1,841,962 Ordinary Shares GRINDROD SHIPPING HOLDINGS LTD. UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
Execution Version
1,841,962 Ordinary Shares
XXXXXXXX SHIPPING HOLDINGS LTD.
September 22, 2021
XXXXXXXXX LLC
As Representative of the several Underwriters
c/o JEFFERIES LLC
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Introductory. The shareholders of Xxxxxxxx Shipping Holdings Ltd., a public company incorporated in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Singapore (the “Company”), named in Schedule B (collectively, the “Selling Shareholders”) severally propose to sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A (the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of 1,841,962 shares of its ordinary shares, no par value (the “Shares”). The 1,841,962 Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholders are collectively called the “Offered Shares.” Xxxxxxxxx LLC (“Jefferies”) has agreed to act as representative of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representative”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares. To the extent there are no additional underwriters listed on Schedule A, the term “Representative” as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriter, and the term “Underwriters” shall mean either the singular or the plural, as the context requires.
The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a shelf registration statement on Form F-3, File No. 333-259019, including a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”) to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of the Offered Shares. Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in the form in which it became effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), including all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein and any information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A or 430B under the Securities Act, is called the “Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares is called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and from and after the date and time of filing of any such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The preliminary prospectus supplement dated September 22, 2021 describing the Offered Shares and the offering thereof (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”), together with the Base Prospectus, is called the “Preliminary Prospectus,” and the Preliminary Prospectus and any other prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus in preliminary form that describes the Offered Shares and the offering thereof and is used prior to the filing of the Prospectus (as defined below), together with the Base Prospectus, is called a “preliminary prospectus.” As used herein, the term “Prospectus” shall mean the final prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus that describes the Offered Shares and the offering thereof (the “Final Prospectus Supplement”), together with the Base Prospectus, in the form first used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Offered Shares or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act. References herein to the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus shall refer to both the prospectus supplement and the Base
Prospectus components of such prospectus. As used herein, “Applicable Time” is 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on September 22, 2021. As used herein, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, and “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the Preliminary Prospectus, as amended or supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, and the pricing information, identified in Schedule C hereto. As used herein, “Road Show” means a “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) relating to the offering of the Offered Shares contemplated hereby that is a “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act). As used herein, “Section 5(d) Written Communication” means each written communication (within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that is made in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act by the Company or any person authorized to act on behalf of the Company to one or more potential investors that are qualified institutional buyers (“QIBs”) and/or institutions that are accredited investors (“IAIs”), as such terms are respectively defined in Rule 144A and Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act, to determine whether such investors might have an interest in the offering of the Offered Shares; “Section 5(d) Oral Communication” means each oral communication, if any, made in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act by the Company or any person authorized to act on behalf of the Company made to one or more QIBs and/or one or more IAIs to determine whether such investors might have an interest in the offering of the Offered Shares; “Marketing Materials” means any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Offered Shares, including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically); and “Permitted Section 5(d) Communication” means the Section 5(d) Written Communication(s) and Marketing Materials listed on Schedule D attached hereto.
All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus shall include the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which are “contained,” “included” or “stated” in, or “part of” the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus 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, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be. All references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) that is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, or the Prospectus, as the case may be. All references in this Agreement to (i) the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus, any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, or any free writing prospectus, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“XXXXX”) and (ii) the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any “electronic Prospectus” provided for use in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares as contemplated by Section 3.[A(n) of this Agreement.
In the event that the Company has only one subsidiary, then all references herein to “subsidiaries” of the Company shall be deemed to refer to such single subsidiary, mutatis mutandis.
The Company and each of the Selling Shareholders severally hereby confirm their respective agreements with the Underwriters as follows:
2
Section 1. Representations and Warranties of the Company and Selling Shareholders.
A. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter, as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), if any, as follows:
(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act. The Company has complied, to the Commission’s satisfaction, with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information, if any. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission. At the time the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 (the “Annual Report”) was filed with the Commission, or, if later, at the time the Registration Statement was originally filed with the Commission, the Company met the then-applicable requirements for use of Form F-3 under the Securities Act. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form F-3 under the Securities Act specified in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (“FINRA”) Conduct Rule 5110(h)(1)(C). The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, or became effective under the Exchange Act, as the case may be, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act.
(b) Disclosure. 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, was identical (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T under the Securities Act) to the copy thereof delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became or becomes effective, 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. As of the Applicable Time, the Time of Sale Prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus wrapper) did not, and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 2), will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Prospectus (including any Prospectus wrapper), as of its date, did not, and at the Closing Date, 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 three immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with (i) written information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Representative expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information described in Section 9(c) below and (ii) any Selling Shareholder Information (as defined below). There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required. All required related party transaction disclosures have been made, including any related party transactions required to be disclosed under Item 404 of Regulation S-K.
3
(c) Free Writing Prospectuses; Road Show. As of the determination date referenced in Rule 164(h) under the Securities Act, the Company was not, is not or will not be (as applicable) an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act, including timely filing with the Commission, retention and legending, as applicable, and each such free writing prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Shares did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus unless such information has been superseded or modified as of such time. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule C, and electronic road shows, if any, furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior written consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus. Each Road Show, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, did not, as of the Applicable Time, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(d) Distribution of Offering Material by the Company. Prior to the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Offered Shares, the Company has not distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares other than the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or any free writing prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representative, the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified on Schedule C hereto and any Permitted Section 5(d) Communications.
(e) The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(f) [Reserved].
(g) 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 Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, other than the Selling Shareholders with respect to the Offered Shares included in the Registration Statement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.
(h) No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus: (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any development that could be expected to result in a material adverse change, in (A) the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, properties, operations, operating results, assets, liabilities or prospects, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity or (B) the ability of the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or to perform its obligations hereunder (any such change being referred to herein as a “Material Adverse Change”); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, including without limitation any losses or interference with their business from fire, explosion, flood, earthquakes, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any strike, labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, that are material, individually or in the aggregate, to the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, and have not entered into any transactions not in the ordinary course of business; and (iii) there has not been any material decrease in the capital stock or any material increase in any short-term or long-term indebtedness of the Company or its subsidiaries and, other than ordinary and customary dividends, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared before or at the Closing Date, paid or made by the Company or, except for dividends paid to the Company or other subsidiaries, by any of the Company’s subsidiaries on any class of capital stock, or any repurchase or redemption by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any class of capital stock.
4
(i) Independent Accountants. Deloitte & Touche LLP, which has expressed its opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) and supporting schedules filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”).
(j) Financial Statements. The financial statements filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the periods specified. The supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein. Such financial statements and supporting schedules have been prepared in conformity with the International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (the “IASB”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus. The financial data set forth in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, including financial data incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, fairly present the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and any free writing prospectus that constitute non-GAAP financial measures (as defined by the rules and regulations under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act) comply with Regulation G under the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, as applicable. To the Company’s knowledge, no person who has been suspended or barred from being associated with a registered public accounting firm, or who has failed to comply with any sanction pursuant to Rule 5300 promulgated by the PCAOB, has participated in or otherwise aided the preparation of, or audited, the financial statements, supporting schedules or other financial data filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(k) Company’s Accounting System. The Company and each of its subsidiaries make and keep accurate books and records and maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance 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 IFRS 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.
