TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL) $[—] of [—]% Notes due [—] FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
$[—] of [—]% Notes due [—]
FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
[—], 201[—]
[—]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ), a limited liability company (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters (the “Underwriters”) named in Schedule I hereto for whom you are acting as representative[s] (the “Representative[s]”) $[—] aggregate principal amount of its [—]% Notes due [—] (the “Notes”). The respective principal amounts of the Notes to be so purchased by the several Underwriters are set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto. The Notes are to be issued under an indenture (the “Indenture”) to be dated as of [—], by and between the Company and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as Trustee (the “Trustee”).
As the Representative[s], you have advised the Company (a) that you are authorized to enter into this Agreement on behalf of the several Underwriters, and (b) that the several Underwriters are willing, acting severally and not jointly, to purchase the principal amount of Notes set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I.
In consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and of the interests of the parties in the transactions contemplated hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. | Representations and Warranties of the Company. |
The Company represents and warrants to each of the Underwriters as follows:
(a) An “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), on Form F-3 (File No. 333-[—]) in respect of the Notes, including a form of prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), has been prepared and filed by the Company not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof, in conformity with the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder. The Company and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements of, and comply with the conditions for the use of, Form F-3 under the Act. Such registration statement, which shall be deemed to include all information omitted therefrom in reliance upon Rules 430A, 430B or 430C under the Act, is herein referred to as the “Registration Statement” and became effective under the Act upon filing with the Commission. If the Company has filed a registration statement pursuant to Rules 413(b) and 462(e) under the Act, then any reference herein to the term Registration Statement shall be deemed to include such registration statement. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed as of the date of this Agreement.
As used herein, the term “Prospectus” means the form of prospectus relating to the Notes first filed with the Commission pursuant to and within the time limits described in Rule 424(b) under the Act and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof. The Base Prospectus, as supplemented by each preliminary prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus supplement) relating to the Notes filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, including the documents incorporated by reference in the Base Prospectus is herein referred to as a “Preliminary Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or to the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing documents shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the Act, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference to “amend,” “amendment” or supplement with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any documents incorporated by reference therein, and any supplements or amendments thereto, filed with the Commission after the date of filing of the Prospectus under Rule 424(b) under the Act, and prior to the termination of the offering of the Notes by the Underwriters.
(b) As of the Applicable Time (as defined below) and as of the Closing Date, neither (i) the General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below), all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), when considered together with the Preliminary Prospectus [accompanying, or delivered prior to delivery of,] [filed prior to the first use of] such Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, included or will include any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representative[s], specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 12. As used in this Agreement:
“Applicable Time” means [—] [a/p]m ([—] time) on the date of this Agreement.
“Statutory Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act, relating to the Notes in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g) under the Act.
“General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is identified on Schedule II to this Agreement.
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“Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
(c) The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a limited liability company under the laws of the Kingdom of Sweden, with corporate power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Each of the Company’s material subsidiaries as listed in Exhibit A hereto (the “Material Subsidiaries”) has been duly organized and is validly existing and, if and to the extent applicable, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with all power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus, except where the failure to be so organized or in good standing would not, individually or collectively, have a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations and financial condition of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”).
(d) The Company and each of its Material Subsidiaries are duly qualified to transact business in all jurisdictions in which the conduct of their business requires such qualification except where the failure to be so qualified would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(e) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization” (and any similar section or information contained in the General Disclosure Package). The outstanding shares of common stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.
(f) The Commission has not issued an order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the proposed offering of the Notes, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act has been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. The Registration Statement contains, and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto will contain, all statements which are required to be stated therein by, and will conform in all material respects with, the requirements of the Act, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”), and the Rules and Regulations. The Indenture conforms in all material respects to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act. The documents incorporated, or to be incorporated, by reference in the Prospectus, at the time filed with the Commission, conformed, or will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. The Registration Statement and any amendment thereto do not contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact and do not omit, and will not omit, to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto do not contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact, and do not omit, and will not omit, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any such amendment
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or supplement, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representative[s], specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 12.
