000 Qualification Requirements by December 31, 1999. "Year 2000 Qualifications
Requirements" means that the internal computer systems and each Constituent
Component (as defined below) of those systems and all computer-related products
and each Constituent Component of those products of the Company and each of its
Subsidiaries (i) have been reviewed to confirm that they store, process
(including sorting and performing mathematical operations, calculations and
computations), input and output data containing date and information correctly
regardless of whether the date contains dates and times before, on or after
January 1, 2000, (ii) have been designated to ensure date and time entry
recognition and calculations, and date data interface values that reflect the
century, (iii) accurately manage and manipulate data involving dates and times,
including single century formulas and multi-century formulas, and will not cause
an abnormal ending scenario within the application or generate incorrect values
or invalid results involving such dates, (iv) accurately process any date
rollover, and (v) accept and respond to two-digit year date input in a manner
that resolves any
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ambiguities as to the century. "Constituent Component" means all software
(including operating systems, programs, packages and utilities), firmware,
hardware, networking components, and peripherals provided as part of the
configuration. The Company has inquired of material vendors as to their
preparedness for the Year 2000 and has disclosed in the Registration Statement
or Prospectus any issues that might reasonably be expected to result in any
Material Adverse Change.
(z) No Transfer Taxes or Other Fees. There are no transfer taxes or other
similar fees or charges under Federal law or the laws of any state, or any
political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the
execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance and sale by the Company
of the Shares.
(aa) Company Not an "Investment Company". The Company has been advised of
the rules and requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
(the "Investment Company Act"). The Company is not, and after receipt of
payment for the Shares will not be, an "investment company" or an entity
"controlled" by an "investment company" within the meaning of the Investment
Company Act and will conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become
subject to the Investment Company Act.
(bb) Insurance. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries are insured by
recognized, financially sound and reputable institutions with policies in such
amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks as are generally
deemed adequate and customary for their businesses including, but not limited
to, policies covering real and personal property owned or leased by the Company
and its subsidiaries against theft, damage, destruction, acts of vandalism and
earthquakes, general liability and Directors and Officers liability. The
Company has no reason to believe that it or any subsidiary will not be able (i)
to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or
(ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary
or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would
not result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither of the Company nor any
subsidiary has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for
which it has applied.
(cc) Labor Matters. No labor disturbance by the employees of the Company or
any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the best of Company's knowledge is
imminent; and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor
disturbance by the employees of any of its principal suppliers that might be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(dd) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken and
will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be
reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the
price of the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(ee) Lock-Up Agreements. Each executive officer and director of the
Company has agreed to sign an agreement substantially in the form attached
hereto as Exhibit A (the "Lock-up Agreements"). The Company has provided to
counsel for the Underwriters true, accurate and
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complete copies of all of the Lock-up Agreements presently in effect or effected
hereby. The Company hereby represents and warrants that it will not release any
of its executive officers, directors or other shareholders from any Lock-up
Agreements currently existing or hereafter effected without the prior written
consent of BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.
(ff) Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or
related-party transactions involving the Company or any subsidiary or any other
person required to be described in the Prospectus which have not been described
in the Prospectus or in any Incorporated Document as required.
(aaa) No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. Neither the Company nor
any of its subsidiaries nor, to the best of the Company's knowledge, any
employee or agent of the Company or any subsidiary, has made any contribution or
other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state or
foreign office in violation of any law or of the character required to be
disclosed in the Prospectus.
(bbb) Environmental Laws. (i) The Company is in compliance with all rules,
laws and regulations relating to the use, treatment, storage and disposal of
toxic substances and protection of health or the environment ("Environmental
Laws") which are applicable to its business, except where the failure to comply
would not result in a Material Adverse Change, (ii) the Company has received no
notice from any governmental authority or third party of an asserted claim under
Environmental Laws, which claim is required to be disclosed in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus and any Incorporated Document, (iii) the Company
will not be required to make future material capital expenditures to comply with
Environmental Laws and (iv) no property which is owned, leased or occupied by
the Company has been designated as a Superfund site pursuant to the
Comprehensive Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42
U.S.C. (S) 9601, et seq.), or otherwise designated as a contaminated site under
applicable state or local law.
(ccc) ERISA Compliance. The Company and its subsidiaries and any "employee
benefit plan" (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder
(collectively, "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. "ERISA Affiliate" means, with respect to the
Company or a subsidiary, any member of any group of organizations described in
Sections 414(b),(c),(m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,
and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the "Code") of
which the Company or such subsidiary is a member. No "reportable event" (as
defined under 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 unfounded benefit liabilities" (as defined under 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,
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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, which would cause the loss of
such qualification.
(ddd) Exchange Act Compliance. The documents incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter
are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects
with the requirements of the Exchange Act, and, when read together with the
other information in the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement and
any amendments thereto become effective and at the First Closing Date and the
Second Closing Date, as the case may be, 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 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.
(eee) Exchange Act Reports Filed. The Company has filed all reports
required to be filed pursuant to the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
(fff) Conditions for Use of Form S-3. The Company has satisfied the
conditions for the use of Form S-3, as set forth in the general instructions
thereto, with respect to the Registration Statement.
Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to
the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed to be a
representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters
set forth therein.
Section 2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Shares.
(a) The Firm Shares. The Company agrees to issue and sell to the several
Underwriters the Firm Shares upon the terms herein set forth. On the basis of
the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the
terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters agree,
severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective number of
Firm Shares set forth opposite their names on Schedule A. The purchase price
per Firm Share to be paid by the several Underwriters to the Company shall be
$[___] per share.
