Series 2010A Floating Rate Senior Notes due March 15, 2013 GEORGIA POWER COMPANY UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.4
$350,000,000
Series
2010A Floating Rate Senior Notes
due March
15, 2013
GEORGIA
POWER COMPANY
March 9,
2010
Barclays
Capital Inc.
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
0000
Xxxxxxxx
as Representatives of the Several
Underwriters named on Schedule I hereto
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
Georgia
Power Company, a Georgia corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement
(the “Agreement”) with you and the other Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto
(collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter
substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 11 hereof), for whom you are
acting as representatives (in such capacity you shall hereinafter be referred to
as the “Representatives”), with respect to the sale by the Company and the
purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of $350,000,000
aggregate principal amount of the Series 2010A Floating Rate Senior Notes due
March 15, 2013 (the “Senior Notes”) as set forth in Schedule I
hereto.
The
Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of
the Senior Notes as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after this
Agreement has been executed and delivered. The Senior Notes will be
issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of January 1, 1998 (the “Base
Indenture”), by and between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon (as
successor to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan
Bank)), as trustee (the “Trustee”), as heretofore supplemented and amended and
as to be further supplemented and amended by a fortieth supplemental indenture,
dated as of March 16, 2010, to the Base Indenture relating to the Senior Notes
(the “Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture and any
other amendments or supplements thereto, the “Indenture”), between the Company
and the Trustee.
Pursuant
to a Calculation Agent Agreement, dated as of June 15, 2007 (the “Calculation
Agent Agreement”), between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, as
calculation agent thereunder (the “Calculation Agent”), the Company has engaged
the Calculation Agent to perform certain services with respect to the floating
interest rate on the Senior Notes.
SECTION
1. REPRESENTATIONS AND
WARRANTIES. The Company represents and warrants to the
Underwriters as follows:
(a) A
registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-165133) in respect of the
Senior Notes and certain other securities has been prepared and filed in
accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“1933 Act”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”);
such registration statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in
the form heretofore delivered or to be delivered to the Underwriters, became
effective upon filing with the Commission in such form (except that copies of
the registration statement and any post-effective amendment delivered to the
Underwriters need not include exhibits but shall include all documents
incorporated by reference therein); and no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of such registration statement has been issued and no proceeding
for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act against the Company
or related to the offering has been initiated or, to the best knowledge of the
Company, threatened by the Commission (any preliminary prospectus, as
supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement, included in such
registration statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of
the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act, being
hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus”); such registration statement as
used with respect to the Senior Notes, including the information deemed a part
thereof pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(1) under the 1933 Act on the date of such
registration statement’s effectiveness for purposes of Section 11 of the 1933
Act, as such Section applies to the Company and the Underwriters for the Senior
Notes pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the 1933 Act (the “Effective Date”),
including the exhibits thereto and all documents incorporated by reference
therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 at the Effective Date, being hereinafter
called the “Registration Statement”; the base prospectus relating to the Senior
Notes and certain other securities of the Company, in the form in which it has
most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this
Agreement relating to the Senior Notes, being hereinafter called the “Basic
Prospectus”; the Basic Prospectus as amended and supplemented by a preliminary
prospectus supplement dated March 9, 2010 relating to the Senior Notes which has
been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act, as it
may be further amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time
(as hereinafter defined) is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus”; the
Basic Prospectus as amended or supplemented in final form, including by a
prospectus supplement relating to the Senior Notes in the form in which it is
filed with the Commission, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933
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Act in
accordance with Section 4(e) hereof is hereinafter called the “Final
Supplemented Prospectus”; any reference herein to any Preliminary Prospectus,
the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented
Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by
reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, as of the
date of such Preliminary Prospectus, Basic Prospectus, Pricing Prospectus or
Final Supplemented Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any
amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus, the Basic Prospectus, the
Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus shall be deemed to refer
to and include any documents filed after the date of such Preliminary
Prospectus, Basic Prospectus, Pricing Prospectus or Final Supplemented
Prospectus, as the case may be, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the “1934 Act”), and incorporated by reference in such Preliminary
Prospectus, Basic Prospectus, Pricing Prospectus or Final Supplemented
Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment to the
Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report
of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the 1934 Act after
the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement.
For purposes of this Agreement, the
“Applicable Time” is 2:05 P.M. (New York Time) on the date of this Agreement;
the documents listed in Schedule III, taken together and attached hereto, are
collectively referred to as the “Pricing Disclosure Package.”
(b) The
documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Pricing
Prospectus, when they were filed with the Commission, complied in all material
respects with the applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder, and as of such time of filing, when
read together with the Pricing Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing
Prospectus (as defined in Section 3(a) hereof), none of such documents 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, in
the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and
any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Final
Supplemented Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when
such documents are filed with the Commission, will comply in all material
respects with the applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder and, when read together with the Final
Supplemented Prospectus as it otherwise may be amended or supplemented, will not
contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in
the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading,
except that the Company makes no warranty or representation to the Underwriters
with respect to: (A) any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any
Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Pricing
Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented
Prospectus; or (B) any
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information
set forth in the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus under
the caption “Description of the Series 2010A Senior Notes ─ Book-Entry Only
Issuance ─ The Depository Trust Company.”
(c) The
Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus comply, and any
further amendments or supplements thereto, when any such amendments become
effective or supplements are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will
comply, in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1933 Act,
the 1934 Act, the 1939 Act (as hereinafter defined) and the General Rules and
Regulations of the Commission thereunder and the Registration Statement, the
Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus do not and will
not, (i) as of the Effective Date as to the Registration Statement and any
amendment thereto, (ii) as of the Applicable Time as to the Pricing Disclosure
Package and (iii) as of the date of the Final Supplemented Prospectus as to the
Final Supplemented Prospectus or as of the date when any supplement is filed as
to the Final Supplemented Prospectus as further supplemented or as of the
Closing Date as to the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented
Prospectus as it may be further supplemented as provided above, contain an
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the case of the
Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, and, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading in the case of the
Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus as further
supplemented; except that the Company makes no warranties or representations
with respect to (A) that part of the Registration Statement which shall
constitute the Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act
of 1939, as amended (the “1939 Act”), (B) any statements or omissions made in a
Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Pricing
Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any
Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein; or (C) any
information set forth in the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented
Prospectus under the caption “Description of the Series 2010A Senior Notes ─
Book-Entry Only Issuance ─ The Depository Trust Company.”
(d) Each
Permitted Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule III hereto does not include
anything that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration
Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus and each
such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together
with the Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not contain
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, except that the
Company makes no warranty or representation to the Underwriters with respect to
any statement or omissions made in a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in
reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to
the
4
Company
by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use
therein.
(e) With
respect to the Registration Statement, (i) the Registration Statement is an
“automatic shelf registration statement” (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933
Act), (ii) the Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant
to Rule 401(g)(2) of the 1933 Act objecting to the use of the automatic shelf
registration statement and (iii) the conditions for use of Form S-3, as set
forth in the General Instructions thereof, have been satisfied.
