Bancolombia S.A. US$620 Million 6.125% Subordinated Notes due 2020 Underwriting Agreement
Exhibit
1.3
EXECUTION
VERSION
Bancolombia
S.A.
US$620
Million
6.125%
Subordinated Notes due 2020
July 19,
2010
July 19,
0000
Xxxx xx
Xxxxxxx Securities LLC
Xxx
Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
XX 00000
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.,
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
XX 00000
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
Bancolombia
S.A., a Colombian banking institution, incorporated under the laws of the
Republic of Colombia as a sociedad anónima (the “Company”), proposes
to issue and sell to Banc of America Securities LLC (“BofA”) and X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc. (“JPMSI” and, together
with BofA, the “Underwriters”) US$620
million in aggregate principal amount of its 6.125% Subordinated Notes due 2020
(the “Notes”). The
Notes will be issued pursuant to an indenture (the “Indenture”), to be
dated the Closing Date (as defined in Section 2 herein), by and between the
Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (the “Trustee”).
The
Company has prepared and filed, in accordance with the provisions of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder
(collectively, the “Act”), with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a
registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-168077) under the Act (the
“registration
statement”), including a prospectus, which registration statement
incorporates by reference documents which the Company has filed, or will file,
in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange
Act”). Such registration statement has become automatically
effective upon filing under the Act.
Except
where the context otherwise requires, “Registration
Statement,” as used herein, means the registration statement, as amended
at the time of such registration statement’s effectiveness for purposes of
Section 11 of the Act, as such section applies to the respective Underwriters
(the “Effective
Time”), including (i) all documents filed as a part thereof or
incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein, (ii) any
information contained or incorporated by reference in a prospectus filed with
the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, to the extent such
information is deemed, pursuant to Rule 430A, Rule 430B or Rule 430C under the
Act, to be part of the registration statement at the Effective Time, and (iii)
any registration statement filed to register the offer and sale of Notes
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act.
For the
purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” is 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on
the date of this Agreement.
1
The
Company has furnished to you, for use by the Underwriters and by dealers in
connection with the offering of the Notes, copies of one or more preliminary
prospectus supplements, and the documents incorporated by reference therein,
relating to the Notes. Except where the context otherwise requires,
“Pre-Pricing
Prospectus,” as used herein, means each such preliminary prospectus
supplement, in the form so furnished, including any base prospectus furnished to
you by the Company and attached to or used with such preliminary prospectus
supplement. Except where the context otherwise requires, “Base Prospectus,” as
used herein, means any such base prospectus and any base prospectus furnished to
you by the Company and attached to or used with the Prospectus Supplement (as
defined below).
Except
where the context otherwise requires, “Prospectus
Supplement,” as used herein, means the final prospectus supplement,
relating to the Notes, filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule
424(b) under the Act on or before the second business day after the date hereof
and that is also a day on which the Commission is open for business (or such
earlier time as may be required under the Act), in the form furnished by the
Company to you for use by the Underwriters and by dealers in connection with the
offering of the Notes.
Except
where the context otherwise requires, “Prospectus,” as used
herein, means the Prospectus Supplement together with the Base Prospectus
attached to or used with the Prospectus Supplement.
“Permitted Free Writing
Prospectuses,” as used herein, means the documents listed on Schedule B attached
hereto and each “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Act), if any,
related to the offering of the Notes contemplated hereby that is a “written
communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act). The
Underwriters have not offered or sold and will not offer or sell, without the
Company’s consent, any Notes by means of any “free writing prospectus” (as
defined in Rule 405 under the Act) that is required to be filed by the
Underwriters with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433 under the Act, other than
a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.
“Disclosure Package,”
as used herein, means the Base Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, including
any Pre-Pricing Prospectus immediately prior to the Applicable Time, and the
Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses indicated on Schedule
B.
Any
reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Base Prospectus, any
Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any
Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the
documents, if any, incorporated by reference, or deemed to be incorporated by
reference, therein (the “Incorporated
Documents”), including, unless the context otherwise requires, the
documents, if any, filed as exhibits to such Incorporated
Documents. Any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with
respect to the Registration Statement, any Base Prospectus, any Pre-Pricing
Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free
Writing Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any
document under the Exchange Act on or after the initial effective date of the
Registration Statement, or the date of such Base Prospectus, such Pre-Pricing
Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or such Permitted Free
Writing Prospectus, as the case may be, and deemed to be incorporated therein by
reference.
2
As used
in this underwriting agreement (this “Agreement”), “business day” shall
mean a day on which the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is open for
trading. The terms “herein,” “hereof,” “hereto,” “hereinafter” and
similar terms, as used in this Agreement, shall in each case refer to this
Agreement as a whole and not to any particular section, paragraph, sentence or
other subdivision of this Agreement. The term “or,” as used herein,
is not exclusive.
The
Company and the Underwriters agree as follows:
1. Sale and
Purchase. Upon the basis of the representations and warranties
and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to
issue and sell to the respective Underwriters and each of the Underwriters,
severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company the aggregate
principal amount of the Notes set forth opposite its name on Schedule A annexed
hereto. The purchase price for the Notes shall be 97.918% of their
principal amount (the “Purchase
Price”). The Company will not be obligated to deliver any of
the Notes except upon payment for all of the Notes to be purchased as provided
herein. The Company is advised by you that the Underwriters intend
(i) to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Notes as soon
after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in your judgment is advisable and
(ii) initially to offer the Notes upon the terms set forth in the
Prospectus. Each Underwriter may from time to time increase or
decrease the public offering price after the initial public offering to such
extent as such Underwriter may determine without notice.
2. Payment and
Delivery. Payment of the Purchase Price for the Notes shall be
made to the Company by Federal Funds (same day) wire transfer against delivery
of the Notes (which shall be evidenced by one or more global certificates in
book-entry form having an aggregate principal amount corresponding to the
aggregate principal amount of the Notes) to you through the facilities of The
Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) for the
respective accounts of the Underwriters. Such payment and delivery
shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on July 26, 2010 (unless
another time shall be agreed to by you and the Company; provided that such date is a business day and a day on which commercial banks in
Colombia are not legally obliged or authorized to close) (such date and
time, the “Closing
Date”). The time at which such payment and delivery are to be
made is hereinafter sometimes called the “time of
purchase.” Electronic book-entry transfer of the Notes shall
be made to you at the time of purchase in such names and denominations as you
shall specify.
Deliveries
of the documents described in Section 6 hereof with respect to the purchase of
the Notes shall be made at the offices of Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxxxxxx
LLP at Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000, at 9:00 A.M., New York City time,
on the Closing Date.
3. Representations and
Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants
to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:
3
(a) the
Registration Statement has heretofore become effective under the Act or, with
respect to any registration statement to be filed to register the offer and sale
of Notes pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act, will be filed with the
Commission and become effective under the Act no later than 10:00 P.M., New York
City time, on the date of determination of the public offering price for the
Notes; no stop order of the Commission preventing or suspending the use of any
Base Prospectus, any Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the
Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, or the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement, has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose
have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, are contemplated by the
Commission;
(b) the
Registration Statement complied when it became effective, complies as of the
date hereof and, as amended or supplemented, at the time of purchase and as of
the Closing Date, will comply, in all material respects, with the requirements
of the Act and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Trust Indenture
Act”); the conditions to the use of Form F-3 in connection with the
offering and sale of the Notes as contemplated hereby have been satisfied; the
Registration Statement constitutes an “automatic shelf registration statement”
(as defined in Rule 405 under the Act); the Company has not received, from the
Commission, a notice, pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2), of objection to the use of the
automatic shelf registration statement form; as of the determination date
applicable to the Registration Statement (and any amendment thereof) and the
offering contemplated hereby, the Company is a “well-known seasoned issuer” as
defined in Rule 405 under the Act; the Registration Statement meets, and the
offering and sale of the Notes as contemplated hereby complies with, the
requirements of Rule 415 under the Act (including, without limitation, Rule
415(a)(5) under the Act); the Registration Statement did not, as of the
Effective Time, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading; each Pre-Pricing Prospectus and each
Permitted Free Writing Prospectus complied, at the time it was filed with the
Commission, and complies as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, in
all material respects with the requirements of the Act; as of the Applicable
Time, the Disclosure Package did not include an untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading; each of the Prospectus Supplement and the Prospectus will comply, as
of the date that it is filed with the Commission, the date of the Prospectus
Supplement, the time of purchase and as of the Closing Date, in all material
respects, with the requirements of the Act (in the case of the Prospectus,
including, without limitation, Section 10(a) of the Act); as of the date of the
Prospectus Supplement, the date the Prospectus Supplement is filed with the
Commission and at the time of purchase any Prospectus Supplement or the
Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented did not and will not, include an
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading; each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus
listed on Schedule B hereto and the “road show” does not or will not, conflict
with the information disclosed or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, the Pre-Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, and each such Permitted
Free Writing Prospectus and the “road show” as supplemented by and taken
together with the Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not include
an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading; each Incorporated Document, at the
time such document was filed or will be filed with the Commission or at the time
such document became effective or will become effective, as applicable, complied
or will comply, in all material respects, with the requirements of the Exchange
Act and did not include or will not include an untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading; provided, however, that the
Company makes no representation or warranty in this Section 3(b) with respect to
(x) that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the Statement of
Eligibility of the Trustee under the Trust Indenture Act and (y) any statement
contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus
or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with
the Underwriter Information (as defined in Section 8(b) herein) and furnished in
writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly
for use in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or
such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus;
4
(c) prior
to the execution of this Agreement, the Company has not, directly or indirectly,
offered or sold any Notes by means of any “prospectus” (within the meaning of
the Act) or used any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Act) in connection
with the offer or sale of the Notes, in each case other than the Pre-Pricing
Prospectuses and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any; the Company
has not, directly or indirectly, prepared, used or referred to any Permitted
Free Writing Prospectus except in compliance with Rule 163 or with Rules 164 and
433 under the Act; assuming that such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus is so
sent or given after the Registration Statement was filed with the Commission
(and after such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus was, if required pursuant to
Rule 433(d) under the Act, filed with the Commission), the sending or giving, by
any Underwriter, of any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus will satisfy the
provisions of Rule 164 and Rule 433 (without reliance on subsections (b), (c)
and (d) of Rule 164); the conditions set forth in one or more of subclauses (i)
through (iv), inclusive, of Rule 433(b)(1) under the Act are satisfied, and the
registration statement relating to the offering of the Notes contemplated
hereby, as initially filed with the Commission, includes a prospectus that,
other than by reason of Rule 433 or Rule 431 under the Act, satisfies the
requirements of Section 10 of the Act; the Company is not disqualified, by
reason of subsection (f) or (g) of Rule 164 under the Act, from using, in
connection with the offer and sale of the Notes, “free writing prospectuses” (as
defined in Rule 405 under the Act) pursuant to Rules 164 and 433 under the Act;
the Company is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act)
as of the eligibility determination date for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under
the Act with respect to the offering of the Notes contemplated by the
Registration Statement;
5
(d) in
accordance with Article 7(d) of Decree 1720 of 2001, as amended, the Notes
qualify as subordinated debt under the laws of the Republic of
Colombia;
(e) as
of the date of this Agreement, the Company has an authorized and outstanding
capitalization as set forth in the section of the Registration Statement, and
the Disclosure Package entitled “Capitalization”, and, as of the time of
purchase, the Company shall have an authorized and outstanding capitalization as
set forth in the section of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus
entitled “Capitalization”; all of the issued and outstanding equity interests of
the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and
non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities
laws and were not issued in violation of any preemptive right, resale right,
right of first refusal or similar right;
(f) the
Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a sociedad anónima under the
laws of the Republic of Colombia, duly authorized by the Superintendencia Financiera,
with full corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its
properties, conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, execute and deliver this Agreement and issue, sell and deliver the
Notes as contemplated herein;
(g) the
Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in each
jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of
its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so
qualified would not, individually or in the aggregate, either (i) reasonably be
expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, properties,
consolidated financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the
Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or (ii) prevent or materially
interfere with consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (the
occurrence of any such effect or any such prevention or interference or any such
result described in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being herein referred to
as a “Material Adverse
Effect”)”;
(h) the
Company owns, directly or indirectly, the majority of the capital stock of its
significant subsidiaries, as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X
under the Act (each a “Significant
Subsidiary”); complete and correct copies of the charters and the bylaws
of the Company and all amendments thereto have been delivered to you, and no
material changes therein will be made on or after the date hereof through and
including the time of purchase; each Significant Subsidiary has been duly
incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the
jurisdiction of its incorporation, with full corporate power and authority to
own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described
in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; each Significant Subsidiary is
duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction
where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business
requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified would
not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of
the outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the Significant Subsidiaries
have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable,
have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws, were not
issued in violation of any preemptive rights, resale right, right of first
refusal or similar rights and the corresponding shares are owned by the Company
subject to no security interest, other encumbrance or adverse claims; and no
options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations
to issue or other rights to convert any obligation into shares of capital stock
or ownership interest in the Significant Subsidiaries are
outstanding;
6
(i) the
Indenture has been duly and validly authorized by the Company and, will, upon
effectiveness of the Registration Statement, have been duly qualified under the
Trust Indenture Act and, when duly executed and delivered by the Company
(assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee),
will be a legally binding and valid obligation of the Company, enforceable
against it in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may
be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance,
moratorium or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights
generally and by general principles of equity and the discretion of the court
before which any proceeding therefore may be brought (the “Bankruptcy
Exceptions”). The Indenture, when executed and delivered, will
conform in all material respects to the description thereof in the Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus.