(b) The First Closing Date. Delivery of the Firm Shares to be purchased
by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made by the Company and the
Representatives at 7:00 a.m. San Francisco time, at the offices of Jenkens &
Xxxxxxxxx, P.C., 0000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000-0000 (or at
such other place as may be agreed upon among the Representatives and the
Company), (i) on the third (3rd) full business day following the first day that
Shares are traded, (ii) if this Agreement is executed and delivered after 1:30
P.M., San Francisco time, the
11
fourth (4th) full business day following the day that this Agreement is executed
and delivered or (iii) at such other time and date not later that seven (7) full
business days following the first day that Shares are traded as the
Representatives and the Company may determine (or at such time and date to which
payment and delivery shall have been postponed pursuant to Section 8 hereof),
such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the "Closing
Date"; provided, however, that if the Company has not made available to the
Representatives copies of the Prospectus within the time provided in Section
4(d) hereof, the Representatives may, in their sole discretion, postpone the
Closing Date until no later that two (2) full business days following delivery
of copies of the Prospectus to the Representatives.
(c) The Option Shares; the Second Closing Date. In addition, on the basis
of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the
terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants
an option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up
to 1,200,000 Option Shares to be purchased from the Company at the purchase
price per share to be paid by the Underwriters for the Firm Shares. The option
granted hereunder is for use by the Underwriters solely in covering any over-
allotments in connection with the sale and distribution of the Firm Shares. The
option granted hereunder may be exercised at any time upon notice by the
Representatives to the Company, which notice may be given at any time within 30
days from the date of this Agreement. The time and date of delivery of the
Option Shares, if subsequent to the First Closing Date, is called the "Second
Closing Date" and shall be determined by the Representatives and shall not be
earlier than three nor later than five full business days after delivery of such
notice of exercise. If any Option Shares are to be purchased, (i) each
Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase and the Company
agrees to sell the number of Option Shares (subject to such adjustments to
eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the
same proportion to the total number of Option Shares to be purchased as the
number of Firm Shares set forth on Schedule A opposite the name of such
Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares. The Representatives may
cancel the option at any time prior to its exercise or expiration by giving
written notice of such cancellation to the Company.
(d) Public Offering of the Shares. The Representatives hereby advise the
Company that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, as
described in the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Shares as soon
after this Agreement has been executed and the Registration Statement has been
declared effective as the Representatives, in their sole judgment, have
determined is advisable and practicable.
(e) Payment for the Shares. Payment for the Shares to be sold by the
Company shall be made at the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, at the
Second Closing Date) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the
order of the Company.
It is understood that the Representatives have been authorized, for
their own account and the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept
delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the
Firm Shares and any Option Shares the Underwriters have agreed to
12
purchase. BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc., Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx Inc. and U.S.
Bancorp Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Inc. individually and not as Representatives 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
Representatives by the First Closing Date or the Second 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.
(f) Delivery of the Shares. The Company shall deliver, or cause to be
delivered a credit representing the Firm Shares to an account or accounts at The
Depository Trust Company as designated by the Representatives for the accounts
of the Representatives and the several Underwriters at the First Closing Date,
against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available
funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The Company shall also
deliver, or cause to be delivered a credit representing the Option Shares to an
account or accounts at The Depository Trust Company as designated by the
Representatives for the accounts of the Representatives and the several
Underwriters, at the Second Closing Date against the irrevocable release of a
wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase
price therefor. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place
specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the
Underwriters.
(g) Delivery of Prospectus to the Underwriters. Not later than 12:00 noon
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
Representatives shall request.
Section 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company further covenants and
agrees with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) Registration Statement Matters. The Company will (i) use its best
efforts to cause the Registration Statement to become effective or, if the
procedure in Rule 430A of the Securities Act is followed, to prepare and timely
file with the Commission under Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act a Prospectus
in a form approved by the Representatives containing information previously
omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance
on Rule 430A of the Securities Act and (ii) not file any amendment to the
Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus of which the
Representatives shall not previously have been advised and furnished with a copy
or to which the Representatives shall have reasonably objected in writing or
which is not in compliance with the Securities Act. If the Company elects to
rely on Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, the Company shall file a Rule
462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b)
under the Securities Act prior to the time confirmations are sent or given, as
specified by Rule 462(b)(2) under the Securities Act, and shall pay the
applicable fees in accordance with Rule 111 under the Securities Act.
13
(b) Securities Act Compliance. The Company will advise the Representatives
promptly (i) when the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment
thereto shall have become effective, (ii) of receipt of any comments from the
Commission, (iii) of any request of the Commission for amendment of the
Registration Statement or for supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional
information and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the
Prospectus or of the institution of any proceedings for that purpose. The
Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order
preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus and to obtain as soon as
possible the lifting thereof, if issued.
(c) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will cooperate with the
Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters in endeavoring to qualify the
Shares for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions (both national
and foreign) as the Representatives may reasonably have designated in writing
and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such
information as may be reasonably required for that purpose, provided the Company
shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general
consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so
qualified or required to file such a consent. The Company will, from time to
time, prepare and file such statements, reports and other documents, as are or
may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period
as the Representatives may reasonably request for distribution of the Shares.
(d) Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act
Matters. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act,
so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated
in this Agreement and the Prospectus. If during the period in which a prospectus
is required by law to be delivered by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall
occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable
opinion of the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters, it becomes
necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus
is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time
to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with any law, the Company
promptly will prepare and file with the Commission, and furnish at its own
expense to the Underwriters and to dealers, an appropriate amendment to the
Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus so that the Prospectus as
so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it
is so delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply with the
law.
(e) Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus. The
Company agrees to furnish the Representatives, without charge, during the period
beginning on the date hereof and ending on the later of the First Closing Date
or such date, as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus
is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an
Underwriter or dealer (the "Prospectus Delivery Period"), as many copies of the
Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto (including any documents
incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein) as the Representatives
may request.
14
(f) Insurance. The Company shall obtain Directors and Officers liability
insurance in the minimum amount of $10 million which shall apply to the offering
contemplated hereby.
(g) Notice of Subsequent Events. If at any time during the ninety (90)
day period after the Registration Statement becomes effective, any rumor,
publication or event relating to or affecting the Company shall occur as a
result of which in your opinion the market price of the Company Shares has been
or is likely to be materially affected (regardless of whether such rumor,
publication or event necessitates a supplement to or amendment of the
Prospectus), the Company will, after written notice from you advising the
Company to the effect set forth above, forthwith prepare, consult with you
concerning the substance of and disseminate a press release or other public
statement, reasonably satisfactory to you, responding to or commenting on such
rumor, publication or event.