(f) (A)
At the time of filing of the Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most
recent amendment to the Registration Statement for the purposes of complying
with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was by
post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or
15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus) and (C) 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 1933 Act) made any offer relating to the Senior Notes in
reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the 1933 Act, the Company was a
“well-known seasoned issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933
Act).
(g) At
the determination date for purposes of the Senior Notes within the meaning of
Rule 164(h) under the 1933 Act, the Company was not an “ineligible issuer” as
defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act.
(h) Since
the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement and the Pricing Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, there
has been no material adverse change in the business, properties or financial
condition of the Company, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of
business.
(i) The
Company is a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State
of Georgia and has due corporate authority to carry on the public utility
business in which it is engaged and to own and operate the properties used by it
in such business, to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement
and the Indenture and to issue and sell the Senior Notes to the
Underwriters.
(j) This
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company.
(k) The
Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, on the Closing Date (as
hereinafter defined), will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company,
and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the
Trustee, the Indenture will, on the Closing Date, constitute a valid and binding
obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with
its terms, except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by (1)
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, liquidation, fraudulent
conveyance, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors’
5
rights
generally or (2) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement
is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) (the “Enforceability
Exceptions”); the Indenture will conform in all material respects to all
statements relating thereto contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the
Final Supplemented Prospectus; and, on the Closing Date, the Indenture will have
been duly qualified under the 1939 Act.
(l) The
issuance and delivery of the Senior Notes have been duly authorized by the
Company and, on the Closing Date, the Senior Notes will have been duly executed
by the Company and, when authenticated in the manner provided for in the
Indenture and delivered against payment therefor as described in this Agreement,
will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company,
enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except to the
extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions,
will be in the form contemplated by, and entitled to the benefits of, the
Indenture and will conform in all material respects to all statements relating
thereto in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented
Prospectus.
(m) The
Calculation Agent Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by
the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the
Calculation Agent Agreement by the Calculation Agent, the Calculation Agent
Agreement constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable
against the Company in accordance with its terms except to the extent that
enforcement thereof may be limited by the Enforceability
Exceptions.
(n) The
execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the
Calculation Agent Agreement, the Indenture and the Senior Notes and the
consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated herein and therein
and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and thereunder
shall have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of
the Company and do not and will not result in any violation of the charter or
bylaws of the Company, and do not and will not conflict with, or result in a
breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or
result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any
property or assets of the Company under (A) any contract, indenture, mortgage,
loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the
Company is a party or by which it may be bound or to which any of its properties
may be subject (except for conflicts, breaches or defaults which would not,
individually or in the aggregate, be materially adverse to the Company or
materially adverse to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement), or (B)
any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any
government, governmental instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, or any
regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having
jurisdiction over the Company, or any of its properties.
6
(o) No
authorization, approval, consent or order of any court or governmental authority
or agency is necessary in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company
of the Senior Notes or the transactions by the Company contemplated in this
Agreement, except (A) such as may be required under the 1933 Act or the rules
and regulations thereunder; (B) such as may be required under the Federal Power
Act; (C) the qualification of the Indenture under the 1939 Act; (D) the approval
of the Georgia Public Service Commission (the “Georgia Commission”); and (E)
such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may
be required under state securities or “blue sky” laws.
(p) The
financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement,
the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, together with the
related schedules and notes, present fairly, in all material respects, the
financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of
and for the dates indicated; said financial statements have been prepared in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
(“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis (except that the unaudited financial
statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing
Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus may be subject to normal
year-end adjustments) throughout the periods involved and necessarily include
amounts that are based on the best estimates and judgments of
management. The selected financial data and the summary financial
information included in the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented
Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled
on a basis consistent with that of the audited and unaudited financial
statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.
SECTION
2. SALE AND DELIVERY TO THE
UNDERWRITERS; CLOSING.
(a) On
the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to
the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each
Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not
jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, the principal amount of the Senior
Notes set forth in Schedule I to this Agreement opposite the name of such
Underwriter (plus any additional amount of Senior Notes that such Underwriter
may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 11
hereof) at a price equal to 99.650% of the principal amount
thereof.
(b) Payment
of the purchase price and delivery of certificates for the Senior Notes shall be
made at the offices of Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP, 30 Xxxx Xxxxx Xx. Boulevard, X.X.,
Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000 at 10:00 A.M., New York Time, on March 16,
2010 (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 11 hereof)
or such other time, place or date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives
and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery
7
being
herein called the “Closing Date”). Payment shall be made to the
Company by wire transfer in federal funds at the Closing Date against delivery
of the Senior Notes to Barclays Capital Inc. on behalf of all of the
Underwriters. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized
Barclays Capital Inc., for each Underwriter’s account, to accept delivery of,
receipt for, and make payment of, the principal amount of the Senior Notes which
each Underwriter has agreed to purchase. Barclays Capital Inc.,
individually and not as a representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not
be obligated to) make payment of the principal amount of the Senior Notes to be
purchased by any Underwriter whose payment has not been received by the Closing
Date, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations
hereunder.
The
delivery of the Senior Notes shall be made in fully registered form, registered
in the name of CEDE & CO., to the offices of The Depository Trust Company in
New York, New York or its designee, and the Underwriters shall accept such
delivery.
The
certificate(s) for the Senior Notes will be made available for examination by
the Representatives not later than 12:00 Noon, New York time, on the last
business day prior to the Closing Date.
SECTION
3. FREE WRITING
PROSPECTUSES.
(a) The
Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the
Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the
Senior Notes that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in
Rule 405 under the 1933 Act, other than a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus;
each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, represents and agrees that, without
the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and
will not make any offer relating to the Senior Notes that would constitute a
“free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act, other than
a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or a free writing prospectus that is not
required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433 or one or more free
writing prospectuses through customary Bloomberg distribution that do not
contain substantive changes from or additions to the information contained in
Schedule II hereto; any such free writing prospectus (which shall include the
pricing term sheet discussed in Section 3(b) hereof), the use of which has been
consented to by the Company and the Representatives, is listed on Schedule III
and herein called a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.”
(b) The
Company agrees to prepare a pricing term sheet, substantially in the form of
Schedule II hereto and approved by the Representatives, and to file such pricing
term sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act within the time period
prescribed by such Rule.
(c) The
Company and the Representatives have complied and will comply with the
requirements of Rule 433 under the 1933 Act applicable to any free writing
prospectus, including timely Commission filing where required and
legending.
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(d)
The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of a Permitted Free
Writing Prospectus any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such
Permitted Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information in the
Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented
Prospectus or include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of
the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will give prompt
notice thereof to the Representatives and, if requested by the Representatives,
will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter a free writing
prospectus or other document, the use of which has been consented to by the
Representatives, which will correct such conflict, statement or omission;
provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any
statements or omissions in a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance
upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by
any Underwriter through the Representatives, expressly for use
therein.