(j) the
Notes have been duly and validly authorized for issuance and sale to the
Underwriters by the Company, and when issued, authenticated and delivered by the
Company against payment therefor by the Underwriters in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement and the Indenture, the Notes will be legally binding and
valid obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and
enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the
enforcement thereof may be limited by the Bankruptcy Exceptions. The
Notes, when issued, authenticated and delivered, will conform in all material
respects to the description thereof in the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus.
(k) this
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company;
(l) neither
the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries is in breach or violation of
or in default under (nor has any event occurred which, with notice, lapse of
time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default
under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such
holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of
all or a part of such indebtedness under) (i) its charter or bylaws, or (ii) any
indenture, lien (caución), mortgage, pledge,
deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness,
or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which it is
a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound or affected, or
(iii) any Colombian, United States, or other federal, state or local law
applicable to the Company or its Significant Subsidiaries, or (iv) any rule or
regulation of any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental
regulatory authority or (v) any decree, judgment or order applicable to it or
any of its properties except where such breach or violation of, or default
under, would not, in the case of clauses (ii) through (v), individually or in
the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;
7
(m) the
execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Indenture, the
issuance and sale of the Notes and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby will not conflict with, result in any breach or violation of
or constitute a default under (nor constitute any event which, with notice,
lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a
default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such
holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of
all or a part of such indebtedness under) (or result in the creation or
imposition of a lien, charge or encumbrance on any property or assets of the
Company or any Significant Subsidiary pursuant to) (i) the charter or bylaws of
the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries, or (ii) any indenture, lien
(caución), mortgage,
pledge, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of
indebtedness, or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument
to which the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries is a party or by
which any of them or any of their respective properties may be bound or
affected, or (iii) any United States, Colombian, or other federal, state or
local law applicable to the Company or its Significant Subsidiaries, or (iv) any
rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental
regulatory authority, or (v) any decree, judgment or order applicable to the
Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries or any of their respective
properties, except where such conflict with, breach or violation of, or default
under would not, in the case of clauses (ii) through (v), individually or in the
aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;
(n) no
approval, authorization, consent or order of or filing with any Colombian,
United States or other federal, state, local or regulatory commission, board,
body, authority or agency, or of or with any self-regulatory organization or
other non-governmental regulatory authority, is required in connection with the
execution, delivery and performance by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary
of this Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes or the consummation by the
Company of the transactions contemplated hereby, other than (i) registration of
the Notes under the Act, which has been effected (or, with respect to any
registration statement to be filed hereunder pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the
Act, will be effected in accordance herewith), (ii) any necessary qualification
under the securities or blue sky laws of the various jurisdictions in which the
Notes are being offered by the Underwriters, or (iii) registration of the
indebtedness with the Central Bank;
8
(o) each
of the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries has all necessary licenses,
authorizations, consents and approvals and has made all necessary filings
required under United States, Colombian or any other applicable law, regulation
or rule, and has obtained all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and
approvals from the appropriate United States, Colombian or other foreign
regulatory authority, in order to conduct their respective businesses; neither
the Company nor any of the Significant Subsidiaries is in violation of, or in
default under, or has received notice of any proceedings relating to the
revocation or modification of, any such license, authorization, consent or
approval or any United States, Colombian, or other federal, state, local or
foreign law, regulation or rule or any decree, order or judgment applicable to
the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries, except where such violation,
default, revocation or modification would not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
(p) other
than as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pre-Pricing Prospectus and
the Prospectus, there are no actions, suits, claims, investigations or
proceedings pending or, to the Company’s best knowledge, threatened or
contemplated to which the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries or any
of their respective directors or officers is or would be a party or of which any
of their respective properties is or would be subject at law or in equity,
before or by any United States, Colombian, or other federal, state, local or
foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency,
or before or by any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental
regulatory authority, except any such action, suit, claim, investigation or
proceeding which, if resolved adversely to the Company or any Significant
Subsidiary, would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse
Effect;
(q) PricewaterhouseCoopers
Ltda., whose report on the consolidated financial statements of the Company for
the fiscal years ended December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2009 is included in
the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are independent registered public
accountants as required by the Act and by the rules of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board;
(r) Deloitte
& Touche Ltda., whose report on the consolidated financial statements of the
Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 is included in the
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are independent registered public
accountants as required by the Act and by the rules of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board;
9
(s) the
financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, the Pre-Pricing Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Disclosure
Package, if any, together with the related notes and schedules, present fairly
the consolidated financial position of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of
the dates indicated and have been prepared in compliance with the requirements
of the Act and the Exchange Act and in conformity with Colombian generally accepted accounting
principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved; the other
financial and statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the Pre-Pricing Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the
Disclosure Package, if any, are accurately and fairly presented and prepared on
a basis consistent with the financial statements and books and records of the
Company; there are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are
required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, any Pre-Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus that are not included or
incorporated by reference as required; the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries do not have any material
liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance
sheet obligations), not described in the Registration Statement (excluding the
exhibits thereto), each Pre-Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus; and all
disclosures contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, the Pre-Pricing Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free
Writing Prospectuses, if any, regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such
term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with
Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act, to
the extent applicable;
(t) subsequent
to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in each case excluding any
amendments or supplements to the foregoing made after the execution of this
Agreement, there has not been (i) any material adverse change, or any
development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the business,
properties, management, financial condition or results of operations of the
Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, (ii) any transaction which is
material to the Company and the subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iii) any
obligation or liability, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet
obligations), incurred by the Company or any subsidiary, which is material to
the Company and the subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iv) any change in the
capital stock or outstanding indebtedness of the Company (other than indebtedness incurred or repaid in the
ordinary course of business) or (v) any dividend or distribution of any
kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, in each case
as otherwise as set forth or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus;
(u) the
Company is not, and at no time during which a prospectus is required by the Act
to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under
the Act or any similar rule) in connection with any sale of Notes will be, and,
after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Notes, will be, required to
register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment
company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the “Investment Company
Act”);
10
(v) the Company believes it was not a “passive foreign investment company” as such term is
defined in the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal
Revenue Code”) for its taxable year ended December 31, 2009 and, based on the Company’s current
and projected income, assets and activities it does not expect to be classified
as a “passive foreign investment company” for any subsequent taxable
years;
(w) the
Company and each of its Significant Subsidiaries have good and marketable title
to all property (real and personal) described in the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus as being owned by any of them, free and clear of all liens, claims,
security interests or other encumbrances; all the property described in the
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as being held under lease by the Company
or a Significant Subsidiary is held thereby under valid, subsisting and
enforceable leases except where the lack of such good and marketable title would
not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse
Effect;
(x) each
of the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries owns or possesses all
inventions, patent applications, patents, trademarks (both registered and
unregistered), tradenames, service names, copyrights, trade secrets and other
proprietary information described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus,
as being owned or licensed by it or which is necessary for the conduct of, or
material to, its businesses (collectively, the “Intellectual
Property”), except where the failure to own or possess the Intellectual
Property would not, individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse
Effect, and the Company is unaware of any claim to the contrary or any challenge
by any other person to the rights of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries with respect to the
Intellectual Property. Neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries has infringed or is
infringing the Intellectual Property of a third party, and neither the Company
nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries has
received notice of a claim by a third party to the contrary;
(y) no
labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company exist or, to the
best knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened other than those
involving employees in the ordinary course of business, except for any such
disturbance or dispute that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a
Material Adverse Effect;
11
(z) the
Company and its Significant Subsidiaries
and their respective properties, assets and operations are in compliance with,
and the Company and each of the Significant
Subsidiaries hold all permits, authorizations and approvals required
under, Environmental Laws (as defined below), except to the extent that failure
to so comply or to hold such permits, authorizations or approvals would not,
individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; neither the
Company nor any of the subsidiaries (i) is the subject of any investigation,
(ii) has received any notice or claim, (iii) is a party to or affected by any
pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit or proceeding,
(iv) is bound by any judgment, decree or order or (v) has entered into any
agreement, in each case relating to any alleged direct violation of any
Environmental Law or any actual or alleged release or threatened release or
cleanup at any location of any Hazardous Materials (as defined below), except to
the extent that involvement in any of the activities mentioned in (i) through
(v) above would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse
Effect; (as used herein, “Environmental Law”
means any federal, state, local or foreign law, statute, ordinance, rule,
regulation, order, decree, judgment, injunction, permit, license, authorization
or other binding requirement, or common law, relating to health, safety or the
protection, cleanup or restoration of the environment or natural resources,
including those relating to the distribution, processing, generation, treatment,
storage, disposal, transportation, other handling or release or threatened
release of Hazardous Materials, and “Hazardous Materials”
means any material (including, without limitation, pollutants, contaminants,
hazardous or toxic substances or wastes) that is regulated by or may give rise
to liability under any Environmental Law);
(aa) all
Colombian or other foreign, United States federal, state and local tax returns
required to be filed by the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries have
been filed, except in any case where the failure to file would not reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and all taxes and other assessments
of a similar nature (whether imposed directly or through withholding) including
any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto due or claimed to
be due from such entities have been timely paid, other than those being
contested in good faith in appropriate proceedings and for which adequate
reserves have been made in accordance with Colombian generally accepted accounting
principles or as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect;
(bb) no
transaction tax, stamp duty or other issuance or transfer taxes or duties and no
capital gains, income, withholding or other taxes are payable by or on behalf of
the Underwriters to the Republic of Colombia or any political subdivision or
taxing authority thereof or therein in connection with (i) the issuance of the
Notes in the manner contemplated hereby or (ii) the sale and delivery by the
Underwriters of the Notes as contemplated herein;
(cc) there
are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under the laws of the
Republic of Colombia or the laws of the United States federal or state
governments, or any political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in
connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the performance
by the Company of its obligations hereunder;
(dd) the
Company and each of the Significant Subsidiaries maintain insurance covering
their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses as the Company
reasonably deems adequate; such insurance insures against such losses and risks
to an extent which is adequate in accordance with customary industry practice in
the Republic of Colombia to protect the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries
and their respective businesses; all such insurance is fully in force on the
date hereof and will be fully in force at the time of purchase; neither the
Company nor any Significant Subsidiary has reason to believe that it will not be
able to renew any such insurance as and when such insurance
expires;
12
(ee) neither
the Company nor any subsidiary has sent or received any communication regarding
termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements
listed under Section 4 of the exhibits to the Company’s Form 20-F filed on June
11, 2010, referred to or described in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus
and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any
subsidiary or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party to any such contract
or agreement;
(ff) the
Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide
reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with
management’s general or specific authorization, (ii) transactions are recorded
as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for
assets, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s
general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for
assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate
action is taken with respect to any differences;
(gg) the
Company has established and maintains and evaluates “disclosure controls and
procedures” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the
Exchange Act) and “internal control over financial reporting” (as such term is
defined in Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act); such disclosure
controls and procedures are designed to ensure that material information
relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known
to the Company’s President and its Chief Financial Officer by others within
those entities, and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective to
perform the functions for which they were established; the Company’s independent
auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have
been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies, if any, in the
design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the
Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data, and
(ii) all fraud, if any, whether or not material, that involves management or
other employees who have a role in the Company’s internal controls; all material
weaknesses, if any, in internal controls have been identified to the Company’s
independent auditors; since the date of the most recent evaluation of such
disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls, there have been no
significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could
significantly affect internal controls, including any corrective actions with
regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses; the principal
executive officers (or their equivalents) and principal financial officers (or
their equivalents) of the Company have made all certifications required by the
Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”)
and any related rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission, and the
statements contained in each such certification are complete and correct; the
Company, the Subsidiaries and the Company’s directors and officers are each in
compliance in all material respects with all applicable effective provisions of
the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
promulgated thereunder, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302
and 906 related to certifications;
13
(hh) all
statistical or market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the Pre-Pricing Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the
Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, are based on or derived from
sources that the Company reasonably believes to be reliable and accurate, and
the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such
sources to the extent required;
(ii) neither
the Company nor any of the Significant Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the
Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or
any of the Significant Subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action,
directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations
thereunder (the “Foreign Corrupt Practices
Act”);
(jj) the
operations of the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries are and have been
conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and
reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of
1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of the United States or the
Republic of Colombia, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or
similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by
any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering
Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or
governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator or non-governmental
authority involving the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries with
respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge,
threatened;
(kk) Neither
the Company, nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries nor any of their respective
directors and officers, and to the knowledge of the Company, agents, employees
or affiliates, is a person or entity (“Person”) with whom
transactions or dealings would be prohibited for U.S. persons, European Union
persons, or Colombian persons to engage in under, with respect to U.S. persons,
any of the economic sanctions of the United States administered by the U.S.
Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), with respect
to European Union persons, any equivalent European Union measure, and with
respect to Colombian persons, any equivalent Colombian measure (collectively,
“Sanctions
Targets”); the Company, together with its Significant Subsidiaries,
derives less than 5% of its revenue from, and does not have investments
representing more than 5% of its assets in, Burma, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and
Sudan (the “Sanctioned
Countries”) and any other Sanctions Target; neither the Company, nor any
of its Affiliates, or sponsors or provides assistance or support to any
Sanctions Target listed on the OFAC List of Specially Designated Nationals and
Blocked Persons (the “SDN List”) identified
by one or more of the following designations: FTO, NPWMD, SDGT or SDT; and the
Company is not owned or controlled, within the meaning of the OFAC regulations
promulgating such sanctions, the laws authorizing such promulgation and
applicable interpretations thereof, or equivalent European Union or Colombian
measures (collectively, the “Sanctions
Regulations”) by any Sanctions Targets. The Company will not,
directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering of the Notes
contemplated hereby, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such
proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other party in any manner
that will result in a violation of Sanctions Regulations by any person
(including any party
participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or
otherwise).
14
(ll) no
Significant Subsidiary is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from
paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such
Significant Subsidiary’s capital stock or from repaying to the Company any loans
or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company, except as described in the
Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), each Pre-Pricing
Prospectus and the Prospectus;
(mm) except
pursuant to this Agreement, the Company has not incurred any liability for any
finder’s or broker’s fee or agent’s commission in connection with the execution
and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby or by the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus;
(nn) neither
the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor
any of their respective directors or officers, or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of its
affiliates or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action
designed, or which has constituted or might reasonably be expected to cause or
result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the
Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Notes;
(oo) this
Agreement is in proper legal form for enforcement against the Company in the
Republic of Colombia, provided that to ensure the legality, validity,
enforceability or admissibility in evidence of this Agreement in the Republic of
Colombia, the Agreement must be translated into Spanish by an official
translator, and it is not necessary that either of them be filed or recorded or
enrolled with any court or authority in the Republic of Colombia or that any
stamp, registration or similar tax be paid in the Republic of Colombia, other
than court costs, including filing fees and deposits to guarantee judgment
required by the Republic of Colombia law and regulations;
(pp) no
relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of
its Significant Subsidiaries, on the one
hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders customers or suppliers of the
Company or any of its Significant
Subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Act to be described
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in
such documents;
15
(qq) subject
to the issuance of a writ of exequatur by the Supreme Court of the Republic of
Colombia, any final judgment for a fixed or determined sum of money rendered by
any court of the State of New York or of the United States located in the State
of New York having jurisdiction under its own domestic laws in respect of any
suit, action or proceeding against the Company based upon any of the Indenture,
the Notes and this Agreement would be declared enforceable against the Company
by the Courts of the Republic of Colombia, without reconsideration or
reexamination of the merits, provided, that (i)
international treaties or the laws of the country of such foreign court grant
reciprocity to the enforcement of judgments of Courts of the Republic of
Colombia, (ii) the party against whom the judgment was rendered, or its agent,
was personally served in such action within such foreign jurisdiction, (iii) the
judgment arises out of a personal action against the defendant, and does not
refer to property rights (in rem rights) existing on the assets located in the
Republic of Colombia, (iv) the obligation in respect of which the judgment was
rendered is lawful in the Republic of Colombia and does not contradict the
public policy of the Republic of Colombia, (v) the judgment is properly
authenticated by diplomatic or consular officers of the Republic of Colombia or
pursuant to the 1961 Hague Convention on the legalization of documents, (vi) a
copy of the final judgment is translated into Spanish by a licensed translator,
(vii) the judgment is final under the laws under which it was issued, (viii) the
controversy is not, under Colombian law, assigned to the exclusive jurisdiction
of Colombian courts, (ix) no pending or finalized litigation exists in the
Republic of Colombia between the same parties and originating in the same cause
of action and (x) exequatur proceedings are carried out before the competent
Colombian court;
(rr) it
is not necessary under the laws of the Republic of Colombia or any political
subdivision thereof or authority or agency therein in order to enable a
subsequent purchaser of Notes or an owner of any interest therein to enforce its
rights under the Notes or to enable the Underwriters to enforce their rights
under any of the Indenture, the Notes and this Agreement that it should, as a
result solely of its holding of Notes, be licensed, qualified, or otherwise
entitled to carry on business in the Republic of Colombia or any political
subdivision thereof or authority or agency therein;
(ss) The
Company and its Significant Subsidiaries have no immunity from the jurisdiction
of any court of (A) any jurisdiction in which they own or lease property or
assets, (B) the United States or the State of New York or (C) Colombia or any
political subdivision thereof or from any legal process (whether through service
of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution,
execution or otherwise) with respect to themselves or their property and assets,
this Agreement, the Indenture or the Notes or actions to enforce judgments in
respect thereof;
16
(tt) The
choice of law of the State of New York as the governing law of this Agreement,
the Indenture and the Notes is a valid choice of law under the laws of Colombia
and, subject to such qualifications and assumptions as are set forth in the
opinion of Xxxxx-Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Abogados, Colombian counsel for the Company, will
be recognized and given effect by the courts of Colombia. Pursuant to Section 12
hereof, the Company, to the fullest extent permitted by law, has validly and
irrevocably submitted to the personal jurisdiction of any Federal or state court
in the State of New York, has validly and irrevocably waived any objection to
the venue of a proceeding in any such court, has validly and irrevocably
appointed CT Corporation System as its authorized agent for service of process
and has validly and irrevocably waived all right to trial by jury in any claim
or counterclaim (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way
arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the Offering;
(uu) neither
the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries (i) has any material lending
or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any Underwriter or
(ii) intends to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities to repay
any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter; and
(vv) The
Company has informed the Superintendencia Financiera
of the transactions contemplated hereby, in accordance with the requirements of
the Superintendencia
Financiera, at least ten business days in Colombia prior to the Closing
Date.
In
addition, any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to
the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering
of the Notes shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company,
as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.