(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the
sale of the Shares sold by it in the manner described under the caption "Use of
Proceeds" in the Prospectus.
(i) Transfer Agent. The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense,
a registrar and transfer agent for the Company Shares.
(j) Earnings Statement. As soon as practicable, the Company will make
generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives an
earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering the twelve-month period
ending September 30, 2000 that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the
Securities Act.
(k) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period
the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the New York
Stock Exchange all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange
Act.
(l) Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Securities. The Company will
not, without the prior written consent of BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.,
for a period of 90 days following the date of the Prospectus ("Lock-Up Period"),
offer, sell or contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of or enter into any
transaction which is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the
disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due
to cash settlement or otherwise by the Company or any affiliate of the Company
or any person in privity with the Company or any affiliate of the Company)
directly or indirectly, or announce the offering of, any other Common Stock or
any securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, Common Stock; provided,
however, that the Company may (i) issue Common Stock upon the exercise of
existing options and warrants outstanding at the date of the Prospectus and
described in the Prospectus and (ii) grant options to purchase Common Stock
under existing stock option and incentive plans described in the Prospectus,
provided that, with respect to executive officers, such options do not vest
prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period.
15
(m) Future Reports to the Representatives. During the period of five years
hereafter the Company will furnish to the Representatives (i) as soon as
practicable after the end of each fiscal year, copies of the Annual Report of
the Company containing the balance sheet of the Company as of the close of such
fiscal year and statements of income, shareholders' equity and cash flows for
the year then ended and the opinion thereon of the Company's independent public
or certified public accountants; (ii) as soon as practicable after the filing
thereof, copies of each proxy statement, Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other report filed by the
Company with the Commission, the National Association of Securities Dealers, LLC
or any securities exchange; and (iii) as soon as available, copies of any report
or communication of the Company mailed generally to holders of its capital
stock.
(n) Exchange Act Compliance. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the
Company will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission
pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15 of the Exchange Act in the manner and within
the time periods required by the Exchange Act.
Section 4. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The
obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Shares as
provided herein on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Option
Shares, the Second Closing Date, shall be subject to the accuracy of the
representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 1
hereof as of the date hereof and as of the First Closing Date as though then
made and, with respect to the Option Shares, as of the Second Closing Date as
though then made, to the timely performance by the Company of its covenants and
other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:
(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection
from the National Association of Securities Dealers, LLC The Registration
Statement shall have become effective prior to the execution of this Agreement,
or at such later date as shall be consented to in writing by you; and no stop
order suspending the effectiveness thereof shall have been issued and no
proceedings for that purpose shall have been initiated or, to the knowledge of
the Company or any Underwriter, threatened by the Commission, and any request of
the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus or any Incorporated Document or otherwise) shall
have been complied with to the satisfaction of Underwriters' Counsel; and the
National Association of Securities Dealers, LLC shall have raised no objection
to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
(b) Corporate Proceedings. All corporate proceedings and other legal
matters in connection with this Agreement, the form of Registration Statement
and the Prospectus, and the registration, authorization, issue, sale and
delivery of the Shares, shall have been reasonably satisfactory to Underwriters'
Counsel, and such counsel shall have been furnished with such papers and
information as they may reasonably have requested to enable them to pass upon
the matters referred to in this Section.
16
(c) No Material Adverse Change or Ratings Agency Change. Subsequent to the
execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the First Closing Date, or
the Second Closing Date, as the case may be,
(1) there shall not have been any Material Adverse Change in the condition
(financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business or business
prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise
from that set forth in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, which, in
your sole judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in your sole
judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering
of the Shares as contemplated by the Prospectus; and
(2) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice
have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review
for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible
change, in the rating accorded any of the Company's securities by any
"nationally recognized statistical rating organization," as such term is
defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act.
(d) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. You shall have received on the
First Closing Date, or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, (i) an
opinion of Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Esq., in-house counsel for the Company substantially
in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto, and (ii) an opinion of Jenkens and
Xxxxxxxxx, counsel for the Company substantially in the form of Exhibit C
attached hereto, both dated the First Closing Date, or the Second Closing Date,
as the case may be, addressed to the Underwriters and with reproduced copies or
signed counterparts thereof for each of the Underwriters.
Counsel rendering the opinions contained in Exhibit B and Exhibit C
may rely as to questions of law not involving the laws of the United States or
the State of Texas upon opinions of local counsel, and as to questions of fact
upon representations or certificates of officers of the Company and of
government officials, in which case their opinion is to state that they are so
relying and that they have no knowledge of any material misstatement or
inaccuracy in any such opinion, representation or certificate. Copies of any
opinion, representation or certificate so relied upon shall be delivered to you,
as Representatives of the Underwriters, and to Underwriters' Counsel.