(e) The
Company agrees that if there occurs an event or development as a result of which
the Pricing Disclosure Package would include an untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances then prevailing, not
misleading, the Company will notify the Representatives so that any use of the
Pricing Disclosure Package may cease until it is amended or
supplemented.
SECTION
4. COVENANTS OF THE
COMPANY. The Company covenants with the Underwriters as
follows:
(a) The
Company, on or prior to the Closing Date, will deliver to the Underwriters
conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of all
amendments thereto, heretofore or hereafter made, including any post-effective
amendment (in each case including all exhibits filed therewith, and including
unsigned copies of each consent and certificate included therein or filed as an
exhibit thereto, except exhibits incorporated by reference, unless specifically
requested). As soon as the Company is advised thereof, it will advise
the Representatives orally of the issuance of any stop order under the 1933 Act
with respect to the Registration Statement, or the institution of any
proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act against
the Company or related to the offering, of which the Company shall have received
notice, and will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop
order and to secure the prompt removal thereof, if issued. The
Company will deliver to the Representatives sufficient conformed copies of the
Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus and the
Final Supplemented Prospectus and of all supplements and amendments thereto (in
each case without exhibits) for distribution to the Underwriters and, from time
to time, as many copies of the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus and the
Final Supplemented Prospectus
9
as the
Underwriters may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the 1933
Act or the 1934 Act.
(b) The
Company will furnish the Underwriters with written or electronic copies of each
amendment and supplement to the Final Supplemented Prospectus relating to the
offering of the Senior Notes in such quantities as the Underwriters may from
time to time reasonably request. If, during the period (not exceeding
nine months) when the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice
referred to in Rule 173(a) under the 1933 Act) shall be required by law in
connection with the sale of any Senior Notes by an Underwriter, any event
relating to or affecting the Company, or of which the Company shall be advised
in writing by the Representatives, shall occur, which in the opinion of the
Company or of Underwriters’ counsel should be set forth in a supplement to or an
amendment of the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to
make the Final Supplemented Prospectus not misleading in the light of the
circumstances when it (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a)
under the 1933 Act) is delivered, or if for any other reason it shall be
necessary during such period to amend or supplement the Final Supplemented
Prospectus or to file under the 1934 Act any document incorporated by reference
in the Final Supplemented Prospectus in order to comply with the 1933 Act or the
1934 Act, the Company forthwith will (i) notify the Underwriters to suspend
solicitation of purchases of the Senior Notes and (ii) at its expense, make any
such filing or prepare and furnish to the Underwriters a reasonable number of
copies of a supplement or supplements or an amendment or amendments to the Final
Supplemented Prospectus which will supplement or amend the Final Supplemented
Prospectus so that, as supplemented or amended, it will not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the
Final Supplemented Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in
Rule 173(a) under the 1933 Act) is delivered, not misleading or which will
effect any other necessary compliance. In case any Underwriter is
required to deliver a prospectus in connection with the sale of any Senior Notes
after the expiration of the period specified in the preceding sentence, the
Company, upon the request of such Underwriter, will furnish to such Underwriter,
at the expense of such Underwriter, a reasonable quantity of a supplemented or
amended prospectus, or supplements or amendments to the Final Supplemented
Prospectus, complying with Section 10(a) of the 1933 Act. During the
period specified in the second sentence of this subsection, the Company will
continue to prepare and file with the Commission on a timely basis all documents
or amendments required under the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder; provided, that the Company shall not file such documents or
amendments without also furnishing copies thereof prior to such filing to the
Representatives and Xxxxx & XxXxxxx LLP.
(c) The
Company will endeavor, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the
Senior Notes for offering and sale under the applicable securities
laws
10
of such
states and the other jurisdictions of the United States as the Representatives
may designate; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to
qualify as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction in which it is not so
qualified or to file a consent to service of process or to file annual reports
or to comply with any other requirements in connection with such qualification
deemed by the Company to be unduly burdensome.
(d) The
Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as
practicable but not later than 45 days after the close of the period covered
thereby, an earnings statement of the Company (in form complying with the
provisions of Rule 158 of the rules and regulations under the 1933 Act) covering
a twelve-month period beginning not later than the first day of the Company’s
fiscal quarter next following the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of
the Registration Statement.
(e) As
soon as practicable after the date of this Agreement, and in any event within
the time prescribed by Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, the Company will file the
Final Supplemented Prospectus, in a form approved by the Representatives, such
approval not to be unreasonably withheld, with the Commission and will advise
the Representatives of such filing and will confirm such advice in
writing. Furthermore, the Company will make any other required
filings pursuant to Rule 433(d)(1) of the 1933 Act within the time required by
such Rule.
(f) During
a period of 15 days from the date of this Agreement, the Company will not,
without the Representatives’ prior written consent, directly or indirectly,
sell, offer to sell, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of,
any Senior Notes or any security convertible into or exchangeable into or
exercisable for the Senior Notes or any debt securities substantially similar to
the Senior Notes (except for the Senior Notes issued pursuant to this
Agreement). The Representatives agree that commercial paper or other
debt securities with scheduled maturities of less than one year are not subject
to this Section 4(f).
(g) If
at any time when Senior Notes remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company
receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the 1933 Act
or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration
statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Representatives, (ii)
promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the
proper form relating to the Senior Notes, in a form satisfactory to the
Representatives, (iii) use its reasonable best efforts to cause such
registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective and
(iv) promptly notify the Representatives of such effectiveness. The
Company will take all other reasonable action necessary or appropriate to permit
the public offering and sale of the Senior Notes to continue as contemplated in
the registration statement that was the subject of the Rule 401(g)(2) notice or
for which the Company has otherwise become ineligible. References
herein to the
11
Registration
Statement shall include such new registration statement or post-effective
amendment, as the case may be.
SECTION
5. PAYMENT OF
EXPENSES. The Company will pay all expenses incidental to the
performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited
to, the expenses of (i) the printing and filing of the Registration Statement as
originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, issuance
and delivery of the certificate(s) for the Senior Notes, (iii) the fees and
disbursements of the Company’s counsel and accountants, (iv) the qualification
of the Senior Notes under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of
Section 4(c) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and
disbursements of Xxxxx & XxXxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in
connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of any blue sky
survey (such fees and disbursements of counsel shall not exceed $3,500), (v) the
printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Registration
Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto and of the Pricing
Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, the Final Supplemented
Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto, (vi) the printing and
delivery to the Underwriters of copies of any blue sky survey, (vii) the fee of
the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. in connection with its review
of the offering contemplated by this Agreement, if applicable, (viii) the fees
and expenses of the Trustee and the Calculation Agent, including the fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Trustee and the Calculation Agent in connection
with the Indenture, the Calculation Agent Agreement and the Senior Notes, (ix)
any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Senior Notes, (x) the cost
and charges of any transfer agent or registrar, and (xi) the cost of qualifying
the Senior Notes with The Depository Trust Company.