5
(l) Disclosure Controls and Procedures; Deficiencies in or Changes to Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act), which (i) are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer by others within those entities, particularly during the periods in which the periodic reports required under the Exchange Act are being prepared; (ii) have been evaluated by management of the Company for effectiveness as of the end of the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter; and (iii) are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, the Company is not aware of any significant deficiencies or material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, in each case, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company is not aware of any change in its internal control over financial reporting that has occurred during its most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
(m) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the Republic of Singapore (its jurisdiction of its incorporation) and has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Company is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Change.
(n) Subsidiaries. Each of the subsidiaries listed on Schedule E hereto (the “subsidiaries”) are the only subsidiaries which are currently material to the business and operations of the Company. Each subsidiary has been duly incorporated or organized, as the case may be, and is validly existing as a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, in good standing (to the extent the concept of good standing is applicable in such jurisdiction) under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has the corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. Each of the Company’s subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, to transact business and is in good standing (to the extent the concept of good standing is applicable in such jurisdiction) in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except to the extent that the failure to be qualified or be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Change. All of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity or ownership interests of each of the Company’s subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or adverse claim, except for such security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or adverse claim as are described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. None of the outstanding capital stock or equity interest in any subsidiary was issued in violation of preemptive or similar rights of any security holder of such subsidiary. To the Company’s knowledge, the constitutive or organizational documents of each of the subsidiaries comply in all material respects with the requirements of applicable laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization and are in full force and effect.
(o) Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization” (other than for subsequent issuances or adjustments, if any, pursuant to employee benefit plans, or upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants, in each case described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus). The Shares (including the Offered Shares) conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the
6
Time of Sale Prospectus. All of the issued and outstanding Shares (including the Shares owned by Selling Shareholders) have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws. None of the outstanding Shares was 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 described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. The descriptions 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 Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus 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(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and are listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (the “NASDAQ”) and listed on the Main Board of the JSE Limited (the “JSE”) and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Shares under the Exchange Act or delisting the Shares from the NASDAQ or the JSE, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the NASDAQ or the JSE is contemplating terminating such registration or listing. To the Company’s knowledge, it is in compliance with all applicable listing requirements of NASDAQ and the JSE.
(q) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws, partnership agreement or operating agreement or similar organizational documents, as applicable, or is in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) (“Default”) under any indenture, loan, credit agreement, note, lease, license agreement, contract, franchise or other instrument (including, without limitation, any pledge agreement, security agreement, mortgage or other instrument or agreement evidencing, guaranteeing, securing or relating to indebtedness) to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of their respective properties or assets are subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”), except for such Defaults as could not be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change. The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of its obligations under this Agreement (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws, partnership agreement or operating agreement or similar organizational documents, as applicable, of the Company or any subsidiary (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or Default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument, except as could not be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change and (iii) will not result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency, is required for the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, except such as have been obtained or made by the Company and are in full force and effect under the Securities Act and such as may be required under applicable state securities or blue sky laws or FINRA. As used herein, a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition which gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
7
(r) Compliance with Laws. To the Company’s knowledge, the Company and its subsidiaries have been and are in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, except where failure to be so in compliance could not be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(s) No Material Actions or Proceedings. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, and the Prospectus, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation brought by or before any legal or governmental entity now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which could be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change. No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or with the employees of any principal supplier, manufacturer, customer or contractor of the Company, exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened or imminent.
(t) Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, all material inventions, patent applications, patents, trademarks (both registered and unregistered), trade names, service names, copyrights, trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information in connection with or which is necessary for the conduct of, or material to, any of their respective businesses (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”), and the Company is unaware of any claim to the contrary or any challenge by any other person to the rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Intellectual Property; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has infringed or is infringing the intellectual property of a third party, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received notice of a claim by a third party to the contrary.
(u) All Necessary Permits, etc. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits required by applicable state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies to conduct their respective businesses as currently conducted and as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (“Permits”). Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of, or in default under, any of the Permits or has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such certificate, authorization or permit, except where such violation, default, revocation or modification would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(v) Title to Properties. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all of the real and personal property and other assets reflected as owned in the financial statements referred to in Section 1.[A(j) above (or elsewhere in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus) which are material to the Company, in each case free and clear of any security interests, mortgages, liens, encumbrances, equities, adverse claims and other defects except such as (i) are otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (ii) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or (iii) could not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(w) Tax Law Compliance. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all required federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns or have properly requested extensions thereof 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, except where the failure to pay or file (as applicable) would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, and except as may be being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings. The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements, as required by IFRS, referred to in Section 1.[A(j)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.
8
(x) 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 including relating to the Owned Vessels (as defined below). The Company has no reason to believe that it or any of its subsidiaries 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 could not be expected to, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been denied any material insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.
(y) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except as could not be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change: (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries have all applicable permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements; (iii) there are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries which is likely to result in material monetary sanctions; and (iv) to the knowledge of the Company, there are no events or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.
(z) Periodic Review of Costs of Environmental Compliance. In the ordinary course of its business, the Company conducts a periodic review of the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). No facts or circumstances have come to the Company’s attention that could result in costs or liabilities that could be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(aa) ERISA Compliance. The Company and its subsidiaries do not maintain any “employee benefit plan” (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder).
9
(bb) Company Not an “Investment Company.” The Company is not required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).
(cc) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or would reasonably be expected, to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or of any “reference security” (as defined in Rule 100 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act (“Regulation M”) with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and has taken no action which would directly or indirectly violate Regulation M.
(dd) FINRA Matters. All of the information provided to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters by the Company in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares is true, complete, correct and, to the Company’s knowledge, compliant with FINRA rules.
(ee) Parties to Lock-Up Agreements. The Company has furnished to the Underwriters a letter agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D (the “Lock-up Agreement”) from each of the persons listed on Exhibit E. If any additional persons shall become directors or executive officers of the Company prior to the end of the Company Lock-up Period (as defined below), the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause each such person, prior to or contemporaneously with their appointment or election as a director or executive officer of the Company, to execute and deliver to the Representative a Lock-up Agreement.
(ff) Statistical and Market-Related Data. All statistical, demographic and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be reliable and accurate. To the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.
(gg) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. There is, and has been, no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any applicable provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002, as amended and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(hh) 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 Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.
(ii) Anti-Corruption and Anti-Bribery Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any director or officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any agent, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has, in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of, the Company or any of its subsidiaries (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken any act in furtherance of an offer, promise, or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or public international organization, or any political party, party official, or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (the “FCPA”), the UK Xxxxxxx Xxx 0000, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, authorized, requested, or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe, rebate,
10
payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment or benefit. The Company and its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Company’s affiliates have conducted their respective businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
(jj) Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are, and have been conducted at all times, in material compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the anti-money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar applicable rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(kk) Sanctions. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any directors or officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any agent, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company is currently the subject or the target of any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”); nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or the target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria; and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of this offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise knowingly make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, or any joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of or business with any person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of such financing, is the subject or the target of Sanctions or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of applicable Sanctions. For the past five years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.