(e) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. You shall have received on
the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, an
opinion of Sidley & Austin, substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto. The
Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they may have
requested for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(f) Accountants' Comfort Letter. You shall have received on the First
Closing Date and on the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, a letter from
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP addressed to the Underwriters, dated the First
Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, confirming that
they are independent certified public accountants with respect to the
17
Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the applicable published
Rules and Regulations and based upon the procedures described in such letter
delivered to you concurrently with the execution of this Agreement (herein
called the "Original Letter"), but carried out to a date not more than four (4)
business days prior to the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the
case may be, (i) confirming, to the extent true, that the statements and
conclusions set forth in the Original Letter are accurate as of the First
Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, and (ii) setting
forth any revisions and additions to the statements and conclusions set forth in
the Original Letter which are necessary to reflect any changes in the facts
described in the Original Letter since the date of such letter, or to reflect
the availability of more recent financial statements, data or information. The
letter shall not disclose any change in the condition (financial or otherwise),
earnings, operations, business or business prospects of the Company and its
subsidiaries considered as one enterprise from that set forth in the
Registration Statement or Prospectus, which, in your sole judgment, is material
and adverse and that makes it, in your sole judgment, impracticable or
inadvisable to proceed with the public offering of the Shares as contemplated by
the Prospectus. The Original Letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP shall be
addressed to or for the use of the Underwriters in form and substance
satisfactory to the Underwriters and shall (i) represent, to the extent true,
that they are independent certified public accountants with respect to the
Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the applicable published
Rules and Regulations, (ii) set forth their opinion with respect to their
examination of the consolidated balance sheet of the Company as of June 30, 1998
and June 30, 1997, and related consolidated statements of income, shareholders'
equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended June 30,
1998, (iii) state that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has performed the procedures
specified by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for a review
of interim financial information as described in Statement on Auditing Standards
No. 71 ("SAS 71"), Interim Financial Information, on the unaudited consolidated
balance sheet as of March 31, 1999, and the unaudited consolidated statements of
income and comprehensive income and of cash flows for the nine-month periods
ended March 31, 1998 and March 31, 1999 included in the Registration Statement,
(iv) state that in the course of such review, nothing came to their attention
that leads them to believe that any material modifications need to be made to
any of the matters referred to in (iii) in order for them to be in compliance
with generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied across the
periods presented, and address other matters agreed upon by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and you. In addition, you shall have received from
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a letter addressed to the Company and made available
to you for the use of the Underwriters stating that their review of the
Company's system of internal accounting controls, to the extent they deemed
necessary in establishing the scope of their examination of the Company's
consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 1998, did not disclose any
weaknesses in internal controls that they considered to be material weaknesses.
(g) Officers' Certificate. You shall have received on the First Closing
Date and the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate of the
Company, dated the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case
may be, signed by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the
Company, to the effect that, and you shall be satisfied that:
18
(1) The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement
are true and correct, as if made on and as of the First Closing Date or the
Second Closing Date, as the case may be, and the Company has complied with
all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be
performed or satisfied at or prior to the First Closing Date or the Second
Closing Date, as the case may be;
(2) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been
instituted or are pending or threatened under the Securities Act;
(3) When the Registration Statement became effective and at all times
subsequent thereto up to the delivery of such certificate, the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto and
the Incorporated Documents, when such Incorporated Documents became
effective or were filed with the Commission, contained all material
information required to be included therein by the Securities Act or the
Exchange Act, as the case may be, and in all material respects conformed to
the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as the case may
be, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and any amendments or
supplements thereto, did not and does not include any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and,
since the effective date of the Registration Statement, there has occurred
no event required to be set forth in an amended or supplemented Prospectus
which has not been so set forth; and
(4) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in
the Registration Statement and Prospectus, there has not been (a) any
material adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise),
earnings, operations, business or business prospects of the Company and its
subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, (b) any transaction that is
material to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise,
except transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business, (c)
any obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and
its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, incurred by the Company or
its subsidiaries, except obligations incurred in the ordinary course of
business, (d) any change in the capital stock of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries
considered as one enterprise, (e) any borrowings other than in the ordinary
course of business pursuant to existing warehouse lines of credit or
revloving credit facility, (f) any dividend or distribution of any kind
declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, or (g) any loss or damage (whether or not insured) to the
property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries which has been sustained
or will have been sustained which has a material adverse effect on the
condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business or
business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise.
19
(h) Lock-up Agreement from Certain Shareholders of the Company. The
Company shall have obtained and delivered to you an agreement substantially in
the form of Exhibit A attached hereto from each executive officer and director
of the Company.
(i) Stock Exchange Listing. The Shares shall have been approved for
listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject only to official notice of
issuance.
(j) Compliance with Prospectus Delivery Requirements. The Company shall
have complied with the provisions of Sections 2(g) and 3(e) hereof with respect
to the furnishing of Prospectuses.
(k) Additional Documents. On or before each of the First Closing Date and
the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the Representatives and counsel for
the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and opinions as
they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the
issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence
the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction
of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.
If any condition specified in this Section 4 is not satisfied when and
as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the
Representatives by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the First
Closing Date and, with respect to the Option Shares, at any time prior to the
Second Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of
any party to any other party, except that Section 5 (Payment of Expenses),
Section 6 (Reimbursement of Underwriters' Expenses), Section 7 (Indemnification
and Contribution) and Section 10 (Representations and Indemnities to Survive
Delivery) shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
Section 5. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees
and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations
hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including
without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the
Common Shares (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all fees and
expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Common Shares, (iii) all
necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance
and sale of the Shares to the Underwriters, (iv) all fees and expenses of the
Company's counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other
advisors, (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the
preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration
Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and
certificates of experts), each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, and
all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (vi) all filing
fees, attorneys' fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters
in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the
qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Shares for offer and
sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the provincial securities
laws of Canada or any other country, and, if requested by the
20
Representatives, preparing and printing a "Blue Sky Survey", an "International
Blue Sky Survey" or other memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the
Underwriters of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions, (vii) the
filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the
Underwriters in connection with, the National Association of Securities Dealers,
LLC review and approval of the Underwriters' participation in the offering and
distribution of the Common Shares, (viii) the fees and expenses associated with
listing the Common Shares on the New York Stock Exchange, (ix) all costs and
expenses incident to the preparation and undertaking of "road show" preparations
to be made to prospective investors, and (x) all other fees, costs and expenses
referred to in Item 14 of Part II of the Registration Statement. Except as
provided in this Section 5, Section 6, and Section 7 hereof, the Underwriters
shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their
counsel.
Section 6. Reimbursement of Underwriters' Expenses. If this Agreement is
terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 4, Section 7, Section 8 or
Section 9, or if the sale to the Underwriters of the Shares on the First Closing
Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part
of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision
hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Representatives and the other
Underwriters (or such Underwriters as have terminated this Agreement with
respect to themselves), severally, upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses
that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Representatives and the
Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale
of the Shares, including but not limited to fees and disbursements of counsel,
printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.