Except as
otherwise provided in Section 10 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay all other
expenses incurred by them in connection with their offering of the Senior Notes
including fees and disbursements of their counsel, Xxxxx & XxXxxxx
LLP.
SECTION
6. CONDITIONS OF UNDERWRITERS’
OBLIGATIONS. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase
and pay for the Senior Notes are subject to the following
conditions:
(a) No
stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be
in effect on the Closing Date and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to
Section 8A of the 1933 Act against the Company or related to the offering shall
be pending before, or to the knowledge of the Company threatened by, the
Commission on such date. If filing of the Pricing Prospectus or the
Final Supplemented Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, is required pursuant
to Rule 424, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, and
any such supplement, as applicable, shall have been filed in the manner and
within the time period required by Rule 424. The pricing term sheet
contemplated by Section 3(b) hereto, and any other material required to be filed
by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act, shall have been filed
by the Company with the
12
Commission
within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule
433.
(b) Any
required orders of the Georgia Commission and the Commission permitting the
transactions contemplated hereby substantially in accordance with the terms and
conditions hereof shall be in full force and effect and shall contain no
provision unacceptable to the Underwriters or the Company (but all provisions of
such order or orders heretofore entered, copies of which have heretofore been
delivered to the Representatives, are deemed acceptable to the Underwriters and
the Company and all provisions of such order or orders hereafter entered shall
be deemed acceptable to the Underwriters and the Company unless within 24 hours
after receiving a copy of any such order any party to this Agreement shall give
notice to the other parties to the effect that such order contains an
unacceptable provision).
(c) On
the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received:
(1) The
opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the
Company, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule IV.
(2) The
opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Xxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx, LLP, counsel to
the Trustee, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule
V.
(3) The
opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Xxxxx & XxXxxxx LLP, counsel for the
Underwriters, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule
VI.
(d) At
the Closing Date, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the
respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement
and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, any material adverse change in the
business, properties or financial condition of the Company, whether or not
arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representatives shall have
received a certificate of the President or any Vice President of the Company,
and dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that (i) there has been no such
material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1
hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly
made at and as of the Closing Date, (iii) the Company has complied with all
agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied
on or prior to the Closing Date and (iv) no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings
for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act against the Company
or related to the offering have been initiated or, to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened by the Commission.
13
(e)
The Representatives shall have received on the date hereof and shall
receive on the Closing Date from Deloitte & Touche LLP, a letter or letters
addressed to the Representatives (which may refer to letters previously
delivered to the Representatives) dated the respective dates of delivery thereof
to the effect that: (A) they are an independent registered public
accounting firm with respect to the Company within the meaning of the 1933 Act
and the rules and regulations under the 1933 Act; (B) in their opinion, the
financial statements audited by them and incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus or the Registration Statement,
the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable,
comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations under the 1934 Act;
(C) on the basis of certain limited procedures performed through a specified
date not more than three business days prior to the date of such letter, namely
(i) reading the minute books of the Company; (ii) performing the procedures
specified by the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
(United States) for a review of interim financial statement information as
described in Statement on Auditing Standards No. 100, “Interim Financial
Information”, on the unaudited financial statements, if any, of the Company
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Pricing
Prospectus or the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final
Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable, and on the latest available unaudited
financial statements of the Company, if any, for any calendar quarter subsequent
to the date of those incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and
the Pricing Prospectus or the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and
the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable; and (iii) making inquiries of
certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and
accounting matters regarding such unaudited financial statements or any
specified unaudited amounts derived therefrom (it being understood that the
foregoing procedures do not constitute an audit performed in accordance with
generally accepted auditing standards and they would not necessarily reveal
matters of significance with respect to the comments made in such letter, and
accordingly that Deloitte & Touche LLP make no representations as to the
sufficiency of such procedures for the Underwriters’ purposes), nothing came to
their attention that caused them to believe that: (1) any material
modifications should be made to the unaudited condensed financial statements, if
any, incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Pricing
Prospectus or the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final
Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable, for them to be in conformity with GAAP;
(2) such unaudited condensed financial statements do not comply as to form in
all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the 1934
Act as it applies to Form 10-Q and the related published rules and regulations
thereunder; (3) the amounts for Operating Revenues, Earnings Before Income Taxes
and Net Income After Dividends on Preferred and Preference Stock and the
unaudited Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges set forth in the Registration
Statement and the Pricing Prospectus or the Registration Statement, the
Pricing
14
Prospectus
and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable, do not agree with the
amounts set forth in or derived from the audited financial statements for the
same period included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement;
(4) as of a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date
of delivery of such letter, there has been any change in the capital stock or
long-term debt of the Company or any decrease in net assets as compared with
amounts shown in the latest balance sheet incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus or the Registration Statement,
the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable,
except in each case for changes or decreases which (i) the Registration
Statement and the Pricing Prospectus or the Registration Statement, the Pricing
Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable, disclose have
occurred or may occur, (ii) are occasioned by the declaration of dividends,
(iii) are occasioned by draw-downs under existing pollution control financing
arrangements, (iv) are occasioned by regularly scheduled payments of capitalized
lease obligations, (v) are occasioned by the purchase or redemption of bonds or
stock to satisfy mandatory or optional redemption provisions relating thereto,
(vi) are occasioned by the reclassification of current maturities of long-term
debt, or (vii) are disclosed in such letter; and (5) the unaudited amounts for
Operating Revenues, Earnings Before Income Taxes and Net Income After Dividends
on Preferred and Preference Stock and the unaudited Ratio of Earnings to Fixed
Charges for any calendar quarter subsequent to those set forth in (3) above,
which, if available, shall be set forth in such letter, do not agree with the
amounts set forth in or derived from the unaudited financial statements for the
same period or were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with that
of the corresponding audited amounts or ratios included or incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus or the
Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented
Prospectus, as applicable; and (D) at the
Underwriters’ request, they have performed and will report their findings as a
result of performing certain additional limited procedures, namely (i) they have
read the audited financial information of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2009 and agreed the amounts contained therein and the amounts
of Operating Revenues, Earnings Before Income Taxes and Net Income After
Dividends on Preferred and Preference Stock and the unaudited Ratio of Earnings
to Fixed Charges for the period covered by such financial information, which
amounts and ratio are set forth under the caption “Recent Results of
Operations” in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented
Prospectus, to the Company’s accounting records and (ii) they have made
inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for
financial and accounting matters regarding whether the specified amounts or
ratios described above for the year ended December 31, 2009 are stated on a
basis substantially consistent with that of the corresponding audited financial
statements and ratios included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented
Prospectus.
15
(f)
On the Closing Date, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with
such documents and opinions as it may reasonably require for the purpose of
enabling it to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes as herein
contemplated and related proceedings, or in order to evidence the accuracy of
any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the
conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in
connection with the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes as herein contemplated
shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and Xxxxx
& XxXxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters.