(g) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Notes or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representative[s] as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus not superseded or modified or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference and any Prospectus Supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 12 hereof.
(h) The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Notes other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted under the Act and consistent with Section 4(b) below. The Company will file with the Commission all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses in the time and manner required under Rules 163(b)(2) and 433(d) under the Act.
(i) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) under the Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the Act) made any offer relating to the Notes in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the Act and (iv) at the date hereof, the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act. The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act objecting to the use of the automatic shelf registration form.
(j) (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Act) of the Notes and (ii) as of the date hereof (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause(ii)), the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act, without taking into account any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 under the Act that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer), including, without limitation, for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the Act with respect to the offering of the Notes as contemplated by the Registration Statement.
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(k) The consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, together with related notes and schedules as set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, comply in all material respects with the Act, the Rules and Regulations and the Exchange Act, and present fairly the financial position and the results of operations and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, at the indicated dates and for the indicated periods. Such financial statements and related schedules have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IFRS”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed therein, and all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of results for such periods have been made. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the Rules and Regulations) comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act, to the extent applicable.
(l) PricewaterhouseCoopers AB, who have certified certain of the financial statements filed with the Commission as part of, or incorporated by reference in, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”).
(m) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company maintains systems of internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13(a) and 15(f) of the Exchange Act) and is not aware of any material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting.
(n) Solely to the extent that the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission and the Nasdaq Stock Market thereunder (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”) are applicable to the Company, the Company is in compliance, in all material respects, with the provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act.
(o) There is no action, suit, claim or proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries before any court or administrative agency or otherwise which if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries would either have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(p) Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting, individually or collectively, the business, results of operations or financial condition of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not occurring in the ordinary course of business, other than changes and transactions described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company and its subsidiaries have no material contingent obligations which are not disclosed in the Company’s financial statements which are included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
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(q) Neither the Company nor any of its Material Subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its certificate or articles of incorporation, by-laws, certificate of formation, limited liability agreement, partnership agreement or comparable constituting documents or (ii) in violation of or in default under any agreement, lease, contract, indenture or other instrument or obligation to which it is a party or by which it, or any of its properties, is bound, except solely with respect to this clause (ii), for any such violation or default that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(r) The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Indenture and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated and the fulfillment of the terms hereof and thereof (including, without limitation, the issuance and sale of the Notes to the Underwriters) will not conflict with or result in a breach of (i) any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any subsidiary or any of their respective properties is bound, or (ii) the certificate or articles of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or any law, order, rule or regulation judgment, order, writ or decree applicable to the Company or any subsidiary of any court or of any government, regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction except solely with respect to clause (i), for any such violation or default that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(s) The execution and delivery of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement has been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
(t) The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform each of its obligations under the Notes. The Notes, when issued, will be in the form contemplated by the Indenture. The Notes have been duly and validly authorized by the Company and, when executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and when delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, and enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally, and (ii) general principles of equity and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought (collectively, the “Enforceability Exceptions”).
(u) The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Indenture. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act. The Indenture has been duly and validly authorized by the Company and, when executed and delivered by the Company (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the Trustee), will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to the Enforceability Exceptions.
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(v) Each approval, consent, order, authorization, designation, declaration or filing by or with any regulatory, administrative or other governmental body necessary in connection with the execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated (except such additional steps as may be required by the Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or such additional steps as may be necessary to qualify the Notes for public offering by the Underwriters under state securities or Blue Sky laws) has been obtained or made and is in full force and effect.
(w) The Company and its subsidiaries have all licenses, permits, authorizations, approvals and orders (from governmental authorities) and other concessions (collectively the “Licenses”) including of and from all governmental authorities that are material to the Company and its subsidiaries and are necessary to own or lease their properties and conduct its business, except to the extent that the failure to possess any such Licenses would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(x) The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights under patents, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them collectively, except to the extent that the failure to own or possess any such Intellectual Property would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(y) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or unenforceable, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or unenforceability, or failure to own or possess such Intellectual Property rights, individually or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(z) Neither the Company, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any of its affiliates, has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Notes. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters may engage in passive market making transactions in the Notes in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
(aa) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Notes contemplated hereunder and the application of the net proceeds from such sale as described in the Properties, will not be an “investment company” within the meaning of such term under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(bb) The Company maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act); such disclosure controls and procedures are effective at a reasonable assurance level.