Section 7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its officers and employees, and
each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability
or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or such controlling person
may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal
or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including
in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written
consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld),
insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect
thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, including any information
deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 434 under the
Securities Act, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading; or (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any
amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom
of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light
21
of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (iii) in
whole or in part upon any inaccuracy in the representations and warranties of
the Company contained herein; or (iv) in whole or in part upon any failure of
the Company to perform its obligations hereunder or under law; or (v) any act or
failure to act or any alleged act or failure to act by any Underwriter in
connection with, or relating in any manner to, the Shares or the offering
contemplated hereby, and which is included as part of or referred to in any
loss, claim, damage, liability or action arising out of or based upon any matter
covered by clause (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above, provided that the Company
shall not be liable under this clause (v) to the extent that a court of
competent jurisdiction shall have determined by a final judgment that such loss,
claim, damage, liability or action resulted directly from any such acts or
failures to act undertaken or omitted to be taken by such Underwriter through
its bad faith or willful misconduct; and to reimburse each Underwriter and each
such controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and
disbursements of counsel chosen by BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.) as such
expenses are reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or such controlling person
in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying
any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however,
that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim,
damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out
of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by the Representatives expressly for use in
the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any
amendment or supplement thereto); and provided, further, that with respect to
any preliminary prospectus, the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not inure to
the benefit of any Underwriter from whom the person asserting any loss, claim,
damage, liability or expense purchased Shares, or any person controlling such
Underwriter, if copies of the Prospectus were timely delivered to the
Underwriter pursuant to Section 2 and a copy of the Prospectus (as then amended
or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or
supplements thereto) was not sent or given by or on behalf of such Underwriter
to such person, if required by law so to have been delivered, at or prior to the
written confirmation of the sale of the Shares to such person, and if the
Prospectus (as so amended or supplemented) would have cured the defect giving
rise to such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense. The indemnity agreement
set forth in this Section 7(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the
Company may otherwise have.
(b) Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers. Each
Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless
the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the
Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within
the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim,
damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company, or any such
director, officer, or controlling person may become subject, under the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or
regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any
litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such
Underwriter), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or
actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon
any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any
amendment or
22
supplement thereto), or arises out of or is based upon the omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the
extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration
Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus (or any amendment or
supplement thereto), in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company by the Representatives expressly for use therein; and
to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person
for any legal and other expense reasonably incurred by the Company, or any such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating,
defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage,
liability, expense or action. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section
7(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Underwriter may otherwise
have.
(c) Information Provided by the Underwriters. The Company hereby
acknowledges that the only information that the Underwriters have furnished to
the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary
prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are the
statements set forth in the table in the first paragraph and the second
paragraph under the caption "Underwriting" in the Prospectus; and the
Underwriters confirm that such statements are correct.
(d) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after
receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 7 of notice of the
commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect
thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 7, notify
the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission
so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which
it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than under
the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 7 or to the extent it is not
prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure. In case any such action is
brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or
intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party
will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect,
jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written
notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid
notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel
reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, if the
defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the
indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded
that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and
the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there
may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are
different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the
indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to
assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such
action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice
from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying
party's election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the
indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such
indemnified party under this Section 7 for any legal or other expenses
subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense
thereof unless (i) the indemnified
23
party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the
next preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying
party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel
(together with local counsel), approved by the indemnifying party (BancBoston
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc. in the case of Section 7(b) and Section 8), representing
the indemnified parties who are parties to such action), (ii) the indemnifying
party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to
represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of
commencement of the action, or (iii) the indemnifying party has authorized the
employment of counsel for the indemnified party at the expense of the
indemnifying party, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel
shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party.
(e) Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 7 shall not be
liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written
consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, but if settled with
such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying
party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage,
liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding
the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested
an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses
of counsel as contemplated by Section 7(d) hereof, the indemnifying party agrees
that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without
its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days
after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such
indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance
with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party
shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any
settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or
threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party
is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought
hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or
consent includes (i) an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all
liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or
proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault,
culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(f) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is
unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under
Section 7(a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) then each
indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by
such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters
on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation
provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable
law then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable
by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not
only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the
one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or
omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, (or
actions or proceedings in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant
equitable considerations. The relative benefits
24
received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other shall
be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the
offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bears 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. The relative
fault 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
on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties' relative
intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent
such statement or omission.
The Company and Underwriters agree that it would not be just and
equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 7(f) were determined by pro
rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such
purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the
equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7(f). The amount
paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred
to above in this Section 7(f) shall be deemed to include 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 subsection (f), (i) no Underwriter shall be required to
contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions
applicable to the Shares purchased by such Underwriter and (ii) no person guilty
of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the
Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not
guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters' obligations in
this Section 7(f) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective
underwriting obligations and not joint.
(g) Timing of Any Payments of Indemnification. Any losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses for which an indemnified party is entitled to
indemnification or contribution under this Section 7 shall be paid by the
indemnifying party to the indemnified party as such losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or expenses are incurred, but in all cases, no later than thirty
(30) days of invoice to the indemnifying party.
(h) Survival. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this
Section 7 and the representation and warranties of the Company 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, its directors or officers or any
persons controlling the Company, (ii) acceptance of any Shares and payment
therefor hereunder, and (iii) any termination of this Agreement. A successor to
any Underwriter, or to the Company, its directors or officers, or any person
controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity,
contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Section 7.