(g) No
amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Final Supplemented
Prospectus filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement (including any filing
made by the Company pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the 1934 Act) shall be
unsatisfactory in form to Xxxxx & XxXxxxx LLP or shall contain information
(other than with respect to an amendment or supplement relating solely to the
activity of the Underwriters) which, in the reasonable judgment of the
Representatives, shall materially impair the marketability of the Senior
Notes.
(h) The
Company shall have performed its obligations when and as provided under this
Agreement.
If any
condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as
required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the
Representatives by notice to the Company at any time prior to the Closing Date,
and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party
except as provided in Sections 5, 8 and 10(b) hereof.
SECTION
7. CONDITIONS OF THE
OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY. The obligations of the Company
shall be subject to the conditions set forth in the first sentence of Section
6(a) and in Section 6(b). In case such conditions shall not have been
fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Company by mailing or
delivering written notice thereof to the Representatives. Any such
termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as
otherwise provided in Sections 5, 8 and 10(b) hereof.
SECTION
8. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) The
Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each of the Underwriters and each
person, if any, who controls any such Underwriter within the meaning of Section
15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20(a) of the 1934 Act, against any and all losses,
claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them
may become subject under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, and to
reimburse any such Underwriter and such controlling person or persons, if any,
for any legal or other expenses incurred by them in connection with defending
any actions, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or actions
arise out of or are based upon any untrue
16
statement
or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing
Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented
Prospectus or, if the Company shall furnish to the Underwriters any amendments
or any supplements thereto, or shall make any filings pursuant to Section 13 or
14 of the 1934 Act which are incorporated therein by reference, in any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the
Pricing Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, the Final
Supplemented Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, or in any free writing
prospectus used by the Company other than a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus,
or arise out of or are based upon 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, except insofar as such losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or actions arise out of or are based upon any such untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission which was
made in such Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus, Basic Prospectus,
Pricing Prospectus, Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or Final Supplemented
Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in
writing to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives for use
therein. Each Underwriter agrees, within ten days after the receipt
by it of notice of the commencement of any action in respect of which indemnity
may be sought by it, or by any person controlling it, from the Company on
account of its agreement contained in this Section 8, to notify the Company in
writing of the commencement thereof but the omission of such Underwriter so to
notify the Company of any such action shall not release the Company from any
liability which it may have to such Underwriter or to such controlling person
otherwise than on account of the indemnity agreement contained in this Section
8. In case any such action shall be brought against an Underwriter or
any such person controlling such Underwriter and such Underwriter shall notify
the Company of the commencement thereof as above provided, the Company shall be
entitled to participate in (and, to the extent that it shall wish, including the
selection of counsel, to direct) the defense thereof, at its own
expense. In case the Company elects to direct such defense and select
such counsel, any Underwriter or controlling person shall have the right to
employ its own counsel, but, in any such case, the fees and expenses of such
counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or such controlling person
unless the employment of such counsel has been authorized in writing by the
Company in connection with defending such action. No indemnifying
party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the
settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with
respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which
indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is
an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement,
compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified
party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not
include any statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure
to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party. In no event shall
any indemnifying party have any liability or responsibility in respect of the
settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with
respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim effected without its prior
written consent.
17
(b) Each
Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless
the Company, its directors and such of its officers who have signed the
Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within
the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20(a) of the 1934 Act to
the same extent and upon the same terms as the indemnity agreement of the
Company set forth in Section 8(a) hereof, but only with respect to alleged
untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, the
Preliminary Prospectus, the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, any
Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus, or such
documents as amended or supplemented, in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished in writing to the Company by any Underwriter through the
Representatives for use therein.
SECTION
9. REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES
AND AGREEMENTS TO SURVIVE DELIVERY. All representations,
warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement, or contained in
certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain
operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by
or on behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person, or by, or on behalf of
the Company and shall survive delivery of the Senior Notes to the
Underwriters.
SECTION
10. TERMINATION OF
AGREEMENT.
(a) The
Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any
time at or prior to the Closing Date if (i) trading in securities on the New
York Stock Exchange shall have been generally suspended or there shall have been
a material disruption in settlement in securities generally, (ii) minimum or
maximum ranges for prices shall have been generally established on the New York
Stock Exchange by the Commission or by the New York Stock Exchange, (iii) a
general banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or New York State
authorities, or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of
major hostilities in which the United States is involved, any declaration of war
by the United States Congress or any other substantial national or international
calamity, crisis or emergency (including, without limitation, acts of terrorism)
affecting the United States, in any such case provided for in clauses (i)
through (iv) with the result that, in the reasonable judgment of the
Representatives, the offering, sale or delivery of the Senior Notes on the terms
and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Final Supplemented
Prospectus shall have been materially impaired.
(b) If
this Agreement shall be terminated by the Representatives pursuant to subsection
(a) above or because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to
comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or
if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under
this Agreement, then in any such case, the Company will reimburse the
Underwriters for the reasonable fees and disbursements of Xxxxx & XxXxxxx
LLP and for the out of pocket expenses (in an amount not exceeding $10,000)
reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase,
sale and delivery of the Senior Notes and, upon
18
such
reimbursement, the Company shall be absolved from any further liability
hereunder, except as provided in Sections 5 and 8 hereof.
SECTION
11. DEFAULT BY AN
UNDERWRITER. If an Underwriter shall fail on the Closing Date
to purchase the Senior Notes that it is obligated to purchase under this
Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representatives shall have the
right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for the non-defaulting
Underwriters, or any other underwriters to purchase all, but not less than all,
of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the
terms herein set forth. If, however, the Representatives shall not
have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:
(a) if
the principal amount of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the Senior
Notes, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not
jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their
respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting
obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
(b) if
the principal amount of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the Senior Notes,
this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any
non-defaulting Underwriter.
No action
taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from
liability in respect of its default.
In the
event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this
Agreement, either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to
postpone the Closing Date for a period not exceeding seven days in order to
effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the Pricing
Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus or in any other documents or
arrangements.
SECTION
12. NOTICES. All
notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be
deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of
telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to
the Representatives at Barclays Capital Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx
Xxxx 00000, Attention: Syndicate Registration, Fax No. (000) 000-0000 and Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated, 0000 Xxxxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx
00000, Attention: Investment Banking Division; notices to the Company
shall be mailed to 000 Xxxxx XxXxxx Xxxxxxxxx, X.X., Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx
00000-0000, Attention: Corporate Secretary, with a copy to Southern Company
Services, Inc., 30 Xxxx Xxxxx Xx. Boulevard, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30308,
Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxx.