(ll) Brokers. Except pursuant to this Agreement, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(mm) Forward-Looking Statements. No “forward-looking statement” (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in any of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(nn) No Outstanding Loans or Other Extensions of Credit. The Company does not have any outstanding extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any director or executive officer (or equivalent thereof) of the Company except for such extensions of credit as are expressly permitted by Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act.
11
(oo) Cybersecurity. The Company and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, to the knowledge of the Company, free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable physical, technical and administrative controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data, including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”) used in connection with their businesses. “ There have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.
(pp) Compliance with Data Privacy Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries are, and at all prior times were, in compliance with all applicable data privacy and security laws and regulations, other than such non-compliance that would not result in a Material Adverse Change.
(qq) Vessel Certifications. Each of the vessels owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries is classed by any of Lloyd’s Register, DNV-GL, NKK & RINA and American Bureau of Shipping or other classification society of recognized international standing and each such vessel is in class with valid class and trading certifications.
(rr) Vessel Registration. Each of the vessels owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (each an “Owned Vessel”) has been duly registered as a vessel under the laws and regulations and flag of the applicable jurisdiction in the sole ownership of the Company or such subsidiary (the “Vessel Owner”) and each such Vessel Owner has good and marketable title to the Owned Vessel, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests and claims except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; and each such Owned Vessel is, as of the date hereof, in good standing with respect to the payment of past and current taxes, fees and other amounts payable under the laws of the jurisdiction where it is registered as would affect its registry with the ship registry of such jurisdiction except for failures to be in good standing which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(ss) Emerging Growth Company Status. From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged in any Section 5(d) Written Communication or any Section 5(d) Oral Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).
(tt) Communications. In connection with this offering or the purchase and sale of the Offered Shares, the Company (i) has not alone engaged in communications with potential investors in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act other than Permitted Section 5(d) Communications with the consent of the Representative with entities that are QIBs or IAIs and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representative to engage in such communications; the Company reconfirms that the Representative has been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Marketing Materials, Section 5(d) Oral Communications and Section 5(d) Written Communications; as of the Applicable Time, each Permitted Section 5(d) Communication, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, did not, as of the Applicable Time, include an 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;
12
and each Permitted Section 5(d) Communication, if any, does not, as of the date hereof, conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus; and the Company has filed publicly on XXXXX at least 21 calendar days prior to any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Act), any confidentially submitted registration statement and registration statement amendments relating to the offer and sale of the Offered Shares.
(uu) No Contract Terminations. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any free writing prospectus, or referred to or described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement, or any document incorporated by reference therein, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party to any such contract or agreement, which threat of termination or non-renewal has not been rescinded as of the date hereof, except for any communications which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(vv) No Dividend Restrictions on subsidiaries. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited or restricted, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, or from making any other distribution with respect to such subsidiary’s equity securities or from repaying to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company any amounts that may from time to time become due under any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and delivered to any Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering, or the purchase and sale, of the Offered Shares shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.
The Company has a reasonable basis for making each of the representations set forth in this Section 1(A). The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 6 hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Underwriters, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.
B. Representations and Warranties of the Selling Shareholders. Each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, as follows:
(a) The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Shareholder.
(b) [Reserved].
(c) Title to Offered Shares to be Sold. Such Selling Shareholder has, and on the Closing Date will have, good and valid title to all of the Offered Shares subject to sale by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement on such date and the legal right and power to sell, transfer and deliver all of the Offered Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement on such date.
13
(d) Delivery of the Offered Shares to be Sold. Upon payment by the Underwriters for the Offered Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement, delivery of such Offered Shares, as directed by the Underwriters, to Cede & Co. (“Cede”) or such other nominee as may be designated by The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), registration of such Offered Shares in the name of Cede or such other nominee, and the crediting of such Offered Shares on the books of DTC to securities accounts of the Underwriters (assuming that neither DTC nor any such Underwriter has notice of any adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the UCC) to such Offered Shares), (A) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, the Underwriters will acquire a valid security entitlement in respect of the number of shares of the Offered Shares credited to such Underwriter’s securities account maintained by DTC, and (B) no action based on any “adverse claim,” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, to such Offered Shares may be asserted against the Underwriters with respect to such security entitlement. For purposes of this representation, such Selling Shareholder may assume that when such payment, delivery and crediting occur, (x) such Offered Shares will have been registered in the name of Cede or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s share registry in accordance with its charter, bylaws or other organizational document and applicable law, (y) DTC will be registered as a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, and (z) appropriate entries to the accounts of the several Underwriters on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC.
(e) Non-Contravention; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. The execution and delivery by such Selling Shareholder of, and the performance by such Selling Shareholder of its obligations under, this Agreement (i) will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws, partnership agreement, trust agreement or other organizational documents of such Selling Shareholder, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or constitute a Default (including any failure to obtain any required consent, approval or waiver) under any other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Shareholder is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of the property, rights or assets of such Selling Shareholder is subject, (iii) will not result in any violation of any applicable law or any judgment, order, decree or regulation applicable to such Selling Shareholder of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body or arbitrator having jurisdiction over such Selling Shareholder, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such violation, conflict, breach or Default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to impair in any material respect the ability of such Selling Shareholder to perform its obligations under this Agreement. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with the South African Reserve Bank, the JSE or any court or other governmental authority or agency is required for the consummation by such Selling Shareholder of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement, except such as may be required under the Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue sky laws and from the FINRA.
(f) No Registration, Pre-emptive, Co-Sale or Other Similar Rights. Such Selling Shareholder: (i) does not have any registration or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale by the Company under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement; (ii) does not have any preemptive right, co-sale right, right of first refusal or other similar right to purchase any of the Offered Shares that are to be sold by the Company or any of the other Selling Shareholders to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement; and (iii) does not own any warrants, options or similar rights to acquire, and does not have any right or arrangement to acquire, any capital stock, rights, warrants, options or other securities from the Company, other than those described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(g) Disclosure Made by Such Selling Shareholder in the Prospectus. The only information furnished to the Company or any Underwriter by or on behalf of such Selling Shareholder in writing expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus consists of: the name and address of such Selling Shareholders, the number of Offered Shares by such Selling Shareholders and other information with respect to such Selling Shareholder (excluding percentages) in each case appearing in the table footnotes under the caption “Selling Shareholders” in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (such information, the “Selling Shareholder Information”). Such Selling Shareholder Information in the Time of Sale Prospectus did not, as of the Applicable Time, and, on the Closing Date, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
14
(h) Material Information. As of the time of the execution and delivery of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date, such Selling Shareholder is not prompted to sell its Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement by any material non-public information concerning the Company that is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and is not so disclosed.
(i) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. Such Selling Shareholder has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or would reasonably be expected, to result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any reference security, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and has taken no action that would directly or indirectly violate any provision of Regulation M.
(j) No Transfer Taxes or Other Fees. Such Selling Shareholder is not aware of any 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 sale by such Selling Shareholder of the Offered Shares that has not been paid.