(cc) The operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering
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statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any or its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened.
(dd) The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are fairly based and have been made on reasonable grounds after due and careful consideration and enquiry.
(ee) Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(ff) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (i) is in violation of any statute, rule, regulation, decision or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively, “environmental laws”), (ii) owns or operates any real property contaminated with any substance that is subject to environmental laws, (iii) is liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any environmental laws, or (iv) is subject to any claim relating to any environmental laws, which violation, contamination, liability or claim would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and the Company is not aware of any pending investigation which might lead to such a claim.
(gg) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such Persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA.
(hh) All interest on the Notes may under the current law or regulations applicable in Sweden be paid in any currency in which a particular issuance of Notes is denominated, and may be, subject to the imposition of any potential tax, freely transferred out of Sweden.
(ii) No governmental authorization of or with any governmental authority is required to effect payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes.
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(jj) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes or duties and no capital gains, income, withholding or other taxes are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters to Sweden or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein in connection with (A) the issuance, sale and delivery by the Company, to or for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of the Notes or (B) the sale and delivery outside Sweden by the Underwriters of the Notes to the initial purchasers thereof provided such sale and delivery is not related to a permanent establishment of the Underwriters in Sweden and noting that the holding of Notes does not in itself constitute such permanent establishment.
(kk) The Notes and the Indenture will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Prospectus and the General Disclosure Package and will be in substantially the respective forms filed or incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as exhibits to the Registration Statement.
2. | Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Notes. |
On the basis of the representations, warranties, agreements and covenants herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the Underwriters, and the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, agree to purchase the Notes in the respective principal amounts set forth on Schedule I hereto from the Company at % of their principal amount. One or more certificates in definitive form for the Notes that the Underwriters have agreed to purchase hereunder, and in such denomination or denominations and registered in such name or names as the Underwriters request upon notice to the Company at least 36 hours prior to the Closing Date, shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Underwriters, against payment by or on behalf of the Underwriters of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer (same day funds), to such account or accounts as the Company shall specify prior to the Closing Date, or by such means as the parties hereto shall agree prior to the Closing Date. Such delivery of and payment for the Notes shall be made at the offices of [—] at [—] A.M., [—] time, on [—], [—], or at such other place, time or date as the Underwriters, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, may agree upon, such time and date of delivery against payment being herein referred to as the “Closing Date.” The Company will make such certificate or certificates for the Notes available for checking and packaging by the Underwriters at the offices of [—] in [—], or at such other place as [—] may designate, at least 24 hours prior to the Closing Date.
3. | Offering by the Underwriters. |
It is understood that the several Underwriters are to make a public offering of the Notes as soon as the Representative[s] deem[s] it advisable to do so. The Notes are to be initially offered to the public at the initial public offering price set forth in the Prospectus. The Representative[s] may from time to time thereafter change the public offering price and other selling terms.
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4. | Covenants of the Company. |
The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(a) The Company will (A) prepare and timely file with the Commission under Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) under the Act a Prospectus in a form approved by the Representative[s] containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rules 430A, 430B or 430C under the Act, (B) not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or distribute an amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or document incorporated by reference therein of which the Representative[s] shall not previously have been advised and furnished with a copy or to which the Representative[s] shall have reasonably and timely objected in writing and (C) file on a timely basis all reports required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering of the Notes by the Underwriters.
(b) The Company will (i) not make any offer relating to the Notes that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission under Rule 433 under the Act unless the Representative[s] approve[s] its use in writing prior to first use (each, a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”); provided that the prior written consent of the Representative[s] hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) included in Schedule II hereto, (ii) treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (iii) comply with the requirements of Rules 163, 164 and 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including the requirements relating to timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.