SECTION
13. PARTIES. This
Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters,
the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or
mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any
person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company
and
19
their
respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors
referred to in Section 8 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or
equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any
provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and
provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the
Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and said
controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal
representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or
corporation. No purchaser of Senior Notes from any of the
Underwriters shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such
purchase. The Company acknowledges and agrees that in connection with
all aspects of each transaction contemplated by this Agreement, the Company and
the Underwriters have arms-length business relationships that create no
fiduciary duty on the part of any party and each expressly disclaims any
fiduciary or financial advisory relationship.
SECTION
14. GOVERNING LAW AND
TIME. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made
and to be performed in said State. Except as otherwise set forth
herein, specified times of day refer to New York time.
SECTION
15. COUNTERPARTS. This
Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number
of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such
respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same
instrument.
20
If the
foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign
and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along
with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters
and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very
truly yours,
GEORGIA
POWER COMPANY
By: /s/Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
Title: Assistant
Secretary
|
|
CONFIRMED
AND ACCEPTED,
as
of the date first above written
|
|
BARCLAYS
CAPITAL INC.
By: /s/Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Title:
Director
|
|
XXXXXX
XXXXXXX & CO. INCORPORATED
By: /s/Xxxxx
Xxxx
Name:
Xxxxx Xxxx
Title:
Executive Director
|
as Representatives of the Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto
SCHEDULE
I
Name of Underwriters
|
Principal Amount of Series 2010A Senior
Notes
|
Barclays
Capital Inc.
|
$152,250,000
|
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
|
152,250,000
|
Commerzbank
Capital Markets Corp.
|
22,750,000
|
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx & Company, Inc.
|
22,750,000
|
TOTAL:
|
$350,000,000
|
SCHEDULE
II
PRICING
TERM SHEET
|
|
(To
Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated March 9,
2010)
|
Issuer:
|
Georgia
Power Company
|
Security:
|
Series
2010A Floating Rate Senior Notes due March 15, 2013
|
Expected
Ratings:*
|
A2/A/A+
(Xxxxx’x/Standard & Poor’s/Fitch)
|
Size:
|
$350,000,000
|
Public
Offering Price:
|
100%
|
Maturity
Date:
|
March
15, 2013
|
Optional
Redemption Terms:
|
Callable
in whole or in part on or after March 15, 2012 at par
|
Interest:
|
Floating
rate based on the three-month LIBOR rate (calculated as described in the
Preliminary Prospectus Supplement), plus 0.32%, reset quarterly, and
payable March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year,
commencing June 15, 2010
|
Format:
|
SEC
Registered
|
Denominations:
|
$1,000
and any integral multiple thereof
|
CUSIP:
|
000000XX0
|
Trade
Date:
|
March
9, 2010
|
Expected
Settlement Date:
|
March
16, 2010
|
Joint
Book-Running Managers:
|
Barclays
Capital Inc.
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
|
Co-Managers:
|
Commerzbank
Capital Markets Corp.
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx & Company, Inc.
|
* Note: A
securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities
and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time.
|
|
The
issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with
the SEC for the offering to which this communication
relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in
that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with
the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this
offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting
XXXXX on the SEC website at xxx.xxx.xxx. Alternatively, the
issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will
arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling Georgia
Power Company collect at 0-000-000-0000, Barclays Capital Inc. toll-free
at 0-000-000-0000 or Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated toll-free at
0-000-000-0000.
|
SCHEDULE
III
PRICING
DISCLOSURE PACKAGE
1)
|
Prospectus
dated March 1, 2010
|
2)
|
Preliminary
Prospectus Supplement dated March 9, 2010 (which shall be
deemed to include documents incorporated by reference
therein)
|
3)
|
Permitted
Free Writing Prospectuses
|
a) Pricing
Term Sheet attached as Schedule II
hereto
|
Schedule
IV
[Letterhead
of XXXXXXXX XXXXXXX LLP]
March 16, 2010
Barclays
Capital Inc.
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
New York,
New York 10019
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
0000
Xxxxxxxx
New York,
New York 10036
as Representatives of the Several
Underwriters
GEORGIA
POWER COMPANY
Series
2010A Floating Rate Senior Notes
due March 15, 2013
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
We have
acted as counsel to Georgia Power Company (the “Company”) in connection with (i)
the Company’s issuance of $350,000,000 aggregate principal
amount of its Series 2010A Floating Rate Senior Notes due March 15, 2013 (the “Notes”)
pursuant to a Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998, by and between
the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon (as successor to JPMorgan Chase
Bank, N.A. (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank)), as trustee (the
“Trustee”), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by the
Fortieth Supplemental Indenture dated as of March 16, 2010 (collectively, the
“Indenture”); and (ii) the purchase by the Underwriters (as defined herein) of
the Notes pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated March 9, 2010 (the “Underwriting
Agreement”), among the Company and the Underwriters named in Schedule I thereto
(the “Underwriters”) for whom you are acting as representatives (the
“Representatives”). Pursuant to a Calculation Agent Agreement, dated
as of June 15, 2007 (the “Calculation Agent Agreement”), between the Company and
The Bank of New York Mellon, as calculation agent thereunder (the “Calculation
Agent”), the Company has engaged the Calculation Agent to perform certain
services with respect to the floating interest rate on the
Notes. This opinion is being delivered to you as the Representatives
pursuant to Section 6(c)(1) thereof.
All
capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth
in the Underwriting Agreement.
In
rendering the opinions expressed below, we have examined the registration
statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-165133) pertaining to the Notes
and
certain
other securities filed by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the “Act”), as it became effective under the Act (the “Registration
Statement”); the Company’s prospectus dated March 1, 2010 (the “Basic
Prospectus”) as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement dated March
9, 2010 (the “Pricing
Prospectus”), filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under
the Act which, pursuant to Form S-3, incorporates by reference the Annual Report
on Form 10-K of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009 (the
“Pricing Exchange Act Document”), and a prospectus supplement dated March 9, 2010 (together with the Basic
Prospectus, the “Final Supplemented Prospectus”), filed by the Company pursuant
to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Act,
which, pursuant to Form S-3, incorporates by reference the Pricing Exchange Act
Document and the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company dated March 9, 2010 (the “Exchange Act
Documents”), each as filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the “Exchange Act”); and the Indenture. We have also examined the
free writing prospectus prepared by the Company and filed with the Commission on
March 9, 2010 pursuant to
Rule 433 of the Act (the “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”). The
documents listed in Schedule III to the Underwriting Agreement, taken together,
are collectively referred to as the “Pricing Disclosure Package.”
In
addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, the
documents delivered to you at the closing (except the certificate representing
the Notes, of which we have examined a specimen), and we have made such other
and further investigations as we deemed necessary to express the opinions
hereinafter set forth. In such examination, we have assumed the
genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the
authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to
original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic
copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter
documents.
The
Indenture, the Calculation Agent Agreement and the Underwriting Agreement are
herein referred to collectively as the “Agreements.”