(i) Acknowledgments of Parties. The parties to this Agreement hereby
acknowledge that they are sophisticated business persons who were represented by
counsel during the negotiations regarding the provisions hereof including,
without limitation, the provisions of this Section 7, and
25
are fully informed regarding said provisions. They further acknowledge that the
provisions of this Section 7 fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability
of the parties to investigate the Company and its business in order to assure
that adequate disclosure is made in the Registration Statement and Prospectus as
required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
Section 8. Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters. If, on the
First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or
more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares that it
or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number
of Common Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but
failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate number of the
Shares to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated,
severally, in the proportions that the number of Firm Common Shares set forth
opposite their respective names on Schedule A bears to the aggregate number of
Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting
Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the
Representatives with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase
the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed
or refused to purchase on such date. If, on the First Closing Date or the Second
Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail
or refuse to purchase Shares and the aggregate number of Shares with respect to
which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Shares to be
purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and
the Company for the purchase of such Shares are not made within 48 hours after
such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to
any other party except that the provisions of Section 4, and Section 7 shall at
all times be effective and shall survive such termination. In any such case
either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the
First Closing Date or the Second 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.
As used in this Agreement, the term "Underwriter" shall be deemed to
include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section
8. Any action taken under this Section 8 shall not relieve any defaulting
Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under
this Agreement.
Section 9. Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the First Closing
Date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice given to
the Company if at any time (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company's
securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the New
York Stock Exchange, or trading in securities generally on either the Nasdaq
Stock Market or the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or
limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on
any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or the National Association of
Securities Dealers, LLC; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been
declared by any of federal, New York, Delaware, Texas or California
26
authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of
national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change
in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial
change or development involving a prospective change in United States' or
international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of
the Representatives is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or
inadvisable to market the Common Shares in the manner and on the terms described
in the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in
the judgment of the Representatives there shall have occurred any Material
Adverse Change; or (v) the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire,
flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as in the
judgment of the Representatives may interfere materially with the conduct of the
business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss
shall have been insured. Any termination pursuant to this Section 9 shall be
without liability on the part of (a) the Company to any Underwriter, except that
the Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representatives
and the Underwriters pursuant to Sections 5 and 6 hereof, (b) any Underwriter to
the Company, or (c) of any party hereto to any other party except that the
provisions of Section 7 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such
termination.
Section 10. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The
respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other
statements of the Company, of its officers and of the several Underwriters set
forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and
effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter
or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any
controlling person and will survive delivery of and payment for the Shares sold
hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.
Section 11. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and
shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties
hereto as follows:
If to the Representatives:
BANCBOSTON XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX INC.
000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Attention: General Counsel
and
27
XXXXXXX XXXXX BARNEY INC.
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile: (212) [______]
Attention: General Counsel
and
U.S. BANCORP XXXXX XXXXXXX INC.
000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile: (612) [_______]
Attention: General Counsel
If to the Company:
AMERICREDIT
000 Xxxxxx Xx., Xxxxx 0000
Xxxx Xxxxx Xxxxx, 00000
Facsimile: 000-000-0000
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
with copy to:
Jenkens & Xxxxxxxxx
0000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving
written notice to the others.
Section 12. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and
be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters
pursuant to Section 9 hereof, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and
directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 7, and to their
respective successors and no other person will have any right or obligation
hereunder. The term "successors" shall not include any purchaser of the Shares
as such from any of the Underwriters merely by reason of such purchase.
28
Section 13. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability
of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the
validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof.
If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason
determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such
minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid
and enforceable.
Section 14. Governing Law Provisions.
(a) Governing Law. This agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the internal laws of the state of New York applicable to
agreements made and to be performed in such state.
(b) Consent to Jurisdiction. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising
out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby
("Related Proceedings") may be instituted in the federal courts of the United
States of America located in the County of New York or the courts of the State
of New York in each case located in the County of New York (collectively, the
"Specified Courts"), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive
jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of
a judgment of any such court (a "Related Judgment"), as to which such
jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or
proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such
party's address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any
suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties
irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of
any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and
unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any
such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought
in an inconvenient forum. Each party not located in the United States
irrevocably appoints CT Corporation System, which currently maintains a San
Francisco office at 0000 Xxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Xxxxxx Xxxxxx of
America, as its agent to receive service of process or other legal summons for
purposes of any such suit, action or proceeding that may be instituted in any
state or federal court in the County of New York.
(c) Waiver of Immunity. With respect to any Related Proceeding, each party
irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all
immunity (whether on the basis of sovereignty or otherwise) from jurisdiction,
service of process, attachment (both before and after judgment) and execution to
which it might otherwise be entitled in the Specified Courts, and with respect
to any Related Judgment, each party waives any such immunity in the Specified
Courts or any other court of competent jurisdiction, and will not raise or claim
or cause to be pleaded any such immunity at or in respect of any such Related
Proceeding or Related Judgment, including, without limitation, any immunity
pursuant to the United States Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, as
amended.
29
Section 15. General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire
agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or
oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations
with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in
two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same
effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the
parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived
unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit.
The Table of Contents and the Section headings herein are for the convenience of
the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this
Agreement.
30
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement,
please sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this
instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement
in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
AMERICREDIT CORP.
By:
--------------------------
[Title]
[The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank.]
31
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by
the Representatives as of the date first above written.
BANCBOSTON XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX INC.
XXXXXXX XXXXX XXXXXX INC.
U.S. BANCORP XXXXX XXXXXXX INC.
On their behalf and on behalf of each of the several underwriters named in
Schedule A hereto.
By BANCBOSTON XXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX INC.
By:
----------------------------
Authorized Signatory
32
SCHEDULE A
Number of
Firm Common
Shares
Underwriters
To be Purchased
BANCBOSTON XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX INC....... [___]
XXXXXXX XXXXX BARNEY INC................ [___]
U.S. BANCORP XXXXX XXXXXXX INC.......... [___]
Total.............................. 8,000,000
S-A
Exhibit A
Lock-Up Agreement
BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx Inc.
U.S. Bancorp Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Inc.
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc.