(c) The Company will prepare a final term sheet (the “Final Term Sheet”) reflecting the final terms of the Notes, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative[s], and shall file such Final Term Sheet as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to Rule 433 under the Act prior to the close of business two business days after the date hereof; provided that the Company shall provide the Representative[s] with copies of any such Final Term Sheet a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing and will not use or file any such document to which the Representative[s] or counsel to the Underwriters shall reasonably object.
(d) The Company will advise the Representative[s] promptly (A) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Notes shall have become effective, or any supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (B) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (C) of any request of the Commission for amendment of the Registration Statement or the filing of a new registration statement or any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or for any additional information, and (D) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or such new registration statement or any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the institution of any proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order and to obtain as soon as possible the lifting thereof, if issued.
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(e) If at any time when Notes remain unsold by the Underwriters the Company receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Representative[s], (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representative[s], (iii) use its best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective as soon as practicable (if such filing is not otherwise effective immediately pursuant to Rule 462 under the Act), and (iv) promptly notify the Representative[s] of such effectiveness. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Notes to continue as contemplated in the Registration Statement that was the subject of the notice under Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act or for which the Company has otherwise become ineligible. References herein to the Registration Statement relating to the Notes shall include such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may be.
(f) The Company agrees to pay the required filing fees to the Commission relating to the Notes within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Act (without regard to the proviso in subsection (i) thereof) and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Act.
(g) The Company will cooperate with the Representative[s] in endeavoring to qualify the Notes for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative[s] may reasonably have designated in writing and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such information as may be reasonably required for that purpose; provided the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or required to file such a consent or subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject. The Company will, from time to time, prepare and file such statements, reports, and other documents, as are or may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period as the Representative[s] may reasonably request for distribution of the Notes.
(h) The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representative[s], from time to time, as many copies of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representative[s] may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representative[s] during the period when delivery of a Prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the Act) (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”) is required under the Act, as many copies of the Prospectus in final form, or as thereafter amended or supplemented, as the Representative[s] may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to the Representative[s] at or before the Closing Date, four signed copies of the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto including all exhibits filed therewith, and will deliver to the Representative[s] such number of copies of the Registration Statement (including such number of copies of the exhibits filed therewith that may reasonably be requested), including documents incorporated by reference therein, and of all amendments thereto, as the Representative[s] may reasonably request.
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(i) The Company will comply with the Act, the Rules and Regulations, the Exchange Act and the Trust Indenture Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Notes as contemplated in this Agreement and the Prospectus. If during the period in which a prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required by law to be delivered by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with any law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the Exchange Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus so that the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it is so delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply with the law.
(j) If the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Notes at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with any law, the Company promptly will either (i) prepare, file with the Commission (if required) and furnish to the Underwriters and any dealers an appropriate amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the Exchange Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package so that the General Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances, be misleading or conflict with the Registration Statement then on file, or so that the General Disclosure Package will comply with law.
(k) The Company will make generally available to its security holders, as soon as it is practicable to do so, an earnings statement (which need not be audited) complying with the requirements of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act.
(l) During the period beginning on the date hereof and continuing to the Closing Date, without the prior written consent of [—], the Company will not offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of, except as provided hereunder, any securities of the Company (or guaranteed by the Company) that are substantially similar to the Notes.
(m) The Company shall apply the net proceeds of its sale of the Notes as set forth in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
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(n) The Company shall not invest, or otherwise use, the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Notes in such a manner as would require the Company or any of the Subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the 0000 Xxx.
(o) The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.
5. | Costs and Expenses. |
The Company will pay all costs, expenses and fees incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the following: accounting fees of the Company; the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company; the cost of printing and delivering to, or as requested by, the Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectuses, Statutory Prospectus, the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, the Prospectus, this Agreement, the Indenture, the Blue Sky Survey and any supplements or amendments thereto; the filing fees of the Commission; any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Notes; the costs and expenses (including without limitation any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Notes made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation in Section 1(b); and the fees and expenses of the Trustee, including fees and expenses of counsel for the Trustee.