Based
upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated
herein, we are of the opinion, relying as to matters of New York law upon the
opinion dated the date hereof rendered to you by Xxxxx & XxXxxxx LLP,
that:
1. The
Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in
good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia and has due corporate
authority to carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged, to own
and operate the properties used by it in such business and to enter into and
perform its obligations under the Agreements and the Notes.
2. The
execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement
have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and the
Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the
Company.
2
3. All
orders, consents or other authorizations or approvals of the Georgia Public
Service Commission and the Commission legally required for the issuance and sale
of the Notes have been obtained; such orders are sufficient for the issuance and
the sale of the Notes; the issuance and the sale of the Notes conform in all
material respects with the terms of such orders; and no other order, consent or
other authorization or approval of any Georgia or United States governmental
body (other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the
securities or “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no
opinion) is legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes in
accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement.
4. Each
of the Calculation Agent Agreement and the Indenture has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization,
execution and delivery thereof by the Calculation Agent and the Trustee,
respectively, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of the Company,
enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the
qualifications that the enforceability of the Company’s obligations under the
Indenture and the Calculation Agent Agreement may be limited by bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or
affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity
(regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in
equity or at law); and the Indenture conforms as to legal matters in all
material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package
and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
5. The
Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when
authenticated by the Trustee in the manner provided in the Indenture and
delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting
Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company,
enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the
qualifications that the enforceability of the Company’s obligations under the
Notes may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and
other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by
general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is
considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Notes conform as to
legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing
Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
6. The
Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended.
We have
not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the
statements made or included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing
Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act
Documents and take no responsibility therefor, except as and to the extent set
forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 above. In the course of the preparation
by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package,
the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, we
participated in conferences with certain officers and employees of the Company,
with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP and with your
counsel. Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement,
the Pricing Disclosure
3
Package,
the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our
investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration
Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and
the Exchange Act Documents and our participation in the conferences referred to
above, (i) we are of the opinion that the Registration Statement, on the
Effective Date, and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of March 9, 2010, complied as to form in
all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Act and the
applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and that each
Exchange Act Document, as of its date of filing with the Commission, complied as
to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Exchange
Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder,
except that in each case we express no opinion as to the financial statements or
other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in
(or omitted from) the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package,
the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents, and (ii) we
confirm to you that nothing came to our attention which gives us reason to
believe that the Registration Statement, on the Effective Date (including the
Exchange Act Documents on file with the Commission as of such date), contained
any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein not misleading, that the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the
Applicable Time, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or that
the Final Supplemented Prospectus (including the Exchange Act Documents)
contained, as of its date, or contains, on the date hereof, any untrue statement
therein of a material fact or omitted, as of its date, or omits, on the date
hereof, 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 in each case we express no opinion or belief with
respect to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data
contained or incorporated by reference in (or omitted from) the Registration
Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or
the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to information set forth in the
Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption
“Description of the Series 2010A Senior Notes ─ Book-Entry Only Issuance ─ The
Depository Trust Company.”
The
attorneys in this firm that are rendering this opinion are members of the State
Bar of Georgia and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other
than the law of the State of Georgia, the federal law of the United States and,
to the extent set forth herein, the law of the State of New York.
This
opinion letter is rendered by us only to you and is solely for your benefit in
your capacity as Underwriters in connection with the above-described
transaction. This opinion letter is limited to the date
hereof. This opinion letter may not be used, quoted or relied upon by
you for any other purpose, or relied upon by or furnished to any other person
without our prior written consent, except that Xxxxx & XxXxxxx LLP may rely
on this opinion in giving its opinion pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement
insofar as such opinion relates to matters of Georgia law.
Yours
very truly,
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXX LLP
4
Schedule
V
[Letterhead
of Xxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx XXX]
March 16, 2010
Barclays
Capital Inc.
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
New York,
New York 10019
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
0000
Xxxxxxxx
New York,
New York 10036
as Representatives of the Several
Underwriters
Georgia
Power Company
000 Xxxxx
XxXxxx Xxxxxxxxx, X.X.
Atlanta,
Georgia 30308-3374
Georgia Power
Company
Series 2010A Floating Rate
Senior Notes due March 15,
2013
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
We have
acted as counsel for The Bank of New York Mellon (as successor to JPMorgan Chase
Bank, N.A. (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank)) (“BNYM”), in connection
with the issuance by Georgia Power Company (the “Company”) of $350,000,000 aggregate principal
amount of Series 2010A Floating Rate Senior Notes due March 15, 2013 (the
“Notes”). The Notes are being issued under the Senior Note Indenture
dated as of January 1, 1998 (the “Original Indenture”) between the Company and
BNYM, as trustee (in such capacity, the “Trustee”), as heretofore supplemented
and as further supplemented by the Fortieth Supplemental Indenture dated as of
March 16, 2010 (the
“Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Original Indenture, the
“Indenture”) between the Company and the Trustee. Pursuant to a
Calculation Agent Agreement, dated as of June 15, 2007 (the “Calculation Agent
Agreement”), between the Company and BNYM, as calculation agent thereunder (the
“Calculation Agent”), the Company has engaged the Calculation Agent to perform
certain services with respect to the floating interest rate on the
Notes.
For
purposes of this opinion, we have reviewed the Indenture and the Calculation
Agent Agreement and such other documents, records and papers, and satisfied
ourselves as to such other matters, as we have deemed necessary or appropriate
for this opinion. As to questions of fact material to this opinion,
we have relied on certificates of BNYM and
of public
officials. In such review, we have assumed the genuineness of all
signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all
documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to the originals of all
documents submitted to us as copies or forms and the authenticity of the
originals of such latter documents. We have assumed that BNYM has
been duly incorporated and that the Indenture and the Calculation Agent
Agreement have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and
constitutes the valid and binding agreement of, and is enforceable in accordance
with its terms against, the Company.
Based
upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications below, we are of the
opinion that:
1) BNYM
is a banking corporation validly existing under the laws of the State of New
York with corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its
obligations under the Indenture.
2) The
Supplemental Indenture and the Calculation Agent Agreement have been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by BNYM and constitute valid and binding
agreements of BNYM enforceable against BNYM in accordance with their terms,
except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance,
reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting
creditors’ rights generally and general equitable principles (whether considered
in a proceeding in equity or at law) and by an implied covenant of
reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing.
We are
members of the Bar of the State of New York and, for purposes of this opinion,
do not hold ourselves out as experts on the laws of any jurisdiction other than
the State of New York. The opinions expressed herein are limited to
matters governed by the laws of the State of New York.
This
opinion is solely for your benefit in connection with the issuance and sale by
the Company of the Notes and may not be relied upon by you for any other
purpose, or relied upon or furnished to any other person, without our prior
written consent.
Very
truly yours,
2
Schedule
VI
[Letterhead
of XXXXX & XXXXXXX LLP]
March 16,
2010
Barclays
Capital Inc.