000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxx Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
RE: AmeriCredit (the "Company")
Ladies & Gentlemen:
The undersigned is an owner of record or beneficially of certain shares of
Common Stock of the Company ("Common Stock") or securities convertible into or
exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock. The Company proposes to carry out
a public offering of Common Stock (the "Offering") for which you will act as the
representatives (the "Representatives") of the underwriters. The undersigned
recognizes that the Offering will be of benefit to the undersigned and will
benefit the Company by, among other things, raising additional capital for its
operations. The undersigned acknowledges that you and the other underwriters
are relying on the representations and agreements of the undersigned contained
in this letter in carrying out the Offering and in entering into underwriting
arrangements with the Company with respect to the Offering.
In consideration of the foregoing, the undersigned hereby agrees that the
undersigned will not offer to sell, contract to sell, or otherwise sell, dispose
of, loan, pledge or grant any rights with respect to (collectively, a
"Disposition") any shares of Common Stock, any options or warrants to purchase
any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable
for shares of Common Stock (collectively, "Securities") now owned or hereafter
acquired directly by such person or with respect to which such person has or
hereafter acquires the power of disposition, otherwise than (i) as a bona fide
gift or gifts, provided the donee or donees thereof agree in writing to be bound
by this restriction, (ii) as a distribution to partners or shareholders of such
person, provided that the distributees thereof agree in writing to be bound by
the terms of this restriction, (iii) with respect to dispositions of Common
Shares acquired on the open market or (iv) with the prior written consent of
BancBoston Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Inc., for a period commencing on the date hereof
and continuing to a date 90 days after the Registration Statement is declared
effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Lock-up Period"). The
foregoing restriction has been expressly agreed to preclude the holder of the
Securities from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed
to or reasonably expected to lead to or result in a Disposition of
A-1
Securities during the Lock-up Period, even if such Securities would be disposed
of by someone other than such holder. Such prohibited hedging or other
transactions would include, without limitation, any short sale (whether or not
against the box) or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including, without
limitation, any put or call option) with respect to any Securities or with
respect to any security (other than a broad-based market basket or index) that
included, relates to or derives any significant part of its value from
Securities. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop
transfer instructions with the Company's transfer agent and registrar against
the transfer of shares of Common Stock or Securities held by the undersigned
except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
This agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on the undersigned and
the respective successors, heirs, personal representatives, and assigns of the
undersigned.
Dated:
----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
Printed Name of Holder
By:
-------------------------------
Signature
-----------------------------------
Printed Name of Person Signing
(and indicate capacity of person signing if
signing as custodian, trustee, or on behalf
of an entity)
A-2
Exhibit B
Matters to be Covered in the Opinion of Company's In-house Counsel
(i) The Company and each Significant Subsidiary is duly qualified to
do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each
jurisdiction, if any, in which the ownership or leasing of its properties
or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where
the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a
Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) The Company has the corporate power and authority to enter into
this Agreement and to issue, sell and deliver to the Underwriters the
Shares to be issued and sold by it hereunder.
(iii) The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any
corporation, association or other entity other than (i) special purpose
entities created solely for the purpose of securitization transactions, and
(ii) [list other subsidiaries].
(iv) To such counsel's knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries is presently (a) in material violation of its respective
charter or bylaws, or (b) in material breach of any applicable statute,
rule or regulation known to such counsel or, to such counsel's knowledge,
any order, writ or decree of any court or governmental agency or body
having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or over
any of their properties or operations.
(v) To such counsel's knowledge, the Company owns or possesses
sufficient trademarks, trade names, patent rights, copyrights, licenses,
approvals, trade secrets and other similar rights (collectively,
"Intellectual Property Rights") reasonably necessary to conduct their
business as now conducted; and the expected expiration of any such
Intellectual Property Rights would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
The Company has not received any notice of infringement or conflict with
asserted Intellectual Property Rights of others, which infringement or
conflict, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, would result in a
Material Adverse Effect. To such counsel's knowledge, the Company's
discoveries, inventions, products, or processes referred to in the
Registration Statement or Prospectus do not infringe or conflict with any
right or patent which is the subject of a patent application known to the
Company.
B-1
Exhibit C
Matters to be Covered in the Opinion of Company Counsel
(i) The Company and each Significant Subsidiary (as that term is
defined in Regulation S-X of the Securities Act) has been duly incorporated
and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of
the jurisdiction of its incorporation;
(ii) The Company and each Significant Subsidiary has the corporate
power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct
its business as described in the Prospectus;
(iii) The authorized capital stock of the Company is as set forth in
the Prospectus under the caption "Capitalization" as of the dates stated
therein, the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company
have been duly and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable,
and, to such counsel's knowledge, have not been issued in violation of or
subject to any preemptive right, co-sale right, registration right, right
of first refusal or other similar right;
(iv) All issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each
Significant Subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly
issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, to such counsel's
knowledge, have not been issued in violation of or subject to any
preemptive right, co-sale right, registration right, right of first refusal
or other similar right and are owned of record by the Company free and
clear of any pledge, lien, security interest, encumbrance, claim or
equitable interest except the pledge of stock of AFS Funding Corp. to
Financial Security Assurance disclosed in the Prospectus;
(v) The Firm Shares and the Option Shares, as the case may be, to be
issued by the Company pursuant to the terms of this Agreement have been
duly authorized and, upon issuance and delivery against payment therefor in
accordance with the terms hereof, will be duly and validly issued and fully
paid and nonassessable, and will not have been issued in violation of or
subject to any preemptive right, co-sale right, registration right, right
of first refusal or other similar right;
(vi) This Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary
corporate action on the part of the Company and has been duly executed and
delivered by the Company;
(vii) The Registration Statement has become effective under the
Securities Act and, to such counsel's knowledge, no stop order suspending
the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no
proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or
threatened under the Securities Act;
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(viii) The Firm Shares or the Option Shares have been validly registered
under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act;
(ix) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and each amendment
or supplement thereto (other than the financial statements and financial
data and other statistical data derived therefrom as to which such counsel
need express no opinion), as of the effective date of the Registration
Statement, complied as to form in all material respects with the
requirements of the Securities Act; and each of the Incorporated Documents