6. | Conditions of Obligations of the Underwriters. |
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Notes on the Closing Date are subject to the accuracy, as of the Applicable Time or the Closing Date, as the case may be, of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein, and to the performance by the Company of its covenants and obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) The Registration Statement and all post-effective amendments thereto shall have become effective and the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus required shall have been filed as required by Rules 424(b), 430A, 430B, 430C or 433 under the Act, as applicable, within the time period prescribed by, and in compliance with, the Rules and Regulations, and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement or otherwise) shall have been disclosed to the Representative[s] and complied with to their reasonable satisfaction. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, as amended from time to time, shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Act shall have been taken or, to the knowledge of the Company, shall be threatened by the Commission and no injunction, restraining order or order of any nature by a Federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date which would prevent the issuance of the Notes.
(b) The Representative[s] shall have received on the Closing Date the opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx (London) LLP, U.S. counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, addressed to the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto. In addition to
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the matters set forth above, such opinion shall also include a statement to the effect that nothing has come to the attention of such counsel which leads them to believe that (i) the Registration Statement, as of the [Applicable Time] [dated of first use of the Prospectus] contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the General Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (iii) the Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, on the date it was filed pursuant to the Rules and Regulations and as of the Closing Date, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (except that such counsel need express no view as to financial statements and schedules and other financial data therein). With respect to such statement, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx (London) LLP may state that their belief is based upon the procedures set forth therein, but is without independent check and verification.
(c) The Representative[s] shall have received on the Closing Date the opinion of Xxxxxxxxxx Swartling Advokatbyrå AB, Swedish counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, addressed to the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Exhibit C hereto.
(d) The Representative[s] shall have received from Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, an opinion dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative[s], and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters. In addition to the matters set forth above, such opinion shall also include a statement to the effect that nothing has come to the attention of such counsel which leads them to believe that (i) the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, as of the [Applicable Time] [date of first use of the Prospectus] contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the General Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (iii) the Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, on the date it was filed pursuant to the Rules and Regulations and as of the Closing Date, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (except that such counsel need express no view as to financial statements and schedules and other financial data therein). With respect to such statement, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP may state that their belief is based upon the procedures set forth therein, but is without independent check and verification.
(e) The Representative[s] shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof and the Closing Date, respectively, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative[s], of Pricewaterhouse Coopers AB confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and the
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PCAOB and stating that in their opinion the financial statements and schedules examined by them and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the related Rules and Regulations; and containing such other statements and information as are ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to Underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial and statistical information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(f) The Representative[s] shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company to the effect that, as of the Closing Date, representing as follows:
(i) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or no order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act have been taken or are, to his or her knowledge, threatened by the Commission;
(ii) The representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof are true and correct as of the Closing Date; and
(iii) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, there has not been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the business, results of operations or financial condition of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not occurring in the ordinary course of business.
(g) The Representative[s] shall have been furnished with such further certificates and documents confirming accuracy of the representation and warranties, compliance with covenants and satisfaction of conditions, in each case, contained herein, and related matters, as the Representative[s] may reasonably have requested.
(h) Subsequent to the earlier of (A) the Applicable Time and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating of the Notes or any other debt securities of the Company by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as such term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced any intended or potential decrease in any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.
The opinions and certificates mentioned in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in all material respects satisfactory to the Representative[s] and to Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters.
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If any of the conditions hereinabove provided for in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representative[s] by notifying the Company of such termination in writing or by facsimile at or prior to the Closing Date.
In such event, the Company and the Underwriters shall not be under any obligation to each other (except to the extent provided in Sections 5 and 7 hereof).
7. | Indemnification. |
(a) The Company agrees:
(1) to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter or any such controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, (ii) with respect to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, 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 (iii) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus, or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representative[s] specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 12; and
(2) to reimburse each Underwriter, each Underwriters’ directors and officers, and each such controlling person upon demand for any legal or other out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or such controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage or liability (or action or proceeding in respect thereof). In the event that it is finally judicially determined that the Underwriters were not entitled to receive payments for legal and other expenses pursuant to this subparagraph, the Underwriters will promptly return all sums that had been advanced pursuant hereto.