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
New York,
New York 10019
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
0000
Xxxxxxxx
New York,
New York 10036
as Representatives of the Several
Underwriters
GEORGIA
POWER COMPANY
Series
2010A Floating Rate Senior Notes
due March 15, 2013
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
We have
represented the Underwriters (hereinafter defined) in connection with (i) the
issuance and sale by Georgia Power Company (the “Company”) of $350,000,000 aggregate principal
amount of its Series 2010A Floating Rate Senior Notes due March 15, 2013 (the “Notes”)
pursuant to a Senior Note Indenture, dated as of January 1, 1998, by and between
the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon (as successor to JPMorgan Chase
Bank, N.A. (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank)), as trustee (the
“Trustee”), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by the
Fortieth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 16, 2010 (collectively, the
“Indenture”); and (ii) the purchase by the Underwriters of the Notes pursuant to
the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated March 9, 2010 (the “Underwriting
Agreement”), among the Company and the Underwriters named in Schedule I thereto
(the “Underwriters”) for whom you are acting as representatives (the
“Representatives”). Pursuant to a Calculation Agent Agreement, dated
as of June 15, 2007 (the “Calculation Agent Agreement”), between the Company and
The Bank of New York Mellon, as calculation agent thereunder (the “Calculation
Agent”), the Company has engaged the Calculation Agent to perform certain
services with respect to the floating interest rate on the
Notes. This opinion is being delivered to you as Representatives
pursuant to Section 6(c)(3) of the Underwriting Agreement.
All
capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth
in the Underwriting Agreement.
In
rendering the opinions expressed below, we have examined the Company’s
registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-165133) pertaining to
the
Notes and
certain other securities filed by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the “Act”), as it became effective under the Act (the “Registration
Statement”); the Company’s prospectus dated March 1, 2010 (the “Basic
Prospectus”) as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement dated March
9, 2010 (the “Pricing
Prospectus”), filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under
the Act, which, pursuant to Form S-3, incorporates by reference the Annual
Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009
(collectively, the “Pricing Exchange Act Document”), and a prospectus supplement
dated March 9, 2010
(together with the Basic Prospectus, the “Final Supplemented Prospectus”), filed
by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations of the
Commission under the Act, which, pursuant to Form S-3, incorporates by reference
the Pricing Exchange Act Document and the Current Report on Form 8-K of the
Company dated March 9,
2010 (the “Exchange Act Documents”), each as filed under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”); and the Indenture. We
have also examined the free writing prospectus prepared by the Company and filed
with the Commission on March 9, 2010 pursuant to Rule 433 of
the Act (the “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”). The documents
listed in Schedule III to the Underwriting Agreement, taken together, are
collectively referred to as the “Pricing Disclosure Package.”
In
addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, the
documents delivered to you at the closing (except the certificate representing
the Notes, of which we have examined a specimen), and we have made such other
and further investigations as we deemed necessary to express the opinions
hereinafter set forth. In such examination, we have assumed the
genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the
authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to
original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic
copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter
documents.
The
Indenture, the Calculation Agent Agreement and the Underwriting Agreement are
herein referred to collectively as the “Agreements.”
Based
upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated
herein, we are of the opinion, relying as aforesaid and as to all matters
covered hereby which are governed by or dependent upon the law of the State of
Georgia upon the opinion of Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP dated the date hereof and
addressed to you, that:
1. The
Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in
good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia and has due corporate
authority to carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged, to own
and operate the properties used by it in such business and to enter into and
perform its obligations under the Agreements and the Notes.
2. The
execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement
have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and the
Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the
Company.
2
3. All
orders, consents or other authorizations or approvals of the Georgia Public
Service Commission and the Commission legally required for the issuance and sale
of the Notes have been obtained; such orders are sufficient for the issuance and
sale of the Notes; the issuance and sale of the Notes conform in all material
respects with the terms of such orders; and no other order, consent or other
authorization or approval of any Georgia or United States governmental body
(other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the securities
or “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion) is
legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes in accordance with the
terms of the Underwriting Agreement.
4. Each
of the Calculation Agent Agreement and the Indenture has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization,
execution and delivery thereof by the Calculation Agent and the Trustee,
respectively, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of the Company,
enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the
qualifications that the enforceability of the Company’s obligations under the
Indenture and the Calculation Agent Agreement may be limited by bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or
affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity
(regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in
equity or at law); and the Indenture conforms as to legal matters in all
material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package
and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
5. The
Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when
authenticated by the Trustee in the manner provided in the Indenture and
delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting
Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company
enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the
qualifications that the enforceability of the Company’s obligations under the
Notes may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and
other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by
general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is
considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Notes conform as to
legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing
Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
6. The
Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended.
We have
not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the
statements made or included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing
Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act
Documents and take no responsibility therefor, except as and to the extent set
forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 above. In the course of the preparation
by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package,
the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, we
participated in conferences with certain officers and employees of the Company,
with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP and with counsel to the
Company. Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement,
the Pricing
3
Disclosure
Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our
investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration
Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus
and our participation in the conferences referred to above, (i) we are of the
opinion that the Registration Statement, on the Effective Date, and the Final
Supplemented Prospectus, as of March 9, 2010, complied as to form in
all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Act and the
applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and that each
Exchange Act Document, as of its date of filing with the Commission, complied as
to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Exchange
Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder,
except that in each case we express no opinion as to the financial statements or
other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in
(or omitted from) the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package,
the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents, and (ii) we
confirm to you that nothing came to our attention which gives us reason to
believe that the Registration Statement, on the Effective Date (including the
Exchange Act Documents on file with the Commission as of such date), contained
any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein not misleading, that the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the
Applicable Time, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or that
the Final Supplemented Prospectus (including the Exchange Act Documents)
contained, as of its date, or contains, on the date hereof, any untrue statement
of a material fact or omitted, as of its date, or omits, on the date hereof, 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 in each case we express no opinion or belief with respect to the financial
statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by
reference in (or omitted from) the Registration Statement, the Pricing
Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act
Documents and with respect to information set forth in the Pricing Prospectus
and the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption “Description of the
Series 2010A Senior Notes ─ Book-Entry Only Issuance ─ The Depository Trust
Company.”
We are
members of the State Bar of New York and we do not express any opinion herein
concerning any law other than the law of the State of New York and the federal
law of the United States and, to the extent set forth herein, the law of the
State of Georgia.
This
opinion letter is rendered by us only to you and is solely for your benefit in
your capacity as Underwriters in connection with the above
matter. This opinion letter is limited to the date
hereof. This opinion letter may not be used, quoted or relied upon by
you for any other purpose or relied upon by or furnished to any other person
without our prior written consent except that Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP may rely on
this opinion in giving its opinions pursuant to Section 6 of the Underwriting
Agreement and pursuant to Sections 102, 302 and 904 of the Indenture, insofar as
such opinions relate to matters of New York law.
Very
truly yours,
XXXXX
& XXXXXXX LLP
4