(other than the financial statements and financial data and other
statistical data derived therefrom as to which such counsel need express no
opinion) complied when filed pursuant to the Exchange Act as to form in all
material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the
Exchange Act;
(x) The information in the Incorporated Documents under the caption
"Description of Capital Stock", to the extent that it constitutes matters
of law or legal conclusions, has been reviewed by such counsel and is a
fair summary of such matters and conclusions; and the forms of certificates
evidencing the Common Stock and filed as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement complies with Texas law;
(xi) The description in the Incorporated Documents of the charter and
bylaws of the Company and of statutes are accurate and fairly present the
information required to be presented by the Securities Act;
(xii) To such counsel's knowledge, there are no agreements, contracts,
leases or documents to which the Company is a party of a character required
to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement or Prospectus
or any Incorporated Document or to be filed as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement or any Incorporated Document which are not described
or referred to therein or filed as required;
(xiii) No consent, approval, authorization or order of or qualification
with any court, government or governmental agency or body having
jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or over any of
their properties or operations is necessary in connection with the
consummation by the Company of the transactions herein contemplated, except
(i) such as have been obtained under the Securities Act, (ii) such as may
be required under state or other securities or Blue Sky laws in connection
with the purchase and the distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters,
(iii) such as may be required by the National Association of Securities
Dealers, LLC and (iv) such as may be required under foreign law;
(xiv) The performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions herein contemplated (other than performance of the Company's
indemnification obligations hereunder, concerning which no opinion need be
expressed) will not (a) result in any violation of the Company's charter or
bylaws or (b) to such counsel's knowledge, result in a material breach or
violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default
C-2
under, any bond, debenture, note or other evidence of indebtedness, or any
lease, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, joint
venture or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which the
Company is a party or by which its properties are bound, or any applicable
statute, rule or regulation known to such counsel or, to such counsel's
knowledge, any order, writ or decree of any court, government or
governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of
its subsidiaries, or over any of their properties or operations.
(xv) To such counsel's knowledge, there are no legal or governmental
proceedings pending or threatened against the Company or any of its
subsidiaries of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus or any Incorporated Document by the Securities
Act or by the Exchange Act, other than those described therein;
(xvi) To such counsel's knowledge, except as set forth in the
Registration Statement and Prospectus and any Incorporated Document, no
holders of Company Shares or other securities of the Company have
registration rights with respect to securities of the Company that have not
expired after notice and, except as set forth in the Registration Statement
and Prospectus, all holders of securities of the Company having rights
known to such counsel to registration of such shares of Company Shares or
other securities, because of the filing of the Registration Statement by
the Company have, with respect to the offering contemplated thereby, waived
such rights or such rights have expired by reason of lapse of time
following notification of the Company's intent to file the Registration
Statement; and
(xvii) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and
the sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as
described in the Prospectus, will not be, an "investment company" as such
term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
In addition, such counsel shall state that such counsel has participated in
conferences with officials and other representatives of the Company, the
Representatives, Underwriters' Counsel and the independent certified public
accountants of the Company, at which such conferences the contents of the
Registration Statement and Prospectus and related matters were discussed, and
although they have not verified the accuracy or completeness of the statements
contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, nothing has come to
the attention of such counsel which leads them to believe that, at the time the
Registration Statement became effective and at all times subsequent thereto up
to and on the First Closing Date or Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the
Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto and any
Incorporated Document, when such documents became effective or were filed with
the Commission (other than the financial statements, schedules and other
financial information and statistical data derived therefrom as to which such
counsel need express no comment) contained any untrue statement of a material
fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or at the First Closing
Date or the Second Closing Date, as the case may be,
C-3
the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement
thereto and any Incorporated Document (except as aforesaid) contained any untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading. Such counsel shall also state that the conditions for
the use of Form S-3 set forth in the General Instructions thereto have been
satisfied.
C-4
Exhibit D
Matters to be Covered in the Opinion of Underwriters' Counsel
(i) The Shares have been duly authorized and, upon issuance and
delivery and payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the
Underwriting Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-
assessable.
(ii) The Registration Statement complied as to form in all material
respects with the requirements of the Act; the Registration Statement has
become effective under the Act and, to such counsel's knowledge, no stop
order proceedings with respect thereto have been instituted or threatened
or are pending under the Act.
(iii) The Firm Shares or the Option Shares have been validly registered
under the Securities Act.
(iv) The Underwriting Agreement, assuming due authorization, execution
and delivery by the Company, is a valid and binding agreement of the
Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms,
except as to rights of indemnification or contribution thereunder may be
limited by applicable law and except as enforceability thereof may be
limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar
laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally or by general
equitable principles.
Such counsel shall state that such counsel has reviewed the opinions
addressed to the Representatives from [list each set of counsel that has
provided an opinion], each dated the date hereof, and furnished to you in
accordance with the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement. Such opinions
appear on their face to be appropriately responsive to the requirements of the
Underwriting Agreement.
In addition, such counsel shall state that such counsel has participated in
conferences with officials and other representatives of the Company, the
Representatives, Underwriters' Counsel and the independent certified public
accountants of the Company, at which such conferences the contents of the
Registration Statement and Prospectus and related matters were discussed, and
although they have not verified the accuracy or completeness of the statements
contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, nothing has come to
the attention of such counsel which leads them to believe that, at the time the
Registration Statement became effective and at all times subsequent thereto up
to and on the First Closing Date or Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the
Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto and any
Incorporated Document, when such documents became effective or were filed with
the Commission (other than the financial statements as to which such counsel
need express no comment) contained any untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading, or at the First Closing Date or the
Second Closing Date, as the case may be, the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus and any amendment or supplement
D-1
thereto and any Incorporated Document (except as aforesaid) contained any untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading. Such counsel shall also state that the conditions for
the use of Form S-3 set forth in the General Instructions thereto have been
satisfied.
D-2