(b) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who have signed the Registration
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Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, (ii) with respect to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, 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 (iii) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made; and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action or proceeding; provided, however, that each Underwriter will be liable in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representative[s] specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 12. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which such Underwriter may otherwise have.
(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Section 7, such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing. No indemnification provided for in Section 7(a) or (b) shall be available to any party who shall fail to give notice as provided in this Section 7(c) if the party to whom notice was not given was unaware of the proceeding to which such notice would have related and was materially prejudiced by the failure to give such notice, but the failure to give such notice shall not relieve the indemnifying party or parties from any liability which it or they may have to the indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than on account of the provisions of Section 7(a) or (b). In case any such proceeding shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party and shall pay as incurred the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel at its own expense. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnifying party shall pay as incurred the fees and expenses of the counsel retained by the indemnified party in the event (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same
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counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them or (iii) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense and employ counsel acceptable to the indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of commencement of the action. Such firm shall be designated in writing by you in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(a) and by the Company in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(b). The indemnifying party 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 from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. In addition, the indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not any indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such claim, action or proceeding) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action or proceeding.
(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 7(a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Notes. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 7(d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to above in this Section 7(d)
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shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), (i) no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Notes purchased by such Underwriter, and (ii) no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this Section 7(d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
(e) Any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses for which an indemnified party is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Section 7 shall be paid by the indemnifying party to the indemnified party as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are incurred.
8. | Default by Underwriters. |
If on the Closing Date any Underwriter shall fail to purchase and pay for the principal amount of the Notes which such Underwriter has agreed to purchase and pay for on such date (otherwise than by reason of any default on the part of the Company), you, as Representative[s] of the Underwriters, shall use your reasonable efforts to procure within 36 hours thereafter one or more of the other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase from the Company such principal amounts as may be agreed upon, and upon the terms set forth herein, the Notes which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase. If during such 36 hours you, as such Representative[s], shall not have procured such other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase the principal amount of the Notes agreed to be purchased by the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then (a) if the aggregate principal amount of Notes with respect to which such default shall occur does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be purchased on the Closing Date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in proportion to the respective principal amounts of the Notes which they are obligated to purchase hereunder, to purchase the Notes which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase, or (b) if the aggregated principal amount of the Notes with respect to which such default shall occur exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be purchased on the Closing Date, the Company or you as the Representative[s] of the Underwriters will have the right, by written notice given within the next 36-hour period to the parties to this Agreement, to terminate this Agreement without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters or of the Company, except to the extent provided in Sections 5 and 7 hereof. In the event of a default by any Underwriter or Underwriters, as set forth in this Section 8, the Closing Date may be postponed for such period, not exceeding seven days, as you, as Representative[s], may determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. The term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter. Any action taken under this Section 8 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
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9. | Notices. |
All communications hereunder shall be in writing and, except as otherwise provided herein, will be mailed, delivered or telecopied and confirmed as follows: if to the Underwriters, to [—], with a copy to [—]; if to the Company, to Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ), XX-000 00 Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxx, Attention: Group Treasury (cc. Group Legal Affairs), Facsimile: x00 00 000 0000 (cc. x00 00 000 0000)
10. | Termination. |
This Agreement may be terminated by you by notice to the Company (a) at any time prior to the Closing Date if any of the following has occurred: (i) since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the business, results of operations or financial condition of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, (ii) any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or declaration of war or national emergency or other national or international calamity or crisis if the effect of such outbreak, escalation, declaration, emergency, calamity or crisis on the financial markets of the United States would, in your judgment, make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Notes or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Notes, (iii) any material change in economic or political conditions, if the effect of such change on the financial markets of the United States would, in your judgment, make it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Notes or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Notes, (iv) suspension of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Global Select Market or limitation on prices (other than limitations on hours or numbers of days of trading) for securities on either such Exchange, (v) the declaration of a banking moratorium by United States or New York State authorities, or (vi) the suspension of trading of the Company’s common stock by the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Commission, or any other governmental authority; or (b) as provided in Sections 6 and 8 of this Agreement.