4. Certain Covenants of the
Company. The Company hereby agrees:
(a) to
furnish such information as may be required and otherwise to cooperate in
qualifying the Notes for offering and sale under the securities or blue sky laws
of such states or other jurisdictions as you may designate and to maintain such
qualifications in effect so long as you may request for the distribution of the
Notes; provided, however, that the
Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to consent
to the service of process under the laws of any such jurisdiction (except
service of process with respect to the offering and sale of the Notes); and to
promptly advise you of the receipt by the Company of any notification with
respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Notes for offer or sale in
any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such
purpose;
17
(b) to
make available to the Underwriters in New York City, as soon as practicable
after this Agreement becomes effective, and thereafter from time to time to
furnish to the Underwriters, as many copies of the Prospectus (or of the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have made any
amendments or supplements thereto after the effective date of the Registration
Statement) as the Underwriters may reasonably request for the purposes
contemplated by the Act; in case any Underwriter is required to deliver (whether
physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar
rule), in connection with the sale of the Notes, a prospectus after the
nine-month period referred to in Section 10(a)(3) of the Act, or after the time
a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement is required pursuant to
Item 512(a) of Regulation S-K under the Act, the Company will prepare, at its
expense, promptly upon request such amendment or amendments to the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus as may be necessary to permit compliance with the
requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Act or Item 512(a) of Regulation S-K
under the Act, as the case may be;
(c) if,
at the time this Agreement is executed and delivered, it is necessary or
appropriate for a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, or a
Registration Statement under Rule 462(b) under the Act, to be filed with the
Commission and become effective before the Notes may be sold, the Company will
use its best efforts to cause such post-effective amendment or such Registration
Statement to be filed and become effective, and will pay any applicable fees in
accordance with the Act, as soon as possible; and the Company will advise you
promptly (i) when such post-effective amendment or such Registration Statement
has become effective, and (ii) if Rule 430A under the Act is used, when the
Prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act
(which the Company agrees to file in a timely manner in accordance with such
Rules);
(d) if,
at any time during the period when a prospectus is required by the Act to be
delivered by the Underwriters (whether physically or through compliance with
Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in connection with any sale of
Notes, the Registration Statement shall cease to comply with the requirements of
the Act with respect to eligibility for the use of the form on which the
Registration Statement was filed with the Commission or the Registration
Statement shall cease to be an “automatic shelf registration statement” (as
defined in Rule 405 under the Act) or the Company shall have received, from the
Commission, a notice, pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2), of objection to the use of the
form on which the Registration Statement was filed with the Commission, to (i)
promptly notify you, (ii) promptly file with the Commission a new registration
statement under the Act, relating to the Notes, or a post-effective amendment to
the Registration Statement, which new registration statement or post-effective
amendment shall comply with the requirements of the Act and shall be in a form
satisfactory to you, (iii) use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such
new registration statement or post-effective amendment to become effective under
the Act as soon as practicable, (iv) promptly notify you of such effectiveness
and (v) take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public
offering and sale of the Notes to continue as contemplated in the Prospectus;
all references herein to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to include
each such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, if
any;
18
(e) to
advise you promptly, confirming such advice in writing, of any request by the
Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any
Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus
or for additional information with respect thereto, or of notice of institution
of proceedings for, or the entry of a stop order, suspending the effectiveness
of the Registration Statement and, if the Commission should enter a stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, to use its best
efforts to obtain the lifting or removal of such order as soon as possible; to
advise you promptly of any proposal to amend or supplement the Registration
Statement, any Pre-Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, and to provide you and
Underwriters’ counsel copies of any such documents for review and comment a
reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing and to file no such
amendment or supplement to which you shall reasonably object in
writing;
(f) to
approve any amendments necessary to the Reglamento de Emisión y Colocación
xx Xxxxx Subordinados to conform such amendments to the Registration
Statement, any Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free
Writing Prospectus and to provide you and Underwriters’ counsel copies of any
such amendments for review and comment a reasonable amount of time prior to any
proposed filing with the Superintendencia Financiera
and to file no such amendment or supplement to which you shall reasonably object
in writing;
(g) to
report to the Colombian Central Bank the indebtedness corresponding to the Notes
in accordance with the corresponding regulations applicable to the Company, to
comply with all other Colombian foreign exchange regulations that apply to such
indebtedness and to provide to you and your counsel a copy of such reports or
registrations, as the case may be, not later than one business day following the
filing of such report or registration;
(h) subject
to Section 4(f) hereof, to file promptly all reports and documents and any
preliminary or definitive proxy or information statement required to be filed by
the Company with the Commission in order to comply with the Exchange Act for so
long as a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically
or through compliance with Rule 172 or Rule 173 under the Act or any similar
rule) in connection with any sale of Notes; and to provide you, for your review
and comment, with a copy of such reports and statements and other documents to
be filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act
during such period a reasonable amount of time (in light of the circumstances)
prior to any proposed filing, and to file no such report, statement or document
to which you shall have reasonably objected in writing; and to promptly notify
you of such filing;
19
(i) to
advise the Underwriters promptly of the happening of any event within the period
during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether
physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar
rule) in connection with any sale of Notes, which event could require the making
of any change in the Prospectus then being used so that the Prospectus would not
include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances
under which they are made, not misleading, and to advise the Underwriters
promptly if, during such period, it shall become necessary to amend or
supplement the Prospectus to cause the Prospectus to comply with the
requirements of the Act, and, in each case, during such time, subject to Section
4(f) hereof, to prepare and furnish, at the Company’s expense, to the
Underwriters promptly such amendments or supplements to such Prospectus as may
be necessary to reflect any such change or to effect such
compliance;
(j) to
furnish to you two copies of the Registration Statement, as initially filed with
the Commission, and of all amendments thereto (including all exhibits thereto
and documents incorporated by reference therein) and sufficient copies of the
foregoing (other than exhibits) for distribution of a copy to each of the other
Underwriters;
(k) to
furnish to you as early as practicable prior to the time of purchase, but not
later than one business day prior thereto, a copy of the latest available
unaudited interim and monthly consolidated financial statements of the Company
and its subsidiaries which have been read by the Company’s independent
registered public accountants, if any, as stated in their letter to be furnished
pursuant to Section 6(c) hereof;
(l) to
apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Notes in the manner set forth under
the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus;
20
(m) to
pay all costs, expenses, fees and taxes in connection with (i) the preparation
and filing of the Registration Statement, each Base Prospectus, each Pre-Pricing
Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus, each Permitted Free
Writing Prospectus required to be filed and any amendments or supplements
thereto, and the printing and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the
Underwriters and to dealers (including costs of mailing and shipment), (ii) the
registration, authorization, authentication, issue, sale and delivery of the
Notes including any stock or transfer taxes and stamp or similar duties payable
upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Notes to the Underwriters, (iii) the
producing, word processing and/or printing of this Agreement, the Indenture, the
Notes, any agreement among the Underwriters, any dealer agreements and any
closing documents (including compilations thereof) and the reproduction and/or
printing and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the Underwriters and
(except closing documents) to dealers (including costs of mailing and shipment),
(iv) the qualification of the Notes for offering and sale under Colombian,
United States, state or other foreign laws and the determination of their
eligibility for investment under Colombian, United States, state or other
foreign law (including the legal fees and filing fees and other reasonable
disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters) and the printing and furnishing
of copies of any blue sky surveys or legal investment surveys to the
Underwriters and to dealers, (v) any listing of the Notes on any securities
exchange or qualification of the Notes for quotation on the NYSE, (vi) the
inclusion of the Notes in the book-entry system of The Depository Trust Company
(“DTC”), (vii)
the rating of the Notes by rating agencies, (viii) the fees and expenses of the
Trustee and its counsel, (ix) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to
presentations or meetings undertaken in connection with the marketing of the
offering and sale of the Notes to prospective investors and the Underwriters’
sales forces, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the
production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any
consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel,
lodging and other expenses incurred by the officers of the Company and any such
consultants, (x) all the reasonable fees and expenses of the Underwriters
(including, without limitation, reasonable legal fees and expenses of the
Underwriters including an U.S. counsel and a local counsel), (xi) all fees and
expenses of legal counsel to the Company and of the Company’s
auditors, and (xii) the performance of the Company’s other obligations
hereunder;
(n) to
comply with Rule 433(d) under the Act (without reliance on Rule 164(b) under the
Act) and with Rule 433(g) under the Act;
(o) not
to, and to cause the subsidiaries not to,
take, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which will constitute, or
has constituted, or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the
stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to
facilitate the sale or resale of the Notes;
(p) to
use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Notes to be listed on the
NYSE and to maintain the listing of the Notes on the NYSE;
(q) to
comply with its obligations under the letter of representations to DTC relating
to the approval of the Notes by DTC for “book-entry” transfer and to use its
best efforts to obtain approval of the Notes by DTC for “book-entry” transfer;
and
(r) during
the period from the date hereof through and including the date that is 45 days
after the date hereof, without the prior written consent of the Underwriters,
offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any debt securities outside the Republic of Colombia issued or
guaranteed by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary and having a tenor of
more than one year.
21
5. Certain Covenants of the
Underwriters. Each Underwriter severally covenants with the Company (i)
to furnish to the Company a copy of each proposed issuer free writing prospectus
to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by an Underwriter in
connection with the offering of Notes and not to use or refer to any such
proposed issuer free writing prospectus to which the Company reasonably objects
and (ii) not to take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the
Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under
the Securities Act a free writing prospectus that the Company otherwise would
not have been required to file thereunder. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Underwriters may use a term sheet substantially in the form of
Annex C hereto without the consent of the Company.
6. Conditions of Underwriters’
Obligations. The several obligations of the Underwriters
hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on
the part of the Company on the date hereof and at the time of purchase, the
performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following
additional conditions precedent:
(a) The
Company shall furnish to you at the time of purchase, an opinion and letter of
Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, United States counsel for the Company, addressed to
the Underwriters, and dated the Closing Date, with executed copies for each of
the other Underwriters, and in form and substance satisfactory to the
Underwriters, in the form set forth in Exhibit A
hereto.
(b) The
Company shall furnish to you at the time of purchase, an opinion of Xxxxx-Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx Abogados, Colombian counsel for the Company, addressed to the
Underwriters, and dated the Closing Date, with executed copies for each of the
other Underwriters, and in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters,
in the form set forth in Exhibit B
hereto.
(c) The Company shall furnish to you at the time of
purchase, an opinion of Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, internal counsel for the
Company, addressed to the Underwriters, and dated the Closing Date, with
executed copies for each of the Underwriters, and in form and substance
satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(d) You
shall have received from Deloitte and Touche Ltda. a letter dated the date of
this Agreement, and addressed to the Underwriters (with executed copies for each
of the Underwriters) in the forms satisfactory to the Underwriters, which
letters shall cover, without limitation, the certain financial information
contained in the Registration Statement, the Pre-Pricing Prospectuses, the
Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any.
(e) You
shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers Ltda. letters dated the date of
this Agreement and the Closing Date, and addressed to the Underwriters (with
executed copies for each of the Underwriters) in the forms satisfactory to the
Underwriters, which letters shall cover, without limitation, the certain
financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pre-Pricing
Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if
any.
22
(f) You
shall have received at the time of purchase, the favorable opinion of Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, United States counsel for the Underwriters,
in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(g) You
shall have received at the time of purchase, the favorable opinion of Xxxxxx
& Xxxxxxxxx X.X., Colombian counsel for the Underwriters, in form and
substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(h) You
shall have received from the Company evidence that the Company has provided
notice to the Superintendencia
Financiera in accordance with the requirements of the Superintendencia Financiera,
of the issuance of the Notes at least ten business days in Colombia prior to the
Closing Date.
(i) No
Prospectus or amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus shall have been filed to which you shall have objected in
writing.
(j) The
Registration Statement and any registration statement required to be filed,
prior to the sale of the Notes, under the Act pursuant to Rule 462(b) shall have
been filed and shall have become effective under the Act. The Prospectus
Supplement shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)
under the Act at or before 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on the second full
business day after the date of this Agreement (or such earlier time as may be
required under the Act).
(k) Prior
to and at the time of purchase, no stop order with respect to the effectiveness
of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Act or
proceedings initiated under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Act, (ii) the
Registration Statement and all amendments thereto shall not contain an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iii)
none of the Pre-Pricing Prospectuses or the Prospectus, and no amendment or
supplement thereto, shall include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit
to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading, (iv) no
Disclosure Package, and no amendment or supplement thereto, shall include an
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they are made, not misleading, and (v) none of the Permitted Free Writing
Prospectuses, if any, shall include an untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not
misleading;
(l) The
Company will, at the time of purchase, deliver to you a certificate of its
Executive Vice President and its Chief Financial Officer, dated the time of
purchase, in the form attached as Exhibit C
hereto.
23
(m) The Company will deliver to you a certificate of its
Vice President of Risk Management and Chief Financial Officer with respect to
certain financial information contained in the Prospectus, dated the time of
purchase, in the form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the
Underwriters.
(n) The
Notes shall have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject only to notice
of issuance at or prior to the Closing Date.
(o) The
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (the “FINRA”) shall not
have raised any objection with respect to the fairness or reasonableness of the
underwriting, or other arrangements of the transactions, contemplated
hereby.
(p) The
Issuer and the Trustee shall have executed and, substantially
contemporaneously with the time of
purchase, delivered the Indenture
and the Notes and the Underwriters shall have received copies
thereof.
(q) No
action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall
have been enacted, adopted or issued by any Colombian or other foreign, United
States federal or state governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of
the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Notes; and no injunction
or order of any Colombian or other foreign, United States federal or state court
shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance
or sale of the Notes.
7. Effective Date of Agreement;
Termination. This Agreement shall become effective when the
parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement.
The
obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder shall be subject to
termination in the absolute discretion of the Underwriters if (i) since the
Applicable Time there has been any change or any development involving a
prospective change in the business, properties, management, financial condition
or results of operations of the Company and the subsidiaries taken as a whole,
the effect of which change or development is, in the sole judgment of the
Underwriters, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable
to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Notes on the terms
and in the manner contemplated in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or
(ii) since the Applicable Time there shall have occurred: (A) a
suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the
NYSE, or the Bolsa de Valores
de Colombia (the Colombian Stock Exchange); (B) a suspension or material
limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on the NYSE; (C) a general
moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either federal,
Colombian or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial
banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or
the Republic of Colombia; (D) an outbreak or escalation of hostilities or acts
of terrorism involving the United States or the Republic of Colombia or a
declaration by the United States or the Republic of Colombia of a national
emergency or war; (E) a change or development involving a prospective change in
Colombian taxes affecting the Company, the Notes or the transfer thereof or the
imposition of exchange controls by the Republic of Colombia that may limit or in any way would materially and adversely affect the financial
markets or the market for the Notes or materially impair the ability of the
Underwriters to purchase, hold or effect resales of the Notes on the terms and
in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus; or (F) any other calamity or crisis or any change in
financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere,
if the effect of any such event specified in clause (D), (E) or (F), in the sole
judgment of the Underwriters, makes it impractical or inadvisable to proceed
with the public offering or the delivery of the Notes on the terms and in the
manner contemplated in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or (iii) since
the Applicable Time, there shall have occurred any downgrading, or any notice or
announcement shall have been given or made of: (A) any intended or
potential downgrading or (B) any watch, review or possible change that does not
indicate an affirmation or improvement in the rating accorded any securities of
or guaranteed by the Company by any “nationally recognized statistical rating
organization,” as that term is defined in Rule 436(g)(2) under the
Act.