(k) Distribution of Offering Materials by the Selling Shareholders. Prior to the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Offered Shares, such Selling Shareholder has not distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the free writing prospectus(es) listed on Schedule C and the Prospectus.
(l) Sanctions. Such Selling Shareholder is not currently the subject or the target of Sanctions and will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of this offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, or any joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person that at the time of such financing, is the subject or the target of Sanctions or in any other manner that, to the knowledge of such Selling Shareholder, will result in a violation of applicable Sanctions. For the past five years such Selling Shareholder has not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.
Any certificate signed by such Selling Shareholder and delivered to any Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by such Selling Shareholder to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.
Such Selling Shareholder has a reasonable basis for making each of the representations set forth in this Section 1(B). Such Selling Shareholder acknowledges that the Underwriters and, for purposes of the opinion to be delivered pursuant to Section 6 hereof, counsel to the Selling Shareholder and counsel to the Underwriters, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.
15
Section 2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Offered Shares.
(a) The Shares. Upon the terms herein set forth, (i) the Selling Shareholders agree to sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of 1,841,962 Shares, with each Selling Shareholder selling the number of Shares set forth opposite such Selling Shareholder’s name on Schedule B. 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 Selling Shareholders the respective number of Shares set forth opposite their names on Schedule A. The purchase price per Share to be paid by the several Underwriters to the Selling Shareholders shall be $12.555 per share.
(b) The Closing Date. Delivery of the Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made as provided for in Sections 2(e) and 2(f) of this Agreement (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Selling Shareholders and the Representative) at 9:00 a.m. New York City time, on September 27, 2021, or such other time and date not later than 1:30 p.m. New York City time, on September 27, 2021 as the Representative shall designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “Closing Date”). The Company and the Selling Shareholders hereby acknowledge that circumstances under which the Representative may provide notice to postpone the Closing Date as originally scheduled include, but are not limited to, any determination by the Company, the Selling Shareholders or the Representative to recirculate to the public copies of an amended or supplemented Prospectus or a delay as contemplated by the provisions of Section 11.
(c) [Reserved].
(d) Public Offering of the Offered Shares. The Representative hereby advises the Company and the Selling Shareholders that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, initially on the terms set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Offered Shares as soon after this Agreement has been executed as the Representative, in its sole judgment, has determined is advisable and practicable.
(e) Payment for the Offered Shares. (i). Payment for the Offered Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholders shall be made at the Closing Date by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the respective bank accounts designated by the Selling Shareholders.
(ii) It is understood that the Representative has been authorized, for its own account and the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase. Jefferies, individually and not as the Representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any Offered Shares to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by the Representative by the Closing Date for the account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.
(iii) Each Selling Shareholder hereby severally agrees that it will pay all stock transfer taxes, stamp duties and other similar taxes, if any, payable upon the sale or delivery of the Offered Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder to the several Underwriters, or otherwise in connection with the performance of such Selling Shareholder’s obligations hereunder.
(f) Delivery of the Offered Shares. The Selling Shareholders severally shall deliver, or cause to be delivered to the Representative for the accounts of the several Underwriters the Shares to be sold by them at the Closing Date, against release of payment in 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.
Section 3. Additional Covenants of the Company and the Selling Shareholders.
A. Covenants of the Company. The Company further covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:
16
(a) Delivery of Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus. The Company shall furnish to you in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the second business day after the date of this Agreement and during the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) in connection with sales of the Offered Shares, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.
(b) Representative’s Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements. During the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule), the Company (i) will furnish to the Representative for review, a reasonable period of time prior to the proposed time of filing of any proposed amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, a copy of each such amendment or supplement and (ii) will not amend or supplement the Registration Statement (including any amendment or supplement through incorporation of any report filed under the Exchange Act) without the Representative’s prior written consent (unless such consent has been unreasonably withheld). Prior to amending or supplementing any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (including any amendment or supplement through incorporation of any report filed under the Exchange Act), the Company shall furnish to the Representative for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the time of filing or use of the proposed amendment or supplement, a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement. The Company shall not file or use any such proposed amendment or supplement without the Representative’s prior written consent (unless such consent has been unreasonably withheld). The Company shall file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.
(c) Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall furnish to the Representative for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto without the Representative’s prior written consent (unless such consent has been unreasonably withheld). The Company shall furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by or referred to by the Company as such Underwriter may reasonably request. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) in connection with sales of the Offered Shares (but in any event if at any time through and including the Closing Date) there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at such time, not misleading, the Company shall promptly amend or supplement such free writing prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict or so that the statements in such free writing prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an 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 prevailing at such time, not misleading, as the case may be; provided, however, that prior to amending or supplementing any such free writing prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Representative for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of such proposed amended or supplemented free writing prospectus, and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any such amended or supplemented free writing prospectus without the Representative’s prior written consent (unless such consent has been unreasonably withheld).
17
(d) Filing of Underwriter Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall not take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that such Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
(e) Amendments and Supplements to Time of Sale Prospectus. If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Offered Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the Time of Sale Prospectus does not include an 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 when delivered to a prospective purchaser, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company shall (subject to Section 3(A)(b) and Section 3(A)(c) hereof) promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an 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 when delivered to a prospective purchaser, not misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(f) Certain Notifications and Required Actions. After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Representative in writing of: (i) the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission; (ii) the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus; (iii) the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective; and (iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Shares from any securities exchange upon which they are listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with all applicable provisions of Rule 424(b), Rule 433 and Rule 430B under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under Rule 424(b) or Rule 433 were received in a timely manner by the Commission.
(g) Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. If any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus so that the Prospectus does not include an 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 when the Prospectus is delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) to a purchaser, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company agrees (subject to Section 3(A)(b) and Section 3(A)(c)) hereof to promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, amendments or
18
supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an 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 when the Prospectus is delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) to a purchaser, not misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law. Neither the Representative’s consent to, nor delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the Company’s obligations under Section 3(A)(b) or Section 3(A)(c).
(h) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters to qualify or register the Offered Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws (or other foreign laws) of those jurisdictions designated by the Representative, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Offered Shares. The Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation. The Company will advise the Representative promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Offered Shares for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.
(i) [Reserved].
(j) Transfer Agent. The Company has engaged and will maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Shares.
(k) Earnings Statement. The Company will make generally available (which may be satisfied by the filing with the Commission on XXXXX) to its security holders and to the Representative as soon as practicable an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company commencing after the date of this Agreement that will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(l) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Offered Shares as contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule), file on a timely basis with the Commission and the NASDAQ all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act.
(m) [Reserved].