11. | Successors. |
This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, executors, administrators, heirs and assigns, and the officers, directors and controlling persons referred to herein, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. No purchaser of any of the Notes from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign merely because of such purchase.
12. | Information Provided by Underwriters. |
The Company and the Underwriters acknowledge and agree that the only information furnished or to be furnished by any Underwriter to the Company for inclusion in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus consists of [the information set forth in the [—] paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus [and] [include any information furnished by the Underwriters for inclusion in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus]].
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13. | No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility. |
The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company 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 on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. The Company agrees that it will not claim that any Underwriter has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
14. | Counterparts. |
This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
15. | Survival Clause. |
The reimbursement, indemnification and contribution agreements contained in this Agreement and the representations and warranties in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person thereof, or by or on behalf of the Company or its directors or officers, and delivery of and payment for the Notes under this Agreement. Section 5 and Section 7 will survive the termination of this Agreement.
16. | Submission to Jurisdiction; Appointment of Agent for Service. |
(a) The Company irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any New York State or United States Federal court sitting in the Borough of Manhattan in the City, County and State of New York over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement. The Company irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court and any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. To the extent that the Company has or hereafter may acquire any immunity (on the grounds of sovereignty or otherwise) from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process with respect to itself or its property, the Company irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, such immunity in respect of any such suit, action or proceeding.
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(b) The Company hereby irrevocably appoints Ericsson Inc. as its agent for service of process in any suit, action or proceeding described in the preceding paragraph and agrees that service of process in any such suit, action or proceeding may be made upon it at the office of such agent. The Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any other requirements of or objections to personal jurisdiction with respect thereto. The Company represents and warrants that such agent has agreed to act as its agent for service of process and agrees to take any and all action, including the filing of any and all documents and instruments that may be necessary to continue such appointment in full force and effect.
17. | Indemnification of Judgment Currency. |
In respect of any judgment or order given or made for any amount due hereunder that is expressed and paid in a currency (the “judgment currency”) other than United States dollars, the Company will indemnify each Underwriter against any loss incurred by such Underwriter as a result of any variation as between (i) the rate of exchange at which the United States dollar amount is converted into the judgment currency for the purpose of such judgment or order and (ii) the rate of exchange at which an Underwriter is able to purchase United States dollars with the amount of judgment currency actually received by such Underwriter. The foregoing indemnity shall constitute a separate and independent obligation of the Company and shall continue in full force and effect notwithstanding any such judgment or order as aforesaid. The term “rate of exchange” shall include any premiums and costs of exchange payable in connection with the purchase of or conversion into United States dollars.
18. | Governing Law. |
This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York, including, without limitation, Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law.
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If the foregoing letter is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicates hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, | ||
TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL) | ||
By |
|
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement
is hereby confirmed and accepted as of
the date first above written.
[ ]
As Representative[s] of the several | ||
Underwriters listed on Schedule I | ||
By: | [ ] | |
By |
| |
Authorized Officer | ||
By |
| |
Authorized Officer |
SCHEDULE I
Schedule of Underwriters
Underwriter |
Aggregate Principal to be Purchased | |
[ ] |
||
| ||
Total |
||
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SCHEDULE II
[List each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to be included in the General Disclosure Package including Final Term Sheet, if applicable]
EXHIBIT A
EXHIBIT B
(i) Assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Company, the Indenture is the legally valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, [except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally, and (ii) general principles of equity and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought (collectively, the “Enforceability Exceptions”)].
(ii) Assuming the due authorization of the Notes by all necessary corporate action of the Company and, when executed, issued and authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, the Notes will be legally valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to the Enforceability Exceptions.
(iii) The execution and delivery of the Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Notes by the Company to the Underwriters pursuant to the Agreement do not on the date hereof require any consents, approvals, or authorizations to be obtained by the Company from, or any registrations, declarations or filings to be made by the Company with, any governmental authority under any U.S. federal statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Company (other than as may be required by FINRA).