24
If the
Underwriters elect to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 6,
the Company and each other Underwriter shall be notified promptly in
writing.
If (x)
this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section 7, (y) the Company for any
reason fails to tender the Notes for delivery to the Underwriters or (z) the
Underwriters decline to purchase the Notes for any reason permitted under this
Agreement, the Company shall not be subject to any obligation or liability under
this Agreement; provided, however, that the
Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and
expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby to the extent set forth in Section 4(m) and the Underwriters
shall be under no obligation or liability to the Company under this Agreement
(except to the extent provided in Section 8 hereof) or to one another
hereunder.
25
8. Indemnity and
Contribution.
(a) The
Company agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each Underwriter, its
affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the Act), its directors
and officers, and any person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of
Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and
assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any loss, damage,
expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation)
which, jointly or severally, any such Underwriter or any such person may incur
under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such
loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon (i) any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by any
post-effective amendment thereof by the Company) or arises out of or is based
upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
except insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out
of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning such
Underwriter furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you
to the Company expressly for use in, the Registration Statement or arises out of
or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in
the Registration Statement in connection with such information, which material
fact was not contained in such information and which material fact was required
to be stated in such Registration Statement or was necessary to make such
information not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact included in any Prospectus (the term Prospectus for
the purpose of this Section 8 being deemed to include any Base Prospectus, any
Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus and any
amendments or supplements to the foregoing), in any Permitted Free Writing
Prospectus, in any “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Act)
of the Company or in any Prospectus together with any combination of one or more
of the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, or arises out of or is based
upon any omission or alleged omission 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, except, with respect to such Prospectus or
Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, insofar as any such loss, damage, expense,
liability or claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with
information concerning such Underwriter furnished in writing by or on behalf of
such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in, such
Prospectus or Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or arises out of or is based
upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in such
Prospectus or Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in connection with such
information, which material fact was not contained in such information and which
material fact was necessary in order to make the statements in such information,
in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
(b) Each
Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company,
its directors and officers, and any person who controls the Company within the
meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the
successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any
loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of
investigation) which, jointly or severally, the Company or any such person may
incur under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as
such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon
(i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in, and in conformity with information concerning such Underwriter
furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the
Company expressly for use in, the Registration Statement (or in the Registration
Statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereof by the Company), or
arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a
material fact in such Registration Statement in connection with such
information, which material fact was not contained in such information and which
material fact was required to be stated in such Registration Statement or was
necessary to make such information not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement
or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity
with information concerning such Underwriter furnished in writing by or on
behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in, a
Prospectus or a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, or arises out of or is based
upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in such
Prospectus or Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in connection with such
information, which material fact was not contained in such information and which
material fact was necessary in order to make the statements in such information,
in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, it
being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any
Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus or a
Permitted Free Writing Prospectus furnished on behalf of the Underwriter under
the caption Underwriting in the third sentence of the third paragraph
and the fourth and sixth paragraphs (such information
being defined as the “Underwriter
Information”).
26
(c) If
any action, suit or proceeding (each, a “Proceeding”) is
brought against a person (an “indemnified party”)
in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company or an
Underwriter (as applicable, the “indemnifying party”)
pursuant to subsection (a) or (b), respectively, of this Section 8, such
indemnified party shall promptly notify such indemnifying party in writing of
the institution of such Proceeding and such indemnifying party shall, if it so
elects, assume the defense of such Proceeding, including the employment of
counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party and payment of all
fees and expenses; provided, however, that the
omission to so notify such indemnifying party shall not relieve such
indemnifying party from any liability which such indemnifying party may have to
any indemnified party pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) above unless such
omission results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial
rights and defenses and shall not, in any event, relieve such indemnifying party
from any obligations to any indemnified party (other than the indemnification
obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above). The
indemnified party or parties shall have the right to employ its or their own
counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at
the expense of such indemnified party or parties unless the employment of such
counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party in
connection with the defense of such Proceeding or the indemnifying party shall
not have, within a reasonable period of time in light of the circumstances,
employed counsel to defend such Proceeding or such indemnified party or parties
shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or
them which are different from, additional to or in conflict with those available
to such indemnifying party (in which case such indemnifying party shall not have
the right to direct the defense of such Proceeding on behalf of the indemnified
party or parties), in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne
by such indemnifying party and paid as incurred (it being understood, however,
that such indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than
one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or
series of related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the
indemnified parties who are parties to such Proceeding). The
indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding
effected without its written consent but if settled with its written consent
such indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the indemnified
party or parties from and against any loss or liability by reason of such
settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an
indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the
indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second
sentence of this Section 8(c), then the indemnifying party agrees that it shall
be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written
consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 days after receipt
by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying
party shall not have fully reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with
such request prior to the date of such settlement and (iii) such indemnified
party shall have given the indemnifying party at least 30 days’ prior notice of
its intention to settle. No indemnifying party shall, without the
prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any
pending or threatened Proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or
could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such
indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of
such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter
of such Proceeding and does not include an admission of fault or culpability or
a failure to act by or on behalf of such indemnified party.
27
(d) If
the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable to an
indemnified party under subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 8 or
insufficient to hold an indemnified party harmless in respect of any losses,
damages, expenses, liabilities or claims referred to therein, then each
applicable indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by
such indemnified party as a result of such losses, damages, expenses,
liabilities or claims (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters
on the other hand from the offering of the Notes or (ii) if the allocation
provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred
to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one
hand and of the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or
omissions which resulted in such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or
claims, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The
relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters
on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the
total proceeds from the offering (net of underwriting discounts and commissions
but before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total
underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, bear to the
aggregate public offering price of the Notes. The relative fault of
the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other shall be
determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission
relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the
parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to
correct or prevent such statement or omission. The amount paid or
payable by a party as a result of the losses, damages, expenses, liabilities and
claims referred to in this subsection shall be deemed to include any legal or
other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with
investigating, preparing to defend or defending any Proceeding.
28
(e) The
Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if
contribution pursuant to this Section 8 were determined by pro rata allocation
(even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any
other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable
considerations referred to in subsection (d) above. Notwithstanding
the provisions of this Section 8, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute
any amount in excess of the amount equal to the total underwriting discounts and
commissions received by such Underwriters. No person guilty of
fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act)
shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such
fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to
contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to their
respective underwriting commitments and not joint.
(f) The
indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 8 and the
covenants, warranties and representations of the Company contained in this
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation
made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, its partners, directors or officers or
any person (including each partner, officer or director of such person) who
controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section
20 of the Exchange Act, or by or on behalf of the Company its directors or
officers or any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15
of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and shall survive any termination
of this Agreement or the issuance and delivery of the Notes. The
Company and each Underwriter agree promptly to notify each other of the
commencement of any Proceeding against it and, in the case of the Company,
against any of their officers or directors in connection with the issuance and
sale of the Notes, or in connection with the Registration Statement, any Base
Prospectus, any Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free
Writing Prospectus.
9. Notices. Except
as otherwise herein provided, all statements, requests, notices and agreements
shall be in writing or by telegram or facsimile and, if to the Underwriters,
shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to Banc of America
Securities LLC, Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000, Attention: High
Grade Debt Capital Markets Transaction Management/Legal and X.X. Xxxxxx
Securities Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000, Attention: Latin
America Debt Capital Markets, Fax: 000-000-0000, and, if to the Company, shall
be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to the Company at the offices
of the Company at Xxxxxxx 00 Xx. 00-00, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx,
Attention: Legal Department.
29
10. Governing Law;
Construction. This Agreement and any claim, counterclaim or
dispute of any kind or nature whatsoever arising out of or in any way relating
to this Agreement (“Claim”), directly or
indirectly, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of
the State of New York. The section headings in this Agreement have
been inserted as a matter of convenience of reference and are not a part of this
Agreement.
11. Maintenance of Office or
Agent for Service of Process. The Company shall maintain an
office or agent for service of process in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of
New York, where notices to and demands upon the Company in respect of this
Agreement may be served. Initially this agent will be CT Corporation
System, and the Company will agree not to change the designation of such agent
without prior notice to the Trustee and designation of a replacement agent in
the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York
12. Submission to
Jurisdiction. Except as set forth below, no Claim may be
commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the
State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United
States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall
have jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the Company
consents to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect
thereto. The Company hereby consents to personal jurisdiction,
service and venue in any court in which any Claim arising out of or in any way
relating to this Agreement is brought by any third party against any Underwriter
or any indemnified party. Each Underwriter and the Company (on its
behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its
affiliates) waive all right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or
counterclaim (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising
out of or relating to this Agreement. The Company agrees that a final
judgment in any such action, proceeding or counterclaim brought in any such
court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and may be enforced in
any other courts to the jurisdiction of which the Company is or may be subject,
by suit upon such judgment subject to the exquatur provisions set forth in
Section 3(rr) above. In connection with the submission to the
jurisdiction of the aforementioned courts, the Company hereby waives any right
to which it may be entitled on account of its place of residence or
domicile. To the extent that the Company has or hereafter may acquire
any immunity (sovereign or otherwise) from any legal action, suit or proceeding,
from jurisdiction of any court or from set-off or any legal process (whether
service or notice, attachment in aid or otherwise) with respect to itself or any
of its property, the Company hereby irrevocably waives and agrees not to plead
or claim such immunity in respect of its obligations under this
Agreement.
13. Parties at
Interest. The Agreement herein set forth has been and is made
solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and to the extent
provided in Section 8 hereof the controlling persons, affiliates, directors and
officers referred to in such Section, and their respective successors, assigns,
heirs, personal representatives and executors and administrators. No
other person, partnership, association or corporation (including a purchaser, as
such purchaser, from any of the Underwriters) shall acquire or have any right
under or by virtue of this Agreement.
30
14. No Fiduciary
Relationship. The Company hereby acknowledges that the
Underwriters are acting solely as underwriters in connection with the purchase
and sale of the Company’s securities. The Company further
acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting pursuant to a contractual
relationship created solely by this Agreement entered into on an arm’s length
basis, and in no event do the parties intend that the Underwriters act or be
responsible as a fiduciary to the Company, its management, stockholders or
creditors or any other person in connection with any activity that the
Underwriters may undertake or have undertaken in furtherance of the purchase and
sale of the Company’s securities, either before or after the date
hereof. The Underwriters hereby expressly disclaim any fiduciary or
similar obligations to the Company, either in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions,
and the Company hereby confirms its understanding and agreement to that
effect. The Company and the Underwriters agree that they are each
responsible for making their own independent judgments with respect to any such
transactions and that any opinions or views expressed by the Underwriters to the
Company regarding such transactions, including, but not limited to, any opinions
or views with respect to the price or market for the Company’s securities, do
not constitute advice or recommendations to the Company. The Company
hereby waives and releases, to the full extent permitted by law, any claims that
the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach or
alleged breach of any fiduciary or similar duty to the Company in connection
with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up
to such transactions. Any review by the Underwriters of the Company,
the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such
transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and
shall not be on behalf of the Company.
15. Counterparts. This
Agreement may be signed by the parties in one or more counterparts which
together shall constitute one and the same agreement among the
parties.
16. Successors and
Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Underwriters
and the Company and their respective successors and assigns and any successor or
assign of any substantial portion of the Company’s and any of the Underwriters’
respective businesses and/or assets.