(n) Company to Provide Copy of the Prospectus in Form That May be Downloaded from the Internet. If requested by the Representative, the Company shall cause to be prepared and delivered, at its expense, within one business day from the effective date of this Agreement, to the Representative an “electronic Prospectus” to be used by the Underwriters in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares. As used herein, the term “electronic Prospectus” means a form of Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, that meets each of the following conditions: (i) it shall be encoded in an electronic format, satisfactory to the Representative, that may be transmitted electronically by the
19
Representative and the other Underwriters to offerees and purchasers of the Offered Shares; (ii) it shall disclose the same information as the paper Prospectus, except to the extent that graphic and image material cannot be disseminated electronically, in which case such graphic and image material shall be replaced in the electronic Prospectus with a fair and accurate narrative description or tabular representation of such material, as appropriate; and (iii) it shall be in or convertible into a paper format or an electronic format, satisfactory to the Representative, that will allow investors to store and have continuously ready access to the Prospectus at any future time, without charge to investors (other than any fee charged for subscription to the Internet as a whole and for on-line time). The Company hereby confirms that it has included or will include in the Prospectus filed pursuant to XXXXX or otherwise with the Commission and in the Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective an undertaking that, upon receipt of a request by an investor or his or her representative, the Company shall transmit or cause to be transmitted promptly, without charge, a paper copy of the Prospectus.
(o) Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Shares. During the period commencing on and including the date hereof and continuing through and including the 60th day following the date of the Prospectus (such period, as extended as described below, being referred to herein as the “Lock-up Period”), the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld ), directly or indirectly: (i) sell, offer to sell, contract to sell or lend any Shares or Related Securities (as defined below); (ii) effect any short sale, or establish or increase any “put equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act) or liquidate or decrease any “call equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) of any Shares or Related Securities; (iii) pledge, hypothecate or grant any security interest in any Shares or Related Securities; (iv) in any other way transfer or dispose of any Shares or Related Securities; (v) enter into any swap, hedge or similar arrangement or agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic risk of ownership of any Shares or Related Securities, regardless of whether any such transaction is to be settled in securities, in cash or otherwise; (vi) announce the offering of any Shares or Related Securities; (vii) submit or file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of any Shares or Related Securities (other than as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Offered Shares); (viii) effect a reverse stock split, recapitalization, share consolidation, reclassification or similar transaction affecting the outstanding Shares; or (ix) publicly announce the intention to do any of the foregoing; provided, however, that the foregoing restrictions shall not apply to Shares, Related Securities, and/or other securities of the Company issue in connection with any acquisition of assets or acquisitions of the equity of one or more entities, in each case, directly or indirectly, provided that the aggregate number of Shares and the Shares underlying the Related Securities thus issued shall not exceed ten percent (10%) (the “Maximum Percentage”) of the Company’s issued and outstanding Shares immediately following the Closing Date, except that any Shares underlying Related Securities thus issued that are not exercisable, exchangeable or convertible into Shares during the Lock-up Period shall not be included in the numerator for purpose of calculating the Maximum Percentage; and provided further that the Company may (A) effect the transactions contemplated hereby and (B) issue Shares or options to purchase Shares, or issue Shares upon exercise of options, pursuant to any stock option, stock bonus or other stock plan or arrangement described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, but only if the holders of such Shares or options agree in writing with the Underwriters not to sell, offer, dispose of or otherwise transfer any such Shares or options during such Lock-up Period without the prior written consent of the Representative (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion). For purposes of the foregoing, “Related Securities” shall mean any options or warrants or other rights to acquire Shares or any securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares, or to acquire other securities or rights ultimately exchangeable or exercisable for, or convertible into, Shares.
(p) [Reserved].
20
(q) No Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. Without giving effect to activities by the Underwriters, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries will take, and will use best efforts to ensure that no affiliate of the Company will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any reference security with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and the Company will comply, and use its best efforts to ensure that each of its affiliates will comply, with all applicable provisions of Regulation M.
(r) Enforce Lock-Up Agreements. During the Lock-up Period, the Company agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to assist the Representative in enforcing all agreements between the Company and any of its securityholders that restrict or prohibit, expressly or in operation, the offer, sale or transfer of Shares or Related Securities or any of the other actions restricted or prohibited under the terms of the form of Lock-up Agreement, which may include directing the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon any such securities of the Company that are bound by such Lock-up Agreement for the duration of the periods contemplated in such agreements.
(s) Company to Provide Interim Financial Statements. Prior to the Closing Date, the Company will furnish the Underwriters, as soon as they have been prepared by or are available to the Company, a copy of any unaudited interim financial statements of the Company for any period subsequent to the period covered by the most recent financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(t) Amendments and Supplements to Permitted Section 5(d) Communications. If at any time following the distribution of any Permitted Section 5(d) Communication, there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Permitted Section 5(d) Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representative and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Permitted Section 5(d) Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.
(u) Emerging Growth Company Status. The Company will promptly notify the Representative if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) the time when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is not required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) and (ii) the expiration of the Lock-Up Period (as defined herein).
B. Covenants of the Selling Shareholders. Each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, further covenants and agrees with each Underwriter:
(a) Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Shares. Each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, agrees to execute a Lock-up Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit D to this Agreement.
(b) No Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. Such Selling Shareholder will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or would be expected, to result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any reference security with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and such Selling Shareholder will comply, and will use its best efforts to ensure that each of its affiliates comply, with all applicable provisions of Regulation M.
21
(c) Notification. Such Selling Shareholder will advise you promptly, and if requested by you, will confirm such advice in writing, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule), of any material change in information in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, any free writing prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto relating to such Selling Shareholder’s Selling Shareholder Information.
(d) Delivery of Forms W-8 and W-9. To deliver to the Representative prior to the Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-8 (if the Selling Shareholder is a non-United States person) or Form W-9 (if the Selling Shareholder is a United States Person).
(e) Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners of Legal Entity Customers. Each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, will deliver to the Representative, on or before the date of execution of this Agreement, a properly completed and executed Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners of Legal Entity Customers, together with copies of identifying documentation, and each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, undertakes to provide such additional supporting documentation as each Underwriter may reasonably request in connection with the verification of the foregoing Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners of Legal Entity Customers.
The Representative, on behalf of the several Underwriters, may, in its sole discretion, waive in writing the performance by the Company or any Selling Shareholder of any one or more of the foregoing covenants or extend the time for their performance.
Section 4. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees (and failing the Company, the Selling Shareholders agree) to pay the costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of the obligations of the Company and the Selling Shareholder hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the delivery of the Offered Shares (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Shares, (iii) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors, (iv) 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), the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, each free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and each preliminary prospectus, each Permitted Section 5(d) Communication, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (v) all filing fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters or attorneys’ fees incurred by the Company (to the extent not already paid) in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Offered Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws, (vi) the costs, fees and expenses incurred by the Underwriters in connection with determining their compliance with the rules and regulations of FINRA related to the Underwriters’ participation in the offering and distribution of the Offered Shares, including any related filing fees and the legal fees of, and disbursements by, counsel to the Underwriters, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show”, any Permitted Section 5(d) Communication or any Section 5(d) Oral Communication undertaken in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives, employees and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, and (viii) all other fees, costs and expenses of the nature referred to in the “Expenses” section of the Registration Statement. Except as provided in this Section 4 or in Section 7, Section 9 or Section 10 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel.
22
The Selling Shareholders severally further agree with each Underwriter to pay (directly or by reimbursement) all fees and expenses incident to the performance of their respective obligations under this Agreement that are not otherwise specifically provided for herein, including but not limited to (i) fees and expenses of counsel and other advisors for such Selling Shareholders and (ii) underwriting discount and stock transfer taxes incident to the sale and delivery of the Offered Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholders to the Underwriters hereunder.