(iv) The statements under the caption “Description of Notes” in the Preliminary Prospectus, considered together with the document listed in Schedule [ ] hereto, and in the Final Prospectus, together in each case with the statements under the caption “Description of Debt Securities” in the Base Prospectus, insofar as they purport to describe or summarize certain provisions of the Notes or the Indenture are accurate summaries or descriptions in all material respects.
(v) The Company is not, and immediately after giving effect to the sale of the Notes in accordance with the Agreement and the application of the proceeds as described in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds,” will not be required to be, registered as an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(vi) The Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
(vii) The statements in the Prospectus under the caption “Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Consequences”, insofar as such statements purport to constitute summaries of United States federal income tax law and regulations or legal conclusions with respect thereto, constitute accurate summaries of the matters described therein in all material respects.
EXHIBIT C
(i) The Company is duly incorporated and validly existing as a public company limited by shares (Sw: publikt aktiebolag) with corporate power and authority and the legal right to carry on business, to own property and to execute, issue and perform all of its obligations under the Indenture and the Agreement.
(ii) To the best of our knowledge, but without any independent investigation having been made (other than a search at the District Court of Solna on [date], which search is not conclusive), no petition or resolution for bankruptcy, liquidation, company reconstruction or dissolution in respect of the Company has been filed or passed.
(iii) The Indenture and the Agreement have been duly authorised and executed by the Company and impose obligations upon the Company which are legally valid and binding as between the parties (Sw: obligationsrättsligt) and which are enforceable against the Company under the laws of Sweden.
(iv) The choice of New York law to govern the Agreement and the Indenture is, under the laws of Sweden, a valid choice of law and will be recognized and applied by the Swedish courts, upon proof of the relevant provisions of New York law.
(v) The submission to the jurisdiction of the courts of New York and the appointment of [—] as agent for service of process contained in the Agreement and the Indenture are legally valid and binding obligations as between the parties under the laws of Sweden. A final judgment rendered by a court in New York in connection with a civil and commercial dispute relating to the Indenture or the Agreement would, in principle, neither be recognised nor enforceable in Sweden. However, if the party in whose favour the final judgment has been rendered brings a new action in a competent court of Sweden, the final judgment rendered in New York may be submitted to the court, but shall only be regarded as evidence of the outcome of the dispute to which such judgment relates, and the Swedish court has full discretion to rehear the dispute ab initio.
(vi) The statements contained under the heading “Enforceability of Certain Civil Liabilities” contained in the Prospectus, insofar as such statements describe legal matters, documents or proceedings under the laws of Sweden, are fair and accurate in all material respects.
(vii) The statements contained under the heading(s) “Taxation” contained in the Prospectus, insofar as such statements purport to summarize certain laws of Sweden, constitute a fair summary of the principal Swedish tax consequences of an investment in the Securities.
(viii) No registration, recording, filing or notarisation and no payment of any tax is necessary to ensure the validity, enforceability or admissibility in evidence of the Indenture or the Agreement.
(ix) Neither the execution nor the performance by the Company of the Indenture and the Agreement requires any consent or approval of, giving of notice to, registration with, or taking of any other action in respect of, any Swedish governmental authority or agency (except for certain filings with the Swedish Central Bank (Sw: Sveriges Riksbank) and the Swedish Tax Agency (Sw: Skatteverket) for statistical purposes in connection with certain payments, in respect of which it may be noted that failure to comply with such filing requirements will not affect the validity of the transactions and the filing requirements only apply to persons who supply systems for transferring payments in Sweden, have an establishment in Sweden or are otherwise deemed to conduct business in Sweden).
(x) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, there will be no obligation upon the Company or any Paying Agent to make any deduction or withholding on account of the Swedish tax law from any payment of principal or interest by the Company on the Notes, other than in respect of interest paid to an individual or the estate of a deceased individual with tax residence in Sweden.
(xi) Neither the execution by the Company of the Indenture and the Agreement, nor the performance by it of any of its obligations thereunder, nor the compliance by it with the terms and conditions thereof, will:
(a) | violate or result in any breach of, or constitute a default under, any applicable Swedish legislation, or |
(b) | contravene or result in any breach of any provision of its Articles of Association. |