17. Foreign
Taxes. All payments by the Company to the Underwriters
hereunder shall be made free and clear of, and without deduction or withholding
for or on account of, any and all present and future income, stamp or other
taxes, levies, imposts, duties, charges, fees, deductions or withholdings, now
or hereinafter imposed, levied, collected, withheld or assessed by the
government of the Republic of Colombia or any other jurisdiction from or through
which payment is made or deemed to be made, or any political subdivision thereof
or therein excluding (i) any such tax imposed by reason of the Underwriters
having some present or former connection with any such jurisdiction other than
their participation as the Underwriters hereunder, and the receipt of payments
hereunder, and (ii) any income or franchise tax on the overall net income of the
Underwriters imposed by the United States or by the State of New York or any
political subdivision of the United States or of the States of New York (all
such non-excluded taxes, “Foreign
Taxes”). If the Company is prevented by operation of law or
otherwise from paying, causing to be paid or remitting that portion of amounts
payable hereunder represented by Foreign Taxes withheld or deducted, then
amounts payable under this Agreement shall be increased to such amount as is
necessary to yield and remit to the Underwriters an amount that, after
withholding or deduction of all Foreign Taxes (including all Foreign Taxes
payable on such increased payments) equals the amount that would have been
payable if no Foreign Taxes applied.
31
18. Judgment
Currency. The Company agrees to indemnify the Underwriters
against any loss incurred by the Underwriters as a result of any judgment or
order being given or made for any amount due hereunder and such judgment or
order being expressed and paid in a currency (the “Judgment Currency”)
other than United States dollars and as a result of any variation as between (i)
the rate of exchange at which the United States dollar amount is converted into
the Judgment Currency for the purpose of such judgment or order, and (ii) the
rate of exchange at which the Underwriters are able to purchase United States
dollars with the amount of the Judgment Currency actually received by the
Underwriters. The foregoing indemnity shall constitute a separate and
independent obligation of the Company and shall continue in full force and
effect notwithstanding any such judgment or order as
aforesaid. The term “rate of exchange” shall include any
premiums and costs of exchange payable in connection with the purchase of, or
conversion into, the relevant currency.
19. Miscellaneous. BofA
is not a bank. Because BofA is a separately organized entity, it is
solely responsible for its own contractual obligations and commitments,
including obligations with respect to sales and purchases of
securities. Securities sold, offered or recommended by BofA are not
deposits, are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, are not
guaranteed by a branch or agency, and are not otherwise an obligation or
responsibility of a branch or agency.
JPMSI is
not a bank. Because JPMSI is a separately incorporated entity, it is
solely responsible for its own contractual obligations and commitments,
including obligations with respect to sales and purchases of
securities. Securities sold, offered or recommended by JPMSI are not
deposits, are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, are not
guaranteed by a branch or agency, and are not otherwise an obligation or
responsibility of a branch or agency.
[The Remainder of
This Page Intentionally Left Blank; Signature Page
Follows]
32
If the
foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding among the Company and the
several Underwriters, please so indicate in the space provided below for that
purpose, whereupon this Agreement and your acceptance shall constitute a binding
agreement among the Company and the Underwriters.
Very
truly yours,
|
||
Bancolombia
S.A.
|
||
By:
|
/s/ XXXX XXXXXX XXXX
|
|
Name:
Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx
|
||
Title:
Chief Risk Officer
|
Accepted
and agreed to as of the date
first
above written
Banc
of America Securities LLC
|
||
By:
|
/s/ MAXIM VOLKOV
|
|
Name:
Maxim Volkov
|
||
Title:
Managing Director
|
||
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
|
||
By:
|
/s/ XXXXXX XXXXXXXX
|
|
Name:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
|
||
Title:
Executive Director
|
Signature
Page
SCHEDULE
A
Underwriter
|
Principal
Amount of
Notes
to be Purchased
|
|||
BANC
OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
|
US$ | 310,000,000 | ||
X.X.
XXXXXX SECURITIES INC.
|
US$ | 310,000,000 | ||
Total
|
US$ | 620,000,000 |
A-1
SCHEDULE
B
1.
|
Permitted
Free Writing Prospectuses:
|
|
i.
|
Pricing
Term Sheet, dated July 19, 2010
|
2.
|
Permitted
Free Writing Prospectuses not included in the Disclosure
Package:
|
i. Electronic
Road Show posted on xxx.xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
on July 14, 2010.
B-1
SCHEDULE
C
Pricing
Term Sheet
Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus dated July 19, 2010
Relating
to Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated July 13, 2010
to
Prospectus dated July 13, 2010
Registration
No. 333-168077
Pricing
Term Sheet
July 19,
2010
Bancolombia
S.A.
US$620,000,000
6.125% Subordinated Notes due 2020
Issuer:
|
Bancolombia
S.A.
|
Title
of Security:
|
6.125%
Subordinated Notes due 2020
|
Security
Type:
|
SEC
Registered
|
Principal
Amount:
|
US$620,000,000
|
Maturity
Date:
|
July
26, 2020
|
Optional
Redemption
|
None
|
Interest
Payment Dates:
|
Each
January 26 and July 26, commencing January 26, 2011
|
Yield
to Maturity:
|
6.341%
|
Coupon:
|
6.125%
|
Price
to Public:
|
98.418%
|
Benchmark
Treasury:
|
3.500%
due May 15, 2020
|
Benchmark
Treasury Yield:
|
2.966%
|
Spread
to Benchmark Treasury:
|
337.5
basis points
|
Pricing
Date
|
July
19, 2010
|
Expected
Settlement Date:
|
July
26, 2010 (T+5)
|
CUSIP
Number:
|
00000XXX0
|
ISIN
Number:
|
US05968LAB80
|
Day/Count:
|
30/360
|
Minimum
Denominations
|
US$2,000
x US$1,000
|
Listing:
|
Issuer
has applied to list the notes on the New York Stock
Exchange
|
Ratings:1
|
Baa3
(Moodys) /BB+ (Fitch)
|
Bookrunners:
|
Banc
of America Securities LLC
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
|
C-1
A
preliminary prospectus supplement of Bancolombia accompanies the free-writing
prospectus and is available from the SEC’s website at xxxx://xxx.xxx.xxx/Xxxxxxxx/xxxxx/xxxx/0000000/000000000000000000/0000000000-00-000000-xxxxx.xxx.
The
issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus and prospectus
supplement) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates.
Before you invest, you should read the prospectus and prospectus supplement in
that registration statement, the documents incorporated by reference therein,
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 Web site at xxx.xxx.xxx.
Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the
offering will arrange to send you the prospectus and the accompanying prospectus
supplement if you request it from Banc of America Securities LLC, telephone:
0-000 000 0000, or X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc., telephone: 0-000-000
2874
Any
disclaimers or other notices that may appear below are not applicable to this
communication and should be disregarded. Such disclaimers were
automatically generated as a result of this communication being sent via
Bloomberg or another email system.
C-2
EXHIBIT
A
OPINION
OF XXXXXXXX & XXXXXXXX LLP
July [•],
0000
Xxxx xx
Xxxxxxx Securities LLC,
Xxx
Xxxxxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000.
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.,
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000.
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
In
connection with the several purchases today by you pursuant to the Underwriting
Agreement, dated July [•], 2010 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), between
Bancolombia S.A., a financial institution incorporated under the laws of the
Republic of Colombia as a sociedad anónima (the
“Bank”), and you, of U.S. $[•] aggregate principal amount of the
Bank’s [•]% Subordinated Notes due 2020 (the “Notes”), issued pursuant to
the Indenture, dated as of July [•], 2010 (the “Indenture”), between the Bank
and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (“Trustee”) (the Underwriting
Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes together the “Opinion Documents”), we, as
special United States counsel for the Bank, have examined such corporate
records, certificates and other documents, and such questions of law, as we have
considered necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this
opinion. Upon the basis of such examination, it is our opinion
that:
(1) the
Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the
Bank.
the
Indenture has been duly executed and delivered by the Bank, has been duly
qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and constitutes a valid and
legally binding obligation of the Bank enforceable against it in accordance with
its terms.
the Notes
have been duly executed, authenticated and delivered and constitute valid and
legally binding obligations of the Bank enforceable against it in accordance
with their terms.
(4) All
regulatory consents, authorizations, approvals and filings required to be
obtained or made by the Bank under the Covered Laws for the execution and
delivery by the Bank of the Opinion Documents and the issuance and sale of the
Notes by the Bank, have been obtained or made.
Ex.
A-1
(5) The
Bank is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Notes and
the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus
Supplement dated July [•], 2010 under the caption “Use of proceeds” will not be,
required to be registered as an “investment company” under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(6) The
issuance of the Notes in accordance with the Indenture and the sale of the Notes
by the Bank to you pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement do not, and the
performance by the Bank of its obligations under the Opinion Documents will not,
violate any Covered Laws applicable to the Bank.
(7) Under
the laws of the State of New York relating to submission to personal
jurisdiction, the Bank has, pursuant to Section 12 of the Underwriting Agreement
and 11.10 of the Indenture, validly and irrevocably submitted to the personal
jurisdiction of any court of the State of New York, located in the City and
County of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District
of New York, in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to the
Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture or the transactions contemplated thereby,
has validly and irrevocably waived, to the fullest extent it may effectively do
so, any objection to the venue of a proceeding in any such court, has, pursuant
to Section 11 of the Underwriting Agreement and 11.10 of the Indenture, validly
and irrevocably appointed CT Corporation System in New York as its authorized
agent for service of process, and service of process effected on such agent in
the manner set forth in the Underwriting Agreement and Indenture and otherwise
in accordance with applicable law will be effective to confer valid personal
jurisdiction over the Bank in any such action, in each case, subject to
bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and
similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights
and to general equity principles, and assuming (a) the due authorization,
execution and delivery of the Underwriting Agreement by the underwriters named
therein and the Indenture by the Trustee and (b) the validity and effectiveness
of such actions insofar as the laws of the Republic of Colombia are
concerned.
(8) The
execution and delivery by the Company of the Opinion Documents do not, and the
performance by the Company of its obligations under the Opinion Documents will
not violate the Deposit Agreement between the Bank and Bank of New York Mellon,
as Depositary, relating to the American Depositary Shares of the Bank, which
agreement is listed as an exhibit to the Bank’s most recent Annual Report on
Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
We are
expressing no opinion in paragraphs (2), (3) and (6) above, insofar as
performance by the Company of its obligations under any Opinion Document is
concerned, as to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization,
moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting
creditors’ rights. Also, for purposes of the opinions in paragraphs
(4) and (6) above, “Covered Laws” means the federal laws of the United States
and the laws of the State of New York (including the published rules or
regulations thereunder) that in our experience normally are applicable to
general business corporations and transactions such as those contemplated by the
Opinion Documents; provided further, that such term does not include Federal or
state securities laws, other antifraud laws and fraudulent transfer laws, tax
laws, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, antitrust laws or any
law that is applicable to the Company, the Opinion Documents or the transactions
contemplated thereby solely as part of a regulatory regime applicable to the
Bank or its affiliates due to its or their status, business or
assets.
Ex.