The provisions of this Section 4 shall not affect any separate agreement that the Company and any Selling Shareholder may make for the allocation or sharing of costs and expense.
Section 5. Covenant of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter severally and not jointly covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not, but for such actions, be required to be filed by the Company under Rule 433(d).
Section 6. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The respective obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder to purchase and pay for the Offered Shares as provided herein on the Closing Date shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company and the Selling Shareholders set forth in Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by the Company and the Selling Shareholders of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:
(a) Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Representative shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accountants for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountant’s “comfort letters” to underwriters, delivered according to Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, and each free writing prospectus, if any.
(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from FINRA. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and through and including the Closing Date:
(i) The Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the Commission (including the information previously omitted from the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall have filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing the information previously omitted from the Registration Statement pursuant to such Rule 430B, and such post-effective amendment shall have become effective.
(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission.
(iii) If a filing has been made with FINRA, FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
(c) No Material Adverse Change or Ratings Agency Change. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and through and including the Closing Date:
23
(i) in the judgment of the Representative there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change; and
(ii) 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 securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as that term is used in Rule 15c3-1(c)(2)(vi)(F) under the Exchange Act.
(d) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the opinion and negative assurance letter of Fried, Frank, Harris, Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such date, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A and to such further effect as the Representative shall reasonably request.
(e) Opinion of Wong Tan & Xxxxx Xxx LLC. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the opinion of Wong Tan & Xxxxx Xxx LLC, counsel for the Company with respect to Singapore law, dated as of such date, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C and to such further effect as the Representative shall reasonably request.
(f) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the opinion and negative assurance letter of Xxxxxx, Xxxxx & Bockius LLP, counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, dated as of such date.
(g) Officers’ Certificate. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received a certificate executed by an executive officer of the Company, dated as of such date, to the effect set forth in Section 6(b)(ii) and further to the effect that:
(i) for the period from and including the date of this Agreement through and including such date, there has not occurred any Material Adverse Change;
(ii) the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company set forth in Section 1A of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of such date; and
(iii) the Company has complied with all the agreements hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such date.
(h) Bring-down Comfort Letter. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accountants for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, which letter shall: (i) reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to Section 6(a), except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date; and (ii) cover certain financial information contained in the Prospectus.
(i) Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Shareholders. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the opinion of Fried, Frank, Harris, Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Selling Shareholders, dated as of such date, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B and to such further effect as the Representative shall reasonably request.
24
(j) Selling Shareholders’ Certificate. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall receive a written certificate executed by each Selling Shareholder, dated as of such date, to the effect that:
(i) the representations, warranties and covenants of such Selling Shareholder set forth in Section 1.B) of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made by such Selling Shareholder on and as of such date; and
(ii) such Selling Shareholder has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such date.
(k) Selling Shareholders’ Documents. On the date hereof, the Selling Shareholders shall have furnished for review by the Representative such further information, certificates and documents as the Representative may reasonably request.
(l) Lock-Up Agreements. On or prior to the date hereof, the Company or the appropriate person shall have furnished to the Representative an agreement in the form of Exhibit D hereto from each of the persons listed on Exhibit E hereto, and each such agreement shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date.
(m) Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. In the event that a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is filed in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement, such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have been filed with the Commission on the date of this Agreement and shall have become effective automatically upon such filing.
(n) CFO Certificate. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative a certificate, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, of its chief financial officer with respect to certain financial data contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, providing “management comfort” with respect to such information, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.
(o) Additional Documents. On or before the Closing Date, the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably request for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Offered 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; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated herein and in connection with the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters.
If any condition specified in this Section 6 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice from the Representative to the Company and the Selling Shareholders at any time on or prior to the Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
Section 7. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative pursuant to Section 6, Section 11, Section 12 or Section 20, or if the sale to the Underwriters of the Offered Shares on the Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company or the Selling Shareholders to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees (and failing the Company, the Selling Shareholders agree) to reimburse the Representative 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 Representative and the Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Offered Shares, including, but not limited to, fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.
25
Section 8. Effectiveness of this Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
Section 9. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or the laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Offered Shares have been offered or sold or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or 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; or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, any Marketing Materials, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing), or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (iii) 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) or (ii) above; and to reimburse each Underwriter and each such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent and controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel) as such expenses are incurred by such Underwriter or such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent or 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 (i) information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company by the Representative in writing expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any such free writing prospectus, any Marketing Materials, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information described in Section 9(c) below or (ii) the Selling Shareholder Information. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.
26
(b) Indemnification of the Underwriters by each Selling Shareholder. Each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or the laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Offered Shares have been offered or sold or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or 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; or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, any Marketing Materials, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing), or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (iii) 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) or (ii) above; and to reimburse each Underwriter and each such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent and controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel) as such expenses are incurred by such Underwriter or such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent or 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 only 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 the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any such free writing prospectus, any Marketing Materials, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Selling Shareholder Information provided by such Selling Shareholder and that the liability under this Section of each Selling Shareholder shall not exceed an amount equal to the net proceeds received by such Selling Shareholder from the sale of Offered Shares sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder (after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions). The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Selling Shareholder may otherwise have.
(c) Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers and the Selling Shareholders. 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, the Selling Shareholders and each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Shareholder 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, Selling Shareholder 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 (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433 of the Securities Act, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any such amendment or supplement) or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in the
27
light of the circumstances under which they were made, 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, such preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, such free writing prospectus, such Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any such amendment or supplement), in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company by the Representative in writing expressly for use therein; and to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer, Selling Shareholder or controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel) as such expenses are incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer, Selling Shareholder or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. The Company and each of the Selling Shareholders hereby acknowledge that the only information that the Representative has furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing) are the statements set forth in paragraphs 3, 5, 12, 16, 18 under the caption “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and the Final Prospectus Supplement. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(c) shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Underwriter may otherwise have.
(d) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 9 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 9, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission to so notify the indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party to the extent the indemnifying party is not materially prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure and shall not in any event relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. 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, that 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 to so 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 9 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action), which counsel (together with any local counsel) for the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representative (in the case of counsel for the indemnified parties referred to in Section 9(a) or 9(b) above) or by the Company (in the case of counsel for the indemnified parties referred to in Section 9(c) above) or (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 in writing 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 and shall be paid as they are incurred.
28
(e) Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 9 shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, 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 9(d) hereof, the indemnifying party 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 an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding and does not include an admission of fault or culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of such indemnified party.
(f) [Reserved].
Section 10. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 9 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total proceeds from the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Offered Shares as set forth on such cover. The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 9(d), any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim. The provisions set forth in Section 9(d) with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 10; provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 9(d) for purposes of indemnification.
29
The Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 10 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 in this Section 10.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Offered Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10, no Selling Shareholder shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the Selling Shareholder’s net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Offered Shares sold by it pursuant to this Agreement (after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions) exceeds the amount of any damages which the Selling Shareholder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission pursuant to Section 9 above.
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 to contribute pursuant to this Section 10 are several, and not joint, in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments as set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A. For purposes of this Section 10, each affiliate, director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Shareholder within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company or such Selling Shareholder.
Section 11. Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters. If, on the Closing Date any one or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Shares that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate number of the Offered Shares to be purchased on such date, the Representative may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company and the Selling Shareholders for the purchase of such Offered Shares by other persons, including any of the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, in the proportions that the number of Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A bears to the aggregate number of Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the Representative with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase the Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date. If, on the Closing Date any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Shares and the aggregate number of Offered Shares with respect to which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Offered Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representative, the Company and the Selling Shareholders for the purchase of such Offered 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, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination. In any such case either the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, 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.
30
As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section 11. Any action taken under this Section 11 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
Section 12. Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the purchase of the Shares by the Underwriters on the Closing Date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice given to the Company and the Selling Shareholders 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 NASDAQ or the JSE, or trading in securities generally on either the NASDAQ, the NYSE or the JSE shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges;(ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of U.S. federal, New York, South African or Singapore 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 substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Representative, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Offered Shares in the manner and on the terms described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in the judgment of the Representative 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 Representative 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 12 shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company or the Selling Shareholders to any Underwriter, except that the Company and the Selling Shareholders shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representative and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 4 or Section 7 hereof or (b) any Underwriter to the Company or the Selling Shareholders; provided, however, that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
Section 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company and the Selling Shareholders severally acknowledge and agree that (a) the purchase and sale of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Offered Shares and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or the Selling Shareholders, or the Company’s other shareholders, or its creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or the Selling Shareholders with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or the Selling Shareholders on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company or the Selling Shareholders with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company and the Selling Shareholders, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company and the Selling Shareholders have consulted their own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent they deemed appropriate.
31
Section 14. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers, of the Selling Shareholders 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, or the Selling Shareholders, as the case may be, and, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.
Section 15. 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 Representative: |
Jefferies LLC | |
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 | ||
Attention: General Counsel | ||
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000 | ||
with a copy to: |
Xxxxxx Xxxxx & Bockius LLP | |
0000 Xxxx Xxxx Xxxx | ||
Xxxx Xxxx, XX 00000 | ||
Attention: Xxxxxx Lung | ||
Telephone: (000) 000-0000 | ||
Email: xxxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx | ||
If to the Company: |
Xxxxxxxx Shipping Holdings Ltd. | |
Suite 03-01 Southpoint 000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxx | ||
Xxxxxxxxx 000000 | ||
Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxx / Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | ||
Email: xx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx | ||
with a copy to: |
Fried, Frank, Harris, Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP | |
Xxx Xxx Xxxx Xxxxx | ||
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000 | ||
Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx | ||
Telephone: (000) 000-0000 | ||
Email: xxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx | ||
If to the Selling Shareholders: |
Xxxxxxxx Limited | |
Grindrod House 000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Xxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxx 0000 | ||
Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx | ||
Email: xxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx | ||
with a copy to: |
Fried, Frank, Harris, Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP | |
Xxx Xxx Xxxx Xxxxx | ||
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000 | ||
Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx | ||
Telephone: (000) 000-0000 | ||
Email: xxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx |
32
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.
Section 16. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters pursuant to Section 11 hereof, and to the benefit of the affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 9 and Section 10, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Offered Shares as such from any of the Underwriters merely by reason of such purchase.
Section 17. 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 18. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
(a) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(b) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
For purposes of this Agreement, (A) “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k); (B) “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b); (C) “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable; and (D) “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Xxxx-Xxxxx Xxxx Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
Section 19. Governing Law Provisions. 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. 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 Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction
33
(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 has irrevocably appointed CT Corporation, which currently maintains a New York City office at 28 Liberty St 42nd Floor, New York, NY 10005, United States, United States 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 Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York.
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.
Section 20. Failure of One or More of the Selling Shareholders to Sell and Deliver Offered Shares. If one or more of the Selling Shareholders shall fail to sell and deliver to the Underwriters the Offered Shares to be sold and delivered by such Selling Shareholders at the Closing Date pursuant to this Agreement, then the Underwriters may at their option, by written notice from the Representative to the Company and the Selling Shareholders, either (i) terminate this Agreement without any liability on the part of any Underwriter or, except as provided in Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 hereof, the Company or the other Selling Shareholders, or (ii) purchase the shares which the other Selling Shareholders have agreed to sell and deliver in accordance with the terms hereof. If one or more of the Selling Shareholders shall fail to sell and deliver to the Underwriters the Offered Shares to be sold and delivered by such Selling Shareholders pursuant to this Agreement at the Closing Date, then the Underwriters shall have the right, by written notice from the Representative to the Company and the Selling Shareholders, to postpone the Closing Date, 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.
Section 21. 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 section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
34
Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification provisions of Section 9 and the contribution provisions of Section 10, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 hereof fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, each free writing prospectus and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements to the foregoing), as contemplated by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
35
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company and the Selling Shareholders 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, | ||
GRINDROD SHIPPING HOLDINGS LTD. | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | ||
Title: Chief Financial Officer | ||
SELLING SHAREHOLDERS: | ||
XXXXXXXX LIMITED | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||
GRINDROD (SOUTH AFRICA) (PTY) LTD | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Title: Chief Executive Officer |
36
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Representative in New York, New York as of the date first above written.
JEFFERIES LLC
Acting individually and as Representative
of the several Underwriters named in
the attached Schedule X.
XXXXXXXXX LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxx | |
Name: Xxxx Xxxx | ||
Title: Senior Vice President |
37
Schedule A
Underwriters | Number of Shares to be Purchased |
|||
Jefferies LLC |
1,683,231 | |||
Noble Capital Market, Inc. |
158,731 | |||
|
|
|||
Total |
1,841,962 | |||
|
|
Schedule B
Selling Shareholders | Number of Shares to be Sold |
|||
Xxxxxxxx Limited Grindrod House 000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxx 0000 Attention: Company Secretary |
1,602,822 | |||
Xxxxxxxx (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd Grindrod Xxxxx 000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxx 0000 Attention: Company Secretary |
239,140 | |||
|
|
|||
Total: |
1,841,962 | |||
|
|
Schedule C
Information Included in the Time of Sale Prospectus
Free Writing Prospectuses Included in the Time of Sale Prospectus
None
Pricing Information Included in the Time of Sale Prospectus
Number of Offered Shares: 1,841,962
Public Offering Price per Offered Share: $13.50
Schedule D
Permitted Section 5(d) Communications
None
Schedule E
Subsidiaries of the Company
Name of Subsidiary, Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization
Comshipco Schiffahrtsagentur GmBH, Germany
Xxxxxxxx Maritime LLC (formerly known as York Maritime Holdings. V. LLC), Xxxxxxxx Islands
Xxxxxxxx Shipping Pte. Ltd., Singapore
Grindrod Shipping Services UK Limited, United Kingdom
Xxxxxxxx Shipping (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, South Africa
IM Shipping Pte. Ltd., Singapore
Island Bulk Carriers Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 475 Pte. Ltd. , Singapore
IVS Bulk 541 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 543 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 545 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 554 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 603 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 609 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 611 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 612 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 709 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 712 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 1345 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 3693 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 3708 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 3720 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 5855 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 5858 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 7297 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
IVS Bulk 10824 Pte. Ltd., Singapore
Unicorn Baltic Pte. Ltd., Singapore
Unicorn Moon Pte. Ltd., Singapore
Unicorn Sun Pte. Ltd., Singapore
Unicorn Tankers (International) Ltd, British Virgin Islands
Unicorn Tankships (428) Ltd, British Virgin Islands
Exhibit A
Form of Lock-up Agreement
_____________, 2021
Xxxxxxxxx LLC
As Representative of the Several Underwriters
c/o Jefferies LLC
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
RE: |
Ladies & Gentlemen:
This agreement is being delivered to you in connection with the proposed Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) between the Grindrod Shipping Holdings Ltd., a public company incorporated in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Singapore (the “Company”), Xxxxxxxxx LLC (“Jefferies”) as representative of a group of underwriters (the “Underwriters”) and the selling shareholders named in the Underwriting Agreement (the “Selling Shareholders”), relating to a proposed underwritten public offering (the “Offering”) of ordinary shares of the Company, no par value (“Shares”).