A-2
In
connection with our opinion set forth in paragraph (7) above, we assume that any
such action will be properly brought in a court having jurisdiction over the
subject matter, and we are expressing no opinion with respect to the subject
matter jurisdiction of any such court. Also, we are expressing no
opinion as to whether or under what circumstances such a court might decline to
accept jurisdiction over such action on the ground that New York is an
inconvenient forum. Furthermore, we express no opinion with respect to the
provisions of Section 11 of the Underwriting Agreement and 11.10 of the
Indenture insofar as it relates to (i) the subject matter jurisdiction of any
United States Federal court to adjudicate any controversy, (ii) the jurisdiction
of any courts other than the courts of the State of New York and United States
Federal courts, (iii) the conclusiveness or enforceability of foreign judgments,
or (iv) the waiver of inconvenient forum with respect to proceedings in the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The
foregoing opinion is limited to the federal laws of the United States and the
laws of the State of New York, and we are expressing no opinion as to the effect
of the laws of any other jurisdiction. We have, with your approval,
assumed that the Bank has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a
sociedad anónima in
good standing under the laws of the Republic of Colombia, and that any document
referred to in this opinion and executed by the Bank has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered insofar as the laws of the Republic of Colombia are
concerned and is valid, binding and enforceable under the laws of the Republic
of Colombia. With respect to all matters of Colombian law, we understand that
you are relying upon the opinion, dated July [•], 2010, of Xxxxx-Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Abogados S.A. delivered to you pursuant to Section 6(b) of the Underwriting
Agreement.
We have
also relied as to certain matters upon information obtained from public
officials, officers of the Bank and other sources believed by us to be
responsible, and we have assumed that the Indenture has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the Trustee, that the Notes conform to the specimen
thereof examined by us, that the Trustee’s certificates of authentication of the
Notes have been manually signed by one of the Trustee’s authorized officers, and
that the signatures on all documents examined by us are genuine, assumptions
which we have not independently verified.
Very
truly yours,
Ex.
A-3
July [•],
0000
Xxxx xx
Xxxxxxx Securities LLC,
Xxx
Xxxxxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000.
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.,
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000.
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
[This is
with reference to the registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the
“Securities Act”) and offering of $[•] aggregate principal amount of [•]%
Subordinated Debt Securities due 2020 (the “Notes”) of Bancolombia S.A., a
financial institution incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Colombia as
a sociedad anónima (the
“Bank”).
The
Registration Statement relating to the Notes (File No. [•]) was filed on
Form F-3 in accordance with procedures of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (“Commission”) permitting a delayed or continuous offering of
securities pursuant thereto and, if appropriate, a post-effective amendment,
document incorporated by reference therein or prospectus supplement that
provides information relating to the terms of the securities and the manner of
their distribution. The Notes have been offered by the Prospectus,
dated July [•], 2010 (the “Basic Prospectus”), as supplemented by the Prospectus
Supplement, dated July [•], 2010 (the “Prospectus Supplement”), which updates or
supplements certain information contained in the Basic
Prospectus. The Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus
Supplement, does not necessarily contain a current description of the Bank’s
business and affairs since, pursuant to Form F-3, it incorporates by
reference certain documents filed with the Commission that contain information
as of various dates.
As
special United States counsel to the Bank, we reviewed the Registration
Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement and the documents
listed in Schedule A (those listed documents, taken together with the Basic
Prospectus, being referred to herein as the “Pricing Disclosure Package”) and
participated in discussions with your representatives, your United States and
Colombian counsel and representatives of the Bank, its accountants and its
Colombian counsel. In addition, we reviewed opinions addressed to you
from the Bank’s Colombian counsel regarding certain portions of the Basic
Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement and the Pricing Disclosure Package.
Between the date of the Prospectus Supplement and the time of delivery of this
letter, we participated in further discussions with your representatives, your
United States and Colombian counsel and representatives of the Bank, its
accountants and its Colombian counsel, concerning certain matters relating to
the Bank and reviewed certificates of certain officers of the Bank, letters
addressed to you from the Bank’s accountants and opinions addressed to you from
the Bank’s Colombian counsel.
Ex.
A-4
On the
basis of the information that we gained in the course of the performance of the
services referred to above, considered in the light of our understanding of the
applicable law (including the requirements of Form F-3 and the character of
prospectus contemplated thereby) and the experience we have gained through our
practice under the Securities Act, we confirm to you that, in our opinion, the
Registration Statement, as of the date of the Prospectus Supplement, and the
Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, as of the date
of the Prospectus Supplement, appeared on their face to be appropriately
responsive, in all material respects relevant to the offering of the Notes, to
the requirements of the Securities Act, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and the
applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Also,
we confirm to you that the statements contained in the Registration Statement,
the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement and the Pricing Disclosure
Package under the caption “Description of Debt Securities” in the Basic
Prospectus and under the captions “Description of the notes”
and “Underwriting” in the Prospectus Supplement, in each case insofar
as they relate to provisions of the Notes the Indenture under which the Notes
are being issued and the underwriting agreement between you and the company
regarding the purchase and sale of the Notes, and the statements contained under
the caption “United States Taxation” in the Prospectus Supplement, insofar as
such statements relate to provisions of United States federal income tax law,
constitute a fair and accurate summary of such provisions in all material
respects. Further, nothing that came to our attention in the course
of such review has caused us to believe that, insofar as relevant to the
offering of the Notes,
(a) the
Registration Statement, as of the date of the Prospectus Supplement, contained
any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, or
(b) the
Pricing Disclosure Package, as of [•]p.m. on July [•], 2010, contained any
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or
(c) the
Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, as of the date
of the Prospectus Supplement, contained any untrue statement of a material fact
or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
We also
advise you that nothing that came to our attention in the course of the
procedures described in the second sentence of this paragraph has caused us to
believe that the Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement,
as of the time of delivery of this letter, contained any untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make
the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading.
We
confirm to you that, based solely upon a telephonic confirmation from a
representative of the Commission on the date hereof, the Registration Statement
is effective under the Securities Act and no stop order had been issued as of
the time of such telephone conversation. In addition, we do not know
of any litigation or any governmental proceeding instituted or threatened
against the Company that would be required to be disclosed in the Basic
Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplements, and is not so
disclosed. Also, we do not know of any documents that are required to
be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statements and are not so
filed.
Ex.
A-5
The
limitations inherent in the independent verification of factual matters and the
character of determinations involved in the registration process are such,
however, that we do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness
or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Basic
Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Pricing Disclosure Package, except
to the extent specifically noted in the second sentence of the second preceding
paragraph. Also, we do not express any opinion or belief as to the financial
statements or other financial data derived from accounting records contained in
the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or
the Pricing Disclosure Package, as to the report of management’s assessment of
the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting or the auditors’
attestation report thereon, each as included in the Registration Statement, the
Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, or the Pricing Disclosure Package,
or as to the statement of the eligibility of the Trustee under the Indenture
under which the Notes are being issued.
This
letter is furnished by us, as special United States counsel to the Bank, to the
Underwriters, solely for the benefit of the Underwriters in their capacity as
such, and may not be relied upon by any other person. This letter may not
be quoted, referred to or furnished to any purchaser or prospective purchaser of
the Notes and may not be used in furtherance of any offer or sale of the
Notes.]
Very
truly yours,
Ex.
A-6
Schedule
A
1)
Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated July 13, 2010; and
2) Final
term-sheet dated July 19, 2010.
Ex.
A-7
EXHIBIT
B
OPINION
OF XXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX ABOGADOS1
July ___,
2010
GPZ-____-10
Bank of
America Securities LLC
Xxx
Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
XX 00000
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.,
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
XX 00000
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx of America
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
[We have
acted as special Colombian counsel to Bancolombia S.A., a Colombian financial
institution organized and existing as a sociedad anónima under the laws of the
Republic of Colombia (the “Company”), in
connection with the Company’s offering of U.S. $[●] [●]% subordinated notes due
2020 (the “Notes”) issued
pursuant to the Indenture dated ______, between the Company and the Bank of New
York Mellon, as trustee (the “Trustee”).
This
opinion is delivered to you pursuant to Section 6(b) of the Underwriting
Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) entered into by the Company with you as
underwriters (collectively, the “Underwriters”), dated
______, 2010.
In
stating our opinion, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures on
original or certified copies, the authenticity of documents submitted to us as
originals and the conformity to original or certified copies, of all copies
submitted to us as certified or reproduction copies. We have also assumed, for
the purposes of the opinions expressed herein, that each of the parties to the
Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture, other than the Company, has the
corporate power and authority to enter into and perform each of the Underwriting
Agreement and the Indenture and that the Underwriting Agreement and the
Indenture have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such party. Also,
we have examined such corporate records, certificates and other documents, and
such questions of law, as we have considered necessary or appropriate for the
purposes of this opinion.
Capitalized
terms used herein without definition shall have the respective meanings ascribed
to them in the Underwriting Agreement.
Based
upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
1 NTD: Comments to follow
Ex.
B-1
(i) The
Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a sociedad anónima
under the laws of the Republic of Colombia, with full corporate power and
authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as
described in the Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus supplement
of the Company, dated [●], 2010, relating to the Notes (including the base
prospectus attached thereto and the documents incorporated by reference therein,
the “Pre-Pricing
Prospectus”), the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package (including any
Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses attached hereto as Annex A) to execute and
deliver the Underwriting Agreement and to perform its obligations thereunder,
including, without limitation, to issue, sell and deliver the Notes as
contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement.
(ii) The
Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in each
jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its respective properties or the
conduct of its businesses requires such qualification, except where the failure
to be so qualified would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(iii) The
Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company.
(iv) The
Notes have been duly and validly authorized and executed and, assuming the due
authentication of the Notes by the Trustee and assuming that the Notes
constitute valid and legally binding obligations under the laws of the State of
New York, upon authentication by the Trustee and delivery by the Company against
payment therefor by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of the
Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture, the Notes will be legally binding and
valid obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and
enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the
enforcement thereof may be limited by the Bankruptcy Exceptions.
(v) The
Notes qualify as Tier Two Capital pursuant to the relevant Colombian
laws.
(vi) The
Indenture has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by
the Trustee and assuming that the Indenture constitutes valid and legally
binding obligations under the laws of the State of New York, the Indenture is a
legally binding and valid obligation of the Company, enforceable against it in
accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by
the Bankruptcy Exceptions.
(vii) No
approval, authorization, consent or order under any laws of Colombia or
approval, authorization, consent of or filing with any Colombian governmental or
regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency is required in
connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the
Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes or with the consummation by
the Company of the transactions contemplated by the Underwriting
Agreement.
(viii) The
execution, delivery and performance of the Underwriting Agreement and the
Indenture by the Company, the issuance and sale of the Notes, the consummation
of the transactions contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement and the
application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus Supplement
under the heading “Use of Proceeds” do not and will not result in any breach or
violation of or constitute a default under, nor constitute any event which, with
notice, lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of or
constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness or a person
acting on such holder’s behalf, the right to require the repurchase, redemption
or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under, or result in the
creation or imposition of a lien, charge or encumbrance on any property or
assets of the Company pursuant to: (i) the charter or bylaws of the Company, or
(ii) Colombian laws, or (iii) any decree, judgment or order applicable to the
Company or any of its respective properties, which decree, judgment or order is
known by us.
Ex.
B-2
(ix) To
our knowledge, (i) the Company is not a party to any legal or governmental
action or proceeding that challenges the validity or enforceability, or seeks to
enjoin the performance, of the Underwriting Agreement; and (ii) there are no
actions, suits, claims, investigations or proceedings pending, threatened or
contemplated to which the Company or any of its directors or officers is or
would be a party or to which any of its properties is or would be subject at law
or in equity, before or by any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or
regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency which are required to be
described in the Registration Statement, the Pre-Pricing Prospectus or the
Prospectus but are not so described as required.
(x) The
statements in the Registration Statement, the Pre-Pricing Prospectus and the
Prospectus under the headings “Enforcement of civil liabilities against foreign
persons,” “Summary – the Offering,” “Risk factors,” “Colombian banking
regulations,” “Description of the Notes,” and “Tax Considerations – Colombian
Tax Considerations,” in each case insofar as such statements constitute
summaries of Colombian legal matters or documents referred to therein, fairly
summarize the information purported to be shown.