The undersigned recognizes that the Offering will benefit each of the Company, the Selling Shareholders and the undersigned. The undersigned acknowledges that the Underwriters are relying on the representations and agreements of the undersigned contained in this letter agreement in conducting the Offering and entering into the Underwriting Agreement.
Annex A sets forth definitions for capitalized terms used in this letter agreement that are not defined in the body of this letter agreement. Those definitions are a part of this letter agreement.
In consideration of the foregoing, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, during the Lock-up Period, the undersigned will not (and will cause any Family Member not to), without the prior written consent of Jefferies, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld:
• | Sell or Offer to Sell any Shares or Related Securities currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by the undersigned or such Family Member, |
• | enter into any Swap, |
• | make any demand for, or exercise any right with respect to, the registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale of any Shares or Related Securities, or cause to be filed a registration statement, prospectus or prospectus supplement (or an amendment or supplement thereto) with respect to any such registration, or |
• | publicly announce any intention to do any of the foregoing. |
The foregoing will not apply to the registration of the offer and sale of the Shares, and the sale of the Shares to the Underwriters, in each case as contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement.
A-1
In addition, the foregoing restrictions shall not apply to the transfer of Shares or Related Securities (i) as a bona fide gift(ii) by will or intestate succession; (iii) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity and (1) transfers to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity that is a direct or indirect affiliate, including without limitation any entity that is managed and governed by the same management company or investment advisor as the undersigned or any entity that is controlled by the undersigned or (2) distributes Shares or Related Security to limited partners, limited liability company members or stockholders of the undersigned; (iv) if the undersigned is a trust, transfers to the beneficiary of such trust; (v) to the Company, to satisfy any tax withholding obligations of the Company or the undersigned, or to satisfy the exercise price of stock options by the undersigned, upon exercise by the undersigned of stock options or vesting of outstanding restricted stock awards or other similar equity awards that have been granted by the Company prior to, and are outstanding as of, the date of the Underwriting Agreement; (vi) pursuant to a pledge in a bona fide transaction which is outstanding prior to or as of the date hereof to a lender to the undersigned and disclosed in writing to the Underwriters prior to the execution of this letter agreement; (vii) pursuant to an order of a court; ; provided, however, that in any such case, it shall be a condition to such transfer that:
• | each transferee executes and delivers to Jefferies an agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Jefferies stating that such transferee is receiving and holding such Shares and/or Related Securities subject to the provisions of this letter agreement and agrees not to Sell or Offer to Sell such Shares and/or Related Securities, engage in any Swap or engage in any other activities restricted under this letter agreement except in accordance with this letter agreement (as if such transferee had been an original signatory hereto), and |
• | prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period, no public disclosure or filing under the Exchange Act by any party to the transfer (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) shall be required, or made voluntarily, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of Shares in connection with such transfer. |
In addition, the foregoing restrictions shall not apply to (i) transactions relating to Shares acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Offering, and (ii) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of Shares, provided that such plan does not provide for the transfer of Shares during the Lock-Up Period and no public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act regarding the establishment of such plan shall be required or voluntarily made by or on behalf of the undersigned or the Company.
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 or Related Securities held by the undersigned and the undersigned’s Family Members, if any, except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
With respect to the Offering only, the undersigned waives any registration rights relating to registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale of any Shares and/or any Related Securities owned either of record or beneficially by the undersigned, including any rights to receive notice of the Offering.
The undersigned confirms that the undersigned has not, and has no knowledge that any Family Member has, directly or indirectly, taken any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale of the Shares. The undersigned will not, and will cause any Family Member not to take, directly or indirectly, any such action.
A-2
Whether or not the Offering occurs as currently contemplated or at all depends on market conditions and other factors. The Offering will only be made pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Underwriters.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power, capacity and authority to enter into this letter agreement. This letter agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on the undersigned and the successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns of the undersigned.
The undersigned understands that the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Lock-Up Agreement if the Offering does not close on or before October 15, 2021 or if the Company earlier notified Jefferies in writing that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering.
This letter agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
A-3
|
Signature |
|
Printed Name of Person Signing
(Indicate capacity of person signing if
signing as custodian or trustee, or on behalf
of an entity)
A-4
Certain Defined Terms
Used in Lock-up Agreement
For purposes of the letter agreement to which this Annex A is attached and of which it is made a part:
• | “Call Equivalent Position” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act. |
• | “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. |
• | “Family Member” shall mean the spouse of the undersigned, an immediate family member of the undersigned or an immediate family member of the undersigned’s spouse, in each case living in the undersigned’s household or whose principal residence is the undersigned’s household (regardless of whether such spouse or family member may at the time be living elsewhere due to educational activities, health care treatment, military service, temporary internship or employment or otherwise). “Immediate family member” as used above shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(e) under the Exchange Act. |
• | “Lock-up Period” shall mean the period beginning on the date hereof and continuing through the close of trading on the date that is 60 days after the date of the Prospectus (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement). |
• | “Put Equivalent Position” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act. |
• | “Related Securities” shall mean any options or warrants or other rights to acquire Shares or any securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares, or to acquire other securities or rights ultimately exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares. |
• | “Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. |
• | “Sell or Offer to Sell” shall mean to: |
• | sell, offer to sell, contract to sell or lend, |
• | effect any short sale or establish or increase a Put Equivalent Position or liquidate or decrease any Call Equivalent Position |
• | pledge, hypothecate or grant any security interest in, or |
• | in any other way transfer or dispose of, |
in each case whether effected directly or indirectly.
• | “Swap” shall mean any swap, hedge or similar arrangement or agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic risk of ownership of Shares or Related Securities, regardless of whether any such transaction is to be settled in securities, in cash or otherwise. |
Capitalized terms not defined in this Annex A shall have the meanings given to them in the body of this lock-up agreement.
A-5
Exhibit B
Directors, Officers and Others
Signing Lock-up Agreement
Directors and Officers:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxx Xxxxxxxx
Quah Ban Huat
Xxxxxx Xxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Others:
Xxxxxxxx Limited
Grindrod Investments (Pty) Ltd.
Industrial Partnership Investments (Pty) Ltd.
B-1