(xi) Subject
to the qualifications set forth below, the choice of law of the State of New
York as the governing law of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and the
Notes is a valid choice of law under the laws of Colombia, and the courts of
Colombia will honor this choice of law. The irrevocable submission of
the Company to the jurisdiction of the courts specified in the Underwriting
Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes, the waiver by the Company of any
objection to the venue of such specified courts, and the appointment of CT
Corporation System as the agent for service of process in any suit or proceeding
based on or arising under each of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and
the Notes in any federal or state court in the State of New York, is valid and
enforceable under Colombian law and would be recognized by the courts of
Colombia. A final and conclusive judgment (not subject to appeal) of the courts
of the State of New York for the payment of money rendered against the Company
in respect of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes, would be
recognized by the courts of Colombia.
(xii) The
Company and its respective assets are subject to suit in Colombia and neither
the Company nor its assets have any right of immunity, on the grounds of
sovereignty or otherwise, from any legal action, suit or proceeding in
Colombia.
(xiii) No
Colombian stamp, registration, documentary or other issuance or transfer taxes
or duties and no capital gains, income, withholding or other taxes or duties are
payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters to Colombia or any political
subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein in connection with the sale
and delivery by the Company of the Notes to the Underwriters or the sale and
delivery by the Underwriters of the Notes as contemplated in the Underwriting
Agreement.
(xiv) Except
as set forth, and subject to the conditions provided in the Disclosure Package,
and provided that the holders of the Notes are not Colombian residents for tax
purposes, there is no tax, impost, deduction, or withholding imposed by Colombia
or by any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein on any
payment to be made by the Company pursuant to the Notes.
Ex.
B-3
(xv) It
is not necessary under the laws of Colombia, in order to enable the
Underwriters, the Trustee or the holders of the Notes, to enforce any of their
rights under the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture or the Notes, that the
Underwriters, the Trustee or the holders of the Notes, should be licensed,
qualified or entitled to carry on business in Colombia.
(xvi) Assuming
that each of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes are
executed and delivered outside of Colombia, none of the Underwriters, the
Trustee or the holders of the Notes will be deemed residents or subject to
taxation in Colombia, by virtue solely of the execution or performance of the
Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture or the Notes, assuming that none of such
persons is domiciled or a resident of Colombia for tax purposes.
This
opinion is subject to the following qualifications.
(i) Under
the laws of Colombia, the choice of the law of the State of New York as
governing law would be recognized subject to the proof of the provisions of the
applicable law of the State of New York in the manner provided for in such
proceedings in Colombia. In any proceeding in Colombia to enforce a document
subject to the law of the State of New York, the court would interpret the
provisions of such document by reference to law of the State of New York
provided that the provisions of law of the State of New York do not violate the
public order Laws of Colombia.
(ii) The
courts of Colombia would give effect to and enforce a final judgment rendered by
any court of the State of New York or any courts outside of Colombia through a
procedural system provided for under Colombian law known as “exequatur”, subject
to the provisions of Article 693 of the Colombian Code of Civil Procedure which
requires that there be reciprocity in the recognition of foreign judgments
between the courts of the relevant jurisdiction and the courts of Colombia and
subject to compliance with provisions of Article 694 of the Colombian Code of
Civil Procedure. The pertinent provisions of such articles as they would affect
a judgment obtained in a foreign court are as follows: (a) the foreign judgment
presented in Colombia for enforcement does not conflict with public order laws
of Colombia, other than Laws governing procedure; (b) the foreign judgment, in
accordance with the laws of the country where it was rendered, is final and a
duly certified and authenticated copy has been presented to the court in
Colombia; (c) no proceedings are pending in Colombia with respect to the same
cause of action and no final judgment has been awarded in Colombia in any
proceeding on the same subject matter and between the same parties; (d) in the
proceedings commenced in the foreign court which issued the judgment, the
defendant was served process in accordance with the law of such jurisdiction and
in a manner reasonably designed to give an opportunity to the defendant for the
defense of the action; and (e) the judgment obtained in a foreign court will not
adjudicate property rights (in
rem rights) over assets located in Colombia at the time of commencement
of the proceeding pursuant to which such judgment was obtained. Proceedings for
execution of a money judgment by attachment or execution against any assets or
property located in Colombia would be within the exclusive jurisdiction of
Colombian courts. Bankruptcy proceedings, composition, liquidation, creditor’s
arrangements proceedings, annulment of corporate resolutions, repossession, and
proceedings in connection with “in rem” actions over assets
located in Colombia would also be within the exclusive jurisdiction of Colombian
courts.
Ex.
B-4
(iii) The
United States and Colombia do not have any bilateral treaty providing for
reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial
matters, but the Supreme Court of Colombia has accepted that reciprocity exists
when it has been proven either that a United States court has enforced a
Colombian judgment or that a United States court would enforce a foreign
judgment including a judgment issued by a Colombian court.
(iv) The
enforcement of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes may be
limited: (a) by applicable laws relating to the enforcement of creditors’ rights
generally, and any proceeding for enforcement in Colombia would be subject to
the applicable limitation on actions by prescription, limiting the period for
commencement for actions in Colombia; (b) articles 823 of the Colombian Code of
Commerce and 260 of the Colombian Code of Civil Procedure pursuant to which any
proceeding in Colombia requires that a translation into Spanish be the basis for
enforcement, in any event of a disagreement over the meaning of the translation,
the official Spanish translation will govern rather than the original English
text for purposes of such proceeding; (c) applicable laws pursuant to which
indemnification provisions are not enforceable if there has been gross
negligence or willful misconduct from the indemnified party; and (d) in any
proceeding filed, commenced or brought to a court in Colombia, service of notice
to the parties will be made in accordance with the provisions of the Colombian
Code of Civil Procedure and contractual provisions regarding service of process
will not be enforceable.
(v) Furthermore,
we express no opinion as to whether a court in any proceeding in Colombia would
give effect to certain provisions that may be limited by: (i) applicable
procedural rules that do not allow waivers of immunity and service of process by
private companies within Colombia and pursuant to which any immunity from
proceedings (jurisdiction, execution or attachment) which might in the future be
available under Colombian law may not be validly waived in advance; and (ii) the
unavailability under Colombian law of equitable remedies or injunctive relief,
except for fundamental constitutional rights.
We are
licensed to practice law in Colombia and we do not hold ourselves out as being
conversant with, and express no opinion as to, the laws of any jurisdiction
other than those of Colombia. In particular, to the extent that New York or
United States Federal law is relevant to this opinion, we have relied, without
any independent investigation, on the opinion of Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP,
special U.S. legal counsel to the Company, delivered to you pursuant to Section
6(a) of the Underwriting Agreement, and our opinion is subject to the same
assumptions, qualifications and limitations with respect to such matters as are
contained in such opinion of Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP. This opinion is
limited to matters of Colombian law.
We are
furnishing this letter to you solely for your benefit in connection with the
offering of the Notes. This opinion is solely for your benefit and may not be
relied upon in any manner or any purpose by any other person.]
Very
truly yours,
XXXXX-XXXXXX,
XXXXXX ABOGADOS S.A.
Ex.
B-5
July ___,
2010
GPZ-____-10
Bank of
America Securities LLC
Xxx
Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
XX 00000
X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc.,
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
XX 00000
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx of America
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
[This is
with reference to the registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and
offering of offering of U.S. $[●] [●]% subordinated notes due 2020 (the “Notes”) issued
pursuant to the Indenture dated ______, between the Company and the Bank of New
York Mellon, as trustee (the “Trustee”), by Bancolombia S.A., a Colombian
financial institution organized and existing as a sociedad anónima under the
laws of the Republic of Colombia (the “Company”). The Notes
have been offered by the Prospectus, dated ______, 2010 (the “Basic Prospectus”),
as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, dated _____, 2010 (the “Prospectus
Supplement”), which updates or supplements certain information contained
in the Basic Prospectus.
As
special Colombian counsel of the Company, we reviewed the Registration
Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement and the documents
listed in Annex A (those listed documents, taken together with the Basic
Prospectus, and the Prospectus Supplement being referred to herein as the “Disclosure
Package”).
This
letter is delivered to you pursuant to Section 6(b) of the Underwriting
Agreement (the “Underwriting
Agreement”) entered into by the Company with you as underwriters
(collectively, the “Underwriters”), dated
______, 2010.
Capitalized
terms used herein without definition shall have the respective meanings ascribed
to them in the Underwriting Agreement.
Because
the primary purpose of our professional engagement was not to establish or
confirm factual matters or financial or accounting information, and because many
determinations involved in the preparation of the Disclosure Package are of a
wholly or partially non-legal character or relate to legal matters outside the
scope of our opinion letter to you of even date herewith, we are not passing
upon and do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or
fairness of the statements contained in the Disclosure Package, except with
respect to the statements in the Basic Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement
under the headings “Enforcement of civil liabilities against foreign persons,”
“Summary – Recent developments,” “Risk factors,” “Colombian banking
regulations,” “Tax considerations – Colombian Tax Considerations,” in each case
insofar as such statements constitute summaries of Colombian legal matters or
documents referred to therein.
Ex.
B-6
In the
course of our acting as Colombian counsel to the Company, we have participated
in conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company,
representatives of the independent public accountants of the Company and
representatives of the Underwriters at which the contents of the Registration
Statement and the Disclosure Package were discussed and, although we are not
passing upon and do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or
fairness of the statements contained in the Disclosure Package (except as stated
in the paragraph above), on the basis of the foregoing, nothing has come to our
attention that causes us to believe that (i) the Registration Statement, at the
Effective Time, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, (ii) the Disclosure Package, as of the
Applicable Time (as defined below), included an untrue statement of a material
fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading or (iii) the Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus
Supplement, as of the date of the Prospectus Supplement or as of the date
hereof, included or includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted
or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading (it being understood that we express no opinion with respect to the
financial statements and schedules, and other financial data derived therefrom,
included in the Registration Statement, or the Disclosure Package).
As used
herein, “Applicable
Time” means [●], New York City time, on [●], 2010.
We are
furnishing this letter to you solely for your benefit in connection with the
offering of the Notes. This letter is solely for your benefit and may not be
relied upon in any manner or any purpose by any other person. This letter may
not be quoted, referred to or furnished to any purchaser or prospective
purchaser of the Securities and may not be used in furtherance of any offer or
sale of the Securities.]
Very
truly yours,
XXXXX-XXXXXX
ABOGADOS
Ex.
B-7
Annex A
Preliminary
Prospectus Supplement dated ____, 2010;
Free
Writing Prospectus dated ____, 2010; and
Free
Writing Prospectus dated ___, 2010.
Ex.
B-8
EXHIBIT
C
OFFICERS’
CERTIFICATE
Each of
the undersigned, [·],
an Executive Vice President of Bancolombia S.A., a Colombian banking
institution, incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Colombia as a sociedad anónima (the “Company”), and [·], the Chief Financial
Officer of the Company, on behalf of the Company, does hereby certify pursuant
to Section 6(l) of that certain Underwriting Agreement dated July [·], 2010 (the “Underwriting
Agreement”) among the Company and Banc of America Securities LLC and X.X.
Xxxxxx Securities Inc., on behalf of the several Underwriters named therein,
that as of July [·],
2010:
1.
|
The
undersigned has reviewed the Registration Statement, each Pre-Pricing
Prospectus, the Prospectus and each Permitted Free Writing
Prospectus.
|
2.
|
The
representations and warranties of the Company as set forth in the
Underwriting Agreement are true and correct as of the date hereof and as
if made on the date hereof.
|
3.
|
The
Company has performed all of its obligations under the Underwriting
Agreement as are to be performed at or before the date
hereof.
|
4.
|
The
conditions set forth in paragraph (k) of Section 6 of the Underwriting
Agreement have been met.
|
Capitalized
terms used herein without definition shall have the respective meanings ascribed
to them in the Underwriting Agreement.
In
Witness Whereof, the undersigned have hereunto set their hands on
this [·] of
July 2010.
|
||
Name:
|
[·]
|
|
Title:
|
Executive
Vice President
|
|
|
|
|
Name:
|
[·]
|
|
Title:
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|